Bradford Diocese tells Busy Brits to Slow Down

The Diocese of Bradford is following in the footsteps of celebrity cooks and the Archbishop of York with a fresh appeal to people to slow down in life.

Renowned cooks Gordon Ramsey and Tom Aikens have both called for the re-establishment of the Sunday lunch as a way of bringing families closer together.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, recently sent two books to every MP - 'The 100 - Minute Bible' by Rev Michael Hinton and 'Do Nothing to Change Your Life...' by Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell - to encourage them to slow down and enter into the presence of God.

Meanwhile, Satish Kumar, editor of 'Resurgence', wants to declare Sunday a fossil-fuel free day as one was of slow the pace of life on Sundays cutting carbon emissions, he suggests, by one seventh.

"From different perspectives, they all agree that our fast and frenetic lifestyles not only add to environmental degradation, but also mean that we miss out on resting, spending time with family and friends or cooking and sharing a good meal," said the Diocese of Bradford.

In response, the Bradford Diocesan Earth Care Team is promoting a Slow Sunday in the Bradford Diocese - a carefree, car-free Sunday on 23 September, when they hope that people will slow down, consume less and take time to appreciate the environment and people close to them.

Clare Hyde, Diocesan Environmental Officer, said, "We want to give ourselves - and the earth - a rest. If we all make a commitment to slow down on the one Sunday - not use the car perhaps go for a walk, call in on a friend or cook lunch with the family, just maybe we'll enjoy it enough to want to make it a habit!"