Although I wasn’t convent educated, my school days were steeped in endless religious observance, albeit of a decidedly lacklustre Church of England nature. I realise how fortunate were the Jewish and Muslim girls, granted leave of absence from the tedious daily round and allowed their own observance, or not. I would have been very happy to go for a pantheistic walk, but it was not an option.

In fact we were hardly ever in a space specifically designed for worship, far less anywhere spiritually or aesthetically uplifting. Now, decades on, those in charge of churches and chapels have learnt to be entrepreneurial as well as spiritual, willing to sing for their suppers (and roofs and spires and mod cons) and many faith buildings, whatever their designation, are often happy to open the doors to anyone seeking introspection, uplift or simply delight.

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