the word 'appalled' does not begin to cover it

I think it's terrifically important to save, preserve, and protect historic buildings, including church buildings.

But to bankrupt someone wholly unconnected with the church in the name of doing so is atrocious and outwith any Christian principle I was brought up to recognise.

Summary: A couple who live in Wales but inherited farm in Warwickshire are being required to pay nearly £200,000 for upkeep of a church near the farm because one of the fields of the farm was designated at some point in the distant past as property that should support the church.

Even one of the Law Lords who decided the case called the relevant law "anachronistic, even capricious".

Apparently homebuyers can now purchase insurance to protect one against later discovery of such a liability.

Sheesh.

another bird!

I had a red-bellied woodpecker at the feeder today! And there's a downy woodpecker working on one of the saplings nearby right now. And some small bird is actually eating out of the thistle bag right now (white belly, dark wings is all I can see). And I've pretty definitely identified one of the types of sparrows I get pretty regularly as a white-throated sparrow. The black and white stripes on the head are pretty distinctive, though I haven't gotten a good enough look to see the little yellow spots they should have. There are definitely house sparrows as well, and maybe others.