New Year’s Resolutions, Wise Men, And A Wheelchair Bringing Gold

January asks us to breathe, so we do—taking stock of a bustling December and opening the door to slower, sturdier intentions. We trade brittle resolutions for honest check-ins: what did we start, what can we finish, and where do small acts make a cold month feel warmer? From there, the season’s tail—Christmas tide into Epiphany—becomes a living backdrop for stories of craft, care, and community.

We share a visitor’s reaction to our community-made crib, first built in the pandemic from reused materials and added to each year. It’s striking, not just for its look, but for what it says: inclusion can be designed, waste can become wonder, and shared hands can retell a familiar story with fresh truth. That spirit carries into the hidden work that keeps a medieval church alive. Our fabric officer demystifies quinquennial inspections, planned maintenance, and the art of acting early before small flaws grow teeth. We cover recent wins—new lead on the south aisle roof, whitewashed walls, specialist craftsmanship—and the bigger shifts that make the space sing, like chancel reordering for flexible music and liturgy, future-proofing underfoot, and lighting that honours the east window.

Sustainability isn’t an add-on; it’s long care. Solar panels, air-source heat pumps, and sensitive design choices let heritage buildings serve the present without losing their soul. Along the way we hold onto what matters most: people. A busker on Gentleman’s Walk puts it plainly—Norwich is defined by those who fill it with life. We talk about welcome you can feel in your bones, why fonts sit by the door, and how place and person make each other into home.

If this conversation stirred you, follow and share the show with a friend who loves old buildings, new ideas, or the quiet work that keeps communities warm. Leave a review to help others find us, and tell us: what small act will you carry into the year?