The joy of church repair at King's Place in London

17 Oct 2013

Ptolemy Dean is current Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey and was part of the BBC television series Restoration.

Dean used his experiences repairing the parish church in of St Margaret of  Antioch in Knotting, Bedfordshire, to help explain exactly what is the joy of church repair.  

As a church with damp floors, broken shingles and white-washed walls that desperately needed peeling back, it was what many would have called a nightmare experience. However, Dean used his experience at   Knotting to exemplify why church repair is indeed a joyous event, saying: “it is the process that gives me joy - thinking, reflecting and having a cup of tea in the church garden.” 

He frequently thanked the CCT for their help and support, even going so far as to use the term  “perfect”.

After Dean’s wonderfully illuminating speech and a lively question and answer session, the winners of the Volunteer Awards were given their prizes by CCT Chairman Loyd Grossman and Lorraine Ryan of the Marsh Christian Trust. 

The evening concluded with drinks and canapés, with the audience able to mingle and ask Ptolemy Dean any questions they hadn’t been able to during the talk.

* Article by Sanya Burgess, picture by Ptolemy Dean