Skilled craftsmen create bespoke tributes for churches around the British Isles

Portsmouth, England 2019

In January 2019 Fullers Finer Furniture received a call from a client in the USA. Her mission was to secure a bespoke lectern for a church in Portsmouth attended by her mother, in memory of her father.

The design brief was for a solid wood, fixed-height lectern bearing a memorial plaque. Working within the proposed budget, a design was drawn up and tweaked to achieve the exact result required.

Fullers always take care to ensure that only the best quality woods are selected for use. Each piece is carefully fashioned in the workshop, maximising skill and experience built up over many years to ensure the finished piece is not just an item of beauty, but is also robust and sturdy, fit to serve with timeless grace for many years to come.

Fullers always welcome feedback and photographs of the furniture in situ. In this case the client wrote: “I am writing to thank you all for the help you gave us in getting the perfect lectern for St Cuthbert's and to let you know it was very well received by both the members of the congregation and clergy at St. Cuthbert’s.

“The wood is a perfect match to the base of the custom font and the design is just what they wanted, as it is light enough to be moved around depending upon what event is going on in the church at the time…it was dedicated on Remembrance Sunday, which was very fitting.”

Polwarth, Scotland 2020

Polwarth Parish Church lies adjacent to the Union Canal. It is part of an exciting project aimed at running a canal boat from Polwarth Pontoon with a view to benefitting the local community in a variety of ways.

The church received a legacy to be used specifically for the provision of a piece of furniture for the transept area, to display information relating to the canal project. In January 2020 Fullers Finer Furniture were approached in connection with the unique project.

The finished cabinet includes a display area protected behind locking glass sliding doors and a surface area to accommodate the folders and other material relating to the canal project. The multi-function unit also contains two double locking cupboards, a drawer to store wrapping paper and a pull-out desk for use by the floristry team.

Mounted on wheels and finished in natural oak, the cabinet bears arches on the cupboard doors to complement those in the building.

The finishing touch is a brass memorial plaque dedicated to the precious memory of the church member behind the donation.

The client commented: “I am so pleased that I found your advert, it was such a pleasure to work with you.”

Donaghcloney, Northern Ireland 2021

Across the water to Northern Ireland, and this time a request for a baptismal font in memory of a very special infant. The font was made in European oak and supplied with a hand-made glass bowl decorated with a thread pattern to match the church décor. In this case the inscription was carved around the outside of the bowl around the top of the font. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk 13