Author Archives: Barrie Cooper

Enough said?! This Linnet was singing its heart out in the heat of the day. I wish I could have captured the song. The complexity of its voice was absolutely wonderful. The linnet held me and I’ve held the moment in a photograph; job done! Held in the blink of a shutter. But it droveContinue reading “Held”

We are living through a massive period of change, globally, and probably within our own lives, as a consequence of the pandenic. I took this photograph last evening; the view from the bottom of our garden. The tide was rolling in, relentlessly; imperceptively erodong the dunes and the rocks, and shaping a new landscape, slowlyContinue reading “Change”

This photograph of ripening barley was taken last Friday on a walk around Hauxley Nature Reserve. In these differnt days, we had to pre-book a slot of two hours, in order to regulate visitor numbers. It was so good to be back in our favourite place and the field of ripening barley outside the boundsContinue reading “Humbling”

Or should the title be, seeing IS believing?! A long and tortuous debate could ensue at this point. But it’s Monday morning and I don’t feel as though my head is full of profundity! So I’ll just go with what flows, as I usually do!! I had a day’s break from blogging yesterday, mainly justContinue reading “Seeing and believing”

A moment in time, a few months ago. Held in memory as time has moved on. Captured by the pressing of a shutter in the blink of an eye. We each inhabit our own moments in time. Passing moments in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes captured and held consciously or unconsciously; ready to beContinue reading “Captured”

Helpfully there is a wooden sign identifying this stall at the Summer Fair at St John’s Alnmouth last year!! For those of you I’ve never met, this is a photograph of yours truly enjoying a relaxing time being pelted with wet sponges!! How things have changed simce then. In some ways the last few monthsContinue reading “Guess who?!”

Time for a poem about what seem like opposites; Filtered vision; light and dark, held in tension by thought and feeling. Awakened memory of something beyond sight, Exploring opposites and finding a still, small, harmony. Imperceptible voice of calm and suprise…. longing for who knows what. The voice fades, the darkness deepens and loneliness piercesContinue reading “Light and Darkness”

The sculpture above is installed outside Notting Hill Methodist Church. I’m sure you will agree that it is a very evocative. After my musing on grace yesterday, I have found myself considering the word Lament. The two seem to go hand in hand. The book of Lamentations in the Old Testament give us a glimpseContinue reading “Lament”

We’ve been thinking about the ‘place of abundance’. I hope you have been able to try and focus on where that might be for you. Sometimes I’ve sensed that I might have found it and then being an elusive thing, it moves. Perhaps that is how it has to be! The word grace has beenContinue reading “Grace”

The title for today’s blog is where we left off on Saturday. In fact some words from St Catherine of Sienna, penned in the 14th century; ‘I cannot lose anything in this place of abundance I have found.’ We each of us will react to these words in different ways and perhaps the reaction willContinue reading “The place of abundance….”