Congratulations to John Barrable (aged 13) from Belchamp St. Paul, Sudbury who has won this year’s Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride photography competition, and a £75 book token.
John was taking part again in the fundraising event that he last did when younger, and his sponsor money will be divided between Suffolk Historic Churches Trust and Clare Baptist Church. In one day, he cycled between 11 churches (44km by bike), visiting Belchamp St Paul, Pentlow, Cavendish, Boxted , Somerton , Rede, Hawkedon, Denston, Stansfield, Poslingford and Clare.
To be the winner of the photography competition the entrant had to submit a set of six photos, taken on Ride and Stride Day 2022, comprising a church or chapel door, a church window a memorial plate, plaque or gravestone, and a photo of a non-conformist church (ie, not Church of England but Methodist, Baptist, Unitarian Meeting House, etc). The final two photos were one of themselves ( a selfie) and a free choice… whatever they wished to mark about their day.
The independent judge (a professional artist and church lover) said she liked John’s unusual selection, especially the very ancient little door, the tiny window (when most people photographed a stained glass window), and the gravestone, with its bones and the view behind.
John’s winning set of images.
There is one further prize of £25 book token for an individual photo, and that was won by Derek Worrall from Ipswich with his view of the inside of St Andrew’s Church in Felixstowe. Church. The judge said she loved the symmetrical lines and how the viewers eye was led to the window by the angled beams. It also was the fact it was such a different view of the first church in England to be built from concrete, usually photographed outside.
Derek chose to give 50% of his fundraising to Tattingstone church. He is spending his book voucher on Glory, Azure and Gold: The Stained-Glass Windows of Thomas Denny, 2020 – very appropriate!
A selection of the photographs entered into the competition are on the Ride and Stride page of this website. Some have not yet been identified and we ask the photographers to contact us as soon as possible with the locations.
Prizes were donated by a supporter of the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, which gives grants for church buildings. Next year, Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride will be held on Saturday 9th September.