Gargoyle

As I passed the main Anglican church the other day I noticed the gargoyles uses as drains for the first time. I have often passed by but never bothered to look closely at the fabric of the building. This is strange as I like looking at old things,(no madam, not you, there are limits!) and this church has been there since 1199 apparently but nobody told me. The walls contain the usual mixture of stones and what appears to be old Roman bricks, those thin red flat things, but I wonder if that is what they really are. The gargoyles act as drains from the roof and are somewhat spoiled by having the pipes (iron?) shoved in their gobs I think. Still anything that stops the place being ruined I suppose. I have never actually been in there but it appears to be unusual in that the vicar and his flock seem to know their God! Now that is unusual with Anglicans! The gargoyles are often worth a look. Some churches, usually the Abbeys and Cathedrals, have many and a close inspection reveals actual workers on the sight. It must be said many are not complimentary of their colleagues and some downright unfit for such a building. Worth looking out for mind.

These Anglicans do have that horrid English habit of bell ringing. Each week, or is it fortnight, a group of campanologists gather together and ring out to their, and no-one else's, content! The bells hammering away must get right up the noses of those living nearby, but as the church was there first you just have to lump it. Were you aware that Radio 4 each Sunday morning plays a recording of church bells ringing? As I usually fall asleep listening to the radio I find it disturbing, if the radio is set to radio 4, to be woken on a Sunday by these things clanging away! What is the point? It's not as if it is musical anyway, although the campanologist near you will tell of the wonderful sound emanating from the steeple. It's just a noise to me. Ah well, it's far enough away not to be a bother here. However the other Anglican church, the Anglo Catholic one, does ring bells at weddings. Why? Are we supposed to rejoice with the happy couple? I tend at such occasions to wonder how long it will last myself....

Maybe my readers are all lovers of ringing bells, I suppose then you could say I have dropped a clanger with this?

Another Monday

Not far from here is an Anglican Church which has these bells atop the building. I passed that way yesterday and thought them striking (gettit?) This church is one of many in England that were built less for the glory of God than for the glory of the benefactor who built it. If I remember correctly a woman of standing, that means 'rich,' decided she wanted this church built to her plans. This was sometime in the late Victorian days and the town already possessed one large 12th century Anglican building and not far down the road another was to be found. However this structure was designed to be quite large and for some reason it was not completed as she had planned. To the side stands a large buttress designed for a far greater edifice than this. Whether the money ran out or she died is not clear, but her plan did not reach the conclusion she desired. The bells can be heard whenever a couple get married there, whether this is a joyful sound or a warning is not clear from here. Today this is the towns Anglo Catholic Church, the other being more main line as far as I can tell. Where is this leading you ask? Nowhere. It's just as I passed by I was intrigued by the bells standing clear against the blue sky and decided to snap them.

Such small enjoyments helped when writing to the council re the noise nuisance. At least I will not be arrested because of that letter, unlike the one I was mentally writing on Saturday! Tsk! Why can people not make noise when I want them too and not at their own selfish pleasure! Tsk!