Under budget and delivered ahead of time? Only in quarantine…

Don’t worry – we only get the top floor (servants’s quarters) with Alana’s job as an organist

For those who don’t know me, my name is Joe. I am a few months into my new role as the Communications Officer for Modern Church and nearly a decade into marketing historic buildings (my other job is at Ripon Cathedral). I am 27 years old, though looking significantly older due to a large beard and what I like to describe as a ‘monastic’ (balding) hairstyle.

Pleased to meet you.

I am writing this from the top storey of a rather gorgeous Georgian house (apparently it previously served as a very fine archdeaconry), overlooking the south east aspect of Lincoln Cathedral. My girlfriend Alana and I occupy what would have been the humble servants’ quarters, accessed by a winding staircase – a nightmare when moving in but a good cardio workout with shopping. We also have my cat – Eric – recently taken in off the street and now eating us out of house and home. The view from my desk is glorious – uninterrupted views towards Lincoln Cathedral’s central tower. This is where Lincoln’s peregrine falcons nest. I hear them more often than I see them. I am jealous of their freedom for I am writing this in the midst of the UK’s coronavirus crisis – the lockdown – the toilet paper shortages – the rising death toll.

This is all to set context for the arrival of this – the new Modern Church website. The weight of government has been forcing me to my desk each day to ensure this task is completed and, miraculously, it is here – ahead of time and significantly under budget. It is by no means finished but, with the old website creaking slightly, we have made the switch with a determination, and plenty of time, to see this site continually improving.

The main reason for the switch is due to the complexity of adding new blog posts to the old site. I use WordPress, used by everyone from the New York Times to home bloggers. It flexes, can change with a few clicks and seems to work well on the 40+ sites I have developed. If you have any feedback, or would like to contribute your own articles, then please let me know @ comms@modernchurch.org.uk.

I look forward to hearing from you and, most importantly, I hope you are staying safe. 

Joe