54LimitedEditionEssex
LEarts
From sandwich
business to art
centre � Michael
and Miriam Clark
crafts aliveByVANESSA
MOON
I
T may still look like a church on
the outside but inside, the old
United Reformed Church tells a
very different story.
No longer are the pews lining up
to the altar with a long aisle down
the middle. Instead the building,
which is now Dedham Art and
Craft Centre, has been transformed
into a thriving space full of all things
creative.
A completely self-funded
commercial venture, the fact the
centre is celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year is testament
to its success.
For the couple who run it, Michael
and Miriam Clark, the centre is a
lifestyle choice they have never
looked back from since they bought
it five years ago.
"We stumbled on the centre
when it was for sale," says Michael.
"My wife wanted a little craft shop,
so I bought her a big one!
"We looked at it as more of a
business opportunity and an easier
way of life."
And they were not disappointed.
In their former business lives, the
couple ran a sandwich shop at
Severalls Business Park in
Colchester, and the Bull pub in
Brantham.
"We were in catering for 20 years
and you just can't believe how busy
we were.This was a complete
lifestyle change," he says.
The centre came into being after
churchgoers found they could not
afford �5,000 to repair the
building's structural defects.The last
church service was held in 1979.
But instead of it being converted
into dwellings, three families
decided the church would be ideal
as an arts centre.
The founding members were
Peter Andrew, Jeremy and Joy
Parkin and Henry Green.
The art of keeping

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