On this page we'll be keeping you up to date with all the very latest news on
"The Journey of Peace 2019"
including
"The Pilgrim's Progress"
All the latest news from Girish as he travels around the country
(see below)
So do make sure you visit us often, and also make sure you follow us on ​Facebook and Twitter!

Scroll down this page for all the latest news ​and details of this event

THE SCHEDULE
​Everyone is welcome!
Please come along and join in at any of the gatherings along the journey.
All the gatherings will have food and music, and are for anyone of any age or gender, all faiths and none.

MAY
Monday 6th May - Departure from The Stroud Centre for Peace & The Arts @ St Laurence Parish Church
Wednesday 8th May - Hartland, Devon
Saturday 11th May - Penzance, Cornwall
Wednesday 15th May - Exeter, Devon
Saturday 18th May - Salisbury, Wiltshire
Wednesday 22nd May - Canterbury, Kent
Saturday 25th May - London
Wednesday 29th May - Cambridge
 
JUNE
Saturday 1st June - Lincoln
Saturday 8th June - York
Wednesday 12th June - Whitby, North Yorkshire
Saturday 15th June - Newcastle Upon Tyne
Saturday 22nd June - Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Wednesday 26th June - Edinburgh, Scotland
Saturday 29th June - St Andrews, Scotland
 
JULY/AUGUST
Wednesday 3rd July - Findhorn, Moray, Scotland
Saturday 6th July - Iona, Inner Hebrides
Wednesday 10th July - Kendal, Cumbria
Thursday 11th July, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
Saturday 13th July - Ormskirk, West Lancashire
Wednesday 17th July - Chester, Cheshire
Saturday 20th July - Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales
Wednesday 24th July - Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales
Saturday 27th July - St David’s, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Monday 29th July - Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Wednesday 31st July - Carmarthen, Wales
Sunday 4th August - Welcome Back to The Stroud Centre for Peace & The Arts @ St Laurence Parish Church
*Welcome back walk from Nailsworth to St Laurence Parish Church - details below

THE ROUTE

Please note that confirmation and details of exact locations and timings will be published on this website page as they become available, ​or email Girish at
admin@circles-of-compassion.net
or girishpatel108@yahoo.com

AN INVITATION
Why not join Girish and his Friends on the final leg and welcome home of the ​Journey of Peace?

Sunday 4th August, 11.00am
THE FINAL LEG & WELCOME HOME
​Walking from Egypt Mill, Nailsworth
to St Laurence Parish Church, Stroud
"On Sunday 4th August I will complete this Journey of Peace by walking from Egypt Mill in Nailsworth. The walk will begin at 11am to St Laurence Church, Stroud. Come and join me."

​​THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS ...
Latest Postings

Monday 22nd July
Machynlleth, Powys, Wales

"Monday 22nd and we are now near Machynlleth at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Mathew is on his way on the bike."

Sunday 21st July
Fairbourne, Gwynedd, Wales

"Sunday 21st we headed off towards Dolgellau on the Welsh Coast and Mathew pursued us on his bike. What an amazing cyclist. He met us at a lovely campsite at a place called Fairbourne having cycled over 65 miles through the Welsh mountains. After setting up camp, as I was practising my tabla, three delightful young children came looking very curious and started to ask me lots of questions about what I was doing. I managed to get them to sing some songs as I played the tabla. One of them was in Welsh too. How wonderful. In the evening we found an Indian restaurant nearby, which is run by an ex-Bollywood actor, Mayur, who happened to be the nephew of Amitabh Bachachan, India's most famous actor of all time. He showed me lots of photos of when he was a child and with his uncle. The food and service was brilliant too."

'Base Camp' - Expert Campers at Ynys Faig Caravan & Camping Site, Fairbourne

Simon takes a 'moody' stroll along Fairbourne Beach

The Boys Go Bollywood

Mathew and Simon demonstrate alternative forms of transport ....
(Simon - are you sure the steering wheel goes that way?)

Saturday 20th July
Snowdonia Mountain Lodge, Nant Ffrancon, Bethesda,Gwynedd, Wales

"Saturday 20th we arrived at the Dru Yoga Centre in the heart of Snowdonia. The welcome was warm as ever and they could not do enough for us. My sister, Joshna, is still a part of this community and has been for most of her life. She is obviously thriving on all that she does. As my little sister, she looked after me with a lot of care and kindness. She took Simon and I to visit a lovely church on a tiny island on the Menai Straights. It dates back to 630 AD. During the evening of Saturday 20th, Simon and I were given the opportunity to share some of our music and we had a long chat with the founder of this whole organisation, Mansukh Patel. Our families go back to the 50's when we were in East Africa, our birth place. The evening also included other musicians and a short presentation of the World Peace Flame celebrating its 20 years anniversary. My Journey of Peace happened to start on the date when this organisation [dru Yoga], that I was a part of together with my brother Ish, was founded 40 years ago. A bit of a coincidence there. An evening to remember as they set us off on our journey with gifts and donation for the Sacred Music Festival. Thank you very much to everyone for their generosity."​

St Tysilio's Church at Llandysilio on Anglesey, in the shadows of the Menai Strait Bridge, founded in 630AD

Windy Wet West Wales
Girish and friends from the Stroud Sacred Music Festival join the Dru Team for a special evening of uplifting kirtan, world music, Taize songs and inspiration. Dru are a fresh-thinking not-for-profit social enterprise, eager to inspire a naturally healthier way of living for everybody. Their vision is to empower as many people as possible to live a happier and more fulfilling lifestyle, and they are passionate about creating educational programmes and collaborative networks where people can enjoy better health at all levels: physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual.

Revd Simon Howell: "Girish and I are playing a gig here (Snowdon Lodge) tonight as part of The Journey of Peace. Looking forward to welcoming Mathew JP shortly to The Journey"

Revd Mathew Page: "Wish I'd remembered to bring my disco shirt and jeans now"
​
Revd Simon Howell: "It’s ok we’ve hired it for you..."

​"Hello Wales my old friend... I am now on the Journey of Peace with Girish Patel."
Revd Simon Howell, Bethesda, Gwynedd,
​Friday 19th July 2019

Friday 19th July
Bethesda,Gwynedd, Wales

"My friends in Oswestry, Ingrid and Bob, looked after me, as they always do, with such care and kindness. A very big thank you to both. I left there on Friday 19th and arrived in Bethesda, which is about 8 miles inland from Bangor. Here Simon [Howell], Mathew [Page] and I were hosted by an old friend, Diana, in her delightful cottage. My family and Diana's family share many years together in this part of Wales and she is graceful and sensitive as ever. We are very grateful for her generosity. On my journey along the A5, I was transported back through the amazing Welsh mountains and the memories flooded back to the time when I lived here in the early 80's. We will be sharing time with a group of people with whom I lived for a few years and learnt more about Yoga and Meditation."

​Thursday 18th July
Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales
"It was a peaceful night camping on Thornleigh Farm near Chester and the cooking has been simple. Really enjoyed listening to the rain on my tent. Quite soothing. Said bye to the horses this morning and have stopped off for breakfast in Wrexham. Will head for Oswestry later to stay with some friends."

​Wednesday 17th July
Chester, Cheshire
"I am still in Chester and will be heading towards North Wales, via Oswestry (friends), tomorrow (Thursday 18th). Chester is a beautiful City with so many Tudor buildings making the architecture very pleasing. The music has taken place in the form of a huge number of fantastic buskers all around the city. My evenings have been largely contemplative with the horses, squirrels, birds and insects as my companions. As well as an occasional dog from fellow campers. This time is very welcome as I prepare for the final two weeks of my journey. I must say that I am quite tired but determined to complete the route. There is so much that I need to digest about this journey and this quiet period is very welcome. There is a wonderful space in Chester which is a converted cinema and it's called 'Storyhouse'. It is full of very useful resources with a library, cafe, single screen cinema and an information centre. The layout offers so many spaces to read, write, meet people or just chill out. Everyone is welcome. Perfect space for my requirements right now."

Views of Chester

LEFT Bridge Street
CENTRE Chester Cathedral
RIGHT Part of the Eastgate city wall, with its Victorian clock designed by John Douglas, 1897

LEFT The "Celebration of Chester" bronze sculpture in front of Chester Town Hall. Created by Stephen Broadbent in 1992, the three figures represent the protective city walls, industry, and thanksgiving.
ABOVE What they do with 'over-spending wives' in Chester!

Monday 15th July
Chester, Cheshire
​"I left the Crosby area of Liverpool on Sunday (14th) after Peter had fed me with a hearty veggie breakfast at his Sister's (Kathlin) home, where one of my oak saplings was very welcome. I then made a quick visit to Liverpool Cathedral where I was able to go right to the top for an amazing view far beyond this amazing city. After this it was time for me to head for Cheshire where I found a lovely farm to camp on. The horses in the field next to the campsite seemed to be quite interested in my tabla practice. This morning (Monday 15th July), I have come into Chester where I popped into a Quaker Centre where the warden, Steve, was very welcoming. I will continue to explore here and if anyone has any contacts here, please put me in touch with them." 

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, and the view from the top

Sunday 14th July
Crosby, Liverpool
​"Peter Baxendale and his family in Liverpool laid on a party for me last night and it was brilliant. A huge thank you to Kathlin and David for hosting and for their incredible generosity. It has been a long time since I laughed so much. There were jokes, fantastic singing, in particular by Tracy Hanley, there was food and drinks. I can't thank them enough for their kindness. Getting together like they all did and having so much fun and laughter is just what families and friends need to do more often. Great way of connecting and celebrating diversity. We are so different, but we could still get together and have fun - so in so many ways, we are also the same. A huge thank you to you all. Thank you, Vinny, for providing 5 star accommodation for me. I hope to have Vinny in Stroud as he is a fantastic, natural stand-up comedian and it's his daughter Tracy that sings with an amazing voice that Whitney Houston would be proud of as well as the great opera singers. Watch this space, Stroud and the whole world needs to hear her!!"

Peter Baxendale and Family and Friends

"Such a fun filled lovely night xx" Tracy Hanley, 15th July 2019

Saturday 13th July
Ormskirk, West Lancashire
"Today I went into Ormskirk near Liverpool and found a lovely market town. I particularly liked the look of Ormskirk Parish Church there which looks incredibly old. I have always found grave yards a fascination too thinking about the people who have passed on many years ago. Yes, grave yards are quite special. Yesterday Vinny (the brother of my dear friend Peter Baxendale) showed me some of the unusual sites near Liverpool. A village called Formby for example with some very old houses dating back to the 15th Century and no street lights. The 'Iron Men' - 100 of them made from Iron on a beach near Crosby. These have been made by Sir Anthony Gormley in his own image. I believe they stand on a metal post that has been sunk deep into the sand. We also went to a nature reserve in search of the Red Squirrels but only found a couple of lovely rabbits. In the interest of celebrating diversity, we went to a few pubs in the evening where I sampled a few whiskeys. Vinney said that I had 8 doubles. Funny, I don't remember that ... Tonight the Baxendales have organised a gathering where I am hoping to hear Tracey, Vinny's daughter, sing. I am, on the whole, having an amazing journey thanks largely to the people that I am meeting along the way. There is so much love and peace among the people. The population of the world need to know this."

Iron Men!

The Iron Men of Crosby (installed 2005)
According to creator Antony Gormley, the work is meant to "harness the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature."

Ormskirk Parish Church

There has been a place of worship on this site since before 1170. The spire dates from 1430, and the Great Tower from 1570. This is one of only three churches with this unusual combination of spire and tower, and the only one that has them both at the same end.

Marine versus Dulwich Hamlet, Saturday 13th July

​"Continuing with the celebration of diversity, Vinny took me to a football match today which was sponsored by his brother Peter. Marine played Dulwich Hamlet in memory of a cup game that was played here in 1932. I love these lower league games. They are played in the true spirit of the game with friendly banter between the fans and great laughter. The result did not matter."

These two teams famously met in the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1932 at a packed West Ham ground in London, in front of 22,000 spectators, with Dulwich winning 7-1 on a very muddy pitch. This return match marked the start of Marine's 125th anniversary celebrations this season. On this occasion, Dulwich won 4-2.

Thursday 11th July
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
"I am now at a beautiful campsite about 3 miles from Hebden Bridge in the hills by a lovely country pub. I can do my emails here and eat without having to drive anywhere. What an amazing couple of days with connections of the most profound kind. My heart is dancing with deep gratitude for all these opportunities. Tomorrow I head for Ormskirk near Liverpool. I will be hosted by Vinny, who is the brother of Peter Baxendale. Some of you will know Peter as a very generous and kind person that does a lot for the Sacred Music Festival and other local charities, quietly." ​

The Old Bridge over Hebden Water - erected in 1510 to replace a Medieval timber bridge

Camping near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

Thursday 11th July
Halifax, West Yorkshire
​"Today I had quite a surprise when I stopped at a cafe on my way to Hebden Bridge. I was just looking at a local paper when I saw that there is going to be a sitar concert in Hebden on Saturday evening. I can't be there, but I decided to email them to see if I could meet someone today and left my number. Within minutes I got a call from a woman who invited me to her home in Halifax, 7 miles from Hebden. She teaches a particular form of dance that comes from South India. Together with the young lady that is going to be dancing at the Bradford Festival at the weekend they invited me and were thrilled that they could rehearse with me on tabla. Their drummer for the weekend could not make it today. A first for me and a great experience too. The dance involved a very large cotton sheet stretched out on a metal frame with red powder sprinkled on a plastic sheet underneath. As she danced, she was actually drawing with her feet. The powder was being attached to the sheet from below. The end result was absolutely remarkable. She had drawn a lion!! Potential candidate for Stroud Sacred Music Festival 2020 I wonder? They also kindly fed me a delicious vegetable biriyani afterwards and then I was on my way to find a camp site. All of that was a complete surprise for me and very welcome too. How amazing." ​

​Andy Williams writes about an evening with Girish and Friends at Nab Cottage, Rydal
"Last night I was sitting in a circle with 30 or 40 people of many ages and nationalities. We were in a meditation hall with a candle in the middle and Buddhist hangings on the walls. The hall was at Nab Cottage, owned by friends of Girish. It was on a very quiet stretch of road with Lake Windermere in front, giant craggy hills rising up behind. This was a very Girish gathering and the sort of thing I love. We - my daughter Maya, wife Ka-Yin and me - are having a little holiday in the Lake District and were privileged to be invited to an event in Girish's Journey. Girish explained the purpose of his journey to the circle and then people stood up to lead something as the spirit moved them. A young Czech singer-songwriter sang beautifully with her guitar and then lent her instrument to an English woman who led some songs from the 60s. There was earth chanting (I recognised one from Extinction Rebellion actions) and Hindu chanting. One chant was done as a circle of five parts: it sounded lovely. There were also some sessions of spirited drumming - lots of drums and percussion instruments had been set out in the middle of the room. We finished the evening with a period of meditation led by Girish. It was a very special evening. One of the aims of the Journey is to "Create a community of kindness to inspire peace in the world". Yesterday evening was a step in exactly that direction."
Andy Williams, 11th July 2019

Girish and Friends at Nab Cottage, Rydal

Wednesday 10th July
Rydal, Cumbria
​"After spending Wednesday 10th July wandering around Lake Windermere, Ambleside, and being a tourist eating ice-cream dipped in some melted chocolate, I was in for a real treat in the evening. Nab Cottage by Rydal Waters is the location for a well established International Language School owned and run by some old friends, Liz and Tim Melling. We met about 30 years ago on a family holiday in Goa and just about kept in touch. The little children that we had are grown up now, married and some with their own children. The school has resident students from all over the world. This was the perfect location for the sort of gatherings I had hoped for. There were about 40 people and lots of delicious food was provided. Local people joined the group during the evening and we made music, we laughed a lot and we meditated together. A young woman, Dani, from the Czech Republic sang some wonderful songs and one in her own language. We all agreed that not knowing what she was singing did not matter. It felt full of joy and deep feeling. Another young local woman, Catherine, sang some beautiful songs too. Suzanna led us through lovely connecting songs which involved physically connecting with each other and then we let loose with some energetic drumming with loads of drums. The evening ended with a period of stillness and silence. How perfect is that. I had a bed for the night at the home of Tim and Liz and started Thursday with a group meditation there. They then had to go to work and with huge thanks to Liz and Tim, I headed for Hebden Bridge."

​​"When I arrived here during the afternoon, a lovely Japanese woman was sharing a tea ceremony. What a wonderful surprise for me to take part in." 

Nab Cottage, Rydal, Cumbria


​
RIGHT "I need a T-shirt which says - I am a work in progress" 

​Wednesday 10th July
Ambleside, Cumbria
​"I left Samye Ling Monastery on Tuesday and I am now in a very wet Lake District. The last part of the journey here was rather misty but then the weather improved and I was able to pitch up my tent in the dry. Andy Williams and his family arrived at a nearby caravan park and we had a lovely evening exploring Ambleside. A very typical Lake District architecture is largely using blocks of slate for building. This, sadly, adds to the greyness when it rains. The mountains and forests are stunning nontheless and of course the lakes are here because of the rain. Today, Wednesday 10th, I just managed to pack up camp before the heavens opened up again. Some of these campsites are rather luxurious and I am sitting in a very large room providing wifi as well as a television!! The ladies' loos had an amusing sign ... I have not seen any dogs smoking! This evening there will be an informal gathering of people hosted by my friends Tim and Liz at Nag Cottage, Rydal. At this stage I am not sure what will be happening, but I will take my tabla along."

The 17th century Bridge House is possibly the most photographed building in the Lake District, and a popular subject for many artists including Turner. A tiny building, originally an apple store for nearby Ambleside Hall, was built over Stock Beck to escape land tax. It is said that at some time a family with six children lived here in the two rooms.

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​"JOURNEY OF PEACE"