Life Observed

Winchester Cathedral rises triumphant into the January afternoon sunlight, freshly scrubbed and cleaned*  I needed to wander around like a nutcase until I managed to juxtapose the Moon, the Rook and the West Face correctly. Wandering around like a nutcase should come naturally to a photographer. *The Cathedral, not the sunlight...

I dig Wells, man.  I guess I've always dug it. What a lovely Cathedral city, small and beautifully formed, and a joy to behold on a sunny afternoon. We spent part of the day amongst the tourist excesses of Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole , so it was just the right decision to revisit Wells for afternoon tea. It never fails to please. We had a short walk around the Bishop's Palace (a three picture panorama shown above) which is a haven of calm and well mowed lawns. I recall there is a tea shop hidden in there somewhere.   Experienced Wells watchers will know that the Bishops Palace is surrounded by a large moat, as splendid as any you might find around a castle. However this is hidden from view, and if you stand and admire the Cathedral, you could easily miss this key feature of the city, pictured above and below. We were so seduced by the sunshine and the surroundings that we sat down with drinks in the recently remodelled courtyard of the Swan ...

A short sturdy of other people's ceilings:  Firstly: Canterbury Cathedral at the crossing point. Rather high, but well lit don't you think? Bath Cathedral: Extensive fan vaulting in the nave. Lovely details, light and airy Finally, the Baptistry at Florence. Almost more Gold leaf than paint... An impressive sight.

Here we are inside Salisbury Cathedral, and these are some of the named stalls in the choir (or Quire?). Many of the churches in the diocese have their own seat together with rather florid names. Grantham Australis? Did you know that Chisenbury and Chute was Inhibited? I deliberately under exposed this to emphasise the dark conditions inside. This also had the advantage of raising the shutter speed to something more reasonable. As always under these circumstances I operate a no-flash policy.