ALL SAINTS MAKING MEDIEVAL LEICESTER HERITAGE VISIBLE: A Research Project
Pictured: Volunteers consulting official records and researching topics including the building and fabric of the church, its place within medieval Leicester as well as religious life at the time
Introduction All Saints Church lies at the heart of Leicester’s rich and fascinating Medieval history. From the interesting characters that have crossed its threshold to some unusual architectural features, the church reveals much about Leicester’s history and how life has changed today. All Saints dates from Norman times and was listed in the Doomsday Book – Britain’s earliest public record published in 1086. At the time it would have been an important and prominent place but is now tucked away in the centre of the city not far from the Highcross shopping centre. This booklet brings the old and new together. Researched by a group of local volunteers with a passion for history, it gives us modern-day insights into the changing fabric of the church, its place within history and what life was like hundreds of years ago. The volunteers chose topics that sparked their interest and took part in project sessions with The University of Leicester and Leicestershire Record Office to explore original drawings, archival research, archaeological sources and historical literature. Leicester has a fantastic heritage and is full of intriguing stories to uncover. We hope you’ll feel inspired to explore All Saints and the surrounding area, discovering Leicester’s culture from the past and better understanding our place in it today. 02
Contents Exploring All Saints Church, Leicester by Angela Collins
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The Fascinating Life of Margery Kempe and All Saints Church by Emma Williams
6
A History of Medieval Leicester 8 by Carol Brown Lollardy in Leicester by Christopher Sim
10 10
Glossary 14 Acknowledgements 15
All Saints today All Saints closed for regular worship in
Experience to provide a unique mix
1982 and was vested in the care of the
of
Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) in
experience in this beautiful church and
1986. The CCT is the national charity
it hopes to continue these collaborations
protecting
for the benefit of All Saints.
churches
at
risk,
vested
cultural
events
for
audiences
to
into its care by the Church of England. The CCT currently cares for 356 Grade I and II* churches in England and works with local communities to bring them alive again. Most
recently,
CCT
has
worked
in
If you are interested in visiting the church, please do get in touch with north@thecct. org.uk and CCT will aim to accommodate your visit.
partnership with organisations such as ArtReach and the Van Gogh Immersive
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Exploring All Saints Church, Leicester by Angela Collins It might not be obvious today, but in Medieval times, All Saints Church was a very prominent place. It stood on the city’s main street, which we now know as Highcross Street. Nowadays the church is separated from the commercial part of the city by the ring road and doesn’t stand out like it would have done then.
All Saints reveals clues about the Medieval period One of the most interesting things about All Saints is how it has altered over time. Doorways and windows give us clues about architectural styles that would have come in and out of fashion. The structure has also been enlarged, showing us how the building might have been adapted to fit in more parishioners or cater for different types of worship.
How All Saints Church has changed Some parts of All Saints are so old that there are no written records of them at all (1) . The North Tower is one of them and I wonder if the lower parts of it might be acting as buttressing to support a tower that may once have been freestanding. The tall narrow arch, which leads from the tower into the north aisle, might have been the tower’s original entrance. It’s a very different style from the rest of the door and window openings in the aisle and thought to date from the 13th century. The nave dates from a similar period, although the roof has been totally altered. The nave is where the congregation sits, in the west end of the church. A clerestory was added in the 15th century and along with that, some alterations to the roof of the north and south aisles, originally built a century earlier. A clerestory is an interior wall built above part of the roof with high windows to let in light. Around this time it’s likely that the tower was also heightened and years later, the Victorians did further work to the various roofs. In more recent history a painting by local artist John Flower, dated at 1822, shows the old stone chancel with a gothic-style, three lancet window at the east end. There is a row of three windows on the southside with a door underneath them but this old stone chancel 04
Pictured: View from the nave of the chancel and altar in All Saints
was replaced by a new brick building in 1829. The chancel sits at the east end of a church and may have seating for a choir as well as some small offices. These are dominated by a large east window above and behind the altar.
The building eventually closed for worship in 1982 and was taken over by the Churches Conservation Trust in 1986.
Important people in the restoration of All Saints
Volume 26 1950: All Saints, Leicester A Short History
In 1843, local architect Henry Goddard was employed to carry out work at All Saints and later restored the roofs between 18551856. Alfred Paget, along with Henry’s son, Joseph Goddard, did much more extensive work in 1874-76 when they replaced windows, took out the gallery and put on a new nave roof (2) .
2.
At some point, plaster was stripped from the walls and that makes it possible for us to see some of the changes made to the church over the centuries.
References 1. Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society of the Church and Parish by Philip Hepworth M.A., F.R.S.A., F.L.A. The Buildings of England Leicestershire and Rutland by Nikolaus Pevsner 1960 edition p.141 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/listentry/1074012 accessed 02/04/20
Angela Collins Angela Collins studied History and Architectural History and has been involved in heritage projects both locally and nationally. 05
The Fascinating Life of Marger y Kemp and All Saints Church by Emma Williams Margery Kempe (née Brunham) was born in 1373 to the Mayor of Bishop’s Lynn, now King’s Lynn in East Anglia. As a Christian Mystic, she claimed to experience visions of Jesus and have conversations with the Virgin Mary. Mysticism is the sense of some form of contact with the divine or transcendent, often understood in Christian tradition as involving union with God. Margery is believed to have had fourteen children with her husband John Kempe but it’s unclear whether that was actually fourteen pregnancies or living children. During her life she did several jobs but after two of her businesses failed, she chose to devote her life to God, believing the failing of her work was a sign from him.
Margery’s Early Visions Begin When Margery was 20 she got married, fell pregnant and began to experience her visions soon afterwards. It’s possible they were a result of post-natal depression or the reprimands she received from a priest about her religious views on sex, which she saw as a sin. Margery’s first visions were of demons admonishing her and she found them incredibly disturbing. She would then sense Jesus come to her in a vision and tell her that she had forgotten him but that he had not forgotten her. She found it hard to know whether her visions were genuinely from God and thought perhaps that the devil might be trying to deceive her instead. To help with interpretations Margery went to a priest but even theologians of the time were not always sure how to interpret the visions of mystics. 06
For around fifteen years Margery had no visions but then began to believe she had had discussions with both Christ and the Virgin Mary and been present at their births. She even believed that Jesus would marry her when she died. Margery found many of these visions extremely harrowing and often wept as a result of them, saying that she felt Christ’s pain on the cross. In 1409, as a form of penance for her sins, Margery stopped eating meat and asked her husband if they could have a chaste marriage. She felt this would show her devotion to God and the church and set out on pilgrimages across Europe and the Middle East. Margery often dressed in white to show her love for the Virgin Mary but some found this an odd contradiction since she had several children and white clothes were a symbol of purity, worn by nuns of the time. With her emotional and moral outbursts many people found her extremely difficult to get along with.
Margery Comes to Leicester After returning from one of her trips abroad, Margery arrived in Leicester. It was illegal for women to preach and despite protests that this was not what she was doing, Margery was brought to the Mayor, suspected of having Lollard beliefs (see page 10). Fortunately, Margery was considered a respectable woman and instead of being kept in the jail overnight she was housed by the jailer and his wife. She was treated well but interrogated by the Steward of Leicester who imprisoned two of her companions. The next day a ferocious storm arrived and was interpreted as a punishment from God for the imprisonment. Margery’s companions were released with the plan that they be interrogated at the Guildhall the next day. Margery was interrogated at All Saints
by the Mayor of Leicester, the Dean of Leicester and other authorities who tried to trick her into confessing to Lollard beliefs. Margery had become able to finance herself by praying for people and they may have been threatened by her independence from her husband, fearing their own wives might follow in her footsteps.
“And so she and Patrick, together with many good folk of Leicester who had come to encourage her, thanking God who had preserved her and given her victory over her enemies, went out to the edge of the town, and there they gave her a good send-off,…” pg. 155
The Legacy of Margery Kempe
Bibliography
We know a lot about Margery Kempe because she is considered to be the author of the first autobiography in the English language. The book details her early life, her marriage and children, her mystic experiences and the pilgrimages she went on. It would have been hard for her to complete, given her illiteracy. Margery used three different scribes to help her but the first two had notes that were undecipherable. The third could not understand her writings either until he too, in a strange twist of irony, was said to have received his own vision from God. The Book of Margery Kempe Quotes: “The Father also said to this creature, ‘Daughter, I will have you wedded to my Godhead, because I shall show you my secrets and my counsels, for you shall live with me without end.’” pg.122 “And on the next day following, our Lord sent such storms of thunder and lightning, and continuous rain, that all the people in the town were so afraid they didn’t know what to do. They feared it was because they had put the pilgrims in prison.” pg.151 “The Mayor said to her, “I want to know why you go about in white clothes, for I believe you have come here to lure away our wives from us, and lead them off with you.’” pg. 153 “…for they dare not go against my feelings for fear of God…” pg. 154
Bragg, M. In Our Time Podcast: Margery Kempe and English Mysticism British Library Website. Margery Kempe. Accessed 19/2/2020. https://www.bl.uk/people/margery-kempe# British Library Website. The Book of Margery Kempe. Accessed 19/2/2020 https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/ the-book-of-margery-kempe# Mapping Margery Kempe Website. 2009. Accessed 19/2/2020 https://college.holycross.edu/ projects/kempe/text/main.htm Margery Kempe. 1985. The Book of Margery Kempe. Penguin - London. (Translated by B. A. Windeatt). Stanley, L. 1996. The Book of Margery Kempe: Introduction. Accessed 19/2/2020 https://d.lib.rochester. edu/teams/text/staley-book-of-margery-kempeintroduction
Emma Williams I study Archaeology at the University
of
Leicester,
I’m in my final year and we had the opportunity to volunteer with a heritage project. I chose this project because the medieval period really interests me. Furthermore, studying All Saints Church’s history gave me the opportunity to look at women’s lives during this period and their roles within society and religion.
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Leicester Cathedral
All Saints Church
A Histor y of Medieval Leicester by Carol Brown Leicester was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. At the time there would have been around 2,000 people living in 378 houses in the city, along with two mills and six churches. The city was surrounded by walls on three sides and there appear to have been gates to the North, South, East and West, although no evidence of a wall on the west side. The city was mostly surrounded by fields with some woodland to the North. The main road through the city was known as High Street, part of the King’s Highway. Other
The Back Lanes and All Saints Church All Saints Church is in the north quarter of Leicester and has been there since straight after the Norman conquest. There were also three other churches nearby; St Clements, St Michaels and St Peters. After a siege in 1173 this area was completely destroyed and remained the least lived in for the next 300 years. The lanes, known as ‘Back Lanes’, where there were once lots of houses, led mostly to orchards and closes. By the 14th century High Street was lined on both sides with houses surrounded with orchards, gardens or a small field and most of the inns could be found here too, easily identified by their rudely painted signboards.
important streets ran from East to West across
By 1534 All Saints Church was the only one
the city, crossing the main road at ‘High Cross’.
still in use. It may be because the church
08
follows the line of what would have been the
Mayor of Leicester from 1529-1530 and his
main street, just inside the city’s gate. It is
tomb also lies in All Saints. Following Bett’s
likely that many travellers would have stopped
death, the business was passed to Thomas
there to give thanks for a safe journey.
Newcombe’s eldest son, Robert, along with his
Other important buildings were also near to
wife Katherine (née Betts).
All Saints Church including the Hospital of St
In 1540, Robert Newcombe bought a house in
John, the prisona regis or County Gaol and the
old High Street opposite All Saints where he
Shire Hall. To the west side was Cordwainers
could live and carry on the business. He was
Row, where the shoemakers carried on their
a churchwarden and also Mayor of Leicester
trade, as well as the Blue Boar Inn and a
in 1550.
bellfoundry, which continued for more than 300 years. The Blue Boar inn is said to be where Richard III spent his final nights before the Battle of Bosworth.
The History of the Bellfoundry
The bellfoundry remained in the Newcombe family until the early 1600s and the last dated bell made by the Newcombes is 1612. After that, the bellfoundry seems to have gone to Hugh Watts, a relative by marriage.
The bellfoundry is known to have existed since 1307 when Roger Le Belleyetere (or bellfounder) was recorded as being a taxpayer and it has many different associations with All Saints Church. In 1338, John of Stafford, described as a ‘belleyetere’, was a member of the Guild of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary in All Saints Church. He was elected as mayor four times and represented the town in Parliament on at least five occasions. John of Stafford cast the tenor bell of All Saints. The Newcombes were another great family of bellfounders. Thomas Newcombe came into the business through marriage in the early 1500s but died in 1520 and is buried at All Saints. His monument is the oldest in the church and has a slab with the indents of three bells, a man and a woman. After Thomas Newcombe’s death, his widow Margery married again and took the business to her third husband, Thomas Bett. Bett was
Carol Brown I have lived in Leicester all my life, as has my family for many generations before me. I have always had a great interest in history, particularly genealogy. I volunteered for this project to find out more about my home city’s history and, in particular, about the area around All Saints Church, a church I have walked past many times throughout my life. 09
Lollardy in Leicester by Christopher Sim How Lollardy Began
Philip Repingdon
Lollardy began in the writings of a cleric and scholar of Oxford University named John Wycliffe. Born in the 1320s, he was a noted writer of philosophical and theological texts, but he began to have some doubts about the teachings and actions of the church in England during the 14th Century.
Among Wycliffe’s circle at Oxford was a young Canon of Leicester Abbey named Philip Repingdon. In 1382, he preached Wycliffe’s doctrine at a church in Northamptonshire which at that time was a possession of the Abbey at Leicester. Repingdon found himself in grave trouble for this. He was excommunicated in July 1382 and forced to recant in the presence of Archbishop Courtenay in November of the same year.
Like many others, Wycliffe was theologically dissatisfied with the wealth of the church and the individuals in it and felt that it had deviated from the primacy of Biblical scripture. He also held more controversial theories that denied the Church’s interpretation of bread and wine being Christ’s body and blood and argued that the position of the Pope and the structure of the Church in general was not justified by Scripture. Wycliffe was made recumbent at St Mary’s church in Lutterworth in 1374 and his ideas initially gained much support. They were popular amongst learned circles in Oxford and amongst nobles such as John of Gaunt (Duke of Lancaster and thereby Earl of Leicester) who desired the finances and power of the Church. Eventually the Church rallied against these threats to its wealth and status and Wycliffe’s teachings were condemned as heretical. He was forced to retire to Lutterworth in 1382 and continued to write, possibly having some influence in the first English Bible, until his death in 1384. Wycliffe was later condemned as a heretic and his body was dug up, burnt and his ashes thrown into the River Swift. A heretic is someone who holds religious opinions that are contrary to those accepted by their church or who rejects doctrines prescribed by that church. 010
After his return to orthodoxy Repingdon was elected Abbot of Leicester in 1393, became Chancellor of Oxford University and was elevated to the Bishopric of Lincoln in 1404. He finally became a cardinal in 1408, but never used the title. As Bishop of Lincoln, he heard the recantations of many Leicester Lollards and was more lenient to them compared with persecutions elsewhere in England. When Wycliffe’s body was ordered to be dug up and burned, Repingdon managed to delay the event and it was not until after he died in 1424 that the order was finally carried out.
William Swynderby and Others Another religious figure who took up these same ideas was William Swynderby, an unbeneficed priest who came to Leicester and preached around the town. His sermons initially railed against money making merchants, the misconduct of women and their fancy adornments. Swynderby gained support amongst the worthies of Leicester and received the patronage of John of Gaunt. He was given a room adjoining the Abbey where the canons treated him as some sort of religious hermit and gave him shelter. Eventually Swynderby left the Abbey and set himself up with like-minded people at
“Wycliffe left the town for Coventry and carried on preaching but was eventually re-arrested and died in captivity in 1392.”
the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the former leper hospital, outside the town walls near Belgrave Gate. Many of these were tradespeople within the town and were laymen not connected with the church at all. When Bishop Buckingham visited Leicester in 1382, he prohibited Swynderby from preaching but Swynderby ignored him and continued anyway. Most notably at a mill just outside the town, Swynderby set up millstones as his makeshift pulpit. Eventually he was brought before the Bishop of Lincoln and accused of being a Lollard with heretical beliefs, a conviction he denied by producing a signed testimonial from the Mayor of Leicester. However, Swynderby was forced to recant and subsequently lost popularity in Leicester. He left the town for Coventry to carry on preaching but was eventually re-arrested and died in captivity in 1392.
Notable Others Associated with Lollardy The Chapel of St John the Baptist is an
“Later Wycliffe was condemned as a heretic himself and his body dug up and burnt, his ashes thrown in the River Swift.”
intriguing hotbed of Lollard activity, not only for priests but for lay people of the town. The names of those involved and brought before the Bishop to recant give an insight into the tradespeople connected with the movement in Leicester; Nicholas Taylor, Roger Goldsmith, Michael Scrivener, William Parchmener and William Smith are all connected with the various trades that took place in a medieval town. Even more tantalising is the name of the first female accused of Lollardy in the town; Alice Dexter, who along with her husband Roger, is included with these others. We know precious little else about these people with the exception of William Smith, identified as a blacksmith.
William Smith William Smith taught himself to read and write and was an early adherent to Lollard beliefs. Henry Knighton, a canon at Leicester Abbey, recounts how Smith abhorred images of idols and once used a figure of St Catherine from the chapel as the fuel to cook his dinner. 011
Knighton’s writings, albeit slanted with his hatred of Lollardy, give an insight into the ructions in Leicester at this time. He paints Smith as despicable and deformed in character and recalls how having been spurned by his only love, Smith renounced wearing linen, eating flesh or fish, drinking beer or wearing shoes. When Smith and others were ordered before Archbishop Courtenay in 1389 they went into hiding, causing the whole town to be placed under arrest until they gave themselves up and recanted.
John Belgrave Of all the characters mentioned, the man who caused the greatest upheaval in Leicester at this time was a parishioner of St Martins, known as John Belgrave. Belgrave is first recorded as having posted a slanderous pamphlet at St Martins Church, in which the Archdeacon’s official was compared to the judges that condemned Susannah in the Old Testament. The official was clearly upset and made an immediate complaint but to little avail. Belgrave also argued that offerings should not be made in the church unless the rector was present and was such a nuisance at services, the offerings all but ceased. He is said to have begun preaching in taverns and other public places, denying the prevalent rules of fasting in the church and saying he saw no reason why the fast day meal should not be split into breakfast, lunch and dinner. His exhortations brought him to the attention of the Bishop of Lincoln (by this time Philip Repingdon, mentioned earlier). He was brought before the Bishop, denying the accusations made against him and rounding instead on Repingdon who he suggested should recant due to failing to adhere to his own teachings. Despite the insult, Repingdon dealt with him lightly, perhaps due to his social standing and the list of leading citizens who attested his innocence. However, the 012
unfortunate Belgrave learned nothing from this leniency and continued to agitate, finally going too far by denying the power of the Papacy. Along with eight other parishioners from St Martins he was sent to Marshalsea Prison and finally realising himself to be in serious trouble he recanted and disappeared into obscurity.
Lollardy Ends in Leicester Following this incident with Belgrave, high profile Lollardy in Leicester came to an abrupt end. Apart from the notable case of Margery Kempe in 1417 and the sheltering of two persecuted Lollards from Coventry in 1511, there is little mention of Leicester in connection with Lollardy again. Lollards were not Protestants, and indeed Wycliffe himself would likely have balked at any such suggestion. Lollards simply saw themselves as trying to return the established church to that of the Biblical scripture they believed in. The fact that there was no established leader, or even an established set of beliefs for Lollardy, meant that it may have ended as a minor footnote in religious history, were it not for the events of the 16th Century and England’s break from Rome where Protestants used the Lollards as a kind of marker for their own emergence.
Christopher Sim I was born and raised in Leicester and live here with my wife Jessie and daughter Aveline. I’ve been interested in history from an early age, especially local studies and family history and I was keen to help out with this project, hopefully putting all those years of researching to good use!
Glossar y ALTAR a type of table used in ceremonies for example in a Christian church or in other religious buildings BELLFOUNDRY A place where Bells are cast BUTTRESSING a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building CHANCEL The chancel sits at the east end of a church and may have seating for a choir as well as some small offices. These are dominated by a large east window above and behind the altar CHRISTIAN MYSTIC See Mysticism CLERESTORY A clerestory is an interior wall built above part of the roof with high windows to let in light COUNTY GAOL a prison DOCTRINE a belief or set of beliefs, especially political or religious ones, that are taught and accepted by a particular group. For example Christian Doctrine DOMESDAY BOOK Domesday is Britain’s earliest public record. It contains the results of a huge survey of land and landholding commissioned by William I in 1085 HERETIC someone who has an opinion that is opposite to or against the official or popular opinion HERITAGE features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance JESUS CHRIST a man who is believed by his religious followers to be the son of God. Christianity is based on his life and teachings MEDIEVAL the period in European history from about AD 600 to AD 1500 MYSTICISM the belief that it is possible to directly obtain truth or achieve communication with God or other forces controlling the universe by prayer and contemplation
NAVE the long central part of a church, often with aisles situated in it NORMAN belonging or relating to the people from northern France, especially those who invaded England in 1066 and became its rulers (William the Conqueror was the first Norman King of England), or to the buildings that were made during their rule ORTHODOXY beliefs, ideas, or activities considered traditional, normal, and acceptable by most people PARISHIONERS members of a particular parish under the care of a priest, especially one who often goes to the parish church. A parish is an area which is cared for by a priest, and often has its own church PAPACY the position or authority of the Pope, or the duration of time that someone is the Pope for. The Pope is the leader of the Roman Church PILGRIMAGE A special and often long and difficult journey made to a special place for religious reasons PULPIT a raised place in a church, with steps leading up to it, from which the priest or minister speaks to the people during a religious ceremony RECANT to announce in public that your past beliefs or statements were wrong and that you no longer agree with them RECUMBENT a sculpted figure on a tomb monument depicting in effigy the deceased SCRIPTURE the holy writings of a religion, such as those found in the Bible or the Qur’an THEOLOGIAN Someone who studies religion or religious belief VIRGIN MARY The mother of Jesus Christ VISIONS an imagined mental image of something as a result of a religious experience
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So What Will You Explore First? Just like these characters and buildings of the past, you’re a part of Leicester’s history right now. Looking forward to the future, what will people write about the way we live today? We hope you’re inspired to visit some of the places we’ve introduced you to in this booklet and take your own part in shaping the Leicester of tomorrow.
Photos credit: Front Cover © Photo by Matt Cawrey Photography P.11 Picture left: Wycliffe and the English Bible (1910) by William Frederick Yeames P.11 Picture right: Taking up the body of John Wycliffe by Unknown Artist P.14 and 15 © Photo by Matt Cawrey Photography
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Thanks to: This booklet was produced by ArtReach – a cultural organisation based in Leicester. ArtReach is incredibly grateful to the local volunteers, cultural partners and heritage experts who contributed towards this booklet and hope it inspires a new wave of Leicester residents and visitors to explore this unique heritage site and its surrounding area. Our special thanks to: Frankie Maguire
Beth Piggott
Angela Collins
Emma Williams
Carol Brown
Chris Sim
The Records Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland As well as ArtReach partners and funders: The National Lottery Heritage Fund The Churches Conservation Trust This booklet was part of a larger programme of work delivered at All Saints by ArtReach in 2019 and 2020. The programme aimed to shine a light on All Saints’ incredible story through community plays, sound installations, concerts and art exhibitions. For more information visit https://artreach.biz/all-saints
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A Creative Refuge in the Hear t of the City Enjoyed learning from our volunteers and their research project to explore Leicester’s heritage?
Here are some more medieval sites in Leicestershire that you can visit: All Saints’ Church Main Street, Beeby, Leicestershire LE7 3BL Church of St Michael & All Angels Main Street, Edmonthorpe, Leicestershire LE14 2JU St Michael’s Church Rectory Lane, Stretton-en-le-Field, Leicestershire DE12 8AF St Mary’s Church, Freeby, Melton Mowbray LE14 2RZ
Contact Us: allsaints@artreach.biz @_artreach
https://artreach.biz/
@ArtReachEvents