Sunday, April 27, 2003

 

Day 3 Cricklade, Wiltshire

Up early for breakfast and Church.. Vicky was so disappointed, the wedding banns were not read out in church this morning, they were read the week before, an error on the Church’s part I understand.

As the collection plate was passed round Pat decided that she would donate an amount larger than normal as it was becoming Vicky’s parish church. As she rifled her handbag she saw a 5 pound note in her purse so she thought this amount would be ideal. After dropping the 5 pound note on the plate she saw with horror it was a NZ $5 note worth probably 1 pound fifty at most after the exchange fees were deducted. It did give us a moment of humour as she told us.

Late morning directly after Church we left for Salisbury Cathedral leaving Vicky back in Cricklade with wedding preparations. Driving across the rolling Salisbury plains we arrived in Salisbury and Ian had picked out a listed "good food" listed pub for us to have lunch. After a baguette of venison sausage for me and chips with a glass of beer for 8 pounds I thought I had better stop thinking in NZ dollars and think pounds. We were in expensive Britain for the next 10 weeks!

The pub had its resident ghost the wall plaques told us and directed us to a little side room halfway up the stairs where it was said a card sharp was caught cheating at cards and in the mêlée that followed had his hand severed by a sword. The ghost of the card sharp is said to sometimes be seen on the stairs with a mournful look searching for his lost hand.

We then went to the famous Cathedral and in the biting wind admired the beautiful, magnificent external architecture before proceeding inside. The interior was equally inspiring, how could they build such magnificent structures in those far gone days? We were disappointed to be unable to see little of the interior and delve into the nooks and crannies due to the fact an internal Church of England clergy appointment was being held and celebrated. Visitors were roped off to a small central area. We did not stay too long and we ignored the requested donation suggested of 3 pounds 80 pence.

Although very impressive, Salisbury Cathedral did not seem to instill the same sense of awe in me as did St. Paul's Cathedral during our visit to London in 2000. There seemed somehow a more sense of reverence in St. Paul's than in the more grandeur atmosphere of Salisbury Cathedral.

Leaving Salisbury we headed for Stonehenge on our way back to Cricklade. We pulled into busy Stonehenge car and payed our 3.80 pounds senior's entrance fee (5.00 others)which includes a free to use of a dictaphone to give a selected by numbers commentary at numbered signs along the pathway. Until recently visitors were able to wander at will among the stones of Stonehenge but now a roped pathway must be followed. We proceeded down to the tunnel under the busy road to come out at the far side to the greeted with the sight of Stonehenge.

The bitter wind blew across this exposed place on the high ground but even so Stonehenge was magnificent on this dull day. Of all the photos I've seen, even those taken by experts, they have not been able to do Stonehenge justice. Stonehenge has got to be experienced in the flesh, to capture that feeling of raw magnificence. I think Anthony was particularly impressed and I'm sure with his feeling for things spiritual, he could picture the Druids and their ceremonies and rites at the dawn of the longest day in those early days of pre-history. Gillian too seemed to linger enjoying the experience despited the blustery day proof of which can be seen from a photo of Anthony with his hair standing on end.

We eventually returned via the tunnel and tackled the souvenir shop where Anthony bought a descriptive book of the area. Heading for the car and trailing the others I came across a very,very fat man in a much over-wide wheelchair pushed along by two muscular men to one of the many visiting tour buses.

We stopped off for awhile at Avebury, another pre-history site much less grand than Stonehenge but still interesting. A large ring of standing stones less formal in stature than Stonehenge stood in a wide circle with a deep moat ditch around the outer perimeter. I could see shellfish fossils in the limestone rock, relics of a previous prehistoric time. It looked to me like a fortified village of that era. I remember Avebury standing stones from my RAF days on the bus route when I went home on leave from Compton Bassett.

Now for the last leg back to Cricklade and on the way, a phone call from Vicky querying our time of return which was close to 7 p.m. Surprise, surprise a Welsh lamb roast dinner beautifully cooked by ever industrious Vicky. We polished off every morsel! Delicious!

I was past worn out and fell asleep on the settee and I was packed off to bed where I fell into a deep sleep.

A dull and windy but a memorable day.

posted by OldEric 3:23 am