The intellectual focus of the week for me was Friday - when I had been invited to speak at Eco-Shabbat by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg. Jonathan first got in touch with me during lock-down. He wanted a mammal expert to be part of an online event - and found me! Apparently I made quite an impression - as when he introduced himself saying how odd it must be for me, I responded by pointing out the presence of hedgehogs in the Old Testament (depending on the translation) … and off we went.

Please pop over to the Substack version of this - LOADS of photos and a chance to comment!

He is a remarkably wise and kind person - and accepting of my quirks! A couple of years ago I was invited to speak at his synagogue - sharing a platform with two rabbis, and a bishop … on the walk up there I mentioned to one of the rabbis (not him) about being the ‘token atheist’ and this rabbi responding that they did not think that was necessarily the case!

The Eco-Shabbat event took place after a service, and as I had never been to one before, I thought it would be an interesting experience. My friend, Eylan, came along too - and was able to nudge me at times to remind me which page we were on! Eylan has a brilliant podcast exploring the vast diversity of Jewish experience around the world - and with it touching on sensitive issues around racism within that diverse community.

The only flaw in my brilliant planning for the event was a lack of awareness of the strict way in which laws were enforced … so me preparing an illustrated talk was great … but I was not allowed to use a computer or slide projector! So I spent the service deeply in thought, re-writing everything (in my head!)

The food was phenomenal - around 30 people squashed into his home. And I delivered my talk - on Hope and Hedgehogs … I have never had to do such a quick turnaround of a talk - but I am so pleased with how it went and how it was received. My theme was that while we may look at international or national events - such as COP climate meetings, or the UK government dismantling nature protections in the new planning bill - as the places we should rest our hope … I argued that we need to think smaller.

So - I talked about Prickles and Paws, as they try to raise money to kit out their new hedgehog hospital, I talked of the amazing Ukrainian hedgehog rescuers, I shared stories of flags - how our east Oxford community has responded to the aggressive use of some flags with a deeply welcoming version. And I talked about Eva and Emily’s harvest mouse adventure!

In the same way trying to get people to fall in love with nature through the images of charismatic mega-fauna on TV is unlikely to succeed - and that we need to look to the realistically accessible (Hedgehogs, of course!) - we also miss out on developing a hopeful resilience if we hand over the ‘work’ to those in authority … we should try and make hope at a human scale - that is the foundation of resilience, we see small projects, a wildlife rescue, a free book library, a welcoming flag - and realise that we can make a difference if we start small.

Around the thinking, I had music!

First up was seeing my friends from the Dreaming Spires launch their new album with a mini-gig in Oxford … the album has a track called Linescapes … because the singer was the person who gifted me that word for the title of a book of mine! 

I jumped on my bike and then headed to the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford - which has some of the most uncomfortable seats known to humanity - but also presents some of the most beautiful music. Tonight was a birthday celebration for Arvo Part - with the choir of Merton College, and the Britten Sinfonia. Part’s music is ethereal and worth exploring - they also performed Song for Athene - by John Tavener, which is so beautiful. But the showstopper for me was unexpected - the second half leapt back from the 20th century to the 18th and the Nelson Mass by Haydn - the choir and orchestra sparkled and I was left feeling very strongly that if we are to remember the dead we should not forget to dance.

That was Tuesday, Thursday saw me at the Barbican for my first experience of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing Taras Bulba by Janacek and Anton Bruckner’s massive 7th symphony which is a piece that edges you towards a resolution so many times that by the end, I was utterly exhausted!

Saturday the brilliant Delius Singers performed Brahms’ German Requiem, accompanied by two pianists, in Somerville College chapel … I was officially photographing that one - but was mostly able to just let the powerful humanist work massage my soul.

And finally, for an eventful week, Sunday, Merton College evensong was a special celebration for Sir John Rutter, a composer who has turned 80, yet is still as fresh with his music as ever. A delight to see him in action again and to hear a choir that is so full of joy with making music.

And now - off to see if the starlings are murmurating on Otmoor …. Will post about that if they are!