Winterton, Holy Trinity & All Saints: What Does it Mean to Live a Life More Beautifully?

 

'Restorative environments stimulate positive psychological outcomes including reducing feelings of stress, anxiety, fatigue, and increasing feelings of safety, amongst others, in this way impacting long term health and wellness.' (Source: Historic England, 'Executive Summary Heritage Capital and Wellbeing: Examining the Relationship Between Heritage Density and Life Satisfaction')

A few years ago, by way of a positive 'challenge', someone I greatly respect asked, 'What does it mean to live a life more beautifully?' It is, I think, a question worthy of reflection - and one that is rarely asked during the everyday weirdness of our time-bound, commodified, information-overloaded existence within the U.K., in the year of 2025. It is even more poignant within a global 'Zeitgeist' of orange baboons and nihilist opportunists. 

So it was that, yesterday, I journeyed in the company of a good friend and fellow Ragged Rambler, Gentle Man Jon, to the north-east coast of Norfolk. One of the churches we explored together is Winterton, pictured above. As I entered its cavernous nave, adorned with Union Jack bunting, I did not have any great expectation that this would be the church of the day in which I would have that 'moment' I savour, where beauty is encountered, interpreted and created. However, spending time here I began to picture the space in my 'mind's eye' and noted some photographic possibilities. Using one of my iPhone effects I was able to conjure an imagine close to the way I was picturing it imaginatively as I looked southwards across the chancel towards a table full of old bibles and photographs associated with the church. 

As I immersed myself in the space, the beauty within the building began to reveal itself to me. I noted an old black-and-white photograph of a Rector and subsequently learned that he had sacrificed his own life rescuing a boy from Winterton beach. His name was Father Clarence Porter (1885-1932). I said his name out loud as I am want to do when I learn about someone dead within a space that was special to them. For reasons I choose not to disclose here, this story of heroic self-sacrifice really resonated with me and I bought the little monograph booklet that tells his story. In this small way I felt emotionally connected with the church and sat in silence within, noting thoughts and feelings flitting across my consciousness. With intention, I began to nasal breathe and slowed my breathing down, using a technique known as, 'Box Breathing'. Feeling increasingly calm and relaxed, I noted the tension in my body and felt myself releasing the stress as I ostensibly did nothing. When I resumed my exploration of the church interior I did so with a clearer head and a lighter heart. 

It was in this relaxed state that I noticed the exquisitely carved 'poppyheads' on the bench-ends, starting with the one pictured above. I was captivated by the flowing foliate carving and the tiny acorns. Whoever carved this did so with Love. I decided to use a feature of my iPhone called 'Stage Light' to highlight the carving, knowing it would 'black out' the background and draw the eye to the beauty of this wonderful work. 

The restorative environment of the church enabled me to see what was to prove to be by far the best photographic moment of the day. As I looked upon the next poppyhead I had a 'moment' of clarity in which I imaginatively 'pictured' the photograph I wanted and subsequently was able to capture and convey this vision just as I had imagined it within my mind's eye. Moments like this are, for me, part of what it means to live a life more beautifully. We are active in making ourselves better and, as well as my pleasure in creating art, I am also able to share my vision of some of the ways I am experimenting in living more beautifully with you here.

Moments like this are, for me, part of what it means to live a life more beautifully. We are active in making ourselves better and, as well as my pleasure in creating art, I am also able to share my vision of some of the ways I am experimenting in living more beautifully with you here.

The Fallible Flâneur <*((((><{ 

May 2025