Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Cathedral three

Still on the north flank. Three large niches from which the statues had been removed - presumably in one of the two waves of iconoclasm - the first at the time of Henry VIII and the second at the time of the Lord Protector. In the latter case we read that it was sometimes possible to buy his soldiers off with beer or skittles; they were not always that fussed, just obeying orders. Perhaps the modern equivalents in the Middle East, not being allowed beer, could be bought off with coffee and cigarettes.

And one of which is occupied by another early modern intrusion. Which prompts the thought that it was odd that someone capable of making such a carving could not make better use of the niche. Perhaps the master mason was missing again.

And a bit further round, a window sponsored, before their suppression, by British Rail. A sparing sponsorship, not involving any fancy coloured glass.

Group search key: elc.

No comments:

Post a Comment