Rainbow in church

The Meerbrook Church Flower Festival was really colourful and, well, better done than most.  (Frankly, a lot of church flower festivals look like the place is just decked out for a grand funeral).

The theme for this particular festival was 'A Good Read', and each exhibit illustrated the makers' favourite book. Featured were the usual suspects - from Tarka The Otter to Wind In The Willows etc.
Mind you, I was a little surprised to see that the exhibit in the photo above was a tribute to 'The Rainbow' by DH Lawrence, a book banned on its first publication for its risque passages!
Good ol' Meerbrook...

Reservoir convert

I have always avoided Tittesworth Reservoir as an attraction. Why would I want to visit a big lake of water constructed in the 1960s?

Actually though, there is a fascinating walk around the perimeter of the water, and it's wooded and contoured so is more interesting than you'd think.  Plus it does have a previous Victorian history which is evident in some of the older parts.
In the 1990s they built a Visitor Centre and expanded all the conservation work there.

I'm a convert now.

Grave with Revelations

The Recording Angel stands over this grave in Meerbrook churchyard. Edward Hassall (whose grave it is) clearly had thought a great deal on what might happen to him after his death, as the inscription under the angel’s feet gives this simple line: “Revelations Chapter 20 Verse 12”.

I looked up the verse (from the Bible’s Book of Revelations, of course). It runs: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The angel is holding that very book.

I hope Edward's deeds will be enough to give him safe passage.

This post is featured on the Cemetery Sunday website