July 11, 2014

The Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

How can I write a shortish blog post about the Cathedral where I was ordained; where my four children were baptised (to be precise Theo was baptised at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and later welcomed into the congregation); where three were confirmed; where they sang as choristers (to be precise Hannah was only in the St Cecilia Chorale, the Cathedral Choir is boys-only); where I started as a Minor Canon in 1996, became Chaplain in 2001, then Canon Pastor in 2003 (or was it 2004 – I can’t be bothered to go and find the paperwork); where I baptised, married and...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 5
July 11, 2014

Fornham All Saints’, Suffolk

The Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, and 50 of us for a Eucharist – much appreciated. 20 years since Ordination, and none of us looked any older! I went back the following day for a look round – the church is open every day. When I was here as a Curate, a teenager and an older lady arrived on the doorstep one day. “Could they look round the church?” I told them it was open and we got chatting. It turned out the young lady was a school-refuser and the older lady her tutor. The young lady could...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Fornham St Martin, Suffolk

Fornham St Martin is a village north of Bury St Edmunds. The full name of the parish is “Fornham All Saints with Fornham St Martin cum St Genevieve” – try fitting that on a marriage certificate! We parked by the Woolpack pub website – which was always welcoming – and found the church open. It is a lovely red brick porch, late medieval, and the noticeboards were well organised – one my hates is scruffy noticeboards! The tower is a result of a large legacy in 1425. Inside, I had forgotten quite how bright the kneelers are. Shortly before we...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk/World War 1 Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Wordwell, Suffolk – All Saints’

Into Suffolk and my old benefice. The first church we stopped at was All Saints’, Wordwell. This is now maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust – fascinating how their sign has changed. They have an excellent website, and even a phone app. (I have downloaded the app, but need Harry to show me how it works!). It is a Norman building which had fallen into disuse by the early C19. In the 1850s it was renovated by the architect Samuel Teulon.   Over the door, inside the south porch, is a wonderful tympanum, and inside the church, another one....
Categories Churches Conservation Trust/Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 2
July 11, 2014

Back to Suffolk

Thursday 3 July 2014 – the Feast of St Thomas. I was deaconed in 1994 and priested a year later. My first Eucharist was celebrated at Fornham All Saints nineteen years ago today, so I had arranged to celebrate there again today. I ended up in Suffolk after my three years at Lincoln Theological College. My sending Diocese – Ely – had the first call on me. They suggested Wisbech St Mary as a curacy; that was a long way from nowhere. In those far-off days dioceses that could not fill their places sent them to the Colleges, and Bill...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk/World War 1 Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Long Sutton, Lincolnshire – St Mary

We continued on across the Fens and stopped in Long Sutton. A cafe for the locals did me ham, egg and chips, and the market place is beautifully decorated with hanging baskets. St Mary’s church is at the bottom of the main drag. You come to the west door (locked), try the north door (locked), then find access is easy through the south door! It won a tourism award about a decade ago – still proudly displayed – but tourism seems to be no longer important. No guidebook, current leaflets of “What’s on” in the area buried in a...
Categories Lincolnshire/Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Heckington, Lincolnshire – St Andrew

En route from Lincoln to Suffolk we could go via the A1/A14, or the A17 and across the Fens. We stopped in Heckington and found Sylv’s cafe – very nice, and a chatty couple who are involved in the church. John tells us that there’s about 40 people attending St Andrew Heckington (doubled from a few years ago) – website – it’s in a group of eight churches. They have a rather good strap line “Built in the 14th century, still alive in the 21st.   We walked up to the church, and Julie spent a happy time looking at the bookstall...
Categories Lincolnshire/Outside Northumberland/Railway History Comments: 0
July 10, 2014

Lincoln – St Paul in the Bail

Lincoln is a Roman City. The Fosse Way (from the South West) meets the Ermine Street (from London) at the bottom of the hill. The Roman City was built on top of the hill – you can see the main gates, and the Ermine Street ran north through the Newport Arch and on to York. I love the fact you can still drive through a Roman Arch. In the Roman City is the Roman Forum, and the Mint Wall (the north wall of the Forum) still stands – the highest piece of Roman wall in England. (We lived in...
Categories Lincolnshire/Outside Northumberland/Personal Comments: 5
July 10, 2014

Lincoln – The Forest Stations

Southwell Minster had a set of “Stations of the Cross”; so does Lincoln (they are on the north wall of the Nave – you can see them in the photo above). “Please touch” says the sign – so, once again, photography can only go so far. I purchased the book (“The Forest Stations, William Fairbank, Frontier Publishing, 1998) from the  Cathedral shop. Fairbank was involved in a car accident in 1987 in which he received a brain injury. He spent several years recovering, using sculpture to help him – and has gone on to do much more. More details here. A...
Categories Cathedrals/Lincolnshire/Outside Northumberland Comments: 2
July 7, 2014

Lincoln Cathedral

Julie and I lived in Lincoln for the three years I was training at Lincoln Theological College – as you stand on Castle Square facing the Cathedral (photo above), our house was 2 minutes walk to the left, the College one minute to the right. It was a smashing three years. Harry was born shortly after we arrived, so we had three small children. I did not work particularly hard as a student, and we spent a lot of time exploring the County, visiting churches, signal boxes and windmills (what else do you visit?). We loved Lincoln as a...
Categories Cathedrals/Lincolnshire/Outside Northumberland/Personal Comments: 7