St.John’s church gave us all a real treat during Wakes Week with an audio-visual display by Bernard O’Sullivan of the features and carvings which are too remote to be seen by a viewer at ground level. Some lovely music and readings by church members set the atmosphere for a very informative night. Most of Bernard’s shots required many exposures from different angles with the flashgun (one particular shot took 65 flashes to complete). But what resulted was a complete revelation – many images of carved and painted angels high in the chancel, which were very sweet in their simplicity. Then some roughly carved portrayals of a serpent, a Humpty Dumpty- like figure,a hind with a carving of a woman’s head inside it etc. and even a small pulley for possibly hauling up a chandelier. When these carvings were being made, St. John’s was still a Catholic church so it comes as no surprise that there are still some High Church relics such as the so-called Marian Marks in places. These are scratches, said to represent A.V. (Ave Maria) carved by some pilgrim in order to seek a blessing.
In addition to numerous carvings of the fertility symbol – the Green Man, more carvings on the choir stalls and organ casing were by the Hunstone family. These were of the daughter churches of Tideswell ie. Litton, Millers Dale etc. of St. Cecilia playing a pipe-organ and of the carved heads of Canon Andrew and his wife. Interestingly, Whitecross Road and Whitecross Avenue were said to be named after the Scottish, white cross of St. Andrew. Strangely enough, the carvings on the inside of the Lady Chapel screen are of animals, quite exotic to Tideswell, being a camel, a serpent and a crocodile!
The west window (under the tower) was portrayed and some of the angels in it were said to be completed in the style of a Pre- Raphaelite artist. The accompanying commentary also claimed that our church has possibly the finest chancel in Derbyshire and that if St. Johns was to be built today it would cost about 14 million pounds!
Bernard has only lived in Tideswell for 18 months, but he really has made his mark with his coverage of last year’s Wakes, this year’s Wakes and this 30 day project of “pulling down” the ancient 14th century carvings for us all to appreciate. Thanks everyone for a very interesting night.
Brian Woodall.
Thanks and an Update – from Bernard
It was most encouraging that a significant audience was generated for the presentation ‘Hidden Gems of Tideswell Church’ during Wakes Week. A feature dealing with this event and its background will appear in the August edition of ‘Derbyshire Life’ (available now). Were there to be sufficient interest we would be pleased to repeat the show some time in the future, perhaps as a fund raiser for Tideswell Band.
My Wakes photographs should, in due course, be available for viewing on the Tideswell Wakes website.
Bernard O’ Sullivan