This summer, once again, I had the opportunity to visit a number of places of worship, beginning with the Victoria Hall, Bolton. As a member of Bolton Symphony Orchestra, I am a regular visitor to the Victoria Hall, using it as a rehearsal and performance space. The building is deceptively extensive, with an underground network of corridors, meeting rooms and large halls. Every Sunday however, it is the home of Bolton Methodist Mission and has capacity for 1200 worshippers. I was there at the end of June 2025 playing in Rimsky-Korakov’s “Scheherazade”, Arutiunian’s trumpet concerto, and Khachaturian’s “Masquerade Suite”.
This year’s Authorised Lay Ministers’ conference was at Brunswick Parish Church, in the middle of Manchester. Located in a distinctly urban area, and probably dating from the 1960/70s, Brunswick Parish Church is currently benefitting from an impressive, phased refurbishment, with a new heating system and boilers, improved meeting rooms, and an outside space for children and young people. As I parked outside on that day in July, I heard the sounds of a live worship band singing inside. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the priest was the drummer! Activities on the day included worship (of course), “chelfies” (selfies taken in church), some exuberant scarf waving, prayerful craft activities, and a prayer labyrinth.
In late August I spent a few days in Somerset, exploring with friends the county in which I grew up. Of course we visited Wells Cathedral. I had been there before, but not since childhood, and I really didn’t remember it. It’s breathtaking. The gothic arches seem to flow skyward in liquid form, making stone circles high above us. Less than half a mile away is Wells Parish Church of St Cuthbert. Boasting the highest tower in Somerset, it’s a gem hidden in full sight, and well worth a visit.
Bristol Cathedral is smaller and arguably less well-known than Wells, but it was my ‘home’ cathedral – even though I grew up in the diocese of Bath and Wells! Despite being very close to Bristol docks and harbour, the cathedral escaped the bombings of WWII relatively unscathed, except for the stained-glass windows on the north side of the nave. They have been replaced with mainly plain glass, depicting civilian services of the time, including the Nursing services, St John’s Ambulance, the Warden’s Service, Police, Fire, Home Guard, and WRVS. On the way through the cloisters, on the way to the café, there is also a window showing Henry VIII. Have you visited any new places of worship recently? Why not send photos and a sentence or two to Magazine@StMargaretsPrestwich.com
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 