Hello from new volunteer!

Hello! My name is Katie Loughrey, and I am a new volunteer with CCT! I’m here this summer on an internship placement from the United States, and am excited to be working with the CCT.

I’m in the middle of working on my master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida. Our mascots are Albert & Alberta Gator, and yes, real alligators are everywhere. Specifically with my degree, I’m focusing on museum education, and am interested in informal learning and extending the visitor experience. I’m also getting started in the digital humanities, an exciting new field which uses technology in innovative ways to enlarge and enhance the impact of the humanities. In my case this means doing some interesting work with 3D scanning and printing. Some of my hobbies include reading (especially Harry Potter), traveling (especially where there is Latin food), and playing with my fluffy 90lb Alaskan malamute, Snow Patrol (no relation to the boy band).

In the past, I’ve worked in an art museum, a natural history museum, a science museum, and Disney World (which I argue is a museum, of sorts.) Working with the CCT this summer is an excellent opportunity for me to enlarge my experience to include working with heritage sites, especially historic churches. I love historic churches, and visiting old, freezing cold churches in England are among my fondest memories of visiting family here. 

Though I live in the United States, I have dual citizenship here with the United Kingdom. My mum is British and her side of the family all still live here, mostly in beautiful Hertfordshire. I discovered I am a dual citizen in the customs office last month after a lengthy disagreement about a visa, and am happy to share my story of almost being deported with anyone who is curious! 

This summer I will be working with Ed McGregor on projects related specifically to volunteer support at St. Johns. I’m starting with updating and expanding the information binders located in the church, and trying a more helpful rota system. Additionally, I am assisting Charlotte Pain with organizing an exhibition of drawings from the weekly drawing meeting in St. Johns. 

I’m looking forward to meeting all the other volunteers, and have thoroughly enjoyed speaking with all of you I have met already. Please feel free to reach out with any suggestions on the rota or information binders, or just to say hello!

Katie Loughrey

kloughrey@thecct.org.uk

Photo: Katie visiting the Victoria & Albert museum, posing in front of some fabulous casts

A nice invitation from our friends at Bristol Cathedral

Almost years worth!

This august it will be a year since the drawing group started, which is quite an achievement! 

We pulled out all the drawings too see what we had - two folders full! We are into the 100s easy.

Soon they will be up for an exhibition, exciting times ahead!

A bit overdue..

So an update on the drawing group is very over due I believe!

We are still going strong and growing in numbers! We have a wonderful mix of people and its a privilege to see people progressing so much with their drawing!

We have planned to have an exhibition at the end of July, to showcase the progress and celebrate the development.

For now I leave you with some photos from the most recent sessions!

Shrewsbury and church of St Mary

In this world exist a lot of towns with magnificent relics, but they are not so famous as big cities...
...Well, everybody can brag that saw relics of London, Rome, Paris, Vienna or Berlin. We like to walk beaten tracks and sometimes we lose chance to see something what is amazing/beautiful, etc, etc...However is not so famous to whole world proclaim about it.

 For example about Shrewsbury and the church of St Mary. Now - everybody who is out of UK hand up, if heard about Shrewsbury!...I thought so. But, hey, don't get me wrong. The attitude: "Sherwsbury? Nothing seen, nothing heard" is not a deadly sin or crime. In fact...I also heard about Shrewsbury only when I came to UK. Alike I heard about towns like Volterra or San Gimignano when few years ago I came to Tuscany, about Garmisch-Partenkirchen I heard only thank of annual ski jumping competition. But I started to develop the digression, and should write about something other.
  So, Shrewsbury - town in north-western England, very close to Welsh border. I was a member of "delegation" from Bristol. We came there at the invitation of our colleagues from the local branch of The Churches Conservation Trust, who look after the church of St Mary
  It's unbelievable that in town, which is 8 times smaller than Bristol, can stand a church, wich thank to size, ornamentation and elegance give the impression of being in Rome, Milan or Cologne. Really! You can come in and...inside you feel breathtaking; ornaments, Norman arches, stained glass, organ, altar...really feel this is sacred place.
 Therefore it's hard to belive this church is out of pastoral care. Yes, this beautiful temple funded in 10th century by King Edgar and extended by Normans in 1170 year, this beautiful temple, wich survived political turmoil associated with reformation, this beautiful temple, which survived every possible world wars (including this second) - is out of regular service. This church worked under Norman sword, royal hand even German bombs, but was defeated by money (actually - the lack of money). Simply congergation decided the maintenance is too expensive, and since 1997 St Mary is under the care of local branch of CCT and thak to that is the place spiritual noutrishment (But don't worry - there didn't forget about a body. In vestry is located small, but nice café).
  So, you ever will (or already here) in UK - somewhere between admiration cathedrals in London, York or Canterbury and castles in Scotland, mention about liitle town of Shrewsbury and it's church. And who will remarkably merit for St Mary, in future can count on burial place on little graveyard surrounding the church, where rest in peace another merit people.

Edit: I thought people would like to see this little sketch I made of St Mary's! - Charlotte