~Notes' photostream

At the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton Christian Education Centre (DABCEC), at St Francis of Assisi primary School in Southgate, Crawley.

Scottish Presbyterian John Bell leads an ecumenical meeting of parishioners from various Crawley churches. In his own inimitable style he mixed talk with music, singing and group discussion and managed to introduce a few of his own unusual views on biblical readings without offending anyone. Always a popular speaker, around 200 people attended.

John is a founder member of the Iona Community in Glasgow, working for peace, social justice and renewal of community values and christian worship, and of the Wild Goose Resource Group, a christian music and liturgical publishing company.

Here's a little beauty for the pool, a granite trough I found whilst looking for something else. I very nearly walked straight past it - the tardis-like effect of these mysteriously invisible structures. It's between Spencer Street and Wynyatt Street, outside the Queen Boadicea pub.

A closer inspection reveals this has the more ornate fountainhead. I think this may be an earlier design which was later simplified perhaps on grounds of cost, a shame because its really rather elegant.

The dog trough also appears to be unusual - a one-piece granite affair, most of the others I've seen are either recesses sunk into the street or concrete pieces cemented in.

This one still had the nozzle to its fountain but otherwise all the pipes and I believe the cisterns had gone. There was one odd feature though, apparently an extra outlet just below the fountain, I can only surmise this would have been to fill buckets with 'untainted' trough water.

It's in pretty good condition and reasonably flowered up with hardy plants and grasses.

A legend on the end says it was "The gift of H Prater ESQre MD" 188? but the year is damaged.

12th Century church in Burstow, the final resting place of the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, who was also the vicar here.

As befits any small building that has survived 900 years, it's relatively plain and unassuming in design. However, the tower and spire are built almost entirely of wood, including the shingles (tiles) all the way up to the top - only the weather vane is metal.

At least four large bells reside (I didn't count but I only noticed four 'sallies') and changes are regularly rung.

JJ Binns Pneumatic Organ with 591 pipes in both steel and wood. A two-manual organ with 19 stops. Binns was a Yorkshireman noted for the sturdy build quality clearly visible here, and no-nonsense functionality of his instruments. It's certainly not the most elegant organ I've ever seen but for a 100 year old machine it is in fine fettle.

Many old pneumatic organs are upgraded to electric action but St Bartholomews restored this one in 2007 to original condition, other than the electric blower which replaced the original hand-operated bellows. Though this is considered to be one of Binns' smaller designs, it must be the largest organ I've seen in a building of this comparatively modest size - note how it fills the entire wall of this church!

But perhaps this was a prophetic installation; as St Bart's now sits under the Gatwick flight path, the noise from passing planes regularly roars through the building - it would take an instrument of awesome volume to battle with them, and this is a truly mighty wurlitzer!

I love the way the white line has somehow survived intact.

The old Tinsley Lane 'North' (seen from Radford Road end) before someone drove a railway through it. It is now a haven for wildlife, including fierce mountain rabbits.