July 16, 2020

northernvicarwalks June 2020

Covid continues, aided by a shambolic government. We learned about social distancing and managed to get one church open for Private Prayer. I made lots of phone calls, and posted on facebook every day. Here are my ramblings. I managed several walks north from home, out over the hills behind Quarndon. A total of 37 miles this month takes my total to 225. We managed two days out, both in Yorkshire. This picture seems appropriate. Renishaw Hall Gardens near Sheffield are gorgeous. Harlow Carr Gardens near Harrogate are also gorgeous, and they have a good bookshop.
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Yorkshire Comments: 0
June 3, 2020

northernvicarwalks – May 2020

This cartoon sums up the shambles that was May. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. It will be interesting if people reading this blog in 20 years time have any idea who the cartoon relates to. I know an historian should give his sources, but I will not mention the evil man’s name. The first half of the month was spent walking round the garden, going some cooking, and trying to hold everything together. Thursday 14 was the first proper walk, a circle through Quarndon and the outskirts of Duffield. Lovely to see that the tree is still there,...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Personal Comment: 1
May 5, 2020

northernvicarwalks [or doesn’t walk] – April 2000

Here we are in the time of Covid-19. This is one cartoon which sums up the month. The one below sums up what it felt like not to do Holy Week and Easter in my churches. You had to try and smile (or else you’d cry). If you want to know what we got up to in our two churches, have a look at https://www.stedsandstmatts.co.uk/copy-of-worship-while-our-buildings The furthest I got in the month was Nottingham Road Cemetery. The staff there (and at the Crem) are being superb. We tried to keep in touch with people through emails, phone, and facebook....
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Personal Comments: 0
April 11, 2020

northernvicarwalks – March 2020

I didn’t do much walking to start the month, and I’ve already blogged the Norwich day. Covid19 is sweeping the world, and life is going to change. On Friday 13 March I went for my favourite walk – up to Quarndon (I love this tree), then left and north to the west side of Duffield. One rather muddy stretch. Croot’s Farm Shop sold me coffee and cake, and a rucksack of provisions. Then to the Duffield Coop for the rest of the stuff I needed, and the bus back. 5 1/2 miles. I had some Nordic walking sessions before...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire Comments: 0
March 30, 2020

Norwich, Norfolk – St George Colegate

St George Colegate TG 229090 has a nice sign outside saying the church is open, but they need to do something about the vestibule, it hardly says “this church is worth visiting.” I did like the poster for the Lent Group where they are discussing “What we (try to) believe”. My sort of church. They have a very nice little leaflet which explains what happens in a morning service, and whereabouts in the church it happens – might do something similar. (This is the pillar they sit behind so they can’t see anything. These are the pews at the...
Categories Norfolk Comments: 0
March 29, 2020

Norwich, Norfolk – St Martin-at-Palace

St-Martin-at-Palace is on the corner of Bishopsgate and Whitefriars – TG 234 091 – and is the HQ of Norwich Historic Churches Trust, https://www.nhct-norwich.org/. The East Wall dates to 1070, nave and chancel C11/12, south nave aisle 1400, and the chancel chapels 1490. The chancel collapsed in 1851, and was rebuilt (as was the porch). The tower fell in 1783 and rebuilt in 1874. The church closed in 1973 and was used as a store for the Diocesan Furnishings Officer. It was re-ordered in 1985 and taken over by the Probation Service. The re-ordering involved the screening off the...
Categories Norfolk Comments: 0
March 28, 2020

northernvicarwalks – Norwich

Norwich Historic Churches Trust were having a day conference on Medieval Pilgrimage so I caught the early train across from East Midlands Parkway. Elaine joined me at Ely, and we crossed Norfolk together. It is a shame seeing so many signal boxes going derelict. We walked along the River Wensum to Pull’s Ferry – always one of my favourite walks. I also remember walking it with grandad when I was a lad. It’s a C15 building, named after John Pull who ran the ferry from 1796 to 1841 (makes you wonder how many times he crossed the river). The...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Norfolk Comments: 0
March 20, 2020

Southwell, Nottinghamshire – Minster Roof and Leaves

There are already a couple of blogs of the beautiful Southwell Minster already on this site. It is a special place for me as I did a placement here while at Lincoln Theological College. 27 years later Helen Bates, who had the pleasure of teaching us at Derby Uni (at least, I hope it was a pleasure) is now working for Southwell Minster. She had organised a roof tour – would I like to join? Silly question. I went over from Duffield, and was joined at Nottingham by Helena, one of our fellow-students. From Newark Castle we got a...
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March 17, 2020

northernvicarwalks (and has train rides) – February 2020

This is the month that a Barham makes it into Railway Magazine. It’s not me, it’s Hannah – in a feature on the problems of disability access to trains. This was her first ride on an LNER Azuma (and I haven’t been on one yet). We had a series of wet weekends, and on Monday 6 February the Derwent was very high. I walked six miles round Darley Park. In the afternoon we had a snow shower (Sarah photed St Matthew’s Darley Abbey). It lasted just long enough to photo St Edmund’s Allestree looking lovely. The only snow of...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Lincolnshire/Personal/Railway History/Wales Comments: 0
February 7, 2020

northernvicarwalks – Etwall to Burton (William Stanley Way 2)

Tuesday 4 February. I have a free day, so I’ll leave Caroline to run the office and Julie to go to the Old People’s Lunch. I drove to Etwall, parked by the church and started walking. I have decided to call it the William Stanley Way – he was Earl of Derby and has been suggested as one of the authors of Shakespeare. You would think you would be able to reach the old railway path by walking through the grounds of Etwall Leisure Centre, but there is a fence to separate walkers from squash players. Better to access...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Railway History/Staffordshire Comments: 0