March 4, 2017

Repton, Derbyshire – St Wystan

Outside Derbyshire, Repton is simply the name of the tune to “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”. It is also home to a public school – the school where “Good bye Mr Chips” was filmed (1939 Robert Donat and Greer Garson). The chippy in the village is called “Good buy Mr Chips”. St Wystan’s church stands in the centre of the village and school at SK 303271 – website. This is a very full website – lots of history, lots of things going on, and a superb index. We parked outside the church, and Julie came in too –...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
February 27, 2017

Willington, Derbyshire – St Michael

Tuesday 21 February, and a morning’s drive to explore a couple of villages south of Derby – just a few minutes away down the A38. Willington is a busy village, on the Trent and Mersey Canal – website. One of these days I will chuck it all in and buy a narrow boat. Presumably we could have a butty boat for all Julie’s books. The canal was built in 1770 – I wonder what’s being planned for the 250th anniversary. A search shows me there were celebrations last year for James Brindley’s 300th anniversary. The railway station was opened in...
Categories Derbyshire Comment: 1
February 12, 2017

Guards’ Chapel, London

A day in London on Friday 3 February saw me having a good walk. I walked from Euston to the V&A then back through Chelsea and past Buckingham Palace to the Guards’ Chapel on Birdcage Walk. In my youth I was an oboeist, and my teacher was Ron Hoare. He and his wife Pat lived in Barton and were friends of my mum and dad – to me they were Uncle Ron and Auntie Pat. His real name was Eric Denzil Hoare – apparently a conductor had said “where’s that oboeist who looks like Ronald Coleman?” and the name...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/London/Personal Comments: 2
February 11, 2017

northernvicar walks – January 2017

In 2016 my son Harry ran 1,000 miles for the charity Changing Faces – website. We have never worked out where he gets the running gene from, but we are proud parents. Here he runs back to the Vicarage having completed his challenge. If he can walk 1,000 miles surely, I mused, I can walk 1,000 miles. That is only 2.74 miles a day. I don’t want to start counting every footstep, just measuring the walks. Will it be possible? On Sunday 1 January I walked to St Matthew’s, Darley Abbey, and back. That’s just 1.4 miles, so I’m 1.34...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Railway History Comments: 0
February 10, 2017

Bulwick, Northamptonshire – St Nicholas

The final church was St Nicholas, Bulwick SP963942 – still Northamptonshire – website. I had been here in the  early 1990s when the Rectory was the Reverend Mervyn Wilson. He was a main-mover behind The Rural Theology Association – website – and I was a country Curate with seven villages. He had two villages (Bulwick and Deene), lived in a huge Rectory, had an orchard of rare apples, and was a country parson of the old school. He wrote this article. The world has changed in the last 25 years. Deene is now a CCT church. Bulwick is one of five...
Categories Northamptonshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
February 10, 2017

Harringworth, Northamptonshire – St John the Baptist

After lunch beside Rutland Water we headed south through North Luffenham and across the railway (barriers controlled from Ketton box). Then the A6121 and B672 which took us under the Harringworth (Welland) Viaduct. The field on the south side of the road is Seaton Meadows nature reserve – website – which means there are lots of opportunities to take photos (the website has a lovely photo of the viaduct through a blanket of wild flowers). There is a history of the viaduct on the village website. The line between Kettering and Manton Junction (on the Peterborough-Leicester line) didn’t open...
Categories Northamptonshire/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 0
February 10, 2017

Apethorpe, Northamptonshire – St Leonard

The next church we stopped at was Apethorpe – TL025957. On my return I look at the Apethorpe village website which gives details of the new Vicar, but not much about the church. It doesn’t mention the Palace, see below. It is another parish in the Oundle deanery – website. There are some very good photos of this and other nearby churches at this website. There are signs in the village to Apethorpe Palace, and I remembered seeing a TV programme about it – which I researched when I got home. The Palace was on the heritage at risk...
Categories Northamptonshire Comments: 2
February 8, 2017

Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire – St Mary and All Saints

On Friday 27 January we went off towards Rutland Water where we were meeting friends for lunch. The first church of call was Fotheringhay – St Mary and All Saints (TL060932). We entered the village over the old bridge, and saw the remains of the Castle on the right – but it was cold and foggy, so not really a day to go wandering round castles. The church is well worth visiting. There is a website for the whole of the Oundle Deanery and links to each parish – here – a lot of work has gone into it....
Categories Northamptonshire Comment: 1
February 5, 2017

Robinson College, Cambridge

  On Thursday 26 January we had a Cambridge day. My wife’s book-buying odyssey started in Waterstone’s (I escaped to the café), and continued to Heffer’s. Then we had a lunch break. Julie went back to Heffer’s and I went for a walk. I cut through King’s College, Clare Memorial Court, past the University Library, instead turned down Burrell’s Walk and crossed Grange Road to enter Robinson College. Robinson College – website – is a new foundation he types, then realises that 1977 is hardly “new”. Her Majesty opened the College on 29 May 1981, and Julie and I were...
Categories Cambridgeshire/Personal Comment: 1
February 1, 2017

Whissendine, Rutland – St Andrew

We drove south out of Wymondham and, as it was getting late and foggy, didn’t go via Edmonthorpe (which is a CCT church). Another minor road – this car will need a clean – and we crossed the railway at Whissendine Station SK837166. It was opened on 1 May 1848 and closed on 3 October 1955. The signal box was built in 1898 and renewed during WW2. It is still there, though the gates have gone. There is an older photo at this website. I got some photos, but failed to get any of the Royal Train as it speeded...
Categories Railway History/Rutland Comments: 0