Sunday 10 July 2016

Sunday Thoughts


Yesterdays early start was indeed a good idea.
I had the day planned, well after I returned I planned it, I would visit the expensive shop for the required stuff, consider painting this bit round the desk but knowing I had already decided to leave that till Monday, and sleep all afternoon.
Naturally this did not happen.
My aching knees took me to the overpriced shop and indeed back again.
I pushed aside the paint brushes, stuffed my face and considered my pillows.
The museum called.
No one had come in and the lass was on her own.
So scruffily & unshaven I toddled down there for an afternoons running around, and it got quite busy after I arrived.  I considered sleeping at the desk but was unable as people kept coming in and speaking loudly.  Tsk!  
When my now tired and aching knees got me back home and up the stairs I struggled to feed myself a morsel and later toddled off to bed.
I couldn't sleep.
I was too tired!!!



This is the weather vane that sits astride the steeple in St Michael's church.  I often noted it way above me and still don't know if it moves or not but thought I ought to capture it for histories (History's?) sake.
I suspect the bird (chicken?) was added during the restoration work in the 19 century.  Much was done then and a lot of controversy abounded.  One woman, who's father had been vicar at one time, fell out with the then vicar over changes, possibly within the building or the grounds.  Being a woman she did not leave money to the church as was usual for such folks, no her quite large estate (she had a large house, servants and acres of grounds which are now a park) was left to build another church rather than develop St Michael's.  Her church was built after she died, large enough for 300 people but with space and buttresses sufficient to enlarge the church to 600 as and when.  That has not happened.  The church, now a High Church, or Anglo Catholic if you prefer, has sold the large 7 bedroom vicarage provided and where the new man sleeps is unknown, the park possibly.
Her church has a few members and still operates but St Michael's remains the main one for the town.  St Peters does not have a spire or wee hen sitting above it.
Quite what drives some men to sitting at the top of church spires hundreds of feet above the ground to fix these things is beyond me.  My skin creeps at the thought and vertigo becomes my name.



I'm sick of all this tennis on TV!  Bring on the football!


3 comments:

Lee said...

I loved all the tennis on TV...now finished...and now I can catch up on lost sleep. I'm glad there is no football/soccer! ;)

Mo said...

The relationship between church, money and power always leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

Adullamite said...

Lee, BOOO!!


Mo, I agree. Victorian churches were often very bad as in England vicars were appointed often by the Lord of the Manor, as had been the case for hundreds of years. In Scotland this was not the case as churches were very independent. Today most struggle, and some dubious work goes on by the church commissioners (The ones who run the Anglicans money) so bad that even the Archbishop has spoken out. The lady in this case inherited from her vicar father, where did he get the cash?