Tomorrow is Open Day for many buildings in Bristol and St Mary Redcliffe will be among them. Elizabeth ! described it as 'the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England' and inside you will find this painted wooden statue of the Queen standing on the wings of a flame surrounded phoenix (lots of symbolism there). Originally it was thought to be a ship's figurehead (not four days in a row I hear you cry!) but in a recently discovered 1673 drawing of the classroom of the Queen Elizabeth's Free Grammar and Writing School the statue is clearly depicted high up in a niche in the wall. The Queen had granted the school a charter and possible funds too but by 1748 the building in the church grounds was too dilapidated so the school and statue moved into the church until funds ran out in 1830 and the last master resigned.