Earlier this week I had a morning out with a friend. Nothing odd in that you may think - I didn't think so either until I realized that this is something I have not done for nearly 2 years! I've had plenty of "outings" & plenty of cake & coffee but not WITHOUT Mr PoppyM.
We visited Hereford Museum & the Cathedral. The Museum is well worth a visit - right in the centre of the shopping area & free. It's a wonderful old "black & white" building that was moved to it's present location on rollers - a process Mr PoppyM had a hand-in. One of the exhibits was of particular interest - a huge iron-banded box that used to reside in the ruined church that we have just brought.When the church was closed one of it's medieval bells was sent to a church in London - it's name is Gabriel. According to "The Bell"by Iris Murdock this is a traditional name for a bell, as a bell is the voice of God!
And onto another series of links - we also visited the Cathedral (of St Mary the Virgin & Ethelbert the King) - what a magnificent building. For me the high-light of the visit was the Audley chapel housing the new stained glass windows by Tom Denny. It is a series of 4 windows dedicated to the 17th century poet Thomas Traherne. (Picture above from RJE Foster - Flickr). It's a while since I have looked at a piece of art & just known that the creator was truly inspired & totally at one with his subject. I was speechless for quite a while - go see them for yourself. The link is ...when my grandmother died my aunt, who is a Deacon, had commissioned a stained glass window. And of course, our ruined church had one - how wonderful it would be to replace it.... And for the next visit - there's the Mappa Mundi & the chained library, and the secret gardens.
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This week seems to have been about change. What you take for granted now as normal, fixed or even boring may be rare, fleeting & exceptional in the future. So live very much " in the now" & appreciate as much as possible! I must be getting old & mellow!
