After a gap of around 40 years I witnessed the Good Friday Service on Troopers Hill last friday. Now a Nature Reserve owned by Bristol City Council, it was the palyground of my youth back in th 1970s. This old quarry with it’s craggy rocks, wild heather and wonky chimney was an idyllic playground for me and my friends. When not running around pretending to be cowboys and Indians, US marines against Nazi invaders, we’d play endless games of football in all weathers and cricket on hot summer days, climbing through the fence to the allotments to drink cold winter from a old tap before continuing with the second half or second innings.

It was on this field, during a game of Jumpers for Goalposts that I first saw the Good Friday procession march quietly and slowly past. It was very striking to watch a man carry a cross and through our field (it was always our field) and plant it on top of Troopers Hill next to the chimney . It’s still pretty stinking today and on a beautifully sunny day with the whole of Bristol laid about below, I can think of no better place to be.

There is (as always) a lot of bad news around the world, Easter sunday sadly being no different, so if you are going to pray, please pray for everyone…