ST MARGARET'S CHURCH, WARD END, BIRMINGHAM...

 St Margaret’s Church, Ward End…

Functional, no battlements here,

No gargoyles, no historic stone;

Merely plain, dull and austere,

Its outer skin weathered and prone

To mould and algae: an unkempt shell,

Ageing, unrestored and stark;

Yet a place to go to stave off hell

And hear a churchman’s bite and bark…

Inside though, despite its plaster peeling,

Stained glass glowed with light and life;

Its memorials enticed me down and kneeling

To honour Great War sacrifice and strife…

I thought then of my parents, married there

And of my own Christening in this damp old place:

I stood contrite and saddened at its unbridled wear,

Wondering at its once all empowering grace…

Pete Ray

Visited St Margaret’s in 2011 before its makeover and took a few images of the place.

1943...

1993...

A sad day for me, although I was also kind of proud too…