From time to time I come across or have recommended to me by friends, articles, books, websites which I find interesting or illuminating in some way and I may mention them here from time to time.

One website which I’m enjoying hugely at the moment is from the Art lecturer and author Dr Richard Stemp whose daily expositions on great paintings I find wonderful. www.drrichardstemp.com

As well as my Thoughts and Talks I am still writing. Looking back I have always enjoyed writing. I even produced a Revue which included a one act play in our local village, Peel Forest, in South Canterbury New Zealand, while I was still at school. I can see from the cover of the school exercise book in which I wrote it that I couldn’t decide whether to call it ‘Naughty, Naked, Nice’ or ‘Naked Rebel’. From the programme printed on the village school’s Roneo machine it was ‘Naked Rebel’ that won.

From 1980 to 1984 while I was Vicar of St Luke’s Church, an inner city church in Christchurch New Zealand , I had a Saturday column in the Christchurch Star Newspaper, ‘The Vicar Writes’. Then when back in England in 1988 I wrote ‘Your Child’s Christening’which arose out of the challenge and experience of making the videotape ‘Your Child’s Christening’ with Sister Gerd Swensson CSA and Fr John Brownsell who also made the writing of the book possible. It was published by Harper Collins.

My book ‘Thoughts from Abroad’ was published in October 2006 by Caxton Press. It is based on my Radio New Zealand broadcasts.

“Acland has a sharp eye for human detail and a compassionate spirit which shines through the pages of this anthology.” Wrote Christopher Moore in the Christchurch Press.

More coming soon.