Blymhill's vomiting lion

This little monster is part of the reason that Blymhill Church in south Staffordshire is one of Simon Jenkins' '1000 Best Churches in England'. The vomiting-lion, as he is affectionately called, is basically a gargoyle but quite an attraction, espcially when it's raining heavily and he is 'spewing'.

The strange thing is that, in old Greek, both 'vomiting' and 'preaching' can be translated with the same word. Was the maker who named the lion having a sly dig at clerics whose sermons went on and on and on...?
Quite possibly.

Is it a fish? Is it a man?

This extraordinary gargoyle is to be found on the exterior of St Luke's Church in Leek, looking out for malefactors or anybody inending no good to the church.... 
In fact, it's pretty weird, with its flaps that look like nothing so much as gill protectors; and I have no idea what it is meant to be.
The church was built in 1848, so it's nothing oddly medieval.

I can't help thinking (very disrepectfully, probably) that it looks very much like the famous 1950s monster, The Creature From The Black Lagoon.

This post was featured on the City Daily Photo Theme Day on the theme of 'Looking Out'

Wombourne's tomb-face mystery

This grotesque carving is on the tower of Wombourne's St Benedict Biscop Church and overlooks the main part of the graveyard.
It’s odd to see a carving in the centre of the wall; and not attached either to a water-pipe or a decorative part of the structure.

The other odd thing about it is that it might – or might not - be connected to the grandest tomb in the graveyard.
The family tomb to the Allens (see below) includes, as you can see, this inscription-tribute to Daphne Allen:  'Look Up And See Her Face'.
However… there is nothing on the top of the tomb, and apart from the trees, you see nothing except the sky by looking up … unless you look round at the tower.  Where the only face is that of the grotesque.
The two can’t be connected, can they?  I can’t find out anything more…

When vampires walk

I’ve been reading ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker, where it’s noted that April 22  (the eve of  St George’s Day) is the most lively night of the year for vampires. This, I did not know – but it seems Bram had it right. See: Beware St George’s Eve!  

Staffordshire is not blessed (if that’s the right word, er-hem) with vampires, so I chose this little chap – a gargoyle off St Anne’s Church at Brown Edge – to mark the occasion, even though he does more resemble a werewolf (!). He’s pretty scary.

Adopt a gargoyle!

Adopt-A-Gargoyle? Yes, that’s exactly what you can do at Lichfield Cathedral. 

This rather original fund-raising wheeze has apparently been very successful, as the organisers have extended the scheme until the end of the month as young people rush to get their names associated with one.

The sub-text is that it’s about educating schools about the decoration of the historic church – but let’s face it, we all love a gargoyle.

The one in the photo is my favourite in Staffordshire. He’s not on Lichfield Cathedral sadly, he’s at Blymhill Church. Still, I’d adopt him if I were given the chance.

Link: Adopt-A-Gargoyle