By Jez Smith

It has been a good week for the Quaker presence in the media. The Occupy business – see several articles on Nayler, for example – has been a key part of that. See, for example, Ian Chamberlain’s Ceasefire article. Ian is also appearing on Channel 4’s Thought TV slot (also available online).

Douglas Rennie got a cool mention in the letters page of the Guardian, referencing George Fox: “Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit from thy own thoughts, and then…” Douglas explains: “Quakers and others are still having a go at following this advice, particularly at times of ‘tempests, blusterings and storms’.”

The Guardian was the place for Quaker mentions this week, including an interview with Quaker Terry Waite, who is reaching the 20^th anniversary of his release from captivity as a hostage. Also in the Guardian was an article by Quaker Paul Oestreicher on abolishing war.  Meanwhile, perhaps less positively in the Guardian, 73-year-old peace campaigner Helen John complains that Lincoln Quakers are too old to help her set up a peace camp, despite their being sympathetic.

Judi Dench has also featured in the media this week, making reference to her being Quaker in a feature in the Daily Mail.

And Ian Hislop’s forthcoming documentary ‘When the bankers were good’ (to be shown on 22/11/2011, BBC 2, 9pm) apparently mentions various Quakers, according to the Daily Telegraph.

In regional news, Exeter Quakers were quick to visit Occupy Exeter with food and moral support, according to This is Exeter.

And one mention that isn’t so recent but I thought might be worth including. Former editor of The Sun David Yelland posted last month on Twitter: “Will we ever learn that brutality breeds brutality and never to glory in it even when an evil man dies. More Quakers on Twitter please….:)”. It was re-tweeted by over a hundred of his Twitter followers.