Halloween

Up very early, I catch three trains to get me to Lincoln, changing at Derby and Nottingham. All three trains are on time, easy, comfortable and I sit by the window on each one, watching and daydreaming most of the time. My cousin M meets me at the station at 11.30 and I notice how much chillier it is than Bristol. It’s lovely to see her - we’re going to a special service tomorrow. Lincoln is where my mum did her initial nurse training- must have started 1939. She loved Lincoln and told me of Steep Hill, and the cathedral, both of which we explore. It’s quite a busy city, with a lot of students, tourists, and today many folk in spooky costumes and makeup. The city has Roman history but even more medieval. The cathedral is literally awesome, the interior soars above you, and you can’t believe how 13th century stonemasons could create such a great building. There’s masses of interesting bits of art too. In the collage I’ve shown - some peace doves out of 12,000 hanging from the roof, each with a wish for peace written by visitors over the summer. (If only….). Next is the Lincoln Imp - a joke ( I imagine) by a stonemason who created a little devil like creature, only a few inches tall, hidden away in the intricate carving on a pillar up high A wood artist, William Fairbank, has created the stations of the cross, displayed around the walls: this is Mary holding the crucified body, and whatever your beliefs, the image of the mother cradling her dead son is a heartbreaking tragedy I think. One chapel is painted by Duncan Grant of all people (he of the Bloomsbury group) and these little birds are at floor level.
We go to choral evensong in the choir shown in the first extra, which is quite an experience. I find I know all the words - from when I was made to go to church as a child. All still there. A theatrical event with great costumes and someone swinging a ball of smoky incense at us from time to time.
Dark and spooky when we leave and drive back to Ms house. Apparently the cathedral was used for the film of the Da Vinci Code, I’m not surprised