At last a lovely day. According to the weather forecasters on TV we should have had better weather earlier, but today it is excelling. Now, at four in the afternoon, the sun is shining, the wind has almost dropped and it is actually warm.
As is usual on a Friday three of us - W, M and I- have been out to lunch. And like last week we went to a pub called The Queen's Head in a pretty little Dales village called Finghall. The food was delicious and as with last week I think we all three almost overate. W and I both had king prawns deep fried in batter accompanied by a delicious, well-dressed salad and crisp chips. (M had fish and chips). So many salads are miserable specimens, this one had several kinds of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, walnut halves, strips of eating apple and a really good dressing.
We all had lime and soda water to drink and finally a cup of coffee. Nice company, nice surroundings and a dog waiting in the hall to be taken for a walk (groan) on my return. Still it woke me up nicely.
It does look as though the weather is settling nicely for The Show tomorrow - I hope so. So many people work so hard to make it a success and on the day the success or failure rests almost entirely upon the number of people who attend. Locals who don't attend know to keep well away from the main road through the town if they are in a hurry to get anywhere. As that main road goes straight past the end of my road then no such luck for me.
I have a few gardening jobs waiting to be done - dead-heading, watering of tubs, digging out of couch grass; plenty to keep me going. It is just a matter of having enough energy to get stuck in. Time will tell but I really do hope to get some of it done at least.
I have just been reading about helter skelters and other things in Cathedral aisles. 'Flog it' quite often comes from inside cathedrals these days. I am not sure what I think to such things. I am a Humanist and belong to Humanists UK (I defend the right to live by my own personal values and
have the right to make my own decisions about my life) but I do like the beauty and peace of sitting inside these exquisite buildings and savouring the peace therein. Should we encourage this move towards change or not ? What do you think? Have you a view? If so I would like to hear it - perhaps it will help me to make up my mind.
About Me
- The Weaver of Grass
- I am a widow for the second time - first marrriage 39 years, second marriage 23 years - both very happy. My second marriage was to a farmer and when he died the farm was sold. I now live in the nearby small town on the edge of Wensleydale in The Yorkshire Dales. My beloved Border Terrier died a couple of years ago - I still miss her but as I am 90 and need carers I shalln't get another I have one son,who lives nearby with his wife, three grandchildren, one step grandchild, two great grandchildren and two step great grandchildren..Life is good.
nothing wrong with a bit of snow.
Do you like my new bed?
Whatever you are - come out!
Do you like my new hairdo?
My Blog List
Well, are we going for a walk or what?
Come out rabbits! We know you're in there!
.JPG)
My latest photograph.
Look how I've grown!
Best buddies
20 comments:
Norwich Cathedral has had a helter skelter in the main aisle for a couple of weeks this summer. The Canon got the idea whilst visiting the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He wanted people to have access to seeing the roof and ceiling of the Cathedral and thought of ways in which he could achieve this. I think it is a great idea. Cathedrals are meeting places and should be enjoyed by all and if some people visit who have never seen the interior before so much the better.
Your blog inspired me to do some research because I had no idea what "Flog It" is nor had I heard of helter skelters. I have always had a beautiful feeling of serenity when I visited cathedrals in Europe, as well as a great appreciation for the exquisite beauty of the very old buildings. I simply can't get the visual out of my head seeing a golf course, a slide, or a popular TV show being taped inside any one of those places I visited. Nor can I accept the reasoning behind these events. Although not a practicing religious person, I attended three masses in Tuscany one Sunday just to enjoy the beauty of an ancient church with priests singing in Latin. I'm laughing at the moment visualizing me walking into a cathedral while one of those helter skelters were in place and the shocked look on my face! I'd think I lost my mind and was hallucinating. Thank you for helping me learn something new today.
I've studied the art of the Northern Renaissance, starting in the early 1400s, and it was quite a shock to learn what went on in early churches, in the days before most people could read. They regularly had religious plays inside, but their day-to-day activities were also really theatrical. Hooks in the rafters were used to hoist wooden figures, dressed for the theme (infant Christ, Virgin, saints etc), and lower them as part of the service. All the statues/carvings in the churches would have been painted - the whole thing would have been quite garish to our eyes.
I've tried to remind myself of this when reading these reports about 'fun' activities in some cathedrals this summer, but I'm on the side of wanting a sense of peace and, dare I say it, holiness, in any church.
While the helter skelter was not installed as a fund-raiser, it's important to remember that cathedrals have to pay their way - either by attracting visitors or hosting commercial events. These buildings are regarded as 'national treasures' in many cases and are high cost and high maintenance structures - but they are not maintained by the state. As people turn away from organised religion much of the cost falls to congregations reducing in number and diminishing in size.
Interesting comments so far - do keep them coming.
I feel uneasy about turning Cathedrals into funfairs or other types of entertainment, but they are very expensive to keep in good repair and as I am sure they are not filled each Sunday with worshippers, the money has to come from somewhere. I would rather they were preserved than fall into ruin.
So pleased the weather is improving. There are several country shows this weekend in various parts of the country so they should be safe.
Your choice of lunch sounds delicious and I would have chosen the same.
The soda water on your menu is a Must , especially when eating deeply fried food. It is known to well neutralize various toxins in the digestive track. I'm used to drinking it from childhood.
Many people will not realise, of course, that the Norwich Cathedral helter skelter was part of two weeks of religious activities (called Seeing Things Differently I think) including prayer and retreats and the Cathedral was not reduced to a funfair. In fact the cathedral is so big that it did not impact on visitors if they did not want to be part of that particular event. The gift of seeing the interior of the cathedral from different angles was much appreciated by locals (at £2) and viewing mats for laying down on were provided to see the roof from the top of the helter skelter. Normally it is only possible to appreciate the roof via mirrors on the cathedral floor. The event has now finished.
Most of these events are very temporary intrusions into the peace and tranquility of the churches in question - even more insignificant in the light of the church having stood for hundreds of years. If something brings our civilisation to a sudden end it will not be a helter-skelter in a cathedral.
For US readers flog it and helter skelter are not heard of. I will look them up.
I googled up helter skelters, and found one in Rachel's own Norwich Cathedral. Brilliant, and I'm not talking about all the lights. Even god needs a smile, these days.
Sadly, living here in the US, "helter skelter" only brings to mind Charles Manson, his cult, and horrendous crimes. Needless to say, I will have to visit Mr. Google to learn how these two words have a completely different meaning in your country...looking forward to learning new things.
Where I was at school (Ely, near Cambridge) there were ruts in the flagstone floor all along the nave, that had been made by cart wheels. The cathedral had been used as a market place over many generations.
I am completely against the idea of churches that try to attract a younger crowd with these sort of gimmicks. Churches and cathedrals should be quiet places of contemplation. The last thing anyone needs is entertainment in them. Jesus would be rolling in his grave if he knew what was going on.
Don't I recall Jesus throwing a load of people out of a church one time
Glad to hear the warm weather has arrived in your area, and I suppose by now the show is well under way with many visitors enjoying themselves.
Such an interesting lot of comments. Rachel's comment that it was just a passing event is worth noting as is Cro's comment on cart wheel tracks on the nave floor. Derek - wasn't it something to do with Jesus turning out the money-lenders (my knowledge of the Bible is a bit rusty)? Many different views - but I so enjoyed reading them all - it would have been even better if we had all been together in my sitting room debating it - but better than nothing, so thanks to you all.
The money lenders in the Temple. Turned out for turning the Temple into a den of thieves.
Well, as a non-religious person that was about all I could remember, thanks for the clarification Rachel.
Sweltering hot and sunny day here on Sheppey and just been for a cycle ride along the sea front where there is a cooling breeze. Watching the cricket at Headingly and it looks really nice there, how long before the "it's too hot" complaints appear on blogs.
Post a Comment