October 26, 2019

Chillingham, Northumberland – St Peter

Any Man’s Kingdom is a lovely film. It is a travelogue of Northumberland produced in by 1956 British Transport Film for British Railways, directed by Tony Thompson. As it includes a scene of the Lindisfarne taxi, a rusty Ford, driving across the sands onto the island, it gets a mention in my MA dissertation. (For my blog readers I should explain that Julie and I have just both completed MAs in Public History and Heritage at Derby University). Details of the film are here – screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1396782/index.html. The original film was filmed in 1953 and is available on a DVD...
Categories Northumberland/Railway History Comments: 2
October 26, 2019

Old Bewick, Northumberland – Holy Trinity

Having been to Alnwick (Barter Books) and Eglingham we continued up the road to Old Bewick, and turned down the minor road to Holy Trinity church at NU 068 221. I had heard this one mentioned as a lovely place, and they are right. Tradition has it that the Manor of Bewick was given by Queen Maud to Tynemouth Priory in 1107, in memory of her royal father, Malcolm Canmore. He had snatched the crown of Scotland from Macbeth in 1054, and in 1091 brought an army south across the border, laying waste to much of Northumberland. He had...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0
October 26, 2019

Eglingham, Northumberland – St Maurice

Eglingham is north of Alnwick – and I think I have always confused it with Edlingham, a church I have visited several times. Today I went in to St Maurice’s church – NU 106 194. The church has a page on the village website – http://www.eglingham.info/st-maurices-church-eglingham – and there is a tourist trail which was produced back in 2013 at https://www.glendalechurchtrail.org.uk/gct_eglingham.html  (the leaflet for this was also in church, and there is an information board too). It’s a nice walk into the churchyard, past a rather nice lamp, and through into a plain and “much restored, but picturesque” church...
Categories Evetts' windows/Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 2
October 26, 2019

A Personal Pause – Harry and Sarah’s Wedding

Back in the North East for Harry and Sarah’s wedding at Newcastle Civic Centre on Saturday 21 September 2019. Here is me wearing a tie (and needing to lose some weight), Julie looking decidedly elf-like, Hannah (the one who works for the National Elf Service), Harry and Sarah. I am now a father-in-law and Julie is a mother-in-law (that’s scary!). We had the party at Gosforth Civic Theatre, which was a wonderful venue – and the staff could not have been more helpful. https://www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk/ After a lovely weekend, we then had a week’s holiday. Lots of love to them...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne/Personal Comment: 1
October 22, 2019

Ashbourne, Derbyshire – St Oswald

I have visited St Oswald’s church in Ashbourne on several occasions, but Tuesday 17 September was a day I managed to get to go round properly with my camera. I had had a meeting in Wirksworth (to which I caught the bus), then had a lovely ride to Ashbourne on a little bus through Hopton, Carsington, Brassington, Bradbourne and Kniveton – Julie would hate some of those roads in the car, I will never get her on the bus! St Oswald’s church is on the south west side of the town, a bit away from the centre, at SK 176...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
October 22, 2019

Tarporley, Cheshire – St Helen

On Thursday 12 September we had to go to Julia’s funeral – odd for me to sit in the congregation for a funeral, but they did a good job! St Helen’s Tarporley is in the centre of the town at SJ 355 362 and has a website at http://tarporleyparishchurch.org/. You can download a pdf of the church guide. The church is C15, but the Victorians gave it a makeover, the work was done by the firm of Crowthers of Manchester. The churchyard is beautifully kept, and the roses were lovely. I liked the figures by the door, and the...
Categories Cheshire Comments: 0
October 22, 2019

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 8 – Whatstandwell to Belper

It has been a long time since I walked any of the Derwent Valley Mills Trail. Monday 2 September was a lovely day, and I didn’t want to work on a Monday. I caught the Transpeak bus north to Whatstandwell station, and started walking south. Always seems wrong to arrive at a station by bus! The bridge over the canal looks rather fragile, and the lack of boat traffic means there is plenty of weed in place. It is a pleasant walk along the canal, with the railway next to you. Although sometimes busy with walkers, today I saw...
Categories Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 0
October 6, 2019

Alvaston, Derby – Parish Church

Sunday 1 September 2019 and I was invited to an evening service at what I thought was called St Michael and All Angels at Alvaston as All Christians Together in SE Derby were going to sign a Covenant. (You can see the comment below when John the Vicar tells us about the naming). I drove up to the church – SK 392333 – and the bells were ringing. I never thought I would miss church bells, but I do. Here there are six, all made by Taylors of Loughborough, and being rung very well before the service. Their clock...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comment: 1
October 6, 2019

Northampton, Northamptonshire – All Saints’

We could have driven back from Milton Keynes straight up the M1, but instead went on the back roads to Northampton. I worked here for a couple of years back in the late 1980s, but don’t think I’ve ever been back. We found a parking space, had a wander, and ended up in All Saints’ church – SP 754 604. They have a website at http://allsaintsnorthampton.co.uk/. You could not get a town centre church much different to Milton Keynes, but it is wonderful that both are open. A notice at All Saints says it is the only town church...
Categories Northamptonshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
September 23, 2019

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire – Christ the Cornerstone

Driving home from High Wycombe on Saturday 18 August we stopped in Milton Keynes, and went to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone – SP 850 388. It wasn’t that busy on a Saturday morning – the café wasn’t open – but that part of MK seems to be more offices than anything else. The website is at http://www.cornerstonemk.co.uk/. We looked at buying our first house in MK around 1985 – I remember reading the brochures one lunchtime while I was working in London – and we have visited this church once before. It was described as MK’s Cathedral,...
Categories Buckinghamshire/Personal Comments: 0