- Location
- Lincolnshire
Sounds like any who like a church visit better high-tail it to the next Lincolnshire open churches weekend!
Here ya go... clickable maps of historic churches in East Anglia:yep we did Ely a few years ago, will suggest those others for future trips. As you say there's so many churches built on the back of wool, which I think adds to the argument that they should be rekindling their connection with agriculture in a way that meets the needs of today.
The situation you describe is much the same across the county. The change for us in recent years is that “incomers” and “professionals” have taken over the PCC. These are folk on big pensions well used to spending other people’s money but not their own. They have no practical skills or ability so what financial reserves that were left were soon blown “ getting people in” with all the right elf’n and safety where once we would throw a ladder up the side and help the local builder make things good or fell dangerous trees ourselves and tidy them up for the firewood. Now they put things out to tender and get royally done over with very little to show for it. We have had all sorts of expensive surveys and reports commissioned just to state the obvious.The situation sounds just like here @DrWazzock . Although very few if the local farmers actually go to church, they are still the ones who "get stuff done" be it sending staff round to tidy the graves up, keep the ivy down etc. It's very much a "can't let it fall down on our watch" approach. Our local vicar is very good. But I imagine he needs as much help from the old God as the rest when it comes of diocesan bureaucracy.
^^^ thisThe situation you describe is much the same across the county. The change for us in recent years is that “incomers” and “professionals” have taken over the PCC. These are folk on big pensions well used to spending other people’s money but not their own. They have no practical skills or ability so what financial reserves that were left were soon blown “ getting people in” with all the right elf’n and safety where once we would throw a ladder up the side and help the local builder make things good or fell dangerous trees ourselves and tidy them up for the firewood. Now they put things out to tender and get royally done over with very little to show for it. We have had all sorts of expensive surveys and reports commissioned just to state the obvious.
I really can’t see how I can help them at all. They have a mistrust of anything agricultural anyway and won’t listen to any advice. Given it up as a bad job and just mind my own business now. Still believe in God but not in the C of E. It’s a completely lost cause IMO.
Our village chapel was converted to a house about 15 years ago. I have a pew here in Kenya. I only ever went in once for a harvest festival about 50 years ago . We also had a mission hall that was in our yard in the village that was knocked down 45 years ago. All thats left is my great grandfathers memorial stone that is a doorstep and we used the rubble to fill in a Dyke to make a roadway. We are probably going to hell.Happy clappies - suppose it is a re-run of the rise of the non conformists in the 18&19C and all those little chapels scattered around the rural Lincolnshire countryside now converted too dwellings. Baptists Methodists et.
Our village chapel was converted to a house about 15 years ago. I have a pew here in Kenya. I only ever went in once for a harvest festival about 50 years ago . We also had a mission hall that was in our yard in the village that was knocked down 45 years ago. All thats left is my great grandfathers memorial stone that is a doorstep and we used the rubble to fill in a Dyke to make a roadway. We are probably going to hell.
We did this a couple of years ago. Pews are generally a Victorian invention, and knacker the usability of the space. Did feel a bit guilty though- put in by craftsmen and removed by a ham fisted yours truly with a broken bale spike and a hammer....Which, I guess, is the crux of it.
I don't know how true this is, but someone told me that in many churches the pews weren't there originally but were put in later. Sell the pews off, return a church to its original layout, and you have a fantastic space to utilize.
Knox was born not a stones throw awayAh the socialist comes out. John Knox would be proud. Idolatry and belief in the life hereafter. But socialist still build structures as tokens and memorials. Quakerism is possibly the truest form of humanism religion.
Whats wrong with socialism?Ah the socialist comes out. John Knox would be proud. Idolatry and belief in the life hereafter. But socialist still build structures as tokens and memorials. Quakerism is possibly the truest form of humanism religion.
A large number of churches were govt funded 200 yr ago when the socialist napoleon had just been defeated and the economy was in tatters.Churches were built when the population was deeply christian, they survived Henry the 8th, the civil war etc, but since the arise of 'chapel', have slowly declined, till now, the situation is 'dire'. And, yet the happy clappies, are increasing, the alternative religions, seem to be 'secure' and growing, so why has C of E not thrived ? It would be interesting to see if if attendance increases after c19. Any dealings with church commisioners, that I have had, or been told about, have been very hard work, and outdated, and I think they are run as businesses for themselves ! A great pity, that a 'not keeping up' with modern times, leads to the deteriation of these great buildings, that have acted, like an anchor, for villages/towns, that doesn't change, for several hundred years
Whats wrong with socialism?
Did your father buy your farm thanks to socialism?
Most farmers who bought their farms from the landlord since 1945 dont appreciate what the socialists did for themYou do make some presumptions old fella!