According to the Sunday Telegraph, the 14^th century art in Winchester shows figures intended to protect people from witches and the devil, scenes of people on horses accompanied by a figure on foot as well as names of bell ringers.

It’s been reported the graffiti at St John’s Church in Winchester has been newly revealed due to research by the Hampshire Churches Medieval Graffiti Survey.

The project has worked on dozens of churches and old buildings to unveil medieval graffiti.

Medieval graffiti specialist Matthew Champion told the newspaper people inscribed on churches because they knew that it would last.

Winchester was heavily plagued by the Black Death.

Champion said: “Sometimes the graffiti speaks of those who survived [the Black Death].

“People put on the walls what’s important to them. There are times when they put inscriptions on the walls and those tend to be times of social stress.

“There’s the idea that you might not be around. In the Black Death, people are wiped out. They wanted to leave a permanent mark. They knew that paper, life and normal society was insubstantial.”

The curate at the church said the graffiti is an exciting development and is something new they can show to pilgrims who visit in the ancient church.

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It also suggests that youngsters should learn that sex and healthy relationships are “good gifts from God and should bring joy”.

In a blog, seen by the Press Association, the Church’s chief education officer, the Rev Nigel Genders, says that relationships and sex education in schools should teach students about “healthy relationships and lifestyle choices”.

His comments, which come alongside the Church’s response to the Government’s consultation on relationships and sex education (RSE), which closed last month, say that the Church’s starting point for the subject is that “healthy relationships and sex are good gifts from God and should bring joy”.

The blog goes on to say that in the Church’s schools, the subject will be “rooted in the teachings of the Church”, including “the importance of trust, loyalty, fidelity and the Christian understanding of marriage as the context for sexual relationships, as well as the understanding of abstinence and celibacy as positive life choices”.

Mr Genders also says: “Children want to be prepared for the opportunities, joys, challenges and responsibilities of being in relationships with other people.

“RSE must provide the understanding, vocabulary and strategies children need to keep themselves safe and to thrive within good relationships of all kinds. It should give children accurate information to equip them for life in the…

Rev Bill Wishart, 52, who leads St Martin’s Church in the Portobello area of Edinburgh, wowed judges with his comedy routine called The Blades of Death, which involved The Crochet Needles of Doom, a trick called Knitty, Knitty, Bang, Bang and the Disecto Arm Chopper.

He was presented with the Harry Kidd Cup for parlour, stage or stand-up comedy magic by the West Lothian Magic Circle.

The minister said he was “chuffed” to have beaten the competition to win the trophy.

“It’s wonderful that the judges, distinguished fellow club members with many years’ experience of magic, enjoyed my act enough to award me the trophy,” he said.

“To say I’m chuffed is an understatement.”

Rev Wishart’s love of magic began 17-years-ago, and he has since performed under the stage name ‘Bill’s Ministry of Magic’.

The cup is competed for every year at West Lothian Magic Circle and is named in honour of a former member of the club who died.

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