Who are the Minster Community ?
An eclectic group of individuals bought together by a passion for Minster Church and its wonderful surroundings. See About Us for more details.
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Ben Nicholls concert - Saturday, 20th JulyAfter a sell-out performance at Minster last August, Ben has very kindly agreed to perform for us again on Saturday, 20th July. Those who came along last year will know what to expect but, for others, here’s our review of his last concert:
“….on a wet and windy August evening, many hardy souls braved the elements for an evening of music and song with Ben Nicholls and friends. A Boscastle boy (and Buoy!), Ben’s popularity assured him a good turnout, and it was wonderful to see a packed church, with standing room only at the back. Ben entertained us with a great mix of old favourites and modern pop rock. His set was perfect for the Minster, from the beautifully melodic ‘Blackbird’ to his final number ‘Country Roads’, the John Denver crowd-pleaser, via a sprinkling of reggae, new wave, blues, and folk in between. The acoustics added a memorable poignancy to the ballads, especially the touching ‘Fingertips’. During the first set Ben was joined by another Cornish talent, Callum Flew, who delighted us with Sinatra classics and the soulful ‘Ain’t no sunshine’. After the break, members of the ever-popular Boscastle Buoys took to the stage with Cornish folk songs. The final friend, Roger Nicholls (Ben’s equally talented Dad), accompanied Ben on piano for some haunting ballads. Was a mischievous Nicholls spirit responsible for the power cuts during ‘Streets of London’? Ben’s final set evoked exuberant audience participation and a well-deserved standing ovation.” |
Windows complete!
The brilliant news is that the replacement of all the windows at Minster is now complete! Arthur and brother-in-law, Frank, braved the driving rain to fit the final window over the altar on 7th June.
Arthur has given a large proportion of his own time free of charge so we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his generosity and lovely work.
Although very pleased overall, Arthur feels that the final window – the most complex within the church – is the best one he’s done there. So come down and have a look….
Arthur has given a large proportion of his own time free of charge so we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his generosity and lovely work.
Although very pleased overall, Arthur feels that the final window – the most complex within the church – is the best one he’s done there. So come down and have a look….
Outside
In the churchyard, the wild garlic has now gone over but everything else is growing madly, so we are getting to the time of the annual cut and tidy up. This will probably happen in early July, so that both the interior and outside will be looking good for our next event…..
Minster Window Project
June 2017 - the appeal was closed and it was time to move ahead with the actual work.
Summer 2017 – Summer came and went whilst waiting for the diocese to approve an amendment to the original faculty (the church’s equivalent of planning permission) to allow for the inscriptions that some of our sponsors had requested, as well as a change in the design of 3 windows to allow ventilation into the church while keeping wildlife out!
In the meantime, Arthur was busy ordering materials.
Here he’s seen unloading and checking the conservation glass which was manufactured in Poland.
Summer 2017 – Summer came and went whilst waiting for the diocese to approve an amendment to the original faculty (the church’s equivalent of planning permission) to allow for the inscriptions that some of our sponsors had requested, as well as a change in the design of 3 windows to allow ventilation into the church while keeping wildlife out!
In the meantime, Arthur was busy ordering materials.
Here he’s seen unloading and checking the conservation glass which was manufactured in Poland.
The new panes are very clear but with a definite texture and tiny air bubbles that instantly tell you that this didn’t come from a float glass factory!
The texture looks fantastic, it does mean that it’s not easy to work but, nonetheless, Arthur cut all the “quarries” or diamond panes without major incident!
The next task was to find the best way of meeting the brief for the sponsors’ inscriptions: “clear but discreet”. Nothing challenging there then…. After some experimenting by Arthur with various processes and substances, all of which seemed to involve significant operator danger, acid-etching seemed to be the best way forward. This leaves the etched surface very similar to the surface of the glass but allows the inscription to be clearly seen when viewed from a slightly oblique angle.
After that 3 windows were installed.
The texture looks fantastic, it does mean that it’s not easy to work but, nonetheless, Arthur cut all the “quarries” or diamond panes without major incident!
The next task was to find the best way of meeting the brief for the sponsors’ inscriptions: “clear but discreet”. Nothing challenging there then…. After some experimenting by Arthur with various processes and substances, all of which seemed to involve significant operator danger, acid-etching seemed to be the best way forward. This leaves the etched surface very similar to the surface of the glass but allows the inscription to be clearly seen when viewed from a slightly oblique angle.
After that 3 windows were installed.
Autumn/Winter 2017 - Windows sit patiently waiting on Arthur’s bench waiting for temperatures to warm up before they can be fixed with lime mortar. Progress was hampered by difficulty in getting the skilled help that Arthur needed when removing the old windows and installing the new ones.
Dec 2017 - Heather Aston, our new local vicar holds a Communion service at Minster on Christmas Eve.
Jan 2018 - Arthur is joined in the new year by his brother-in-law, Frank, who works with him 3 days a week.
Feb 2018 - Still waiting for the cold spell, snow and icicles to pass before work can recommence.
You can read more about the history of this project and how to help here.
Dec 2017 - Heather Aston, our new local vicar holds a Communion service at Minster on Christmas Eve.
Jan 2018 - Arthur is joined in the new year by his brother-in-law, Frank, who works with him 3 days a week.
Feb 2018 - Still waiting for the cold spell, snow and icicles to pass before work can recommence.
You can read more about the history of this project and how to help here.
Help Restore the Windows - Windows Appeal
Rust Damage
The Forrabury and Minster PCC and the Minster Community Fellowship have been planning for some time to renew the windows at Minster as a way of dealing with a number of existing structural problems at the church and to prevent further deterioration.
The most pressing issue at the moment is splitting of the stonework around the windows – often the weakest part in any building. After discussions with local leaded glass expert, Arthur Bradley, and in consultation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee it has been concluded that replacement of the windows at Minster is the only realistic option.
The cause of this problem is the ferramenta – the wrought ironwork on the outside of the windows. This is now rusting badly and as wrought iron rusts, it expands by up to seven times! This puts the surrounding stonework under huge pressure and is causing cracking in the granite, particularly on the bottom part of the windows. The problem is made worse by the way the ironwork penetrates the lead soaker at the bottom of each window, allowing water to accumulate.
For more information and how to help click here
The most pressing issue at the moment is splitting of the stonework around the windows – often the weakest part in any building. After discussions with local leaded glass expert, Arthur Bradley, and in consultation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee it has been concluded that replacement of the windows at Minster is the only realistic option.
The cause of this problem is the ferramenta – the wrought ironwork on the outside of the windows. This is now rusting badly and as wrought iron rusts, it expands by up to seven times! This puts the surrounding stonework under huge pressure and is causing cracking in the granite, particularly on the bottom part of the windows. The problem is made worse by the way the ironwork penetrates the lead soaker at the bottom of each window, allowing water to accumulate.
For more information and how to help click here
