st.mary's church , slaugham

the pretty graveyard, a relief after the terrible cleansing that has taken place inside this church, turning it from the sort of palimpsest that one looks forward to upon opening an english parish church door, to a sterile modern space with orange carpets and slick floor tile replacing the uneven muddle of centuries, blue job centre chairs instead of pews, and just the odd tomb behind protective chrome rails and glass to remind us of where we are, and what these vandals have done. they have yet to fully clear the graveyard of tombs , which look so untidy and probably break all sorts of health and safety guidelines; the chest tomb here dates from 1615 and should surely be replaced by a child friendly plastic washable copy , if not cleared away entirely and the graveyard replaced with a nice flat economic lawn, with plastic grass, that would go better with the brave new world of the church interior.