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And miles to go before I sleep.

There are some interesting shapes and formations if you look upwards today.

Above is an excerpt from a CBC programme on the Archbishop’s efforts to tackle poverty and AIDS:

Instability in one part of the world, almost always communicates itself as instability all over.

And tonight File on Four on BBC Radio 4 he features in the programme From Calvary to Lambeth addressing his concerns over the obsession of the Anglican Church with sex, and its homophobic stance.

He said the Anglican Church had seemed “extraordinarily homophobic” in its handling of the issue, and that he had felt “saddened” and “ashamed” of his church at the time.

Asked if he still felt ashamed, he said: “If we are going to not welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes.

“If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn’t worship that God.”

There’s some coverage of the programme here and here.

Spotted in a shop window: a reworking of the familiar Mona Lisa portrait. Is it making a subversive point and if so, what?

It’s interesting to revisit this debate a year on. I missed it at the time, but remember the issue: a number of councils instituted a fortnightly (in place of a standard weekly) refuse collection. Typically these were Alternate Weekly Collections (AWCs).

About 140 councils in England now run an alternate weekly collection (AWC) system, where ordinary household waste is taken once a fortnight, rather than once a week.

Recyclable material, such as glass or paper, is removed on other weeks.

There is anecdotal evidence of rats and foxes and, in particular, maggots enjoying a feast of rotting food left in bins for longer.

Whitehall advice to councils, who have to cut their waste levels or face fines, is not to introduce the idea of fortnightly collections too near polling day.

Sian hit the nail on the head when she said that the problems arose because councils didn’t institute proper programmes to deal with food waste before changing the collection cycles.

Another interesting thing is that the BBC policy of getting the “opposite view” (which they apply selectively) leads them to get wacks like Prof Woudhuysen who put forward a position (not really an argument) for doing away with all recycling programmes by Councils.

Jack Guest has released a film “about the world getting better”. Above is the trailer, courtesy of YouTube, you can watch the full-length feature over at his website. Meanwhile Mark Lynas tries to keep it simple with his Three things to do to save the planet.

This is the Holywell Music Room, venue of this evening’s entertainment. It is said to be the oldest purpose built music room in Europe. It was built in 1742, contains an organ, and many musicians (including Handel) have performed here. It is the City of Oxford’s chamber music hall and is attached to Wadham College.

This group are third up with their distinctive doo-ing and waa-ing through a mixed bag of songs, which they describe in the programme as ‘cheese’. A mild Brie perhaps.

These are the second a cappella group up. More jazzy so far than the Belles, but their set also covers oldies from the musicals.

I find myself in this theatre in Oxford listening to and watching them perform. They are an all woman group and according to the programme they are the first of three vocal groups up tonight. Is that a touch of gospel ‘shining through’? If so, halleluia and why not sisters?
Bonus link: Oxford Belles home page.

Autumn is an interesting word. It derives from an old French word of Latin origin. It can be typed by pressing just three keys on a mobile phone keypad: the same sequence of keys that result in the word ‘button’.

They still make the same mistake - it should be fewer.

Here’s another view of the red Autumn leaves on Broad Street, outside Trinity College, Oxford. It was here I met this homeless man and dog, pictured here having a discussion of a financial nature with a passer by. Through the dedication of organisations like Crisis, many homeless people will get support at Christmas.

Sat 17 November: Oops - it seems I forgot to activate this entry, which I posted by mobile phone a couple of days ago.

At Trinity College, Oxford. I took this photograph last month, and after our recent blast of cold weather I suspect the leaves are now gone.

Sat 17 November: Oops - it seems I forgot to activate this entry, which I posted by mobile phone a couple of days ago.

Fortunately the train that left an hour after the one that I missed also stops at Ashford International and the kind staff of Eurostar have adjusted my ticket so I could catch it. It will take me as long to get home from Paris as it would to get from the far Western areas of London to Oxted by public transport. (If I calculate the time only from Garre du Nord, rather than from La Defence).

The train journey back is somewhat subdued, except for the children and babies on board. I have already had to put the shoes back on a toddler and tie her laces for her. Why? Because she was unable to do it herself, and she asked me to.