Exeter, Devon
Happily, Tony and Gill like late starts to the day, not coming to fetch me for church until about 9:45 AM. They figured correctly that I would want to attend at Exeter Cathedral, as I had very positive experiences there years ago. The cathedral web site had the wrong times because of a special service so we found ourselves turning up just at the passing of the peace. The place was nearly full and there did seem a good bit of freshness to the energy there; even a couple of Cursillo praise songs were sung during communion - albeit a bit sluggishly.
Following church we went across the cathedral close to a tea room to actually have tea. The warmth was splendid as there was a crispy edge to the air. Tony and Gill pointed out how the town council has cut down all the nice trees on the close in order to allow unfettered night views from surveillance cameras. England is really paranoid about security issues and fear and negativity might actually be stronger here than in the US. I wonder who is sitting where to monitor all of these cameras.
After tea, I went back into the cathedral to take pictures of it, as there was very good light. There were no vergers, stewards, or other official types to impede my wanderings or assess me tariffs for collecting images. The place felt free and open. It was a very nice change from all the others that prohibit any photo work at all - forcing one to buy overpriced books in their gift shops. Tony and Gill did not come in with me and were out in the High Street enjoying a stroll when I came out. They were a little surprised when I told them no one had attempted to extract money from me. A good thing since I don’t have it to be extracted.
We ended up in a pizza place that had a very upbeat cosmopolitan feel with fusion jazz playing. I realized that I have missed music a lot the past weeks. We had a very leisurely pleasant meal. I stayed with the starters off the menu to lessen the economic impact of eating in restaurants. Tony is spotting me lunch and I am trying to walk lightly on his working ATM card. Gill is taking care of my nutritional needs in the evening with fine grazing at her table in an idyllic setting where sunset floods the space with magical light.
I made query about the location of old castle ruins I saw on a city map, indicating they were within a couple hundred yards of the cathedral close. We walked around one block and came upon the absolutely splendid Northernhay Park on a high point overlooking the city. The plantings were nearly botanical in their quality and level of maintenance. Thousands of annual and perennials were making their brilliant spectral offerings to whoever wanted them. The bright sky with cirrus clouds made for really splendid images. A surprising number of statues and obelisks added a fine historical sensibility to this pleasing space.
Also adding fine sensibility was an eighteen piece brass band playing under a temporary band shell to an audience of about ten people. I was intensely curious as to why this fine band in full uniform with a conductor was out here playing to no one except the random passer by. We loitered for the whole of the concert given to a couple of families obviously connected to band members. It felt a bit like a private concert. Directly in front of the band, there was a statue on a raised platform with an iron railing around it. Gill and I stood up in this and had a sense of being in fine box seats in an opera house.
I am reminded of the time recently when I showed up in a plaza in Copenhagen and a brass band in full uniform set up and played to whoever was there. In that case there were hundred of people milling around, coming and going from the canal boats. At these times one almost feels like a participant rather than a tourist observer. It is a nice change of status. Perhaps the best thing about this season with Tony and Gill is watching these septuagenarians hold hands and treat each other with dignity and respect. Unlike cheap wine that turns to vinegar they seem to have a vintage of love that only gets better with time and will one day sell for far more than the reserve price set at the auction house.
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