Be my baby

 Two lovely songs that I somehow remembered this night... 

The Ronettes singing 'Be my baby'... 

The following is a song that I remember from the movie Belfast, one of the movies I watched while in the UK.  Watching the movie in the context and in the country make it all the more special.  Not every one who watches the movie will FEEL it except those who have been through those time or places! 

Glass, children and cows!

Was at the British museum today.  After almost two years. Actually revisited the very places that I viewed on my three trips earlier.  Nonetheless, got time to visit another gallery.  The rest for another visit(s)! 

New learnings of today:
The art of glass making and creatively using glass was something mastered in the BC!!  It is believed to have originated in the area around Israel. 

Second learning of the day, thought that the child potty was a modern invention! Not at all!  That credit also goes back to our great great forefathers... the Greeks, in Athens in the 6th century BC!

An amusing discussion:
In the Egyptian gallery, which also was the most crowded one, with all the mummies, saw a couple of animals mummified too!  Cats, of course!  Greeks thought of them greatly.  But also saw 'sacred bulls'.  Someone commented, "Hope Modi does not get wind of this! If he does, we'll soon have an official minister and a whole governmental department for the mummification of 'sacred cows'!"

Salisbury Cathedral

Visited Salisbury cathedral today with the CathSoc from the University.  Amazed at the whole structure. Still more amazed at the thought of having to build one such thing in the 13th century!  Crazy! 

Some quick facts:

• The cathedral was built in just 38 years beginning in 1220.  
• It contains 60,000 tons of stone (that meant the same number of horse cart rides to transport the stone from the nearby quarry to the site of construction!). 
• 2,800 tons of oak wood from the forests and even from Ireland.  
• 420 tons of lead for the roofing.  
• It has a foundation of not more than 4 feet!  The whole structure sits - or rather floats - on a mix of gravel, sand, and water! That watery depth is about 27 feet!  That makes it the largest floating Cathedral.  None would even dare start a building of that sort. 
• It has the highest Church spire in the whole of Europe. There are about 300+ steps leading up to the foot of the spire!  A spectacular view of the whole city from up above.  
• The pillars supporting the whole structure are not more than 5 feet in diameter!  Built according to the early English Gothic architectural style, the Cathedral was primarily the work of a priest Elias of Dereham.  No monastery or convent existed around the Cathedral ever!  The height of it is really crazy.  If it were to be storied and each storey dedicated for some purpose I understand, but this is just the floor and the ceiling - way, way above!  
• A water font was added to the central part of the Cathedral.  It is beautiful, with water falling off from four corners.  Some great planning is behind it as there are no bubbles arising from the water being pumped from underneath.  The font, bigger than a table tennis board, appears like glass - water being so still and not a single bubble. Got to find out how they did that!  
• The Chapter house adjoining the Cathedral contains one of the four original (of the 40) Magna Carta's existing.  Surprisingly, it is very clear and legible - even though it was written in 1215 on animal hide!  The writing is so precise and beautiful it appears as though printed yesterday!  

  

  The world's oldest working clock!

  
  
  
  
  

  

  The statue 2 feet tall at the entrance to the Chapter house, which contains the Magna Carta

  
  

  

  The statue of Mother Mary and child Jesus.  Today it is used as a 'witness' to the induction of girl choir members - when girls pass their test and are selected for the girls choir, they kneel before this statue and are given three hits with a heavy Bible on their head!  

At Cotswolds

Visited Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-water in the Cotswolds today.  It was a lovely journey in the coach - my first time travel in a coach (bus!) in the UK.  The Cotswolds is a perfectly rural area and therefore everything was appealing.  In the former place we walked around the Tuesday market.  At Bourton-on-water we were surprised to see the number of tourists there!  The place is just a small street on either side of a small riverlet!  But very beautiful - just that natural beauty of the place attracts so many tourists there.

Had for company the elderly of Chertsey area.  All retired people filling in their time by visiting places and spending money!  Since there were not many takers for this trip, got a chance sponsored by one of the parishioners.  So hopped in!  But am happy to have met some of them and spend time chatting with them!  It was good!

At the entrance to the Motor museum

Bourton 'river': It was just ankle deep... but clear cool water!

Plenty of low bridged across the river - the greatest tourist attraction of the place

All along the river, in the town, on either side are eateries - all bustling with customers!

St Lawrence's Church... nice small but beautiful Church. 
Liked the way the pews were arranged to face the sanctuary...

At Cowley

Last weekend, on Saturday, we went to Cowley for our monthly recollection.  It was nice to meet Frs Peter and Graham, after long.  They had done much to welcome us and make us feel at home.

Among the many beautiful things I noticed in the small Chapel and the meeting hall, what really caught my attention was the two glass stained windows embedded on the wall, on either side of the tabernacle.  One is of St Francis de Sales and the other is of Don Bosco.  I learnt that they were originally in the Salesian house or Chapel which was somewhere uphill from the present location.  The design of stained glass with its colour combination is intricate and very beautiful.  Most appealing was the metal work holding the whole painting, not just as a frame but holding the bits of glass and at the same time forming part of the image.  I doubt if the artists who made them, certainly not computerised given their age, were literate or highly educated.  But they certainly knew to do a very intricate and beautiful job.

The left icon on the top of this image of Don Bosco, is a bit intriguing.  The one on the right is clearly a chalice.  The one on the left appears like a shell but to me it felt more likely that it was Our Lady - given the two great devotions of Don Bosco: The Eucharist and Mother Mary.

Sacred Heart Battersea, anniversary celebrations

Today was the 125 anniversary of the consecration of the Sacred Heart Church at Battersea.  It was on this very day in 1893 that the Church was consecrated by Bishop John Cagliero in the presence of Don Rua and some other prominent members of the Salesians from Italy.  They made their way to London from Rome, in spite of not having money and in fact borrowing money from one of the neighbours in France! 

Well, the celebration itself was simple.  Nothing extravagant, by any Indian standard.  I'm sure it would have been very very different were it to be an Indian celebration.  However, I did like certain features of the whole celebration.  The Mass was simple - not long and winding.  Singing was the best I liked.  The choir had no mikes and before the Mass the conductor, invited the congregation to join and sing along.  The music was minimal - one keyboard, a couple of violins and a box guitar.  Hymns were something we could all join in and sing along.  The archbishop of Southwark was the main celebrant, but the responsibilities for different things were all distributed.  A deacon read the gospel, another priest from the US preached the (short) homily.  Fr Cereda joined the blessing of the Church and congregation.  The various aspects of the liturgy were in different languages, rightly reflecting the diverse congregation which makes up the Church at Battersea.  Children were everywhere!  Long, a really long line of altar servers.  One read the reading.  The intercessions were by different children. The responsorial psalm was sung by children.  The only 'decoration' in the Church was a string on either side of the aisle with all the flags of the different countries.  Nothing else!  Of course, for the occasion the Church was painted.  But no other decoration strung or stuck or put up. 

The whole Mass, including the short presentation (a song and procession and handing over of the various national flags), presentation of gifts to former parish priests and helpers, vote of thanks, a few words by Fr Cereda before the final blessing took exactly 1 hr and 30 mts.  By any British standard that is 'too long' but by every Indian standard that was lightning fast!  Of course, there were other aspects that could have been done better (not prolonged) - sound system, for example - but on the whole I liked it all. 

Summer bloom

Some shots of the University 'forest'...

 This particular bush is a thorny one. But each node where there is a thorn and a leaf, there is a flower too!!  Very tiny but very beautiful!

British weather

Nothing is sure about the British weather, except that it will change - most probably, even before you have concluded your first statement. 

The way to ensure summer in England is to have it framed and glazed in a comfortable room. 

Horace Walpole, English writer, in a letter to Reverend William Cole (1774). 

Just last week the temperature was 26 c and these couple of days it has been less than 16 c.  That we rational beings cannot make sense of the weather, is fine, but I hope the plants are able to make sense of it.  Because some are very confused.  Their very looks reveal! 
Cherry blossom falling off even before it has fully bloomed! 
Daffodils, flowering, not flowering, flowering, not flowering!
Tulips only half of them flowered.  The others, those still with buds, are confused if they're out in the right time! 
I think, of the whole lot of flowering plants only the Dandelions are the most certain!! 

The Queen and the Royals

Today on the feast of St George, the patron saint of England, is born the third child of the royal family of William and Kate.  The new born is said to be fifth in line of succession to the throne. 

Prior to my arrival here in the UK, I never thought much of the royal family or the Queen.  Never thought that they'd mean much to anyone.  However, in the time that I've been here, I've noticed how deep a bond the English share with the Royal family.  Honestly it initially appeared a bit old fashioned and odd, that too for a modern and progressive country like England to still hold onto 'kings and queens'. 

In the course of time, I've begun to notice the influence the royal family has on the nation.  Having no real knowledge about the whole story, I still do not know where exactly does the Queen and the royal family fit - but their presence means much.  Gracefully away from politics, the family beautifully serves as a moderating pivot of the English society as a whole.  With the administration and politics left to the bureaucrats and politicians, the Queen and her family represent the English society to the world.  The respect people have for the Royal family, even in today's liberal society, is something amazing.  That respect is not something merely inherited, but certainly gained.  It is something like they have the privilege, but no power (political, I mean); the respect, but no authority;  the affection and the bond, but no legal or administrative duty.  

At OLSD Church, Farnborough

I was at Our Lady and St Dominic's Church, Cove, Farnborough yesterday and today.  If I'm not mistaken this is the first time that I've preached a sermon on a Sunday in a Church - all three Masses.  Being Vocation Sunday (Good Shepherd Sunday) I was asked to speak about vocation, or my vocation, at this parish in Farnborough.  I was happy to.  The only other time I've preached during Mass is occasionally on Sunday's while at Nashik, in our Salesian community Chapel, for the staff of the house.  They were mostly telugu and tamil speaking groups and we would take turns giving a sermon. 

I did prepare my text and even typed and printed it out, just before leaving for the parish.  However, I never once looked at it.  Mostly because I knew what I wanted to say and the exact words.  Since it was not more than 12 minutes that I wanted to speak, I did not wander about or blabber. 

The parishoners were happy to hear me.  Some of them did come and congratulate and thank me for sharing my story and some thanked me for the spontaneous way I did it.  A couple of boys were keen that I come and talk at their school too!!  Anyway, I constantly reminded myself that it is a sermon that I've asked to preach, not an animation talk.  So I made sure I didn't say anything that would be there merely to impress or draw their attention.  Since I knew I wouldn't speak for long, and was confident that what I had to share was worth it, I didn't need honey and fireworks. Most important of all, I asked the Lord to let His message be conveyed - not my story. 

Besides the people of the parish, I liked the very structure of the Church - simple, functional and neat.  I think that made it very beautiful. The best part was that the altar and sanctuary is surrounded by the congregation.  Only straight behind the priest there is no seating area.

British summer time

The past couple of days have been bright and sunny, with the temperatures touching 20c and beyond. Now that's really summer for the Brits.  One can see everyone making the most of this sunny weather.  Cars driven around with their windows down. Convertibles with their whole cover down.  Naturally with the windows down or top open, very many tend to blare their car stereos. Some infact many not realize how loud they are playing the music.  House windows being opened.  Great demand for window cleaners. More noise on weekends in the open backyard of houses.  Men and young boys walking around shirtless, bare bodied and in shorts.  Women and young girls walking about with short or mini shorts and open shoulder tops.  Dark glasses being worn by drivers and people walking around.  Primary school children being told to put on their hats or caps while out in the open.  Youngsters in schools and at the university lazing around in the open, in the sun, rather than herding indoors.  Sale of beers shooting up and pubs doing brisk business.  Even nature is at its best now... with fresh leaves and flowers blooming.

Winchester Cathedral

The Winchester Cathedral is a grand place and a must see part of Winchester.  Built by the Normans it has tons of history and one can spend a whole day within marveling the architecture, the ambiance, studying the tombs of clergymen and nobles, the writings and paintings dating back to the 12th century, listening to the various anecdotes associated with the Cathedral and of course, praying!  Unlike the Churches in London city which are usually noisy, this Cathedral, in spite of the number of people inside and outside, was very silent and the prayerful atmosphere not disturbed in any way by the visitors.  On stating that we were seminarians, we were granted free entrance - thanks to the lady at the reception!  But even if we had to pay the £ 8 entry fee, it would have been worth every bit of it. 

Under the arches built outside the Cathedral for additional support in the later centuries.

I'm not sure if the church gets full for liturgical services but am sure in the past centuries it would have certainly been full and overflowing.  So vast is the length of it. 

 The large stained glass window at the rear end has an interesting story:  During the 17th century when the parliamentary troops besieged the town, they took shelter in the cathedral and noticing the exquisite stained glass depicting the Risen Lord and all the various scenes from the old and new testament were appalled at the 'idolatry'.  They broke every possible bit of it!!  Later the townsfolk with great sadness picked up the broken glass and handed it over to the clergy to 'fix' it back!!  By then none knew which piece went where and how.  So they merely stuck it as best as they could. Today it is a large mosaic, but not definite picture! 

The stained glass window at the rear end (westside)

The exquisitely carved sanctuary, which also houses the choir
Behind it is the early resting place of St Swithun

The statue of Bp William of Wickhyme, one of the founding builders of the cathedral and the founder of Winchester college.
The three monks sitting at the foot of the statue have long intrigued historians! 

The tomb of Jane Austen.
Only now did I come to know that her father was an Anglican priest, a well known pastor.
Beside the tombstone, there is also a plaque on the wall, put in place by her cousin and later a large stained glass with the pictures of St Augustine (her patron), St Paul (man of Biblical literature) and sons of Paul. 

The original painting, done in the 12 and 13 century, adoring the facing wall of the chapel of the Holy sepulchre

 Gratefully, the cathedral is not only about bishops and clergymen.  At the east end of the cathedral there is a diver's statue, the bronze divers' helmet and a plaque commemorating the 'Diver who saved the Cathedral'.  It is dedicated to William Walker, a diver who was employed during the renovation of the Cathedral.  Due to the loose soil beneath, the east end of the Cathedral began sinking in the early 1900s.  The engineers decided to remove the loose soil and fill it with concrete.  The only problem they did not foresee was that as they removed the soil, water started to seep in and that when William stepped in.  He dived in the ice cold water with only his hands to guide him (since it was dark and no light underwater), carrying concrete from the surface to the bottom, till he reached hard ground, building up the foundation... he did this every day for six years!!  And all of it wearing the early heavy diver kit. He'd arrive after breakfast do this work for three hours, have his lunch which consisted of a sandwich and tobacco (to which he attributed his strength) and then worked another round till evening... for six long years!!  Nice to him being remembered and his work duly awarded, with special mention of him inside and outside the cathedral. 

William Walker, the diver. 

I joined a group of visitors being led by a tour guide and my only regret was that I should have stayed longer!  Since we agreed to meet back at the entrance after an hour, I had to rush back to join the others.  I could have spent another hour listening to him and followed by another hour walking around by myself!

The excellent tour guide!

Winchester

Two days ago I visited the town of Winchester, south of England along with Mateusz, Mirek and Dawid, the three clerics from Poland doing their PT in the province.  A decent hour drive from Chertsey.  I did some reading and information gathering the previous day and that really helped.  Towards the end of our visit I dropped in at the tourist information centre and they had loads of stuff.  So next time for sure, it would be a good idea to drop in first at the information centre of any town.

 We basically did a self-guided walk around the town, visited the Cathedral, the city Mill, the Wolvesey castle and a few other places on the way.  As always, what struck me most was the way the historical heritage is preserved and the history documented of the various places and events.  There are remains of the wall built by the Romans!  Wall built in the 3rd century!!  Then the whole castle and the surrounding wall around it, dating back to the medieval times.  What's more, a wing of the castle, actually built by Bishop Henry Blois, still serves as the Bishop's house and office.  The dilapidated part of the castle is open to visitors and the walls so thick!  Almost 3 feet! All made of rock and mortar.  The "thinnest" walls as described on the plaque were that of the kitchen... about 2.5 feet!

The City flour mill is the only operational mill in the county, run solely by hydropower, being built on River Itchen.  It's amazing how nature's forces were put to use in bygone times... I guess it was because people did not have ready made things as available now!

The footwear once used in the mill, something like skiing shoes to prevent one from sinking into the flour

The city was originally built by King Alfred the great and his statues graces the town centre.  Did not find much about him apart from the statue dedicated to him, at least in the places that we visited.  Perhaps there is more of him in the Great Hall (which we did not have time for).  

During our walk along the river Itchen, we saw the way it was divided to create small islands (perhaps for cultivation, then) and it also served as a moat for the castle.  The castle was not of the king but the Bishop!!  Given the times when the Bishop was no less a political figure and wealthy man, he certainly needed 'protection'!  We walked past the house in which Jane Austen died, the King's gate, above which is the small chapel dedicated to the patron saint of Winchester, St Swithun.  

The King's way passage, above which is the church of St Swithun

Just round the corner one enters the campus of the cathedral - that's another post altogether!  The pilgrim's centre built in the medieval times is still intact.  Of course, some additional support is provided but the basic structure, mostly of wood is still intact and is the backbone of the building.  

The memorial of William the conqueror, beside the Church of St Lawrence

The imposing city hall housing various offices and conference halls.