PILGRIMS WARNED OF HAJJ RIP-OFF

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Pilgrims warned of Hajj rip-off

agent watchdogs have issued a warning to pilgrims from Leicester heading off for the Hajj to beware of the dangers of booking with unlicensed companies.

Thousands of Muslims will to be heading Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage which takes place between October 24 and 29.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has warned that many pay for travel arrangements that are sub-standard, or in the worst cases non-existent, leaving travellers out of pocket by thousands of pounds.

Every year pilgrims pay thousands of pounds for specialist Hajj flight and accommodation arrangements.

ABTA risk manager Steve Abrahamson said: "Every year the police and trading standards offices have to deal with cases of Hajj pilgrims who have lost substantial amounts of money or arrived in Saudi Arabia to find that their accommodation and other travel arrangements are of a much lower standard than they had paid for."

By UK law, if a travel company books a customer on a flight-based package holiday, it must have an ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) licence in place to ensure the customer is financially protected in the event something goes wrong.

If the travel companies are not members of ABTA, they are not policed by its code of conduct which ensures customers receive high standards of service, fair terms of trading and accurate booking information.

ABTA membership also means that if something should go wrong before or after the trip, pilgrims would be able to use ABTA's cost-effective and swift complaint handling service.

ABTA said whether someone is offering a Hajj trip or a holiday, the same laws applied and companies must have an ATOL licence when selling flights and accommodation as a package or act as an agent for a company that does.

Hajj pilgrims should always check that they are legitimate ABTA members and that they hold an ATOL licence.

Pilgrims are encouraged to check with ATOL on 020 7453 6700 whether the company they are booking with is registered.

PHILOSOPHY IN PUBS, SEPTEMBER 2012

On the first Wednesday evening of every month, Leicester PIPs (Philosophy in Pubs) meets upstairs in the Crumblin' Cookie on the High Street. Our stimulus this time is the question, "Is it time to call an end to the 'War on Drugs'?"

I arrive late and five out of the thirteen people here have to leave early, so the experience is a little disjointed this evening. But there's still an enjoyable wide-ranging exchange of beliefs, experiences, ideas and opinions.

Visit Leicester PIPs page on Facebook (and while you're there, check out The Crumblin' Cookie too).

UPTOWN TOP RANKING

Wikio Top Blogs updates its monthly world rankings on the 5th of the month. I tend to await these with eager interest (as I'm sure you can imagine, faithful reader). This month, we've shot up an amazing 57 places, from 93rd to 36th in the world for blogs on the topic of Religion and Belief. Highest position before this was 45 (August 2011).

Submission for ranking is voluntary of course. I like to think that the most serious, committed bloggers do (or the most self-conscious, insecure and egotistical!) Wikio provides a widget for your blog, which updates your position automatically when the rankings are recalculated monthly.

How are these rankings compiled?

The position of a blog in the Wikio ranking depends on the number and weight of the incoming links from other blogs. These links are dynamic, which means that they are backlinks or links found within articles.

Only links found in the RSS feed are included. Blogrolls are not taken into account, and the weight of any given link increases according to how recently it was published. We thus hope to provide a classification that is more representative of the current influence levels of the blogs therein.

Only links found in RSS feeds are counted. Blogrolls are not taken into account.

In December 2010, retweets were added as an additional factor to the ranking algorithm. For each twitter account, only one backlink per blog is taken into account each month.

Our rankings are updated on a monthly basis and also include Top Blogs for several categories: Technology, Politics, etc. New categories will be added on a regular basis.

That bit above was for the technically minded among you. Good luck with that.

Once a blog gets into the top 100 in its subject category, it gets good exposure in Wikio's online online list - which should help maintain a good position next month.

CREATIVE COFFEE LEICESTER: CITIZEN 598

At Phoenix this morning for Creative Coffee, with guest speaker Nathan Human from Citizen 598. That's Nathan on the right in the photo above, with Cheryl Gill, Enterprise Support Officer, LCB Depot and Phoenix Square Workspaces.

Citizen598 is a theatre and film company that likes to share stories. This manifests itself through a variety of activities and media, including touring work in theatre, short films, plays, workshops and community projects and more. Nathan is currently working on a variety of new projects across the region to promote and enhance collaboration within the arts and creative industry as a whole. It's an interesting presentation, succinct and suited to the audience and the environment. And yes, "Human" is his real name!

HISTORICAL PROOF NOT FORTHCOMING

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website):

Historical proof not forthcoming

There have been quite a few readers' responses to my letter questioning the existence of Christ, but none have so far offered the proof that I demand if I am to unequivocally accept their claim that there are no doubts about a historical Jesus.

All they have offered so far are declarations of the particulars that they personally believe justify their faith.

David Abbott (Mailbox, August 18) says that "The Christian versus Atheist argument has gone on long enough".

This is something that we can both agree on, but one thing that I must correct him over with regard to me is the assumption that I am an atheist.

I do believe in a higher intelligence whose presence permeates the entire universe, but I do not believe for one moment  that this presence is the god of the Bible, or indeed of any other religious text that I have read.

Victoria Brown (also August 18) claims that, as a Christian, she is content with "experience and the balance of probability".

I, too, go along with that maxim, but I am fascinated as to what experience she has had  suggesting the probability that at some point in human history a virgin could give birth to a god who would raise people from the dead, walk on water, change water into wine and survive his own death.

Alan R Pendragon, Leicester

SEE PSYCHIC

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website):

See psychic

A psychic medium who has appeared on television will be at Leicester Spiritualist Centre on Friday.

TJ Higgs, who has appeared in more than 20 episodes of Psychic Private Eyes, will be at the centre in Lee Circle.

Tickets are £17.50 and can be bought on the door.

For more information or to buy tickets, call 0116 253 6098.

IS THE DIOCESE "TURNING ITS BACK" ON FOUR HISTORIC CITY CHURCHES?

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Is the diocese "turning its back" on four historic city churches?

The Leicester Citizen, journal of the Leicester Civic Society, is always an interesting read and its thought-provoking articles are never afraid to broach difficult subjects.

In his chairman's page, Stuart Bailey states the visit to Leicester by the Queen at the start of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations was "a highlight of recent months".

He observes the Queen visited Leicester Cathedral for the first time and that "from her reaction (she) was suitably impressed by this beautiful building and its setting".

Mr Bailey then goes on to say that our cathedral, "while not one of the great historic cathedrals with monastic origins and world heritage status… can claim an intimate connection with the ancient city".

He says: "When you enter the cathedral closes at Exeter, Lichfield or Wells, you are instantly in a world apart. In Leicester, however, the cathedral has always felt to be an integral part of our city."

Mr Bailey states that the society is working with the cathedral authorities over the proposed Cathedral Gardens that will, it is hoped, "create a truly attractive open space and undo the damage inflicted by the poor 1980s design, which itself replaced the churchyard".

This is all very positive and encouraging. However, Mr Bailey adds a sobering paragraph: "Of course, it's not all sweetness and light.

"In being welcomed at our cathedral, the Queen would have been unaware of the Diocese of Leicester's heritage at risk, in the form of no fewer than four historic churches, all listed buildings, three Victorian and one early Medieval – St Saviour's, St Paul's, St Barnabas and the 12th century St Peter's Belgrave – now closed for worship."

Elsewhere in the journal we read: "One church building at risk is one too many, but Leicester now has four.

"Their plight is the result of the Diocese of Leicester deliberately turning its back on its own built heritage."

So how does the diocese answer this?

"In no sense has the diocese 'walked away' from these beautiful buildings," says a diocese spokesman.

"It is always a matter of sadness when a church building is no longer able to be used for its original purpose, because these places have always played a very important part in the life of the community and carry vital memories for many.

"This sense of loss is heightened when the building also has significant architectural or historical features.

"The diocese, which has responsibility for seeking alternative uses for closed Church of England buildings, works very hard to safeguard this heritage, even though it is often very difficult to find a suitable new use.

"Meanwhile, we do all we can to protect and maintain these empty buildings against the ravages of time, the weather and, increasingly, thieves and vandals.

"At the same time, we face the challenge of resourcing the churches which remain open.

"We welcome such practical and financial support as is available from other agencies, but the majority of the money has to come from the Church's own resources. We never shirk our responsibilities."

THE GOOD NEWS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

The Good News

A clergyman will recite one of the gospels by heart to raise cash for charity.

Later this month, Archdeacon of Loughborough David Newman will tour Leicestershire, reciting the whole of Mark's gospel to audiences at churches in Kirby Muxloe, Loughborough, Ashby, Leicester and Hinckley.

The tour is part of the Grant Thornton Executive Quest, in aid of Prostaid and Loros.

SPIRITUAL POWER LIVES IN ALL THINGS

This letter appear in today's Leicester Mercury:

Spiritual power lives in all things

Having read the many letters in Mailbox recently, I would like to express a view not yet given: open your mind to greater power.Do our scientists realise there is a spirit science?

This is where the knowledge of that greater power lies, within humans, animals, birds, fish, trees, plants, flowers.

Wherever there is life, there also is that light of the great creative power which we live and move and have our being in.

We all have in the centre of our forehead the pineal gland, sometimes referred to as the third eye of clairvoyance, meaning clear seeing.

We also have a gland at the back of our head sometimes referred to as the primitive gland.

This is the gateway that loved ones and friends use to communicate with us from the world of spirit.

If a spiritual gift is not used it goes sleep, like muscles if you do not use them.

To Don Tallis instead of "don't know" (August 15) I would suggest "the laws of cause and effect", which would put the responsibility where it belongs.

The answer is compassion, which comes from the Creator through us, though sometimes the physical part of our mind gets in the way.

As with our gardens or anything we love doing, they are all the better for the love we put in.

The spiritual gifts I speak of is supported by the evidence I have been fortunate to have.

They have come unbidden by me but are very much appreciated.

Eileen Bolingbroke, Leicester

WILL WE OUTGROW NEED FOR FAITH?

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Will we outgrown need for faith?

I am not sure how David Adams (Mailbox, July 31) and Gordon Newton (August 25) came to conclude that I regard religious belief as "absurd" ( their word, not mine).

A main point of my letter was to deplore this sort of easy labelling.It would be foolish indeed to deny the historical influence of religion over individuals and groups.

I argued it was an inevitable and understandable phase in human development, but with increased awareness of our existence will play a diminishing role.

Chris Lymn, Oadby