A visit to the Vatican (on Sea)

I woke up early this morning and realised that I had had less than five hours sleep - more like 4 hours.  I read my devotionals with a mug of tea following which, after a quick shower, Peter and I sent to Blatchington Road to buy some shelving studs for Mary's wardrobe and to have some breakfast a Wheelies.  After breakfast we returned to Peter's where I packed up my car (afterwards finding that I had left my overnight wash bag) and set off back to Wiltshire.  As I passed through Goring-on-Sea I noticed that the Church of the English Martyrs was open and so I pulled in, after having to return via a roundabout, to have a look at the famous on unique (in the world) reproduction of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.  When I had lived in and practised law in Brighton, I had had a client, Annie Goodman, who had designed the stained glass windows for this modern Roman Catholic Church and had invited me to go and see the painting of the ceiling which, then, was about a third completed.  I had always wanted to go back and see the finished product.  It was well worth the wait.  It is absolutely amazing.  It is two-thirds scaled down from it original Vatican counterpart and the artist, Gary Bevans, has been very careful with the perspective to ensure that the slightly curved roof and walls replicate the Sistine Chapel.  Gary had no formal training as an artist and used a system of painting by blocks.  I saw him actually on scaffolding doing it in the late 1980s.  The result is absolutely awesome.  I had a chat with the custodian and joined a coach party to whom he was giving an explanation.  The church also has a wonderful etched window dedicated to the English Martyrs and a beautiful chapel dedicated to Saints Thomas More and John Fisher.  I lit a candle in that chapel.  I am so pleased that I stopped off.  For a quarter of an hour or so I could have been in the Vatican.  The church is lovely and light and airy.  I arrived back at 3 p.m. having listened to a great play on Radio 4 which depicted the relationship between Churchill and Sutherland when the latter was painting the notorious portrait presented to Churchill by both Houses of Parliament on his eightieth birthday.  This evening I finalised and sent out the summonses and other documents for the Sarum Lodge meeting and dealt with some important letters.  It is nearly midnight as I write this but feel compelled to go on and finish my article for the parish magazine before going to bed.