Piracy is the new radio -- Neil Young

I look at the internet as the new radio. I look at the radio as gone. [...] Piracy is the new radio. That’s how music gets around. — Neil Young

Neil Young is right when he refers to piracy as the new radio.

- Neil Young is right — piracy is the new radio
- Neil Young on music and Steve Jobs: ‘piracy is the new radio’

Neil Young calls piracy “the new radio” because it’s “how music gets around”.

Hard to believe but the music industry used to pay radio stations to play their music. They paid so we could hear their music for free. It was a discredited system called payola. They also used to go and buy records in record shops known to be sampled to produce the Top 20.

We like to share. Though I wish the brain-dead morons would not share their bad taste as they drive around town with what laughingly is called music blasting out, or disturb me when travelling by public transport.

As children we used to stick a mike in front of the radio and record to tape. Then a pair of crocodile clips were affixed to the speaker cables. Eventually out came the soldering iron, holes drilled in the cabinet and little terminals to connect to.

The music industry, and more lately Hollywood, likes to equate pirate copies to lost sales. Pure nonsense of course.

We like to share.

I rarely listen to the radio. Or rather I listen to speech radio with occasionally music programmes. I hate music stations and the garbage they play. An exception was the late Charlie Gillett and his excellent World Music slot on BBC World Service. And guess what, the BBC in an act of crass stupidity, axed his programme to save money.

- BBC Radio 3 and World Service DJ Charlie Gillett dies

I used to help run a pirate radio station. Occasionally there were raids by the police, but we were in a labyrinth, we knew our way around, they did not. On rare occasions, I had the late night slot. Sharing with the world, or at least our handful of listeners, my immaculate taste in music.

What was I doing playing music on my late slot? I was sharing with those who cared to listen in. Maybe they even liked what I liked.

I have always shared. That is how I first came across Neil Young, listening to a friend’s albums at university. It still gives me the shivers when I hear those early Neil Young albums.

- Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
- Neil Young – Old Man
- Neil Young – A man needs a maid

Another friend had a vast collection of music, he had even written a book on music, from Neil Young to early music groups and everything in between. He would always give me music to take away to listen to. Try this, he would say. Would I have come across Gotan Project or Astor Piazzolla? Well actually yes, but only because I was at a concert by Zum.

- Gotan Project – Santa Maria
- Gotan Project – Una musica brutal
- Monica Bellucci – Heart tango
- Gotan Project – La Gloria

A couple of years ago I was in Brighton and found Brighton Books open (not usually open on a Sunday). I asked what was the music playing. That is how I came across Jacob’s Stories. You will only find it in Resident Records, I was told. I walked down the street and wandered around the shop. Not able to find what I was looking for, I asked. The helpful assistant laid his hand on what I was after.

I walked back to Iydea to examine my purchase. It is vinyl, I discovered, then on closer examination, saw it was a jet black CD made to look like vinyl, it even had grooves! Worried it would not play, I asked the bookshop would they play it. Yes, it played.

Unlimited Art is a limited edition CD. The cover made from hand-woven grass. Inside, a unique piece of art. I ran off copies and passed to friends. They liked so much that I was asked to buy copies next time I was in Brighton. I liked so much I bought copies to give as presents.

Resident Records is a rarity, an independent record shop. An independent record shop with a good selection of music, staff who know and love music.

Ben’s Records, in Guildford is another independent record shop.

If you want to look at at falling record sales, look no further than the death of independent record shops. We are now seeing the same with independent bookshops, a quarter have gone in the last few years. Killed by the music and publishing industries.

- A quarter of independent bookshops lost in last five years

Musicians were paid, ie commissioned, to perform, or travelling minstrels who played and hoped those liked what they heard and gave them some money, or at least something to eat and drink and a bed for the night

Sheet music helped spread the fame of a musician. No photocopiers and scanners but you can guarantee scribes were hard at work running off copies for their friends.

When Mozart toured Europe, would his fame have spread before him were it not for sheet music?

Records, wind-up gramophones, the wireless, helped spread the fame of musicians far beyond the concert hall and music hall.

Last October I saw The Sixteen in Concert at Guildford Cathedral. A little stall selling their music. Are you on youtube, I asked? No, not officially, but yes, you will find us there. The reason I asked was that I could share with others what I had heard.

- The Sixteen – Miserere Mei Deus – Allegri
- St James Cathedral – Victoria – The Sixteen

One author I know, she will remain nameless to save her from embarrassment, hates second-hand books. To her, every second-hand book sold, is a lost sale. How short sighted can you get! The second-hand book sales are helping to spread the word of an otherwise unknown author.

Every day I have been out this week I have picked up books by Paulo Coelho and a couple of other writers. These I will give away. Sometimes I leave as BookCrossing books.

Paulo Coelho is only too happy to see his books pirated. He knows it will lead to more people reading his books.

- Paulo Coelho calls on readers to pirate books

Little known author Neil Gaiman was opposed to piracy, until he woke up one day to the fact that it led to exposure, exposure leads to more readers.

- Gaiman: SOPA and PIPA are on the wrong side of history

At a recent music-industry conference in Europe, the CEO of superstar game company Rovio (creator of Angry Birds) said that piracy “may not be a bad thing” because it increases demand for the official version of the company’s products.

- Angry Birds boss: ‘Piracy may not be a bad thing: it can get us more business’

The ones who bleat about piracy are not the artists, it is the industry. The same industry that has killed music and seems to be determined to do the same to books.

With Amazon offering to publish unknown authors, the publishing industry is going to wake up one day and find it no longer exists.

Information flows, that is what information does. At the height of the Soviet Gulags, Solzhenitsyn was able to smuggle out his writing on little scraps of paper. The might of the Stalin police state could not stop the flow of information, so what hope the greed-driven Hollywood movie moguls of stopping the flow of information on the internet, a systems designed purely for the flow of information? They tried with Sopa and Pipa and look where it got them.

I do not download music, and no way would I pay to download music. The reason is simple and nothing to do with piracy. The quality is so poor.

Heaven ne’er helps the man who will not help himself. — Sophocles

We all need to think about how attached we are to our own ropes? Would we trust God and let go? — Priya Sher

As the night fell heavy in the heights of the mountains a climber got lost and could not see anything. All was black and there was zero visibility. The moon and the stars were covered by the clouds. He continued climbing disorientated, but only a few feet away from the top of the mountain, suddenly he slipped and fell into the air, falling at great speed. He could only see black spots as he went down, and the terrible sensation of being sucked by gravity.

He kept falling, and in the moments of great fear, it came to his mind all the good and bad episodes of his life. He was thinking now about how close death was getting, when all of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard. His body was hanging in the air.

Only the rope was holding him and in that moment of stillness he had no other choice but to scream: “Help me God.”

All of a sudden a deep voice coming from the sky answered, “What do you want me to do?” “Save me God.” And God replied “Do you really think I can save you?” “Of course I believe You can.”

“Then cut the rope tied to your waist.”

There was a moment of silence and the man decided to hold on to the rope with all his strength. The next morning the rescue team reported that a climber was found dead and frozen, his body hanging from a rope. His hands holding tight to it. Only one foot away from the ground.

Posted by Priya Sher on her blog.

- Faith Under Fire
- Love Wins

remember this scene from the Bourne Trilogy?

Looking downstream from Hungerford Bridge

Looking downstream from Hungerford Bridge

Who owns the copyright to the iconic image of a London double-decker red bus?

Photographers who compose a picture in a similar way to an existing image risk copyright infringement, lawyers have warned following the first court ruling of its kind. — Lauren Weinstein

I take a picture. I get sued for copyright infringement because it is similar to another picture! Not sued for copyright because I took another’s picture and passed off as my own, not sued because I took an identical picture, but sued because I took a similar picture!

Come on, get real.

In Capturing Lincoln Cathedral (to which I am a contributor), there is a near as identical picture to one I took. Why, I thought, when I saw it, has my picture been attributed to someone else? After a moments reflection, I realised it could not be my picture as I had never given them my picture.

It was uncanny. The person who took it must have seen the scene through the same eyes as mine. Or maybe sheer fluke, they were in the same spot as me, within minutes of me, and took the same picture.

But I did not immediately think, I am onto to a winner here, I must get my lawyers to sue the guy.

Most people take bad pictures. It is easy to see why. They do not have a clue how to take pictures. I see people with expensive cameras, they are clueless how to use them.

The picture I took which is near identical to that in Capturing Lincoln Cathedral, and the others I took that afternoon, did not happen by chance. I had been watching the light, watching the sky. I needed the sun, but at the same time I wanted little white clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky.

Often I walk by a building, see the light, then come back in half an hour, or maybe the next day.

I use other people’s pictures. But not often, and if I do, they are given due credit.

I take photos of works of art. I am careful never to use flash.

We have a natural desire to share. If I see a good work of art (and sadly there is so much crap), I want to share my find. I do not claim as my own. The artist benefits as their work reaches a larger audience.

That is why Sopa was so bad. It was a crude attempt by greedy Hollywood and the music industry to control the net.

- Paulo Coelho calls on readers to pirate books
- Promo Bay
- The cultural industry
- Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel
- Thoughts of Paulo Coelho on Sopa
- Stop SOPA

There is a man who has found posters, maybe WWI, maybe earlier, quite common, in the public domain for years, and yet this man has claimed copyright and sues anyone who uses them.

The red double-decker bus is the icon the world over for London. Some jerk has tried to claim copyright of a London red bus! And that is how the current copyright dispute has arisen. Two pictures, by no means identical, of a London bus on or near Westminster Bridge.

- Photographers face copyright threat after shock ruling

UK souvenir maker Temple Island Collection Ltd has won a ruling against New English Teas which it had accused of breaching copyright by using a photo of a London red bus on its packaging!

The judgement in this case makes an ass of the law.

One of my favourite views in London, is standing on Hungerford Bridge and looking downstream. The City of London with St Paul’s forms the skyline. I noticed London Red Buses running across the next bridge, Waterloo Bridge. Perfect I thought, a Red Bus and St Paul’s.

I used to regularly catch the No 38 bus. It was the classic London red bus.

Until this evening I had never heard of this stupid copyright case. Am I now in breach of copyright, I have dared to use a London Red Bus?

We need people to take many pictures of the London red bus and plaster around the net. Will everyone get sued for copyright infringement?

There is a tour company that runs guided tours around London using London red buses. Will they be in copyright dispute if they use images of their own buses in promotional material for their tours?

What of all the little kiosks selling postcards of guess what, London red buses?

What of the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. God forbid if they have a poster with a London red bus!

Intellectual property rights is becoming a farce. It was to cover invention, copyright and patents were there to protect ownership. I compose a piece of music, write a book. It is mine and I have the right to earn money. I own what I have created.

It was never meant for discovery. Galileo did not look through a telescope and claim copyright for what he saw. He could have charged to look through his telescope, charged for telescopes, but not charged others to look with their own telescopes at what he was looking at, claiming what he had found as his own, sole world rights.

We have Big Pharma going into Brazil into the rainforests of the Amazon, and claiming the gene sequences of the plants they find, often even claiming as their own traditional medicines.

- Biopiracy and Intellectual Property Rights

There was a case a few years ago when an attempt was made to patent the neem tree!

We have copyright being claimed for what hereto has been in the public domain.

Paulo Coelho book signing in 2006

Multimillion-selling author links with Pirate Bay, saying ‘the more people “pirate” a book, the better’

Bestselling Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho is joining in with a new promotion on the notorious file-sharing site the Pirate Bay, and calling on “pirates of the world” to “unite and pirate everything I’ve ever written”.

Coelho has long been a supporter of illegal downloads of his writing, ever since a pirated Russian edition of The Alchemist was posted online in 1999 and, far from damaging sales in the country, sent them soaring to a million copies by 2002 and more than 12m today. His latest move goes a step further, however, joining in with a new programme on The Pirate Bay and exhorting readers to download all his work for free.

Signing off as “The Pirate Coelho”, the author told readers on his blog about “a new and interesting system to promote the arts” on The Pirate Bay. “Do you have a band? Are you an aspiring movie producer? A comedian? A cartoon artist? They will replace the front page logo with a link to your work,” wrote Coelho. “As soon as I learned about it, I decided to participate. Several of my books are there, and … the physical sales of my books are growing since my readers post them in P2P sites.”

“Welcome,” said Coelho, “to download my books for free and, if you enjoy them, buy a hard copy – the way we have to tell to the industry that greed leads to nowhere.”

From his debut The Alchemist, a fable of a young Andalucian shepherd boy, to his most recent book Aleph, which describes “a remarkable and transformative journey of self- discovery”, Coelho’s spiritual writing has sold 300m copies around the world. The author has said in the past that “you can add another 20% for pirated editions”.

His link-up with The Pirate Bay was widely praised by readers, who described him as a visionary (“maybe I won’t buy a book from you right now (because I already have like 5), but I will tell every person I know about this”), a “role model for all of mankind” and a hero. “Ahoy Mr. Coelho, You sir are right, by downloading your books I was determined to buy the hard copy! If I wasn’t a pirate I never would read your books! I consider it a preview, if you like it, buy it!” said one reader.

Last month Coelho laid out his opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act, calling it a “REAL DANGER, not only for Americans, but for all of us, as the law – if approved – will affect the whole planet”.

Although Coelho admitted that as an author he should be defending intellectual property, he went on to call on the “pirates of the world” to “unite and pirate everything” he has ever written.

“The good old days, when each idea had an owner, are gone forever. First, because all anyone ever does is recycle the same four themes: a love story between two people, a love triangle, the struggle for power, and the story of a journey. Second, because all writers want what they write to be read, whether in a newspaper, blog, pamphlet, or on a wall,” he said. “The more often we hear a song on the radio, the keener we are to buy the CD. It’s the same with literature. The more people ‘pirate’ a book, the better. If they like the beginning, they’ll buy the whole book the next day, because there’s nothing more tiring than reading long screeds of text on a computer screen.”

– Alison Flood

First published in The Guardian (Wednesday 1 February 2012)

Paulo Coelho exposes the lie peddled by Hollywood and the music industry that piracy harms artists. Paulo Coelho was one of the strongest critics of Sopa that would have censored the Internet.

Top Story in Beyond The Dawn Music News (Wednesday 1 February 2012).

- Promo Bay
- The cultural industry
- Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel
- Thoughts of Paulo Coelho on Sopa
- Stop SOPA

Roman lead water tank with Christian imagery

baptismal scene on Roman lead water tank

Fragment of a Roman lead water tank with Christian imagery indicates the water tank may have been used as a baptismal font.

The chi-rho symbol first introduced by the Roman Emperor Constantine who defined the Christianity we know of today, who made Christianity the religion of a military Empire, the baptismal scene, all indicate its use as a baptismal font.

We were told doubling the capacity of Farnborough Airport was good for business. We were told it was good for the surrounding area. Not the views of those who live in the surrounding area, who value their quality of life. Not good for the nearby towns of Farnborough and Aldershot, both of which lie semi-derelict, though that owes as much to greedy developers and bad planning. Expansion of Farnborough Airport is good for Saudi-owned TAG Aviation, owners and operators of Farnborough. [see Farnborough Airport News]

Farnborough Airport was never going to be good for the local economy, as it is not a major employer. It lacks shops, customs, baggage handling, immigration control. At an average occupancy rate of 2.5 passengers per flight it is extremely bad for the environment.

HS2 we are told is good for business. There are even figures to show, it will shave 25 minutes off the journey time for businessmen travelling between London and Birmingham, as they will be the only ones using HS2. Not sure why anyone would wish to visit Birmingham, let alone get there 25 minutes sooner. Though I guess it may be an advantage to get away 25 minutes quicker.

High Speed trains are not good for the environment, major polluters. The scheme is simply an opportunity for the construction industry to make money. If there is money for investment in rail, then invest it in the rail network in order that we may all benefit.

- Farce of rail price hikes

Crossrail will link east and west London. An excellent idea, but that is not why it is being built. It is being built to provide the City of London with a fast connection to Heathrow. Once again the taxpayer is being asked to subsidise the City of London. If the City of London wants a fast link to Heathrow, then the City of London should pay for it.

Thames Estuary Airport is the latest White Elephant. Again we are told good for businessmen, expanding airport capacity is good for business. We are told Heathrow lacks the capacity, lacks the destinations of other airports. Not true, but when has the truth ever got in the way when fast bucks are to be made?

- Boris Island airport versus Thames estuary wildlife

London airports have 1113 departure flights to key business destinations compared with Paris 499, Frankfurt 443, and Amsterdam 282. Heathrow has 990 departure flights each week to the world’s key business centres – Charles de Gaulle 484 and Frankfurt 450.

Will aviation expand at the projected rate? Highly unlikely as flights will become too expensive as airlines are forced to pay their true environmental costs and the cost of fuel rockets.

Airports are not only a cost to private developers, it is the public purse that pays for the surrounding infrastructure.

Thames Estuary Airport would mean the closure of Heathrow, possibly Gatwick too. Massive loss of capital investment, not just Heathrow, but all the surrounding businesses. Massive unemployment west London.

Quality of life is a major determinant when people decide where they wish to live. London fails miserably. Expanding aviation would only make the quality of life worse.

- London too dirty for business?

London ranks 25 on a table of air pollution for European cities. Mercer’s Worldwide Quality of Living Survey 2011 placed London in 38th place (out of 221 cities), behind Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

- New report claims poor environment, not lack of airport capacity, threatens London’s status as top city to do business
- London Claims Most Traffic Congested City in Europe Prize
- Boris Johnson and the ‘invisible crisis’ of air pollution
- London ranks among worst European cities for air pollution
- Climate Rush Soho roadblock

London 2012 Olympics another mega disaster. Good for tourism, we were told. Greedy hoteliers jacked up their rates tenfold.

- Slow Start For Olympic Biz Jet Bookings
- Operators claim UK tourism affected by reserved Olympic rooms

I warned people to avoid London during the Olympics, avoid London end of July, all of August and early September. It will be hell in London. The transport system cannot cope now. Roads are to be hijacked for exclusive Olympic use. I am pleased to say people heeded my advice. London will be a no-go area for tourists, hotels will sit half empty.

Across the country town and city centres have been destroyed by developers out to make a fast buck and corrupt planners in their pockets. Good for business we are told. Good for greedy developers, good for High Street retailers, but not good for communities who see their towns laid waste, not good for local communities who see the wealth of the community leached out, not good for those who lose their livelihood and jobs when local businesses close.

In Lincoln, Sincil Street all that is left of character in the market area is due for destruction.

- Destruction of Sincil Street

There are exceptions. Communities are saying enough is enough. We are no longer going to be walked all over by Big Business and corrupt politicians.

The Victorian Queen’s Market at Upton Park in London, one of the few remaining traditional East End London markets, was due for destruction. It has been saved, the developer St Modwen driven out of town.

Across the country traditional markets are being destroyed, bastardised and yuppified. Queen’s Market is one of the few remaining London east end markets. It was under threat when the mayor got into bed with property developer St Modwen who have track record of trashing town town centres (eg Farnborough and Hatfield), it was to be destroyed for a supermarket, but after a six year fight, Friends of Queen’s Market have sent St Modwen’s packing with their corporate tail between their legs. Remaining is to be answered is how much taxpayers money has the mayor wasted on this ill-thought-out scheme? He and the councillors who backed him should be surcharged and made personally bankrupt to recover ever last penny.

- Queens Market
- Asda v Queens Market
- Victory for Queens Market!!

The irony is that those towns that have retained their traditional markets are thriving, the markets major tourist attractions. But that does not provide development opportunities, enable fast bucks to be made.

Bury Market in Lancashire – 300 stalls, a quarter of a million visitors every day! The success of Bury Market is down to two factors, quality stalls selling quality products and that the market worked with the local council to a common ethos, a common agenda.

- BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2008

Communities are starting to take control of their own destinies. Often it is from small beginnings. In Alton, Greening Alton plants up small patches of land for vegetables, Transition Heathrow and Incredible Edible Todmorden has taken this much further.

- We are in charge now

We can have development, but it has to be sustainable development, development that is good for people and planet. Good for businesses had to be consigned to the dustbin of history. Anyone remember, one for the road, an extra pint before driving off from the pub?

- Put planet and its people at the core of sustainable development

‘Don’t be afraid of the forest, my son. Ask your God Krishna to go with you. He will hear your prayer.’

The boy followed his mother’s suggestion, and Krishna duly appeared and from then on accompanied him to school every day.

When it was his teacher’s birthday, the boy asked his mother for some money in order to buy him a present.

‘We haven’t any money, son. Ask your brother Krishna to get you a present.’

The following day, the boy explained his problem to Krishna, who gave him a jug of milk.

The boy proudly handed the milk to the teacher, but the other boys’ presents were far superior and the teacher didn’t even notice his.

‘Where did you get that jug?’

‘Krishna, the God of the forest, gave it to me.’

The teacher, the students and the assistant all burst out laughing.

‘There are no gods in the forest, that’s pure superstition,’ said the teacher. ‘If he exists, let’s all go and see him.’

The whole group set off. The boy started calling for Krishna, but he did not appear.

The boy made one last desperate appeal.

‘Brother Krishna, my teacher wants to see you. Please show yourself!’

At that moment, a voice emerged from the forest and echoed through the city and was heard by everyone.

‘I can’t! He doesn’t even believe I exist!’

Posted by Paulo Coelho on his blog.

Do you have a band? Are you an aspiring movie producer? A comedian? A cartoon artist?

They will replace the front page logo with a link to your work.

As soon as I learned about it, I decided to participate. Several of my books are there, and as I said in a previous post, My thoughts on SOPA, the physical sales of my books are growing since my readers post them in P2P sites.

Welcome to download my books for free and, if you enjoy them, buy a hard copy – the way we have to tell to the industry that greed leads to nowhere.

Love
The Pirate Coelho

Posted by Paulo Coelho on his blog.

We have seen many independent bookshops close. They have not closed because of piracy, or because people no longer read or love books.

- A quarter of independent bookshops lost in last five years

They have closed because of greed.

They have closed because the publishing industry is following the lead of Hollywood and the music industry. They no longer nurture talent. They look for the latest blockbuster, which is then offered to supermarkets and bookshop chains at massive discounts with which the independents cannot compete.

When Hollywood and the music industry start bleating about starving artists, we know they are lying.

Sopa, which appears to have been killed stone dead, was about control of the internet. If there are those who are making big bucks out of piracy, then go after the money, but do not criminalise ordinary folk who wish to share.

Writers, artists, muscians want to create, they wish to share what they create.

- The cultural industry
- Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel
- Thoughts of Paulo Coelho on Sopa

Today I met with some of the most senior clerics in Iraq under the auspices of the Society of Iraqi Islamic Scientists (the senior Sunni Clerics Society). Some of them also came to Najaf with us on Friday. The main issue on the agenda was finding ways to stop the sectarian violence against the Shia. They also delivered a Fatwa (Islamic) injunction against all sectarian violence and publicly declared that most sectarian violence was coming from the Sunni community. Tomorrow the Fatwa will be discussed with the Iraqi Vice President and the British Ambassador.

– Canon Andrew White

The Fatwa

THE IRAQI SOCIETY OF ISLAMIC SCIENTISTS FATWA

In the name of God the Merciful

Under the conditions experienced by Iraqis and many Middle Eastern people at the present time and in the light of the increase in the level of Iraqi sectarian violence and the volatile situation, we believe that the deteriorating political condition calls upon us as Sunni religious scholars to together as a group to issue a Fatwa.

We wish to declare the sanctity of all Iraqi blood wether Shia, Sunni or Christian. We call for a mechanism to educate the Iraqi Society in order to renounce all sectarian violence and instead create an environment of cooperation with civil society organizations and institutions of civil jurisdiction so not to allow our people in Iraq to divide into sectarian conflicts. We must work towards national unity amongst all Muslims (Sunni and Shia) and Christians; we all have the duty and right to live together in unity in our country Iraq.

Dr Sheikh Khaled Abdul-Wahab Mullah, Leader, Sunni Cleric Baghdad + Basrah
Shekh Saadi Mehdi Qutaiba Alindaoui Sunni Leader Al Anbar
Sheikh Maher Al Jubori Sunni Cleric Fullujah
Dr Sheikh Kubaisi Jalal Sunni Cleric Rammadi
Sheikh Marwan Al Araji Sunni Cleric Baghdad
Sheikh Hasham Al Dulami Sunni Cleric Fullujah

I was talking with my friend Margaret this evening who works in Triangle (Christian tea shop cum bookshop) and we both agreed that if anyone was going to have an impact on the sectarian violence in Iraq it was Canon Andrew White.

Over the last few days he has been talking to Sunni religious leaders, the outcome a fatwa against the sectarian violence.

Now we need a similar fatwa from the Shia clerics.

Canon Andrew White is author of Faith Under Fire, President of FRRME, the Anglican priest of St George’s in Baghdad and a Middle East Peacemaker.

He has recently been awarded the highly prestigious First Freedom Award.

A three-day International Peace Conference on Iraq, Light in Darkness, is to be held in Brighton, Thursday 6 September to Saturday 8 September at the City Coast Church. It is hoped to bring young people from Iraq but this will depend upon how generous are donors. Speaker will include Canon Andrew White. For more information and for donations, please contact FRRME.

Faith Under Fire has been shortlisted as the Christian Book of 2012. It is open to vote on-line for your favourite book, but somewhat dumb you have to vote for a childrens book too even though you may have no views. Also badly designed website, link does not go direct to voting form.

- God moves in mysterious ways
- The Truth as Iraq descends into Hell
- Sorry Sir my dear Jesus , we came to you with, black gown
- House of Lords debates the plight of Christians in the Middle East

Steep Hill

The River Witham, High Bridge, The Stonebow, a couple of old churches, Sincil Street the only area of character left around the old market area, and that is about it, little else of interest in the city centre of Lincoln. The same trash High Street stores as in every other town across the country. Clone town writ large!

For more interesting part of town, walk through The Stonebow to the top of the High Street.

At the top of the Hight Street, The Strait, which leads into Steep Hill. Both have buildings of character, quirky buildings, quirky independent shops, even a lampost leaning over.

On the left as you walk up The Strait, two Norman House, one of which houses an excellent restaurant.

As you climb up Steep Hill and it earns its name, your are following the main Roman Street that ran through the Roman city of Lindum Colonia, up from the River Witham to the top of the hill.

More Norman houses as you walk up Steep Hill.

A tea shop, selling teas not cups of tea, though you will find those too, dress shops, a chocolate shop, a flower shop, art galleries, second-hand bookshops, little bars and restaurants, a pie shop, a clock shop (though rarely open). Even a Russian doll shop!

On the way up, occasional glimpses of Lincoln Cathedral. As you pause for breath, look back and you will see across the valley to South Common on the opposite escarpment.

Once the top is reached, and take all day as there is much to tarry for and no need to hurry, you will find yourself in Castle Square. To the left Lincoln Castle and to the right Lincoln Cathedral.

Carry on and you are in Bailgate. As you enter Bailgate, a little church on the right, worth gaining entry to, though rarely open.

In Bailgate a small butcher. If not the best in Lincoln, maybe even the County.

Walk through Bailgate to Newport Arch. The Roman archway to Lindum Colonia,

Walk around the castle to The Lawn, which Lincoln City Council in an act of crass stupidity has put up for sale. The Lawn, a former pioneering Victorian Mental Hospital houses the Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory.

Sir Joseph Banks was the Chief Scientific Officer on the Endeavour.

I have a knack of being in the right place at the right time. I had been in The Collection far longer than I wished due to it raining. It finally stopped, giving me time to walk up Steep Hill and back down, but little more. Looking down Steep Hill the winter midday sun caught the buildings and the wet street. A week later and half an hour later, the sun did not catch the buildings or shine down the street. Half an hour made all the difference.

At the top of Steep Hill is a little bronze plaque saying it was awarded Britain’s Best Place by the Academy of Urbanism.

Steep Hill must have the rare accolade of a street being reviewed on Trip Advisor!

It is a rare experience to be able to walk the length of a street in England and not encounter a single High Street chain store. This is how our towns used to be until destroyed by greedy developers and corrupt planners.

Top Story The Digital Mission Daily (Monday 30 January 2012).