Is Thought For the Day boring?

John Humphrys seems to think so. In an interview with the Radio Times, he said the slot is “deeply, deeply boring”, and argues for the inclusion of thoughts for the day from secular thinkers.  It’s not the first time that this claim has been made, but the BBC doesn’t agree, and it’s unlikely if Thought … Continue Reading

Death, by Sean Hughes

Unlike quite a few of my friends, I never had the pleasure of meeting Sean Hughes, the gifted writer and comedian who died yesterday. I was aware of his comic genius, but I’d never read this poem, which was reproduced today in The Guardian. I hope someone is asked to read it at his funeral! … Continue Reading

The Future of Humanism

“Humanism is now facing an existential challenge and the idea of “free will” is under threat.”  This is an excerpt from an article by the Israeli academic and thinker Yuval Hariri who book “Homo Deus” I’ve been reading recently.  The article in the Financial Times is well worth reading for anyone who thinks that Humanism … Continue Reading

Louise and James’s Humanist Wedding at the Principal George Street

   Sometimes the best weddings are when things go wrong. Like when the groom realises that he’s left the Marriage Schedule at home, and it’s only half an hour till kick off… I will never forget James’s expression when I turned up at the Principal George Street, and he realised that there was one important element missing from … Continue Reading

Regrets: I’ve had a few…

If you follow my blog, you’ll know I was delighted to be nominated, and then shortlisted for the Vows Awards a couple of weeks ago: that was entirely thanks to the many couples who voted for me to show their appreciation for the ceremonies that I conducted for them. I have been a celebrant for twelve … Continue Reading