The People's Cathedral

 Guildford Cathedral is one of only three cathedrals built in the 20th century. Both Liverpool and Coventry are quite dark inside, but suffused by the brilliant jewel like colours of all the huge areas given over to the stained glass windows. This one, built from locally made bricks and sitting proud high above the town on Stag Hill, looks to promise much the same. It's the same era and influenced by the same architectural styles of the time.

However, the architect and his wife had a very different vision for the interior. It was to be simple and light with the eye being led to the high altar as its focal point. The reamy amber glass chosen for all of the windows casts a soft buttery yellow on the creamy coloured stone and it will come as no surprise to find that it's heavily inspired by the clean lines of Scandinavian design. It is so much softer than its Brutalist exterior would lead you to expect. I found all of the modern cathedrals were spectacular in their own ways.

It seems rather a quaint way of doing things, but if you want to cast your net wide and find those with innovative ideas then a good approach as any is to open it out and run a design competion. This was won by Edward Maufe in 1932. The site was marked by the Ganges Cross in 1933 which was built  out of Burma teak from HMS Ganges and the foundation stone laid in 1936. Work was abruptly halted by the break out of WWII.

Returning to its construction post war it quickly became apparent that there wasn't enough money to complete it, so the committee turned to the public for help with its innovative 'Buy a brick' campaign which ran from 1952 to 1961. During that time more than 200k people, including our friend Prue, parted with 2s 6d and made it happen. Even the Royals got in on the act [you can see the late Queen's signature on one], but the rumour is that they didn't pay [no comment]. It was consecrated by HRM Elizabeth II on 17th May 1961.

It's bold and it's innovative showcasing the works of some of the greatest sculptors of the day. Yet the story continues to evolve. New windows are still being added and a piece by Nicholas Compton was put in as recently as 2016. It won't be to everyone's taste, but it's different to anything I'd seen before. For me it was those glass etched angels [well nigh impossible to capture] done by John Hutton.I'd fallen for his work at Coventry and was so thrilled to discover him here too. I could rattle on, but think I'll leave you with a few more photos to leave you with my lasting impression.

This was what else we got up to on our recent 'Fam Day Out'.

Arilx

Under construction

In my Beryl Cook type imagination this is exactly how I think it would look like when all the post box topper groups come together to create their woolly masterpieces....surely their meetings would also include a cup of tea and cake🫖🍥🥮 Hope everyone has a good Bank Holiday weekend.

Arilx

 

Quiet spaces

 I suspect many of us have had to seek out a quiet place from time to time where we can gather our thoughts and recalibrate before heading back out into the real world to face whatever is causing us stress or upset. That space will look very different to each and every person. David was back in hospital on Sunday having a follow up biopsy [routine] and it's the results of this which will determine what treatment course he's put on to. We arrived for a 7am check in, but he didn't go in until 14.30 and despite the early start the surgeon wasn't sure if he'd have time to operate. Thankfully it went ahead, but in the minutes he'd gone I suddenly had a small wobble and the emotions around me of people inconsolable with grief in the corridors or having a mental health crisis was too much and I bolted to the sanctuary of the chapel where I could have a few minutes on my own and steady the ship. I am pleased to say that it all went smoothly and this time round we knew what to expect. For practical reasons we'll be based back here for the next few days until he's healed. Before I went up to collect him I saw two newborn babies which was truly life affirming and it felt like the circle of life had been properly completed. 

Should you ever find yourself in Guildford I can heartily recommend this place as somewhere to catch your breath. This is the restored Japanese garden in Stoke Park...TYM was dead chuffed as this was his discovery not ours and free entry. We recently spent some happy family time together sitting under the trees whilst it piddled down enjoying a coffee from the nearby cafe. Even with it raining for some of the time it still caught us up in its magic. Plus spot the naff croc🐊

I will endeavour [am not making any promises mind as it's the kiss of death if I do!] to show you what else we got up to on 'The Fam' day out.

Arilx

A Lovers' Tiff

With the weird way my brain is wired the first thought I had when I encountered these two in Petworth Parish church is that they looked like they'd had some sort of tiff. She's being haughty and offhand with him for something he's done and he knows he's up to his neck in it, but still hasn't a clue as to what his misdemeanour is! Isn't the characterisation of the two of them rather marvellous. Normally tombs from this period [16th century] tend to be rather stiff and conventional. This is John and Jane Dawtrey. John was the High Sheriff of Sussex in 1526. His wife predeceased him and their union bore six children.

Have a lovely weekend.

Arilx

 

Boom Boom

If you were in the UK during the 1970s you're quite likely to know that 'boom boom' was the well known catchphrase of Basil Brush. I was surprised and delighted in equal measure to stumble upon four foxy cubs playing rough and tumble along the river bank on our evening walk. They scarpered as soon as they caught sight of us, but David did manage to get these.

What a treat.

Arilx

Let me guide you.

 I am a very curious person and I have learnt over the years that the guides at historical places are very knowledgeable. Unless you ask them you will never what gems they may impart. My questions are always limited to just a few and only about things that I'm either interested in or when I don't understand what I'm looking at. This approach pays dividends for me and this clutch of tales from the big house were gathered in exactly this way on our recent visit to Petwork Park.

The image below is 'The Card Players' by Jan Matsys and it's at least 500 years old. I'm not entirely sure how to read what I'm seeing, but that bloke on the far left looks like a nefarious fellow and you wouldn't trust him any further than you could throw him. The room attendant remarked that the hands have been painted really well bar the old lady's one on the young man's shoulder. We speculated that she might have been added in later on and painted by someone other than the original artist. The prominent red hearts are also there to signify something....how I wish I could ask the artist what was in his mind when he created his piece.

Many of the paintings in the house are what I would term brown ones...stiff portraits or landscapes following the conventions of the day. In amongst the collection though are examples where the real face of the sitter looks back at you. The name of this lady hasn't come down to us, but the name of the artist Lavinia Fontana has. Yes you read that right a 17th century Italian female painter. In her day she was so highly regarded that she was invited to Rome to paint the pope. It was highly unusual, but possible for a woman to flourish in what was very much a man's world if they were either from the nobility or born into an artistic family. Fontana had the fortune to be in the latter category. Her husband was wholly supportive of her work, although I'm not quite sure how she found the time as she also had eleven children. Her fame did not last though as she might not be forgotten, but she has been omitted from the canon of well known male Renaissance artists. I'm back championing her cause. Other female names from this time to look out for are Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemsia Gentileschi and Elizabetta Sirani. 

I happened to spot this set of chairs set round the walls of the dark stairwell and zoomed over for a closer look. The guide, noting my enthusiasm, commented that people rarely give them a second look, but they are nationally important and a very rare survival. Apparently they are called Sgabello hall chairs.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that this room off the main entrance is currently undergoing a major refurbishment. Originally the walls were covered in portraits of the posh young totty of the day and the idea was to impress you from the minute you crossed the threshold. That was until 1820 when the then Duke of Egremont had a change of heart and decided to dedicate the wall space to the triumph of his sons in the Battle of Waterloo. What was one to do with the bevy of beauties....why just cut off their legs and shove 'em further up the wall😁Thankfully his instructions weren't carried out to the letter and instead their painted legs were folded up. Now the NT is busy unfolding the creased painting and restoring them to their rightful place. If you look carefully you can still just about see the diagonal crease mark left behind.

And there we have my own personal tour of Petworth Park without a groat being passed over for the official guide book...I've long since stopped buying such things as I never read them and they just become another item to clutter up my dwelling and collect dust😂

Arilx

Celebrating May

 Many people are much more motivated than my good self and leave their beds early on May morn to welcome the rays of the sun...I am afraid I am not one of those folks and remain firmly wedded to my bed. These days I'm big enough and ugly enough to realise that it's perfectly acceptable for me, as a solitary Druid, to celebrate in whichever way I choose. Doing it my way meant that I was in church for 11am...yes you read that right. As ever all is not what it seems.

The town's local morris side are called The Broadwood Men and are named after Lucy Broadwood who lived in the local village of Rusper and collected many of the folk songs we have today. Another relation, Captain Broadwood, was one of their founders in January 1972. The morris side hold a short service in the church every May day and lay a wreath upon Lucy's memorial in the church. This is followed by a rather uplifting rendition of the  Helston's  song 'Hal an Tow' complete with the vicar standing up in the pulpit with a massive roll of paper upon which he's drawn comical illustrations for each verse which he unfurls in time with the music. It's all topped off with a dance by the men in the aisle and then more dancing in the churchyard before the pub crawl begins. Other than a couple of years ago when I struck lucky and the 1st May was a bank holiday I've always been unable to go as I was working, but now that I'm a free agent we were able to attend with our fellow dancing pal Chrissie. The local school children are there and they seem to love it...especially when the naughty dragon roars at them from within the contents of his special bag. He's not allowed out for fear of the havoc he might wreak. We did follow the jollifications to the pub across for the road because a pint of local ale was just the ticket to finish off a lovely morning.

This is a rather lovely rendition of Hal an Tow by Damh the Bard if you're unfamiliar with it.

As you might expect, I can't resist a Morris jig celebration of my own and we joined Mythago for the annual Sweeps festival in Rochester. It's the furthest we have been in weeks and the first time out of West Sussex bar medical stuff since before the op. I usually take a few photos, but I managed to leave my phone at home so those I did snaffle were later in the day once we were done. Usually we'd do the full day, but we had arranged to cut our time short to ensure that David didn't get too tired. It's an incredible day, but very busy and can get a bit lairy in the latter stages. The cathedral cafe down in the crypt is always calm and not somewhere that many think to go so it comes as a welcome relief after all the excitement. After a restorative cuppa we made good use of our extra slice of time and trundled five miles up the road to pay homage to some old stones up on the brow of Bluebell Hill. This is Kit's Coty and it's the remains of what once would have been a magnificent Neolithic long barrow. To put it in perspective this predates Stonehenge. Whoever was deemed to be important enough for such a sending off to the Summerlands certainly had an amazing view up there. We had it to ourselves...just us, the wildflowers and the wind and this is where I silently and privately celebrated my own Beltane.

Arilx

Commemorated in glass

 

Usually the Horsham Unitarian is locked unless there is a service or an event on. I've only been in a couple of times, but last Saturday it was one of the venues for a series of very interesting and free talks about green issues. Just before the speaker got going I snapped these of the rather beautiful windows. It was only when I got home that I read the inscription on the last one to Matthew Caffyn 'renowned as a battle axe and a weapon of warre'. I like that he's remembered as a fiery character who was not scared to fight for what he believed in. 

Have a good weekend folks.

Arilx