Thursday, February 18, 2010

A Little Trip Out

This week the children have their school half term break, so the house has been filled with sounds of piano playing and smells of biscuit baking.
The sky has been really showing off, wearing the most amazing clouds and colours.

Its been a week of recharging batteries. A time to visit special places.Today, a visit to Gloucester cathedral.
It was snowing and icy cold.

Luckily inside was lovely and warm and we wandered around drinking in history and inspiration for two hours, fuelled in between by a mug of hot chocolate and slice of cake in the coffee shop. I won't go into too much detail about the cathedral, as you can read  about it here. But here are my photos of things that inspired me.

  The hand painted ceilings and walls.


 Beautiful  lettering on stone and stained glass


Cold stone faces


Everything reminded me of how much I love medieval colours.

 
And this marble hand was so beautiful, I just had to keep touching it.

 
  
 
I've always been in love with stained glass and here of course it is everywhere.
But this window below wove a magic spell over all of us.It's by local stained glass artist Tom Denny

My small camera couldn't capture how beautiful it really was. It needs to be seen! You must go and see it, if you are not far away. It's simply stunning.

A different kind of magic crept into our visit too. The cathedral has been used numerous times as the film set for the Harry Potter films. Here are 'my two' standing in the passage where the message written on the wall proclaimed..... "The Chamber of secrets has been opened"

They enjoyed exploring, seeking out the different areas that had been used in the films, and so did I.

To finish our trip off and because it was snowing, (as in the story) how could we resist a wander, just a few steps from the cathedral to a rather famous address. Number 9 College Court. A little shop just off Westgate Street that once belonged to an old Tailor his cat and some very clever mice.
My favourite Beatrix Potter story. :)



28 comments:

  1. A magical outing, to be sure. Thanks so much for the pictures. I loved them all. Especially those cold stone faces, and those handsome children.

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  2. wow you are so so lucky. I dream of seeing places like that.

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  3. It's wonderful to see the work of today's artists in the same cathedral with the work of medieval artists.

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  4. Soaking up beauty looks like the perfect way to make a break enchanting.

    Your children look like they could be in the Harry Potter movie right now. :)

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  5. How beautiful the Cathedral is!!! And yes, I do remember that scene from the movie. The stained glass...I remember the choir singing "something wicked this way comes!" I hadn't realized it was Gloucester Cathedral.
    Thank you for posting all the beautiful photos. :) Hope you have been well. Theresa

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  6. Wonderful post. The Tailor of Gloucester is also one of my favorites. I remember reading it to my kids and every time I would read the name "Hunka-Munka" the kids would start chanting it. They loved that name.
    I was intrigued by the hands on the tomb. They are placed in a peculiar fasion and I don't think it is random. It most likely has some hidden meaning. A secret!
    Thanks for a good read.
    Cindee

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  7. Magic!!!!!!I used to love half-term when we got to do special things together.

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  8. This sounds like a really good way to spend a half term afternoon, I didn't know that the cathedral had been used in the Harry Potter films. I'd love to see the original Tailor of Gloucester shop too. My only visit to Gloucester was very many years ago on a cold,wet Sunday morning and I was not very taken with it, you've made me want to give it a second look:)

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  9. Oh it is lovely, thankyou for your excellent photography, the pictures don't only show the lovely detail but seem to capture an atmosphere,

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  10. Oh, what a gorgeous post! I would LOVE to visit, and the Harry Potter connection alone would make it twice as exciting!

    And your photos are stunning. The stained glass. The Medieval colours. The cold stone faces. And most especially the marble hand. Oh... my heart... How can something be so moving, so touching, so HUMAN, and yet made by human hand itself? Just beautiful.

    Thanks for sharing. C x

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  11. Beautiful! I love the fact that even today, even with all our jaded modern sensibilities, a cathedral can still make us draw our breaths in awe. I'll put Gloucester Cathedral on my 'must visit' list, if ever I make it back to the UK!

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  12. So magical, Karen. We will have to add Gloucester cathedral to our `places to visit' list. The stained glass is just stunning. So glad you enjoyed your time out and thanks for sharing your day. As always, your posts are a joy. xx

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  13. I love Gloucester Cathedral...it's a beautiful place.
    x

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  14. Beautiful Cathedral ancient history. I enjoyed the trip via your pics and comments.

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  15. So beautiful..exquisite and magical! Inspiring post!
    Kiki~

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  16. What a treat to see something like that so far away! It was a mini tour for me- think I will watch Harry Potter today while working in the studio!!!

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  17. Really inspiring! I love the stained glass and stone faces especially. I'll have to go there when I'm down that way.

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  18. Thanks so much for this Karen, I live within easyish reach of Gloucester so the cathedral is definitely going to be on my list of family outings, it looks so inspiring! I love it that you said you kept having to touch that hand, I get urges like this too and by looking at those beautifully crafted fingers, I can see why! A Beatrix Potter shop too! What more could I want in a day out?!xx

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  19. I love Gloucestershire Cathedral - and the Tom Denny window; I found it almost impossible to get a decent pic of it - I just sat and looked at it, noticing more and more clever details. It truly is a masterpiece and worthy of sitting in all the glorious history with other masterpieces.

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  20. Hi Karen,
    My Toyshop print arrived from Esty..or rather I had to find it in the postbag at work...today and I'm really thrilled with it. So chuffed that I've done a little link on my own blog to say how brilliant your work is!
    x

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  21. AMAZING shots, Karen!

    That cathedral is ridiculously ornate and beautiful!

    I'm so jealous!!

    -Dean

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  22. I will have to look out for those locations next time I watch Harry Potter. Gloucester Cathedral is beautiful. The medieval era is one of my favourite periods in history - all those Knights and fair maidens and chivalric deeds! The marble hand is so delicate and beautiful.

    Thank you for sharing Karen.

    Jeanne x

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  23. I love Gloucester cathedral,it's a been a few years since we last visited.
    After seeing your wonderful pictures I think we will visit again but when it's a bit warmer!

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  24. I've just discovered your blog - very nice! Love your paintings, they're beautiful.

    Anne.

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  25. That looks the lovliest of places to visit and you make it so magical with your beautiful photographs and words....

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  26. Oh a good gothic cathedral in the snowy weather is beautiful and magical. I saw Lincoln Cathedral in the snow and have never forgotten that little thrill of excited pleasure and the sense too of Beatrix Potter-ness there.

    Tailor of Gloucester is my favourite of hers too. I love the lady mouse in her 18th Century costume and Pussy Simpkin prowling the streets and repenting at the last. ...'Alas I am undone for I have no more twist'... 'stitches so small they might have been done by a mouse'!!

    Two lots of Potter too - Bea and Harry!

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  27. thanks for sharing these images karen, i so want to visit now, what a stunning place, those wall paintings! They remind me of the ones i saw on my trip to st marys church in berkeley last year, but these are much brighter & grander.

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  28. I visited The Gloucester Cathedral, last year, when I was in England for the job.

    What a gorgeous place outside and inside !

    Thank you for the pictures.

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