All is quiet in the Tardis

There can be few questions so easy to answer as the reason for the sound of silence in the Tardis tonight and for the next few days.

Teapot is with the godfather again.

Even Tiger the cat has lost his purr and Wesley the sheep has nothing to baa.

The evening rituals of the crossword and the word puzzle coupled with a hot drink and slice of toast are no longer observed.

Delusions set in like the traveller in the desert seeing a mirage as I come back home to the empty Tardis after a day's work trying not to get lost. Thinking if only Teapot was there the slippers would be warming by the fire and she would be waiting with a "bon mot" from the latest French lesson to cheer me as I open the door.

Can I stand another three days? Will I make it to Wednesday night? Will the silence drive me crazy? Is this going to be my last blog......................

The Lord is my Protector

Perhaps the most harrowing experience of my life was Stafford Crown Court February 2007. We saw the CCTV footage of the lorry moving relentlessly on towards the car where Chris and Matt were stationary and then the moment of impact.

So where was the Lord his protector right then? He was watching it all happen just like me all those months afterwards.

All this came back to me tonight as I listened to Team Leader speak of the Lord is king and how he is our protector like some pre medieval king.

And I just thought........ and what about the casualties.

You see I have lost it with ideas that have no bearing on what really happens in the world. The Lord is not a guarantor of physical security.

But for me he is my protector. He is and has been my protector in the times of pain, loss, tears, anguish and tiredness since that night. He has brought me friends who are part of his protection for me.

And I only make any sense of God's protection for Matt and Chris by seeing its eternal equation because "no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him".

Boiler Breakdown Service

There are some secrets to be shared.....but only with the right people if you know what I mean. So if you are a headteacher, school governor, parent or someone from the Council switch off now and go read another blog.

You see there are some people who think I spend all my time trying to regenerate the universe by going up and down the west coast main line and making occasional trips to places like Bracknell and Worcester and trying not to get lost.

But that is really a sideline as winter approaches in earnest and flakes of snow begin to fall. My main occupation in these months along with other dedicated comrades is the boiler breakdown service.

We operate under the strictest confidentiality and nothing would persuade me to tell you of the names of our clients but I could say that we work almost entirely in schools. Our motto is simple. "the reliable boiler breakdown service - call us to your boiler and it will break down".

The end of the Christmas holiday and the half term break sees us at our busiest. Snow is an excellent cover. Here is a picture of the new school across the road from the Tardis and it was a real pleasure to see a good job well done as children had to stay at home on the first day of term this month. Not easy to fix a new boiler but if all else fails the sonic screwdriver knows a way.

So with forecasts of heavy snow you can be sure that our team will not be deterred as the mobiles hum with requests for action later today. And if your school is closed tomorrow you will know who to thank.