Suffolk Spirit - Unitarians in Framlingham & Bury St Edmunds

08/12/2025

In the dark and cold of December we can struggle for signs of hope. Not everyone is comforted by the stories of the major faiths. One of the greatest poems about this time of year - about the persistence of life through all discouragement - is Thomas Hardy's The Darkling Thrush. You can read it here:

The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres, And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires.

07/01/2023

CONVERSATION FOR A MORE BEAUTIFUL WORLD
Theme for our 3pm Sunday gathering at the Grade One Listed Unitarian Meeting House, Bury St Edmunds tomorrow. :-)

21/12/2022

Find details here about our January Art of Conversation session...

Our first Zoom conversation of 2023 invites us to imagine what event from history we would most love to have witnessed - and why! Conversations last just over an hour. We

09/09/2022

Letter to Buckingham Palance from the current President of the Unitarian General Assembly, Rev Sue Woolley.

The Reverend Sue Woolley, President of The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, has written to Buckingham Palace on our behalf 🕯

Text version:

Dear Sir or Madam,

The Queen’s death marks the end of an era. For more than seventy years, she was the one constant point in British life – an important symbol of stability in a rapidly changing world. Her long and unwavering commitment to her role, right to the end, and her high sense of duty as Queen was always impressive. She stood above the political fray and was respected by leaders and people the world over.

She was also widely loved. This Summer, during her Platinum Jubilee, people all around the country showed how deeply she was held in their affection. She will long be remembered. But we cannot wish her back. She is now at peace, with her beloved Philip.

And so we, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, in common with the rest of the British people, give thanks for her life and her long years of service. We hold her family and all those who mourn her in our prayers.

We also hold our new King, Charles III, who has stepped into the role of monarch, in our prayers.

Rev. Sue Woolley
President
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches

16/07/2022

Look closely!
We now have a swift box installed at the rear of Framlingham Meeting House.
Maybe not this year, but we hope it won't be too long before it's occupied.
Thanks to Sam Tassera for leading the campaign to have one installed :-)

02/03/2022

Statement from the Unitarian General Assembly on Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the need for society to come together in response:
https://www.unitarian.org.uk/2022/03/02/solidarity-with-ukraine/?fbclid=IwAR2kzdUW9TYJdZgjRsUWojloPrdaIJ37RMKMSLWAi6daBtVGfMW5lv431_M

The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches stands in solidarity with the people …

07/02/2022

Recorded in Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House :-)

An a ca****la cover of this wonderful traditional folk song

14/01/2022

What was that film called.....?
Ah yes....."Local Hero" :-)

Radical Roots ❤️✊🚩󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Rev. John Goodwyn Barmby - English utopian socialist, feminist, and Unitarian minister, described as "ardent and truth-loving, fearless and uncompromising; but also tolerant, sympathetic, and hospitable."

Born in Suffolk in 1820, the son of a solicitor, Barmby and his wife Catherine were leading figures in the utopian socialist, communist and Chartist movements. Together they founded the Communist Church movement in the 1840s and corresponded with Friedrich Engels, co-author with Karl Marx of the Communist Manifesto. They were staunch supporters of women's rights, including the right to vote.

In 1848, Barmby joined the Unitarian movement and led the Edmund Kell Unitarian, Southampton church before serving as minister to Westgate Chapel, Wakefield, from 1858 to 1879.

He died in 1881 and was buried at Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House in his native Suffolk.

Find out more about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodwyn_Barmby

31/12/2021

A project under the aegis of Bury St Edmunds' Unitarian Congregation - and hoping to expand its scope following relaunch.
A secular conversation space - but rooted in a community with values.
*** Open to all. :-) ****

This group is for those who would like to explore, in a relaxed setting, some crucial issues about human relationships, the quality of our civic life, personal wellbeing - a broad range of topics in f

08/12/2021

A new initiative :-)

On the eighth day of our 2021, we present to you… a new project at Framlingham Meeting House in Suffolk to support parents of young children. 'Permission to Rest' is a new weekly group which meets straight after the school run and offers free mindfulness lessons, gentle yoga, and a peaceful space to rest after a busy morning.

Find out more here: https://framlingham-unitarians.org/

Photo: 'Permission To Rest' at Framlingham Meeting House, Suffolk, 2021