A couple of weeks ago we came across the church at Trumpington and the sepulchre of Sir Roger de Trumpington, noticed at reference 1. As I recall, he was on the left hand side of the aisle, at the altar end of the nave. So why don't we honour our Lady Trumpington with a new sepulchre on the opposite side of the aisle? Perhaps the commission could be given to those heirs to the Eric Gill tradition at reference 2?
People have been installing memorials large and small on walls in churches for centuries, although the custom has fallen away a bit in recent years. With the snap left being an early eighteenth century example of the genre from Ely Cathedral. And the custom of full-on sepulchres - with the large sarcophagi for some of our medieval kings round the back of Westminster abbey being notable examples - fell away some time before that. With an sixteenth century example from the Isle of Wight being noticed at reference 3. But why not revive the custom for the occasional eminence?
From where I associated to someone like Branson just turning up at a village church and asking the church warden if he can get on and build his sepulchre inside? Large truck loaded with the necessary waiting just down the lane. Maybe smoothing things over with a nice cheque for the fund for the church roof.
And from there to a former owner of Harrods retaining a perpetual interest in his sepulchre on the roof there. An arrangement which no doubt kept the lawyers busy for a bit. An arrangement which a desultory search fails to confirm, so perhaps it is all an invention. Not a story to be further disseminated without corroboration.
Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2018/11/getting-lost-on-way-to-ely.html.
Reference 2: http://www.kindersleyworkshop.co.uk/.
Reference 3: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/07/junk-shop.html.
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