Madonna and Child Greystoke Church

Clickychick and I had a walk to the churchyard to Visit her Mum's grave and decided to pop into church for some photographs as there was an idea in a recent magazine she wanted to try.

I wandered about the church looking for things I could photograph but I couldn't be bothered with the tripod so the flash hasn't done the statue any favours.  There is the white line down her nose caused by reflection and the shadow behind.

The history of this piece is rather interesting.  The notice to the bottom right of the shot reads:

Statue of our Lady and Child.

This statue was carved out of a log of Holly by Alfons Lug, a Munich wood-carver, who with some 400 other German POWs, was quartered at Greystoke Castle from the Autumn of 1945 to April 1946.

His only tools were a pocket-knife and a small chisel,but he was repatriated shortly before the work was finished.  It was completed by Fritz Hofmann, a joiner from Thuringia.  The colouring was done by Hans Viesel (? this could be Diesel but the notice is in ornate calligraphy so I can't quite decide if it is a V or a D), a master painter from Baden.

July 1946.