From time to time I do some work for the
Churches Conservation Trust. the trust is a charity focussed on preserving these wonderful buildings and bringing them back to life and use by the community. They help to run many buildings in Bristol such as the amazing church on Portland Square used by Circomedia and the ancient St Johns Gate by St Nicholas Market.
When I was asked to go down to photograph St Georges Church on Portland (Dorset) I jumped at the chance. It is a little bit of the coastline that I don't know too well, and an architectural gem of a church.
Built in the 18th century using Portland stone the church is from a time when the spoken word was more important that the alter. The pews are arranged facing inward towards two central pulpits. One would have been used for scripture, the other for sermons. Amongst the grave stones there are graves for victims of pressgangs, shipwrecks, mothers who died in childbirth (unusually showing the woman with her children around her bedside) and local dignitaries.
Notice that the bell has to be rung 6 times at the funeral of a man, but only 3 times for a woman!
The ducklings were brought in to entertain children attending an Easter egg hunt.
