13. Collapsing Ceilings
In 1899, plans were well in hand for the building of “the great extension” of St. John’s – the present dome area, transepts, chapel, chancel and sanctuary. The nave rebuild was stage 2, and was eventually completed in 1938. But in August that year, the ceiling of the nave was found to be dangerously close to collapse, and repair work to secure it resulted in a massive section of plaster crashing to the pews below. In Church News, the writer observed, “Had this fallen during a service it would have extinguished the chief intelligence, and also, as a young lady who usually sits near the spot; remarked, the best-looking part of the congregation.”
A reprise took place about 1973 – it may have been the light fitting, or more likely, the leadlight panel in the dome. The late Gillian Morris wrote, “I too was in the congregation when the glass cracked and fell from the dome light. It was a miracle that no one was hurt. I was teaching at Broadland then and was aware that one of the girls was profoundly deaf and could not understand what had happened. Large shards of glass were still hanging down and Revd Ikin continued with his sermon quite unperturbed until someone interrupted him and we went into the chapel.”
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