Over the past week I have been looking through files and pictures, talked to people about their memories and hugely benefitted from the research Elizabeth and Paul have been doing. I have been fascinated by how much the central parts of St Andrew's have changed over the past 160 years. Sometimes the changes were driven … Continue reading The Beauty of Holiness – Part 3
The Beauty of Holiness – Part 2
The South Transept – the Lady Chapel St Andrew's has changed considerably over the past 160 years and all old buildings suffer from contradictory temptations of their users: to throw things out which are special because fashion changes, and to fill spaces with not very desirable items (well, clutter). I keep discovering interesting things (and … Continue reading The Beauty of Holiness – Part 2
The Beauty of Holiness – Part 1
Something I am very keen on is the missional quality of Beauty. Beauty is attractive and speaks of God, as God is beautiful. St Andrew's is a wonderful building with many beautiful things, which need looking after in order to speak loudly about God. Even if a sense of beauty is highly individual and a … Continue reading The Beauty of Holiness – Part 1
1862: Beginnings
St Andrew’s was born at a time of great change in Leicester. The town was expanding rapidly and from a population of less than 17,000 in 1801, it had quadrupled to 68,000 by 1861. In 1801, almost everyone lived within the line of the ancient walls; by 1861, the town was advancing into the surrounding … Continue reading 1862: Beginnings