Message from h
23rd December 2017
And so this is Christmas! Hooray!
Thank you everyone for one of the best years of my life. I'm very grateful to you all. Let's finish it in style.
What better Christmas present could we have than to send something to enable peace in Bethlehem?
I made a private vow to send myself a Christmas present each year. This is in the form of a donation to Hope Flowers school in Bethlehem. This year I sent the profit from my Liverpool gig.
Hope Flowers promotes peace and understanding, and educates, and feeds underprivileged kids in Bethlehem. I can't think of a better cause at Christmas time.
Any donation goes straight to the school. No middlemen take anything from the money.
If you read this, please help me by sending whatever small amount you may have to spare. Think of it as buying yourself a TRUE Christmas present.
And may the true spirit of Christmas glow in your heart and eyes. (Yeah! I can see it already...)
One Love
h
x
http://www.friendsofhopeflowers.org/
h Natural in Liverpool
1st October 2017
Good morning Naturalists.
I am happy to announce one last addition to my end-of-year solo doings.
On Friday December 1 I will play Liverpool's
Christ Church, Toxteth Park :
Linnet Lane,
Liverpool,
Merseyside,
L17 3BG
Put me in your Advent calendar (in window number 1)
Bring a bauble and help me dress the tree.
x
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/418141
h Natural tour for 2017
16th September 2017
Hello everyone!
I'm happy to announce a new h Natural tour for 2017. Please check dates in the "Tour" section. I look forward to seeing you again. Bring a bauble for my Christmas tree and I'll bring the drink!
While you're here, would you read this please...
h
x
A few years ago after releasing STCBM which, of course included our "controversial" song, Gaza, I ran into, and became good friends with an Israeli called Oren Hertz. As a young man, he found himself in uniform with a gun in his hand, patrolling Gaza. He wanted to say a few words to you about a great cause we both believe in:
Hello everyone,
My name is Oren Hertz. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but I was born and raised in Israel.
All Israeli citizens are mandated to serve in the Israeli military.
During my military service, I was exposed, unfortunately, to the grim ongoing situation in the occupied territories.
Please know that the purpose of my statement is not intended to spark a political debate. The purpose of this statement is to expose everyone to the Hope Flowers school. This is a school which was set up for poor kids with a mission to teach empathy and reconciliation. The idea was to bring Palestinians and Israelis together. While not all Palestinian and Israeli kids can attend this school due to the political climate, the school's ethos remains for those children who do attend. To my mind, any institution which tries to bring about peace and empathy at such a grass-roots level is a good thing.
I have seen the conflict first hand. I grew up in it. I was injured by an 11-year-old kid while serving as an Israeli soldier in Gaza. This kid had cultivated hatred in his eyes. Hatred that was bred towards Israeli soldiers. I guarantee you - this Palestinian kid was not born with hate in his heart.
I quickly came to realize that the rip between Israelis and Palestinians is, frankly, senseless. We are all brothers and sisters, and it is shameful that we argue over land and ideology. We can coexist!
But there's hope. Our hope is the next generation.
The Hope Flowers school does just that: educates both sides to love and tolerate our differences, bridge the gap, teach the next generation that nothing good comes from violence, and that love and compassion is the way of the future.
Please consider this great cause. Please consider giving hope to the future of my brothers and sisters. Give hope for the next generation. Our legacy, our actions today, will cultivate a better future to the next generation. Let us set an example.
I am immensely grateful for you taking the time to read this.
Kindest thanks, Oren Hertz
I'm indebted to Oren for sharing his perspectives.
Last year at a show in Holland I met a school teacher called Sarina Hoogendam who first told me about HOPE FLOWERS, the struggle that The Hope Flowers school has to get through each day. Money is very tight. Marillion contributed some money through our charity collections this year at Port Zelande and I have also donated the proceedings of an h show. It's truly magical to do a Christmas gig for a school in Bethlehem and I intend to make it an annual thing.
So could you all do me a little favour - would you have a look at the link below? Hope Flowers are trying to raise the money for a badly needed water-treatment plant. The crowdfunding for the water treatment plant started last week. An English company, ARUP, designed it and supports the building of it at low costs. (Get in!).
http://bit.ly/2xnfuXf
People also can go to
http://www.friendsofhopeflowers.org/
Please donate a small (or, if you're feeling flush, not so small) amount and help these deprived and troubled children grow up with empathy and peace in their hearts..
Initiatives like Hope Flowers, no matter how fraught with practical and financial problems, are precious and can truly make a difference in the world.
Thanks, loves.
See you soon...
h
x
Guestbook
1st April 2017
You can write, but I won't reply..
Well, sometimes I do!
Thanks for the messages of support, get well and "there there".
I'd like to say I'm pain-free after my fall from the stage in Holland last Sunday, but that's not err, quite true.
Put it this way - I can tell it happened (!), but with a steady combination of paracetemol, ibuprofen and tequila, I think I'll be serviceable for the upcoming Poland weekend.
The good news is I've been thoroughly checked out by the doc and luckily there are no serious injuries.
Everyone has been great in showing concern over me. It's very touching.
As we say in UK... "There is life in the old dog yet."
x
100 Club show on Febuary 12th now SOLD OUT!
8th February 2017
One-off h Natural show in London
5th January 2017
Something to look forward to after Christmas... again!
Happy New Year, loves.
I'm happy to announce a one-off h Natural show before what will be another busy year for Marillion.
It will take place at the 100 Club, Oxford St, London on Sunday 12th February.
For those of you unfamiliar with these evenings, they are organic affairs which are more-or-less free to go in any direction the audience takes them, so they're never the same twice.
I'm hoping to invite up a special guest or two this time.. (Woooo!.....)
x
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