Blackburn Quakers behind bars Photo: Catherine Rushton Photography.
Blackburn Quakers behind bars
Imprisoned by new fencing
Anti-social behaviour in their burial ground has forced Blackburn Meeting to put up railings, leaving Friends mulling over the irony of Quakers once more being ‘behind bars’.
The decision was taken following several months of noise and disturbance, which led to the grassy area by the Meeting house being littered with everything from used needles to human excrement. The troublemakers responsible had also harassed groups who rent rooms from the Meeting, driving several of them away.
Attempts at engaging the people involved failed, and it was with real reluctance that the Friends resorted to fencing. Ironically, clerk Sheila Curry told the Friend, the space had been behind a wall until the 1960s.
‘It was the only green space in the area and we wanted people to use it. We’ve come full circle in fifty years’, she said.
Having put up railings, Blackburn Friends are concerned that they will prove off-putting to local people interested in learning more about Quakers.
‘We sincerely hope that people won’t be put off by the railings. We are a friendly group who can offer a warm welcome to anyone who would like to come and meet us,’ said treasurer Chris Tonge.
The Meeting is also hoping to tempt back some of the groups who previously rented rooms, Sheila added.
