Let's have a look at Shirley church.

I have a sat nav in the car but I haven't the foggiest idea how to use it. I am not interested in electrical gadgets to tell me where to go. Neither do I have a hand held sat nav. If I am going somewhere which might be a little complicated, I get gooooogli earth on the screen and take photographs of the area. I also write directions on a large piece of paper, and draw a simple map. Easy. That usually gets me to my destination. Come down the A61, go round the Pentagon Island, take the fourth exit off onto The Upas, leading on to Eastgate. Under the railway line, or was it over, turn left onto Meadow Road just past the bus depot. Easy. Leaving the next morning was not so easy. Underpasses, overpasses, roundabouts, bus lanes, bugger I went left when I should have gone right onto the inner ring road. Do a u turn and go back. 

I found my way out, and once I got out of the centre I started to recognise streets. I use to work for British Road Services at Alvaston years ago. Before that I worked for Nestle, and Derby was my main delivery area. I knew it pretty well then. It's all different now. I found my way onto the A52 Ashbourne Road. 

I had pinpointed the village of Shirley on the OS map as a good place to start a walk from, and found a parking area close to the church. It was lovely and peaceful. This tree is amazing. 

The trunk looked like it was several trees originally planted in a clump. Some of the bark was really rough, and some was really smooth. 

 

At first I was on my own in the church, someone had kindly unlocked the door. After I had finished recording the video the Church Warden turned up. He was happy to tell me some of the history, it was fascinating. Like my own private guided tour. He pulled these doors back to reveal a secret kitchen.

A few years ago they got a grant and had a new roof put on. I thought they might have covered up some of the furniture with plastic sheeting to protect it from bird poo. But no, he explained how they had found bats in the roof .

This area used to have wooden pews, but they took them out, put a new floor down, and put the chairs around the sides. This is used for group meetings. 

Very unusually decorated organ pipes. 

Here is the video I made before the warden turned up. He said the church is the heart of the community and it is well used. 

More pics to come tomorrow when I move on to Osmaston. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona.