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Above: A cutting from the front page of the Hereford Times featuring the thiefÕs photoLeft: Ross-on-Wye DFAS Church Recorder Ann Hay with the sarcophagus lid ÒThis is an isolated 13th-century rural church full of many beautiful artefacts. It was our hard work in recording that produced the proof necessary to recover large numbers of items lost by so many other churches.Ó CHRISTOPHER NICHOLSON ROSS-ON-WYE DFAS CHURCH RECORDERSROSS-ON-WYE CHURCH RECORD HELPS SOLVE ART CRIMEChurch Recorders from Ross-on-Wye DFAS found their work had helped provide proof of an art crime that became front-page news. The team of 12 volunteers have been recording St Mary’s Church in Foy near Ross-on-Wye for the last four years. It has an interesting history – the fi rst church may have been sited there in the Dark Ages, but the current church was erected in the 13th century. Major alterations and additions took place in the 15th, 17th, 19th and 20th centuries, and the team has discovered many fi ne examples of woodwork, stonework, metalwork, ledger stones/memorials and windows.Sadly, during the recording of the WALBERTON GIVES PUPILS THE CHANCE TO DEVELOP THEIR IDENTITYThe theme of ‘Identity’ was one that was explored by pupils from Yapton Primary School, West Sussex thanks to Walberton DFAS. The Society sponsored a guided tour of Pallant House Gallery, Chichester for Year Six pupils. A workshop at the gallery enabled them to view and discuss a variety of portraits, ranging from Elvis and the Beatles to a homeless immigrant, a famous art collector and even a naked she-devil!The children were encouraged to express their own interpretations of the paintings and to look beyond fi rst impressions to tease out underlying meanings and hidden messages. They experimented with different approaches to portraiture, literally putting their heads in the frame and posing, with appropriate props, as madonnas, and kings, poets and philosophers (pictured, top).In the workshop, they applied their newfound ideas by decorating masks to express, resulting in a kaleidoscopic array of rainbows, clouds, stars and lightning bolts, football colours and super heroes, as shown! Students agreed that the day had been great fun and had not only enabled them to use their imaginations, but had also made them think. Margaret Robertson, Chaiman of Walberton DFAS, said: “The most rewarding aspect of the day was witnessing the growing confi dence and enjoyment of the children as they responded thoughtfully to the art they encountered.” ■ stonework, it was discovered that half of a medieval child’s stone sarcophagus lid had been stolen. The police were able to use the Church Record to help with their investigation as it gave a full description of the missing lid. An appeal on BBC’s The One Show, eventually led to the thief, trained actor Chris Cooper, submitting a confessional document, complete with maps, to Hereford police station. On May 12, the Hereford Times put the story on the front page. Cooper had not just stolen the sarcophagus lid, but also an extraordinary collection of items from other churches around the country, dating back to the ninth century. The collection was described as “totally unparalleled.” He was sentenced to three years and eight months. Christopher Nicholson, who led the team of Church Recorders at St Mary’s, said: “The great moment came when the church reinstalled and rededicated the lid. We then realised our photographs and description provided the police with crucial proof for the prosecution.” VOLUNTEERING www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 2016 67