Going Up in Holy Smoke

Fr Tim has brought to my attention this article from Richard Littlejohn's column in the Daily Mail, March 6 edition.

Have you ever seen anyone smoking in Church? Me neither. Even industrial-quantity smokers manage to resisit the temptation to light up during 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', with the help of a couple of packets of Nicorette chewing gum. So why in God's name are health officials spending tens of thousands of pounds forcing churches to put up 'no smoking' signs? In Welsh chapels, the notices will be bilingual. How long before Westminster Cathedral is visited by 'elf'n'safety Nazis and threatened with prosecution because someone might catch passive smoking from incense?

Presented with the barely supressed fury one might expect from this newspaper, it neverthless touches a nerve. I have not yet had to deal with this particular initiative, but I am bombarded with legislation affecting our use of the Cathedral. At present, I am resisting the imposition of luminous Fire Exit signs in the Cathedral. Of course fire and safety must be taken seriously, but that needs to be balanced prudently with what is aesthetically acceptable. Health and Safety legislation, Fire legislation, Disability legislation - much of it directly conflicting with our Listed Building status which prevents alteration of historic fabric - are a great headache for anyone trying to run a building like ours.