Categories: general-nonsense
Date: 05 June 2010 13:35:16
Yesterday I had a reason to make a fleeting visit to the town I did my undergraduate study in. I was struck by how much the place hadn't changed and how much deprivation there appears to be in this town. It is a place which has not benefitted from much of the investment visible in the North East, although it still sufferred lots from the move away from the manufacturing industries in this country during the 80's and 90's.
Whilst I was living there one of the bands I got into as a student were the Levellers. Then they seemed like a radical group ready to change the world, now we realise they were just a bunch of lads in a band trying to make a living which is fair enough I guess. As they continue to be the alternative version of Sting in some ways it is no suprise that their latest effort in recycling for the middle classes is a digitally remastered version of "A Weapon Called the Word" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release. To support this they are playing some of the smaller venues around the country in November where I am sure they will have an audience full of people around my age singing their hearts out to "Carry Me", the most well known of the tracks on that album.
Also in my dim and distant past, although after my time at uni I became aware of Shane Claiborne, who the cynical amongst us might say was annointed to be and has indeed become the new Tony Campollo. (Not that I'm complaining I have loads of time for the work of both and think the value of their work amongst the evangelical community in making "radical theology" acceptable must not be under estimated). BMS has currently got some podcast interviews with Claiborne up, following I guess his recent trip to London, follow the link above.
As for the future, well blogging may become a little less regular because (i) the internet isn't working at home and (ii) there is lots and lots of real life going on over the next couple of weeks, some of it quite scary and important for either me or those closest to me.