Choir Stall Lamps

Following an outing to Cambridge, when a group of us visited King's College, we decided that it would great to have some lights on our choir stalls, similar to those at King's - brass fittings with candles in glass shades, with small lights shining downwards.

Mark Sanderson and myself went to a local hardware shop in Spalding (Bush's) and asked whether they had any glass shades.

Foraging in the back room Mr Bush and Mr Barstead came out with a box full of very dusty glass shades of various shapes and sizes.  He said we could have them...

We took them away and experimented in making a proto-type, but to no avail, so in the end we abandoned the scheme - which then lay on the back-burner for the next decade or so.

Later - wanting to pursue the project further, John Holmes managed to obtain the plans for the same lights as at Kings, but the PCC thought they were 'too posh', and were not exactly very enthusiastic about us having any at all. (Kings charged us for the plans, but the PCC paid for them somehow..)

We persisted that we still wanted choir lights to enable the older men to see the music better! The choir really wanted candles with glass shades, wheras the vicar (and others) really wanted bulbs with shades (rather like those at St. Paul's Cathedral), so eventually Ron Stanley designed the present lights so that we could have candles as well as electric lights, but the PCC weren’t happy about offering to fund the cost, so we said we would raise the money to pay for them

When the plans were sent to Lincoln for approval the DAC couldn’t see why we wanted them - however they came over to look at the sample light Ron had made. John Holmes met with them, and argued the reasons why we needed them and in the end they agreed the design and we were in business.

Sharmans made them and Parkers did the electrics and lo and behold we got them installed in 1998 - originally with wax candles but later changed to oil because of the wax splattering on to the glass cylinders

The total cost came to around £2,400 and we put a report in Tidings that each candlelight could be donated for a £100 each, and they were all gone within a very short time. Each light bears a brass plate with a dedication from the donor - we didn’t tell the DAC about that!

The two Angels bearing candles on the North side of the chancel - where the previous organ console stood - were saved from extinction - they were originally part of the high altar.  John can remember them being lit.

For over 20 years John was in charge of filling the candles with oil every fortnight, and changing the bulbs and shades to the candles and glass shades each time the clocks change. (Candles in the winter and bulbs in the summer.) This task has now been taken on by Luke Muxlow and Albert Harris

I would like to thank John for all the work he did in obtaining permission for these lamps to be installed, and to John, Luke and Albert for their ongoing maintenance and attention throughout the years.

They have stood the test of time and certainly enhanced the chancel!