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St Peter Mancroft and Salvation Army

St. Peter Mancroft

When we went to St. Peter Mancroft the thing I was most nervous about was talking to the people and asking them my questions. When we got to the church my group went to the cafe first where we had a drink and interviewed people, the cafe we sat in was called the Octagon Cafe because it had eight sides. From outside the church you wouldn't know it existed because it just looked like the back of a shop. I spoke to a man called George, he was really nice and it was interesting to hear what he thought about the subject I had chosen. When we swapped over with the other group we looked round the church and filled in our sheets about what the church offered. We were allowed to walk round the church and look at the pictures and the Chapel. I was amazed at the amount of decoration in the church and how many memorials for different people there were. The thing I enjoyed most about the trip was interviewing people even though it was a bit scary!  Lizzie

My favourite part of our trip to St. Peter Mancroft was interviewing and talking to the people who visit St. Peter Mancroft and the Octagon Cafe. I liked doing this because I like to know other people’s opinions on different matters. I spoke to some very kind people who were happy to answer my questions and talk to me. To begin with I felt very nervous about going up to people and asking if I could ask them some questions. But after I had interviewed a few people who were very helpful and kind I found it a lot easier. I spoke to an American couple and an Australian couple; this showed me that tourists were interested in the local history of Norwich. I found that there were mainly elderly people who visited the Octagon Cafe, where we all had a drink. I was amazed at just how much more there is in St. Peter Mancroft if you take some time to look around. When I looked at the stained glass windows I was interested at seeing what the pictures were of and what they taught people. I was amazed at the amount of decoration there was, and how all these decorations meant different things, but how they all taught us about the bible.  Helen

I was looking forward to the trip to St. Peter Mancroft because I thought that I would enjoy taking a closer look around the church.  I found the church very interesting and especially the Octagon Cafe which I have never even noticed before.  I also enjoyed interviewing people in the church and Octagon Cafe.  I was expecting the Octagon Cafe to be a little bit bigger.  The atmosphere inside was very calm and quiet, which I liked very much. All in all I thought it was a great trip and I am very much looking forward to going back to St. Peter Mancroft in November.  William

When we went on the school trip to St. Peter Mancroft we were split up into two groups. My group went in to the Octagon Cafe with Mrs. Malone whilst the other group went into the church. I was mainly feeling nervous about talking to the local Christians because I thought that they might reply rudely and tell me off for disturbing them, but when I did talk to them they were very nice and gave me some sensible answers to use in my project. Next we went in to the church. I was fascinated by all of the design put into the church, especially the stain glass windows and the gold walls. It was very peaceful and calm in the church. It was very relaxing. Overall this was a very good trip and will help me a lot in writing my project. I would like to thank Mr. Coulthart and Mrs. Malone for organising and supervising us during the trip. Thank you.  Ben

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army was great. I learnt a lot and had fun too! I really didn't expect it to look how it did as it was very open and light. The people were very welcoming and their beliefs were very interesting too. It's amazing how many people they help. They provide food, water, medicinal help, blankets, sleeping bags for the homeless and so much more. I expected to see lots of the elderly, but I found that all ages could attend. Before I came to the Salvation Army I thought it was just an ordinary charity with Christian beliefs, nothing special. I found out that it was so much more and I had a lot to learn. It may seem like a charity, but it was really a Christian church that spent their time helping people less fortunate than themselves. We went to the cafe called Catherine's Lounge. We had a drink, I had a hot chocolate (which was amazingly tasty!) and interviewed some people. They were very kind and gave us their opinions, they were very interesting. We also had a look around the citadel. It didn't look like a normal church though. It was very bright and they had platform for a band instead of an organ. All in all the day was really fun and interesting and we all learnt a lot.  Coco

When we got to the Salvation Army Citadel I was amazed at how big the main meeting room was and how nice the people there were. I liked the way that the Salvation Army logo was on the wall facing everyone so they could see it. All of the people there said what they did to help and I was amazed about the number of things they did. In the cafe, Catherine's Lounge, all of the staff were very nice, kind and helpful. The people who work at Catherine’s Lounge do not get paid, it is voluntary work. They have a very nice dining room where elderly people can come for a meal and I was astonished at how big and cosy it was and how lucky these people are to come here. In the evening around 10.00pm the Salvation Army go out on what is called a "soup run." They are given uneaten sandwiches and other food by Pret a Manger which they can they give to homeless people or people who can't get or afford food or drink.  Gregory

I greatly enjoyed the trip to the Salvation Army Citadel. I was a little bit apprehensive about asking strangers questions but it turned out to be enjoyable and not too uncomfortable. I learned lots about the Salvation Army's community work, all the help and support they give, not just to the homeless, but to those with drug and alcohol problems is inspiring. The trip was a unique experience very different to the church I go to and others that I have been in. I was surprised to learn that the organisation was spread to 123 countries and had already reached America by the time it found its way here to Norwich. I was fascinated by how the structure was actually like an army with soldiers at the bottom then Major and Officers and at the top the general who is elected. I discovered that the Salvation Army is also the second largest provider of social services in the country. The Norwich Citadel has a cafe called Catherine's Lounge that serves a truly delicious hot chocolate, I'm not sure about tea or coffee but their hot chocolate is good.  Andrew

The Salvation Army Citadel was larger than I imagined it would be. In the Citadel there was a hall where the services take place. In the church I was surprised to find that there were no stain glass windows but just normal ones making the church a lot lighter helping people to concentrate rather than looking at the windows, also there is no font as they don't perform baptism but rather a service called dedication which surprised me as I thought that all churches performed baptism. The church was also very modern with features such as: a sound box, a projector  and TVs for people to read the words off. The services are also large with 200 to 300 people turning up to the morning services and 100 for the evening ones. The trip was brilliant. Thank you.  Sam


The children have now started writing up their projects in their Religious Studies lessons.  Later on in November the children will attend a service.  In addition, a representative from both St. Peter Mancroft and the Salvation Army will be speaking to the children about the work that they do.