Bede of Jarrow is one of the greatest English saints and was a major contributor to the civilisation of Britain.
Indeed on some old maps of Britain there are only three places shown :
London, York and Jarrow.
This illustrates the importance of Bede to our nation.
Bede's Well is a fictional account of the boyhood of Bede. Little is actually known of the early life of Bede and some accounts have him born in Monkwearmouth, north of the City of Sunderland. Other sources think he was born in Monkton,
between Jarrow and Hebburn but the facts are sketchy.
As a Hebburn lad myself, I have based my story on this latter theory and have him brought up in a village called Heb near a small burn. Oddly enough since writing this book controversial flood defence work has been undertaken by Northumbrian Water. This has entailed opening up a culvert in Hebburn known as the....Bede Burn! A case of art imitating nature? The actual Bede's Well is now sadly neglected but an appreciation group has been established to highlight the problem and hopefully improve the site.
The monastery at Wearmouth (near where I now live) will figure prominently in my follow-up books:
Bede's World and Bede's Way.
This book can be read by a young audience but I think that adults, who have an interest in history, will enjoy it too. Be carried away to the beautiful Northumbrian countryside for this tale of Bede and his friends. Though not meant to be historically accurate, it is always faithful to the spirit of Bede.
TO BUY BEDE'S WELL JUST CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE
Bede of Jarrow is one of the greatest English saints and was a major contributor to the civilisation of Britain.
Indeed on some old maps of Britain there are only three places shown :
London, York and Jarrow.
This illustrates the importance of Bede to our nation.
Bede's Well is a fictional account of the boyhood of Bede. Little is actually known of the early life of Bede and some accounts have him born in Monkwearmouth, north of the City of Sunderland. Other sources think he was born in Monkton,
between Jarrow and Hebburn but the facts are sketchy.
As a Hebburn lad myself, I have based my story on this latter theory and have him brought up in a village called Heb near a small burn. Oddly enough since writing this book controversial flood defence work has been undertaken by Northumbrian Water. This has entailed opening up a culvert in Hebburn known as the....Bede Burn! A case of art imitating nature? The actual Bede's Well is now sadly neglected but an appreciation group has been established to highlight the problem and hopefully improve the site.
The monastery at Wearmouth (near where I now live) will figure prominently in my follow-up books:
Bede's World and Bede's Way.
This book can be read by a young audience but I think that adults, who have an interest in history, will enjoy it too. Be carried away to the beautiful Northumbrian countryside for this tale of Bede and his friends. Though not meant to be historically accurate, it is always faithful to the spirit of Bede.
TO BUY BEDE'S WELL JUST CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE
Part of the story takes place on the island of Lindisfarne, known to all Northumbrians as Holy Island. The cradle of Christianity in Britain it was home to Aidan and Cuthbert, two of the most important saints to grace our land. Evidence still exists in the form of the ruined abbey and their spirit still pervades this unique place. Click on the images above and below for more information about the island of saints.
I first encountered Lindisfarne whilst camping there as a young boy. I was enchanted by the island where we fished (unsuccessfully) for crabs off the small jetty and terrorised the locals with our water pistol fights through the small village streets, reloading our weapons from the stand pipes (located at the side of each road) before resuming hostilities.
Roman Polanski's film Cul-de-Sac, starring Donald Pleasence, was being shot there at the time. I remember seeing a bullet ridden, white Mk1 Jaguar parked near the castle.
Roman Polanski's film Cul-de-Sac, starring Donald Pleasence, was being shot there at the time. I remember seeing a bullet ridden, white Mk1 Jaguar parked near the castle.
Still from the film showing the car next to upturned fishing boats used as chicken coops.
Bede's Modern Benedictine Legacy
In 1996 the late Dom. Cuthbert Johnson OSB, born and bred in Hebburn, became Abbot of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. After becoming a professed monk in 1966 he was ordained a priest in 1973 and two years later studied at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome. However, I knew him as my cousin Peter. As there was already a Brother Peter (as well as a Bede) at the monastery, he took another great Northumbrian saint's name as his monastic name. I remember, on one of his trips home, walking with him to visit St. Paul's Monastery Jarrow. Dressed in his jet black Benedictine habit, he cut quite a sight through Monkton Village. One young child walking with his mother shouted across the road, "Look mum! It's the Lord!"
An expert in the liturgy and a great musician, he served as Abbot until 2008 and remained a monk until his death in 2017
In 1996 the late Dom. Cuthbert Johnson OSB, born and bred in Hebburn, became Abbot of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. After becoming a professed monk in 1966 he was ordained a priest in 1973 and two years later studied at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome. However, I knew him as my cousin Peter. As there was already a Brother Peter (as well as a Bede) at the monastery, he took another great Northumbrian saint's name as his monastic name. I remember, on one of his trips home, walking with him to visit St. Paul's Monastery Jarrow. Dressed in his jet black Benedictine habit, he cut quite a sight through Monkton Village. One young child walking with his mother shouted across the road, "Look mum! It's the Lord!"
An expert in the liturgy and a great musician, he served as Abbot until 2008 and remained a monk until his death in 2017
Jarrow 'lad' the Very Rev. Godric Timney OSB is a member of the Douai Benedictine community in Berkshire. He is also Cathedral Prior of Worcester, and resides in their parishes of Ormskirk and Scarisbrick (Lancs) where he is Parish Priest and serves as Vicar for Religious in Liverpool diocese. We met Bernard (his birth name) through his late brother Brendan, a great friend of our family; our children regarded him as a surrogate uncle. Therefore he would have been thrilled (as we were) that his brother Bernard was able to officiate at our two daughters' weddings at Villa Palazzola near Rome and Colle di Buggiano near Florence.