8 things about me

Randy tagged me with this meme last week. So here goes…

1. I was born in the village of Askern in South Yorkshire. My roots are solidly working class. My ancestors, going back to around 1700, were all farm labourers and miners. Although I was born in Yorkshire, my family comes from Lancashire and Northumberland.

2. I was the first member of my family to go university. I studied physics, and wasn’t very good at it.

3. While at university I felt myself called to preach. I resisted the call to ordained ministry for 6 years after graduating.

4. My family menagerie includes 3 dogs, 3 degus and a bunch of stick insects.

5. I became a vegetarian in 1985. The motivation was mostly political: the world cannot sustain a meat-rich diet for all.

6. I enjoy playing the penny whistle, though whether anyone else enjoys it is a moot point.

7. I read and write a little Esperanto, and have corresponded with people in many countries. But I’ve never spoken it.

8.I’ve been a Methodist all my life, except for a brief family flirtation with the Wesleyan Reform Union when I was a small child. I can still sing the “Sunshine Corner” song we used to sing there.

So that’s it. 8 (not very interesting) things about me. If you’ve got a blog, consider yourself tagged.