Another reason for that 'something different' of Victor's

I enjoyed the 'something different' from Victor as both aspects had implications for me, writes Edward Foley.

In the past I was a volunteer on the Chesterfield Canal and interested in its restoration and being a Chesterfield resident therefore also interested in 'our' crooked spire, and it is the latter that I would like to refer to first, for in addition to the various reasons for it being 'crooked' there is yet another that Victor did not mention.

Skilled craftsmen

It is believed by some that when the work on the wooden framed spire was started it was being done by skilled craftsmen of the day, but it was also the time of the Black Death, and these skilled craftsmen so met their deaths, leaving only unskilled craftsmen to finish the job, but not having the skill made a bit of a mess of it, hence the spire going out of shape and so becoming famous.

Personally, like Victor, I prefer the 'virgin bride' explanation, and wait in anticipation for the spire to straighten up in shock at seeing another!  Adding, however, my apologies to those ladies already in that state that the spire has obviously missed!  (But it is getting on a bit!)

Chesterfield Canal

If I may I would like to compliment the Chesterfield Canal Trust on its exceptional progress on the restoration of the canal, which I believe puts all but a very few other such projects to shame.

Everyone seems to be behind its restoration, but again like Victor, and having walked that virtually now non-existent Norwood Flight and the M1 buzzing past, I can see great problems ahead, and sorry to say that to me the completion date of 2027 seems somewhat optimistic.