Superlative Lichfield

The latest superlative walk took place today around Lichfield, where Andy, Bonnie, Bruce, Chris, Martin, Mike and I enjoyed a day of glorious crisp weather, lots of autumn colour and the delightful buildings and landscape of a lovely small City. One of the superlatives is, of course, the cathedral - the first in Europe to be built with three spires, in the 13th/14th centuries.

Two other superlatives to mention: Lichfield is the birthplace, in 1709, of Dr Samuel Johnson writer of the first dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755.

A benign photograph of the goods on sale in the market illustrates a much more macabre superlative: the market place was the site of the last public execution by burning in 1612, when Edward Wightman (from Burton upon Trent) was executed for promoting himself as saviour of the world.