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Meet Richard

Gloucester Docks

"I've only just arrived here at the Docks, and I've been exploring inside the Mariners' Church. What brought me in was that I spotted on their noticeboard that they're running an Alpha course here, a course about Christian faith. I've tried doing an Alpha course before in Cheltenham, but I didn't finish it.

I've come from Tewkesbury this morning, I like to explore churches wherever I am. I've been in loads of churches all over the country, Sunderland, Newcastle, Worcester.

I'm looking for a job at the moment. And a place to live. I think Gloucester used to be rough, but it looks really smart now. There are these huge warehouses all around the docks and then this little church. The Mariners' Church has been here for over 160 years and it used to be the workers in the Docks and sailors from the big ships that used it!

In the past everyone who worked in the Docks was welcome in the church, people of lots of different nationalities, and it still welcomes everyone because there are a lot of foreign visitors today. There's information inside about its history. I'm interested in the piano inside and they've got interesting stain glass windows too. And look at the mariners' light above this doorway."

Richard, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester & Sharpness Canal

photo of a location on the canals
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