Sunday, September 28, 2008

Ecclesiastical/ShadowshotSunday/England



We went to decorate the little local church for harvest festival.
The sun shone in on the old wooden chairs.



They show up well against the much more ancient stone walls.
When I was eleven I had to make a speech talking about the importance of restoring ancient churches. It was not a ripping success. I think I would be much more eloquent now.



An affecting monument mounted on the church wall complete with letters carved backwards and a most impressive heraldic shield. This is what you need to do if you want your memory to live on for a very long time.



In Devizes, not far away, is a Norman church. If you look carefully on the column to the right you will see a carving of a 'green man' a rather pagan character eating a leaf.



The kneelers in the local church are all different and needledpointed by hand.

15 comments:

  1. beautiful shots. So are there people still embroidering the kneeling cushions? That is really beautiful!

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  2. very cool shots of the interior and furniture. The embroidery work is beautiful. I came over from Hey Harriett's.

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  3. What beautiful pictures..the kneeling pads are something else..The work that went in to all of them..Wonderful..
    Happy Sunday.

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  4. Your shadows sem to whisper around this sacred place! Beautiful pics!

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  5. What an inviting place this seems, the smell of antiquity in the air. I dream of visiting England someday, but until then, I read.

    Great shot!
    sharon

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  6. Love your shadow shots and all the photos of the church. I love going into churches and soaking up the atmosphere. Beautiful kneelers.

    Paz

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  7. Hi there Elizabeth! Hope you enjoyed your trip to England. Lovely photos! It's not often I see the inside of churches, so thanks for the tour! The embroidered cushions are beautiful.

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  8. These photos remind me in a way of the Catholic Churches I grew up attending in the North. Beautiful stained glass windows, cushions to kneel on, although ours wasn't the beautiful embroidered cushions. And of course our churches weren't so rustic...gorgeous Elizabeth!

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  9. Breathtaking shots, Elizabeth! Very lovely. The light and shadows are perfect. As well as the subject matter. Nice.

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  10. Elizabeth, I bet that your eleven year old self was very eloquent!

    These words and photos of the church are so evocative. I have been in a number of small, old churches in Britain, and have just felt the years of their services and congregations around me.

    What did the Harvest Festival decorations look like?

    On my very first visit to London, I chanced upon the Harvest Festival at St Martin in the Fields and will never forget the beauty.

    xo

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  11. Beautiful Shadow shots as usual. wow..all handmade knelling pillows, the ones we have here are just hard wood :D have a great week ahead :D

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  12. The shots of the chairs are so beautiful, such a lovely warmth that wood radiates!

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  13. Thanks so much for sharing! Love the shadow shot - and all of the other architectural shots in the church!
    Karla & Karrie

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  14. Beautiful shots, especially the ones with the chairs, there's just something about wood, love it!! And those cushions, wow!! Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your blogging friend, she certainly has a stunning garden.

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I look forward to hearing from you!