General Chat

Hi Everyone, Just returned from holidays in Yorkshire - lovely part of the country. On Easter Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were investigating various graveyards looking for some of his rellies who I have traced back to Monk Fryston/Garforth areas. It would have been good to be able to enter the churches that his ancestors no doubt worshipped in over 150 years ago, but every single one was locked, and even padlocked in some cases! What a sad reflection on society today, that even on Easter Sunday, places of worship have to go to such extremes to protect their buildings. What do others think? Pauline back in foggy wet Cornwall

Hi Pauline, I agree with you, however to have a church open means that someone needs to be there whilst it is open, this is a terrible reflection on our society today, when people can't even be trusted to go in a church without doing some damage or stealing from it. Even when there are people in them you still get opportunist thieves that will go, in be all friendly and then try to steal a handbag, after being shown hospitality. yours Dee from near Chorley.

Visiting Herefordshire last year at springtime was just lovely and part of that was because we did get the chance to go in the churches and for example, touch the font where generations of my mother's family were christened.... Near here,(south east Kent) our church has just recently had to say that enough was enough when it came to vandalism and is now locked when nobody is available to man it. We have many tourists so do try to make the church more available, but 'Yes' it is a sad reflection on society today.

Hello, Pauline. Yes, I agree with you, it's a great pity when churches have to be kept locked, but it's a sign of the times etc. We moved down to Devon in 2001 at the height of foot & mouth, and I remember seeing a Sunday paper photo of the village church where we were due to move being locked and unused over Easter, as it was being used to store the carcases of dead animals. Our village, with 3 main farms, lost over 3000 cattle through culling. What a great pity. Philip

Sorry, better make it clear, not the church itself being used for storage, the large barn across the street. Same effect, though, the church had to remian closed over Easter to prevent any spread of infection. Philip