Wood carver creates St Edmund statue to highlight history of pandemics
St Edmund the Martyr’s status as the patron saint of pandemics has inspired a volunteer wood carver to educate 21st century residents on the realities of living throughout the 17th century.
Bury St Edmunds man John Williams, 79, has carved a statue of the town’s patron - which is still set to stand on a plinth when the Abbey of St Edmund has its delayed 1,000 year celebrations, set to be next year.
To mark the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Williams photographed the six former hospital sites around town in: Northgate Street; Out Risbygate; Spittle House; Southgate Street, St Botolph’s Lane, and Eastgate Street.
He digitally imposed a picture of St Edmund onto each of these. He said: “It is a hard time now, but we can be grateful things are not as dangerous as they were."
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