Photographs of Tenby

I thought it would be a good idea to share some more of my photographs of Tenby.  I have been there many times and never grow weary of its delights, though about two years ago I was saddened to see such rowdiness and anti-social behaviour on a Saturday night when the streets seemed to be full of drunks; they really disgraced themselves. I'll spare you the unpleasant details.  I am happy to report that things have improved since them.  Tenby can be overcrowded in August, but it's a great place for a family holiday. Mid to late June is right for a quieter vacation.  The light is excellent and the days are long.  I hope that you enjoy the photographs of Tenby.  They were taken in June 2009.

Photographs of the Pembrokeshire Coast

I love Pembrokeshire and have so many happy memories of family holidays, seeing relations, walking the coastal path and visiting so many interesting places.  I have inserted some photographs which celebrate the coastal beauty of this part of West Wales.  These photographs of Pembrokeshire give me great enjoyment and pleasure. You can enlarge each photograph by clicking on it.  I have also included hyperlinks with two of my YouTube videos. Enjoy.

 

Tenby Harbour

Green Bridge of Wales

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQR0z4umVUE

  

  

Tenby North Beach

Tenby North Beach and Harbour

  

Across the beach to St Catherine's Island

 

Tenby Esplanade

 

The coastline near Tremynydd Fach Farm

 

 

               Lion Rock, Broadhaven

                                                  Cliffs near Barafundle Bay

                                           Beautiful Barafundle Bay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW_vBB29aJ4

Operation Moshtarak: success or shame?

Operation Moshtarak has been reported this evening on the BBC news as a success so far, yet we hear of the shameful and sad news of 12 civilians being killed in Marjah when two rockets missed their intended targets.  Killing innocent civilians and wiping out an entire family will not win over the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.  Foreigners starting a campaign with death, distruction and disgrace will do so much harm to the sad situation.   There will be anger, agony, hatred and bitterness. What terrible news!  A military solution will not work.  David Miliband, our Foreign Secretary, even said so last July, but we are now more deeply involved than ever before.

How can we measure success in this conflict?  After years of fighting and maintaining a significant military presence there seems very little to show for the billions of pounds spent on this war.  There seems to be no way of assessing when the conflict has been won.  It can be argued that this war is unwinnable.  The number of civilians casualties as a result of NATO military action is shameful.  Even conservative estimates of civilian fatalities should cause concern; the high level of civilian deaths will cause untold damage and disgrace.

We hear very little about these deaths and casualties.  There is a lot of suffering because of this situation.
The reports of these casualties call into question the mission in Afghanistan.

Turville is the village in the Vicar of Dibley

For those who do not know it yet, Turville in Buckinghamshire is the location for the TV series The Vicar of Dibley.  As I have mentioned in my photo gallery attached to this blog, Turville has also featured in other TV episodes, namely Lewis, Goodnight Mister Tom, Jonathan Creek, and Midsomer Murders.  Some may recognize it in the films, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (the windmill scenes) and Went the Day Well.

Turville is a lovely village, particularly when the bluebells cover the woods in May. I have added some more photographs of Turville aka Dibley. Enjoy. 

 

Learning the lessons of history in Afghanistan

Does not history teach us that foreign invaders cannot win and overcome resistance in Afghanistan?
The mighty Russian army failed and now it looks like coalition forces will fail there too.  The insurgency maintains its support and many Afghans will never accept interference by foreigners and perceived unbelievers.  The insurgents are very committed and will fight to their deaths, even welcoming martyrdom.  They earnestly wish to kill American soldiers.  The threat of more invaders helps recruitment.  How long will this conflict continue?  The quagmire sucks more and more into its deadly grip. Enough is enough, but still the Western forces pour in more money and more troops.  There is little evidence of progress; in fact the opposite seems to be true. The West cannot win using its existing strategy. We should learn the lessons of history and leave Afghanistan to the Afghans.

Hell in Helmand? More hardship ahead for British troops

British troops expect to continue fighting in Helmand province for another five years.  Over 250 service personnel have died and the situation is predicted to get worse before it gets any better.  I wonder if we will see any improvement in the next five years.   I really doubt it.

Casualties and deaths will certaintly increase.  The violence could intensify this summer, according to US military sources.  The country is very unstable, even after our involvement over the past eight years.  It is hoped that things will improve over the next five years, but this may well be a vain hope and false expectation.  A bright future for the Afghan people is not assured by any means.  The UK is contributing around 10,000 troops and that is over 50 per cent more than Germany.  In fact we send more troops than Germany and France combined.  The Afghan Army totals over 97,000.  It should be for them, with assistance, to sort out the mess in their own country.

There is talk that the leading insurgents, which means Taleban backed fighters and certain warlords, are to receive hundreds of millions of pounds, i.e. loads and loads of money, in what amounts to bribes to stop them fighting.  That will enrage war widows, the wounded, relatives of the fallen and many others on meagre allowances, poor pay and parsimonious pensions.  It would be outrageous to see a great deal of money going to criminals, terrorists and bandits.  Perhaps it has already happened.  Would it surprise you?

Sound teaching on the Trinity

Some people are rather snobbish about the internet and YouTube.  If you know where to look and if you are eager to find it, then you can come to some fine Bible teaching and sound doctrine on YouTube.  Yes, there is plenty of rubbish, examples of shallow thought and badly presented material, but there are some real gems and pearls of wisdom.

I would recommend Alistair Begg's series of videos, Reflections on the Doctrine of the Trinity.  His sermon is presented in four parts and well worth viewing.  You can get to the first part by the hyperlink below and then follow the links for the other parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxe4v0OEvwE