About me:
I was born in Bethnal Green, East London and lived there for most of my life until moving to East Ham (also in East London) in 1999. In 2003, I relocated to Macclesfield on the eastern side of Cheshire, with my wife Pauline, who is from Manchester.
From left to right: East Ham town hall, Manchester central library
and Macclesfield town centre.
Click each thumbnail to view an enlarged image.
My full name is not very common, but has the following derivation:
Iain - The Scots Gaelic form of John, which itself translates from Hebrew as "God is Gracious".
Emberson - This literally means "Son of Emery" and Emery is a Germanic word meaning "Work Rule".
The Emberson family motto is fides et suavis, which translates as "Faithful and Graceful". On researching my ancestors, I found that many of them lived in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, and eventually Essex and London. Today the Emberson family name is commonest in the South East of England.
My wife's maiden name is Waring, which seems to be of Germanic origin and is connected with the verb "shelter or protect".
I have drawn up a list with selection of common Christian names and their meanings called What's in a name ?
Pauline:
| Where Educated | St Pius X Girls School, Manchester/Open University |
| First Job | Shop Assistant at Werth's Boutique |
| Favourite Food | Meat and Potato pie, chips and gravy (plus mushy peas) |
| Favourite Drink | Orange Fanta |
| Favourite Group/Artist | Secular: Stevie Wonder/Tchaikovsky, Religious: Handel/Mozart |
| Favourite TV Programme: | Secular: Columbo/Anything by Shakespeare/Period dramas, Religious: EWTN (especially Scott Hahn) |
| Favourite Book(s) | The Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church |
| Last Holiday | Weekend in London with handsome husband |
| Hobbies/Interests | The Internet/Catholic Apologetics/iPodding/ |
| Personal Ambition Outside Work | To complete a theology degree and be a good catechist/teacher of the faith - please God. |
Iain:
| Where Educated | Raines Foundation School, East London/University College, London |
| First Job | Computer Assistant at Chubb Alarms |
| Favourite Food | Fish and Chips (minus mushy peas) |
| Favourite Drink | Pepsi Max |
| Favourite Group/Artist | Secular: Shalamar, Religious: Matt Redman |
| Favourite TV Programme: | Secular: Question Time, Religious: Living Truth (Charles Price) |
| Favourite Book(s) | The Bible |
| Last Holiday | Costa Del Thames, London |
| Hobbies/Interests | The Internet/Photography/Theology |
| Personal Ambition Outside Work | To complete a Theology degree, God Willing |
My Interests:
Photography
I am a keen amateur Photographer and present several photographs of the places my wife and/or I have visited, together with my wedding photographs:
| Family Pictures | Ireland | Lake District | London Zoo | Macclesfield |
| Manchester | Medjugorje | North Wales | Walsingham | Wedding |
The Macclesfield Canal and Betws-Y-Coed, North Wales.
Click each thumbnail to view an enlarged image.
Poetry
I am no Keats or Shelley, but I enjoy expressing myself in Poetry. Words are powerful means of communicating ideas and provide me with a way of reflecting on life's up's and downs. I have written a mixture of poems, some romantic, some religious and some just musing over life itself. Please do have a look !
Travels and journeys
I have visited a few countries abroad and regard my favourite country as the United States. I had the pleasure of touring there by car in 1998, covering 4,000 miles in about 10 days and crossing the country from East to West. More details of my trip can be found on the USA trip page.
Running and walking
As a keen runner, I ran in the London Marathon on three occasions and somehow (!) finished every time. The London Marathon was first run in 1981 and is one of the world's most popular running events. Regularly attracting over 25,000 runners, the course is flat and fast. It begins on Blackheath in South London and ends in the Mall near Buckingham Palace. My own experience of the Marathon was very satisfying, not least because of the tremendous encouragement given by the spectators along the way. Apart from the London event, we also have the Great North Run which attracts over 30,000 runners and is held each year in Tyneside.
Living as I do near the Macclesfield canal, I also have the opportunity for plenty of walks by the canal bank.
Local History and Cartography (Maps)
Ever wondered what you area looked like in the 1800's ? or 1900's ? I find the whole subject interesting, not least as it forms part of local history. Try old maps online to find out more.
Cats and Dogs
Along with other members of my family, I am an cat lover. I have set up a memorial site called A Cheshire Cat for my cat Monty who sadly passed away in 2012.
We adopted a rescue cat called Angel (Tortoiseshell) from the RSPCA in 2012 and also acquired a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in 2013 and named her Cindy. Sadly, Cindy passed away in September 2014.
My Christian Faith:
My Christian faith is the centre of my life and I came to faith through the Godly influence of my Mother.
A common question asked is "What is your favourite bible verse ?" I have several (John 3:16 included !), but one of my real favourites comes from the Apostle Paul, who was familiar with the Greek Olympics and as a (former !) Marathon runner, I can relate to his comments:
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)
A diagram showing the various branches of Christianity.
Click the image for an enlarged version.
Along with favourite bible verses, I am a great fan of Christian music, both old and new. Some of the most powerful words I have heard were penned by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty in their song "In Christ Alone":
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Macclesfield:
I mentioned earlier that I live in Macclesfield, and here provide a brief introduction to the town.
Macclesfield is a busy town (population c. 50,000), part of the county of Cheshire and located in the North West of England. Macclesfield lies on the River Bollin and is about 15 miles south of Manchester and 200 miles north of London. It is also close to the scenic Peak District.
The town has good access to the motorway network (M6, M56 and M60). From the 18th century onwards, Macclesfield became synonymous with the silk industry and working mills still exist. Also Hovis bread (from the Latin "HOminiS VItae" - the strength of man) has its origin here.
Macclesfield has many churches, and pictures of some of them may be found in the Churches Photo Album.
An online map of Macclesfield and the surrounding area can be found at the Bing web site.
