Welsh waterway revival

I drove to St German's to celebrate Mass with five others this morning. On my way out of church I was accosted by a man who rode into the churchyard on a bike. He begged me to let him use my phone for an urgent call, as he'd run out out credit on his. He started telling me about himself, saying he was a Catholic and showed me the rosary he wore around his neck. Then he lifted up his tee shirt to show me the tattoos on his back, representing two prison sentences for thieving he'd served, and put behind him in an effort to go straight. He made the call to his sister, apparently thanked me, then left.

I reached home at eleven. Clare had gone into school for an INSET session, and arrived home just before midday to be ready for a visit from the British Heart Foundation's furniture collection van, booked to take one of our two lounge sofas away. Three months ago we ordered a couple of armchairs from John Lewis' to replace one of them, as I found it wasn't comfortable enough for someone of my size and weight. The delivery van arrived at one. The crew unpacked and installed the chairs, which fit nicely in the space left by the sofa. They are very comfortable and supportive for the back. After lunch, I sat sown to do my daily Duo Lingo drill, and fell soundly asleep for an hour and a half. A worthwhile purchase indeed.

Then I made a start on composing a reflection for next Thursday's morning prayer, before taking a walk down to the Taff listening to the news on my phone. The rest of the reflection got completed after supper. There was an interesting programme on BBC Wales in the evening hosted by rugby legend Gareth Edwards and his wife Maureen, the last in a series exploring Welsh canals. This one was about canals in the Swansea and Neath Valleys, now undergoing the slow process of restoration after half a century of dereliction and neglect. The Vale of Neath is home territory for them both. Having lived and work in the area for thirty years, both were surprised to discover hidden treasures in a place they thought they knew well. There's some beautiful scenery and even a wetland nature reserve through which a canal runs. There's such potential for leisure and tourism here, and wonderful stories of the industrial history of the region around Swansea. These are places which I'm hoping we can explore in times to come.