Diary
Can we be cautiously optimistic?
Friday, Jan 2, 2009The atheist buses will be on the streets this month, challenging lazy assumptions and encouraging people to be open about their skepticism. Obama takes over in the White House, thrown in the deep end with the economic crisis and the Israelis to deal with, but hopefully better at the job than Bush (no one could be worse, surely). The economic downturn might prompt people to live more frugally, which will be good for the planet, and might encourage environmentally-friendly innovations.Friends Meeting House, 6 Church St, Colchester CO1 1NF
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008Further info – public car parking is available 5-10 minutes walk away at St Mary’s, Balkerne Hill.County Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich IP1 3DE
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008Info and facilitiesBicentenary of Charles Darwins birth
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008Charles Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He set sail on the Beagle on December 31, 1831 and published The Origin of Species in 1859. He died on 19 April 1882. This will be the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a particularly special Darwin Day – Suffolk Humanists and Secularists are planning activities to commemorate this bicentenary… watch this space for more info as we have it.Pub Lunch in Woodbridge
Monday, Dec 29, 2008If you’re interested in joining us, please email by 14 January at the latest, so we know how many to expect. We can’t book at The Seal, so need to get there early and grab a table or tables. Varied menu includes vegetarian options.The Duke of York, Ipswich Road, Woodbridge, IP12 4BY
Monday, Dec 29, 2008A Traditional Country Pub in the Coastal Town of Woodbridge. Parking, wheelchair access. On the corner of Old Barrack Road and Ipswich Road, Woodbridge. Entry to car park in Old Barrack Road. The Duke of York used to be The Seal, and has been given a make-over. It will be familiar to those who’ve been to previous pub lunches in Woodbridge.Castle Hill Community Centre, Highfield Rd, Ipswich IP1 6DG
Monday, Dec 29, 2008Parking is available. If the front door is shut, press the buzzer to be admitted.What times Xmas?
Saturday, Dec 20, 2008The seasons are determined by the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun – just over 365 days – and the way the Earth tilts on its axis. The Summer Solstice is the longest day (Midsummer Day in June), and the two equinoxes (Spring and Autumn) are when night and day are the same length. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day (tomorrow, 21st December 2008), when the North Pole is furthest from the Sun because of the Earth’s orbit and its tilt.The first UK Camp Quest July 2009
Thursday, Dec 18, 2008If you have children aged between eight and seventeen, you may be interested in the first UK residential summer camp for the children of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and all those who embrace a naturalistic rather than supernatural world view. The camp will be at Bath for the week 27th July – 31st July 2009, for an all inclusive £275. They are looking for volunteers to help. To find out more, go to the Camp Quest website.Secularists should be afraid, very afraid Terry Sanderson
Friday, Dec 12, 2008This is from Terry Sanderson’s editorial on the NSS’s Newsline, the weekly e-news from the National Secular Society. To read more, go to the NSS website. To get Newsline in your inbox, sign up on the NSS site. Every person in Britain who values the secular nature of our society will be alarmed and, indeed, frightened, by a publication this week from the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). Entitled Faith in the Nation, it is a collection of essays by “senior faith leaders” which begins with a foreword by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown.