We took a bus from Bardon Mill in Northumberland to Carlisle, the county town of Cumbria. The red sandstone of many of the town’s buildings struck us by the depth of its colour.

We turned up at the Cathedral to discover a Celtic Eucharist about to begin. It was a good space to reflect on the seismic events of the last few days and to remember that the community of the earth live beneath the same sky of stars.

In the nearby 17th century Tullie House, now a museum and art gallery, we viewed the Roman section and were particularly drawn to an exhibition about Hadrian’s Wall and the walls that divide people and nations today. Very poignant.

That evening, back near the Northumberland stretch of wall, we watched a male woodpecker with gorgeous red plumage feed a juvenile. Simply joyful to see.