Hereford Cathedral Part II

 

The John Piper Tapestries - the link tells you about them and also about the history of the Cathedral. 

One of the great and good . . . There were many in the Cathedral.

This small side chapel had the most amazing atmosphere - imbued with prayer down the centuries.  The stained  glass windows were stunning too - like paintings.

Tomb of St Thomas Cantilupe, who was Bishop of Hereford Cathedral until 1275, and he was enshrined here after his death in 1282.

My favourite part!  Some of the Herefordshire Romanesque bits survived, if not in situ.

A Green Man without a doubt!

This has taken forever to put up!  I have to go and collect a small freezer for Eldest Daughter from Llandod.  It is, of course, pouring with rain - but my garden is delighted, although the lawn is literally growing as I watch it!

Billy - suggestions please for a budget camera that is good at scenery and doesn't need a PhD in photography to use.  (Budget to me - a good few years back now, admittedly! - used to be under £50 but now add a 0 it seems.)

Chasing my tail again

 Sorry to be absent - I really DID mean to do another post at the weekend, but it ended up being a very busy time, and my friend Pam was here on Sunday and we gardened together for 5 hours - that's the longest I've managed yet, but my body is giving me jip now!  Anyway, one part of the Bank is properly weeded and now has lots of mulch on it too and today I got some more for the new bed by the pond - once used for veg (and the propogation of IVY by the look of things.  It took me eight hours to clear it.

K and I went to a small Antiques Fair on Saturday, and bought a couple of things (I couldn't resist a job lot of horsey bits and pieces) and saw our friends, which was lovely.

He is still really struggling after walking too far at the big Antiques Fair and so we went to see the GP again today and another round of blood tests, looking for something else she thinks could be the problem.  Next week is a trip to Hereford for another MRI.  We know how to have fun.

No Cathedral photos tonight - I am so weary, after a couple of nights where I lost 4 and 5 hours sleep, worrying.  Apart from K, I have been back and forth to the Vet's with first Theo (steroid jab and more anti biotics) and then Ghengis 2 days later .  Wouldn't perform his cough/swallow for the vet, nothing obvious stuck in his mouth or throat but she said his teefs are covered in tartar and it needs removing.  Bye-bye £250 I didn't have going spare! He's in on Friday. Theo mending but he has had this sinus problem all his life, sometimes worse than others but the last lot of anti-biotics made him much worse. If not better this time, bye-bye £150 for X-Rays . . . 

Anyway, enjoy some photos I took when I visited Treberfydd Walled Garden Nursery last week.  Wanted to go there last year but all the Covid lockdowns and what have you put the kibosh on that plan.  I may have spent some money (well, I had worked hard at the Fair and set myself apart a "wage".)  This beautiful walled garden is part of the Treberfydd estate - the big house was lived in by the Raike family - we bought some of their clearout sale (African stuff) at an auction once.  They were very high up in the Admiralty.

The plants I bought were: Knautia macedonica; Corydalis flexuosa; Tellima grandiflora; Verbascum phoenicium 'Violetta'; Plomis tuberosa and Salvia uliginosa. I'd not seen any of these offered elsewhere, and knew of their types, and can't wait for them to bloom this year.  Today I went to the Railway Line Nursery for composted bark, and came home with a Geum 'Pink Petticoats'.  These grow well here and this is just SO pretty.  Photos to follow.

The area I cleared for the new plants.  There are two clematises planted to scramble over the stump.  I'll take a photo tomorrow.

Hereford Cathedral - part 1

 A good start to the day - NOT - my week old mouse just died on me so I've had to order another and then learn how to scan a copy of the bar code to return it - I just take it to Llandod (would rather stick in an envelope and save the fuel!) and they scan the code and package it etc.  More technology!  I had to use my card to pay for parking in Hereford yesterday, having mindfully bought something with a £10 note so I had plenty of change for parking!  I am being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century.  Update - couldn't do anything with the touch pad on the computer - it was SO slow going through the photos, so I shot to Llandod to return the old mouse and got the LAST mouse in Tesco (left because it was £20!! There was no price on it but I was desperate.)

Beautiful Hereford Cathedral.

I could do a whole post JUST on the stained glass, and another JUST on the late Medieval stone memorials. I am kicking myself for not buying a guide book because I had seen one here recently.  Darned if I can remember in which bookcase now!

Lift up thine eyes.

The beautiful font and its setting.  I did take a photo of one of the little lions? but it wasn't sharp enough to share.

The nave was lined with shrines of the great and good in Hereford's history.  Quite a few were sans faces - down to Cromwell's troops one assumes.

As you can see, I was having a bad day with focusing the camera.  This was partly down to rushing to be back to Keith, and partly me worried about paying to get out of the car park as I hadn't noticed the payment area on the way out and didn't want to get my knickers in a twist having to pay on the way out with card.  Above was the tomb of St Thomas Pembridge anyway.  

Beautiful carvings when you looked up and of course, amazing Norman architecture.

Above and below this is the wonderful SAS Memorial called Ascension.  It was unveiled in 2017.  The glass is beautiful - now that is GOOD modern stained glass.  It was created by Royal Academy Sculptor John Maine.  The glass was assembled in Germany by Derix using 4,000 pieces of European glass in 40 different colours.   A wonderful tribute to those brave men from the Regiment (which is based in Hereford).  HERE is a piece which describes it in detail.

Stupendous stained glass.  I wish I had paid more attention and noted what was what!

There will be more tomorrow - after the dash into Llandod, I spent the morning filling informs and my brain is a bit addled now.  HERE is a link to the timeline of the Cathedral.

Arriving tomorrow - a visit to Hereford Cathedral

 

A walk beside the Wye

 

This pleasant spot used to be Erwood Station, on the old Mid-Wales line which ran from Brecon to Llanidloes. This diesel engine dates from 1939, and there are also three carriages which form the Craft Centre premises.  The station house is still there too.  Radnorshire Wildlife Trust have a display there too, as this area is a small nature reserve.

A few Bluebells were in bloom in places, but it wasn't overwhelmed with them.

First Speckled Wood of the season.

Looking up towards Twyn-y-Garth.

A glimpse of the River Wye.

The path led along beside the river and when the nearby A470 had a gap in the traffic, the river's song was very soothing.

Waiting for the Physio's visit.  I think he will be shocked at how K has deteriorated.  The thyroid treatment has had no effect whatsoever (but it is so low it is little more than a placebo).

Sorry for the lack of words - I was awake for 5 hours in the night and my brain isn't really in residence.

Still only two Swallows (and they are either both female or both male as not mating). The 3 House Martins are nesting on the empty house across the lane I think.

Running on empty

 The Fair is all done and dusted (bar the unpacking).  It was a busy weekend although Sunday was quieter - perhaps because it was raining some people were put off.  Bargain Hunt were there too - Kate Bliss and the Blue Team shopping opposite us in the Back Sheds.

We set up at the Fair on the Friday, arriving around lunchtime and having a look round before setting out our wares.  Early-entry buyers come in and of course other dealers come round, hoping for a bargain, but we made no sales.  Keith had a good wander round, both in the bargain-basement wheelchair we had bought from the 2nd hand shop in town from sheer desperation as I wanted him to be able to go to the Fair too, but also a little bit on foot.  He overdid it, but managed, just about.  It was so good to see friends again and generally have a nosey about to see what other folk were selling, and the prices they had on things! This was a 26,000 steps day.

The top table on my stand.  Some big chunks of this attracted buyers.

Saturday was a killer.  No doubt about that, as it was a 12 1/2 hour day and we had to be there, ready to stand with our stock when the doors were unlocked at 7 a.m.  and until they shut at 6.30 p.m.  In the evening, never had the idea of a take-away Indian Meal been so appealing!  22,000 steps clocked up.

    Keith came along again but really overdid things trying to force himself to walk further - this did not work well and he has learned a lesson!  The fitness scheme that worked when he was 40 does not have the same outcome now . . .  He enjoyed himself though - bucked him up no end.

More "stuff" from pre-Covid times when I had my little business and  we did fairs regularly. There are a few bits less now, but I still have boxes and boxes here! 

We had plenty of floor space too.

Chairs used to be our stock in trade.  There are 3 fewer now.

I was intrigued by this ?Mongolian? saddle base on a rocking horse. At first I thought it was a McLellan (American) saddle but no, on closer inspection it wasn't.

Our nearest neighbours, where the Bargain Hunt team were filmed.  Really friendly folk.

A beautifully hand-quilted Welsh quilt.  Probably Carmarthenshire but I'm too tired to even go and get a quilt book (upstairs) to check the patterns.

These have a good look - brand new too.

Sorry, the flash didn't go off.  Gorgeous carved pieces here on a stall belonging to a friend of ours who bought the wonderful Charles I carvings from us.  He will put proper spikes in to take candles.

A good selection of paintings on another stall.

It was a very worthwhile weekend.  Another 22,000 steps clocked up yesterday.  I shan't be doing much today after the un packing is done.

So, Monday morning now and I am tired out before I even start!  I have to unpack the van now, on my own, as Tam is moving into her lovely flat with a sea view in Aberystwyth.  We hope she will be very happy there.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday folks.

Signing off for a few days as so busy

Forgive my absence (in advance) as I am going absolutely flat out with the preparation for the Fair but have 3 very long days of it so I shan't be able to write anything or check in.  Think 12 1/2 hour days out of the house.  Wishing everyone a lovely weekend. See you next week, which will also be very busy with 4 necessary meetings for me.