I shall be taking part in the Commonwealth Day Observance in Westminster Abbey tomorrow, in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip. The Observance is a long-standing part of the Westminster Abbey calendar and is a celebration of the Commonwealth and its 53 independent nation states.

Each year, representatives of the various faiths make some kind of public contribution during the Observance. Last year we offered reflections on personal testimonies by individuals who have interesting stories to tell, and we shall be doing the same this year.

I have been asked to reflect on personal testimony by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, notable for having been abused in Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother house.

YESTERDAY the Big Brother house, tomorrow the world

Emma the dog in a Winchester garden

Yesterday morning our 14 year old Border Collie Emma, who had been diagnosed with cancer in the urinary tract some nine months ago, was clearly in great discomfort and sinking fast. Erica phoned the vet and was advised to take her to the Woolmer Green surgery straight away. Erica, Hari and Jake walked her over the hill to Woolmer Green. Inevitably she perked up when she was out walking.

The vet examined her and laid out two options: surgery (which would prolong her life only by a couple of months) and a urine bag on her flank. Well, Erica and Hari thought the surgery would be painful and would not actually keep her going for much longer (in addition to being expensive); and, what’s more, Emma would be quite likely to worry at a bag - the vet confirmed that dogs generally don

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