Philosophy/reflective Episodes

As we edge towards midsummer night, we’re reminded how everything is in constant change. This is particularly the case in the fast-moving world of podcasting. It is a good opportunity to reflect on what it all means for this podcast; the challenges and plans for the future, and also why is everyone suddenly so interested in Vanessa's age (and why would they think that I know what it is)? Journal entry: 12th June, Friday “Soft the wash of rain So...

It’s the night of a blue moon. Following a hot and busy sunny day the canal settles down into a contented stillness. It’s a perfect night to join and to sit back, let the quietness wash over us, to relax and to let our minds play with some big ideas. Journal entry: 23rd May, Sunday “Voices lift across the water No words, just sound A copy of Baisao in my hand Lingering over phrases and lines In the soft evening sun. I too have my cup ...

Tonight, as the rain falls softly outside and the kettle sings on the hob, we are letting our thoughts roam free. Together, we shine a light into the forgotten corners of history to explore a quiet, essential rhythm; the often-overlooked role of the people who wound the parish clocks, and the precious gift they gave, the burden of time, Journal entry: 11th May, Monday “Mother and a host of tiny ducklings (Don't count them. Just enjoy). A raven alights on the One O...

The temperature is dropping and it looks like a frosty night is ahead of us. So, why not join us in the Erica’s cosy cabin as we contemplate the coming of spring, the therapeutic and philosophical aspects of planting seeds, and joy of sunshine on your shoulders. Journal entry: 19th March, Thursday “On Horse Hill The light scrubbed clean By the sharpness of frost Two rooks harry a buzzard pair Who fly on wings Of feathered nonchalance.” Episode In...

This year, the Bita kaulo munthos (the little dark month) has brought with it yet more rain. This time of year can be a hard time. Mid-winter; the time of lambing, Imbolc and the Cailleach. Strung halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox, Imbolc heralds the mid-point of what for many seems to be turning out to be a very hard winter. Join us tonight around our fire as we contemplate how this time can help to prepare us for the uncertainties of the coming year. &n...

A newly born moon is still below the horizon and the parched ground breathes in the quiet of a summer's night. The water levels may be low, but you're assured a welcome that is full and warm aboard the NB Erica as we catch up on life with all its ebbs and flows, and unfuriating complexities that make it all so worthwhile. Journal entry: 18th August, Monday “Rain in the night Woke up to streaks on the windows. I take the rake off the cabin roof And lower ...

It is a hot midsummer night of warm winds that makes the Erica creak at her moorings. Tonight, we find ourselves at a year’s turning point — caught between the stillness and the unsettling. Join us as we explore the solstice, the shifting seasons, the rhythm of carnival swings, and the restless nature of the mind, uncovering the connections between them all. Journal entry: 16th June, Monday “Cresting The eternal now The carp and I Share the summer sun” Episode...

Join us on a quiet night of summer rain as we listen to rooks and explore the beauty and ambiguities of two liminal places with a lot in common. We learn about the web-footed fenmen and are guided by Luke Sherlock to a ruined church under haunting skies. Journal entry: 6th June, Friday “We walk through the sheep field As the rain pours down. My boot socks still wet from last night. The rooks muster noisily at the One Oak. Even the magpies’ cackles...

Along the towpath, the battle between winter and spring has begun with days of warmth and days of sleet. Although even the young ducks teach us a lesson in conflict avoidance. Join us tonight as we celebrate the lives of two people who were central to the creation of Nighttime on Still Waters. Journal entry: 12th March, Wednesday. “The day winds down. A last walk along the canal side. Pebbled rings form in the open water. A kick of sleet Drives against my face. Captivated by the gold...

It’s a bitingly cold, sleety night. There’s a warning of snow in the forecast for later. It’s a perfect night to sit together around a warm stove snug inside the Erica’s cabin, while the wild world rages outside. The kettle is singing, the biscuit barrel is full. The night belongs to us. Journal entry: 7th February, Friday. “Yesterday’s spectacular Blood-orange dawn Has given way to a dawn Without colour or feeling. We pick our way between Rutted potholes of slippery mud To the Magpi...

Send us a text There seems to be an awful lot of change happening recently, often unasked and with far-reaching consequences. Knowing how to deal with it can be difficult and lead us to feeling unbalanced and overwhelmed. How do we find the stillness, the balance, within the flow of movement? To regain our balance in the tilt of change and the still-point amid the chaos. To find our place in the wilder world around us an know that we are all part of that great breathtaking murmuration that is li...

Send us a text I am probably not the only one feeling a little disoriented and uncertain about what the upcoming year will hold. While it is great to have plans and dreams, these are not always possible and sometimes, I think, not even desirable. There are times for wisdom to be silent and for the 'undreaming' to occur before we can begin to discover new music and new dances. Journal entry: 1st January, Wednesday “A dawn of tobacco and salmon And racing clouds. A solitary raven rows ...

Send us a text Recently, Britain experienced a blocking high pressure system, leading to an extended period of ‘anticyclonic gloom.’ Such are the conditions in which myths are created and, as the story of Blodeuwedd and Lleu suggests, might still be created. Journal entry: 15th November, Friday Early light. Thick mist Licked with salmon On the eastern edge. Frost glitters Along the cabin roof And rimes hoary On the solar panels. Rooks pour off The music stave Of telegraph wires Whirl...

Send us a text Two rather wonderful things have happened recently which has prompted me to take a reflective look back at this podcast and the journey we have taken together. One of these was being sent some excerpts of essays written by students who had listened to one of the podcasts (I which gave me a lot to think about), and the other was recieving a beautful poem ('The Narrowcaster') written by one of our listeners. Join us tonight on NB Erica as we celebrate sharing these night-times on st...

Send us a text Tonight, we are hunkered down awaiting another storm. So, come and join us for a cosy night as we reflect on the fairly unique nature of canal-life and the community that it supports, with thanks to Wayne (NB Spudley) for drawing attention to a great new canal-based charity and some wise words from Rich (by Bike & Boat). Journal entry: 16th October, Wednesday “October drips onwards. The towpath washed with mud And brushed silvers Wet with fallen leaf And windfall twigs...

Join me tonight as I recount a strange and rather unnerving experience that I had just over a week ago, of feeling as if I were walking in the footsteps of Meursault, the main character of one of my favourite books, Albert Camus’ The Outsider. Please note that this episode contains themes relating to death and cremation. Journal entry: 25th July, Thursday “First light of iron and steel. A mist of rain On the back of A wind from the south. A raven calls from the Topmost branch of the ta...

There are times that can touch us deeply. Very often they are not about finding a place of peace or somewhere outstandingly beautiful. It is something else. Something beyond these things. It is about encountering something wonderful, and being spun by wonderment. Join us tonight as we recover from dragging a very smelly and wet dog out of the canal! Journal entry: 13th July, Saturday “Loosestrife sets alight The greyness of the day With purple fire. Chiff chaff squeak Like rusty whee...

This episode was inspired by a sentence in Beth Kempton's Wabi Sabi and explores how calendars can connect us more closely to the world around us. Join us tonight as we explore the year through the eyes of some Japanese poets and celebrate the unfolding of the summer. Journal entry: 25th June, Tuesday “First day this summer Of real heat. All day, my shirt has stuck To my back. This evening The clover field Hums with The work of bees.” Episode Information: The fire of purple lo...

For us the river of the year has, so far, been roaring and fierce. It is difficult, at times, to see the bank or to even know whether we are floating or sinking. However, that is only one small part of the picture. What follows is a rather incoherent attempt to find coherence amid the noise. Journal entry: 10th April, Wednesday “This morning dawned in chilled silver I wore my coat up to my chin. Now the sun is out And coltsfoot down dances On a warm wind.” Swan preening beside her "p...

As a family, we gained a reputation for the way our 'short walks' often turned into marathon hikes which invariably meant staggering home long after dark (usually without a torch). In this week’s episode I reminisce on the lessons learnt, their prescient significance, and living in a culture that does growing old and dying so astonishingly badly. Journal entry: 24th February, Saturday. “Cloud cliffs, grey and climbing Early spring sunshine Catching the stonework traceries And Benedictin...

It has been a rather tempestuous year so far! Currently, I am many miles from the boat and have not been able to record any podcasts. I have rather rushed this episode out to update you on the reasons why I have been so quiet of late and to bring you up to date with what has been happening. Apologies for the sound quality of this episode. I do not have my recording gear with me at the moment. Episode Information: A boat at anchor at Wells-next-the-Sea Dad with his boat Seapie exploring the ...

Autumn is a good time for contemplation and a place by the fireside encourages reflection. Recently I have been revisiting the journals of Thomas Merton and, with the help of John Moriarty, I have found myself relearning some valuable lessons. The Edens of our flourishing are sometimes not quite what we dream them to be. Journal entry: 15th November, Wednesday "Across the fields, A train clatters it's way to Birmingham. The lit carriages flickering like A procession of glow worms Throug...

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the global events of the last couple of weeks. Following the battering of Storm Babet, this week’s episode offers a space for us to reflect on a world that can be often violent and far from perfect. Journal entry: 13th October, Friday “Battered by the winds of the world I stop to watch the free-flight of rooks Diving from an oak into the full force Of a westerly gale. Gothic wings outspread, They surf the blast Hanging on its back In a rage of ecstat...

It's a hot sultry night in the late eve of summer. Join us tonight as we spend time with the gentle words and wisdom of a friend of mine. Journal entry: 6th September, Wednesday “This evening The wool of traveller’s joy has caught afire With the westward Apricot sun. And look at how the nettles glow Translucent with the touch Of unspeakable wonder.” Episode Information: In this episode I read Chasing the Wind by Tony Bell ©2020 If you have a question, drop me a line on nighttim...