Walk of witness Easter events held in Stamford, Oakham and Bourne
Hundreds of people gathered to share the message of hope at walk of witness events across the area.
In Stamford a crowd congregated at the bottom of Ironmonger Street around a makeshift stage displaying a 9ft tall cross for the Easter event, which has been taking place in the town on Good Friday for decades.
Rev Anthony Laotan of Christ Church led the service and was joined by members of the Churches Together community who gave readings and prayers.
The sound of music filled the High Street as hundreds of people joined in hymns, accompanied by the Churches Together Band.
A dramatic and sombre procession then set off through the town centre accompanied by the banging of drums.
Mirroring the final hours of Jesus’ life, the wooden cross was dragged along High Street and Broad Street by Joe Randall-Crick, who was carrying it for the third time.
The procession paused in Broad Street where the cross was put down for another short service, and was taken back to the High Street by Bob Black, who has carried it for the past three years.
Phil Jones, methodist circuit pastoral and discipleship worker, gave a talk which he rounded off with what he described as a ‘whimsical’ analogy relating Jesus to Stamford.
He said: “He can be found in Superdrug because he’s a healer, you see him in the library because he’s the word, you see him in the coffee shops because he spends time chatting with people over food and drink, he’s found in Mind and Mindspace because he cares and in Savers because that’s what he came to do.”
The event came to a close with a hymn and blessing.
In Oakham passers-by were brought to a standstill by the sight of the procession, which began from the Chapel of St John and St Anne in St Anne’s Close.
The walk finished at the Buttercross in the Market Square, where a short service of worship was held.
Afterwards hot cross buns - a food linked by Christians to the crucifixion due to the cross they display - were handed out to worshippers.
A short service at St Gilbert’s Church in Bourne marked the start of the town’s Easter Event.
Many people joined in the walk which passed by a number of the town’s churches including Bourne Methodist Church, the Abbey Church and finishing at Bourne Baptist Church in West Street for a final service.
Walk of Witness events take place across the country on Good Friday and involve Christians of different denominations imitating the journey that Jesus Christ took carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem.
