I unpacked your absolutely marvellous book last week and just stood there for 20 minutes reading and looking at the pictures. What a legacy you and Paul have given to the community of Gorton. If it hadn’t been for yours and Paul’s foresight the Monastery would have been a mass of builder’s rubble and Gorton itself gone into further decline.

Your book is brilliant.

A Great Testament

The book is a great testament of your work over the years – you are a formidable team!

A Great History of the Monastery

The book really is a great history of the Monastery over the years and your amazing restoration. Congratulations!

An Epic Achievement

What a beautiful book and what an epic achievement. That first Open Day was simply amazing and left such an impression on me. To see, bear witness and feel all that emotion and connection from people that hadn’t been there for years was almost overwhelming. Never seen anything like it before or since.

Stunned by the Breadth of Subject Matter

What a wonderful book, we are both quite stunned by the breadth of subject matter it contains, not only about the building, but Gorton itself.

A Magnificent Book

Congratulations! What a wonderful testimony to the 25 years Elaine & Paul dedicated to Gorton Monastery. Elaine is far too modest to say she is not a writer, she has put together a magnificent book, full of photos, articles, history, stories, anecdotes and just interesting fascinating writing – it is a masterpiece!

A Wonderful Book

What a wonderful book. I am proud to have been part of such a glorious enterprise. Many congratulations!

Energy & Luminous Optimism

I have spent some very soothing time this afternoon reading Terry Waite’s foreword, Elaine’s introduction and the first chapter. I will confess to peeking at the glorious photos and illustrations, but I intend to read a chapter every day. Whilst Elaine declares she is not a writer, the text is very engaging and Elaine’s energy and luminous optimism shine through from every page. She and Paul have dedicated themselves with unwavering altruism to an extraordinary project and well deserve the public recognition they have received. I salute you.

Brilliant!

Apart from the magnificence of its presentation, prose and design, the book narrates so powerfully the wonderful journey of the Monastery – so interesting, colourful and impactful and of course describing the particular challenges and so many successes that Elaine and Paul faced and achieved. The Monastery is quite an extraordinary tale of both adversity and particularly
success and benefit to people and the communities. Brilliant!