Norwich

Didn't have time to visit much of Norwich Castle. Had to rush back to the cathedral for choir rehearsal and evensong. I did, though, stop just long enough to enjoy these views of Norwich from atop the castle hill. Lovely little town.

Ethelbert Gate

 

 

Ah, but now back to Norwich where I happened to explore one of the main gates to the cathedral close after returning from visiting the Julian Shrine. Fascinating bit of history took place here. Seems as if tensions could sometimes run rather high between the townsfolk and the cathedral's monks. So much so that the Ethelbert Gate was ordered to be built by King Henry III and completed around and about 1325. 

Caution

I was cautious while attending this past Saturday's "Hands Off" rally. After having read about so many accounts of people ramming their cars into crowds, I gave wide berth to any approaching vehicles and privately hoped others would do the same. As it happened, no cars or trucks strayed from their appointed routes and, to my surprise, most passers-by seemed to approve of the demonstration, with only one totally-to-be-expected exception of a driver who nonetheless felt obliged to express his objection to the gathering with a universally recognizable gesture of his hand.

The Blitz

This quite knowledgeable gentleman explained how Norwich came to be on Germany's hit list during the Blitz of 1942 and how the Julian chapel suffered almost complete destruction as a result.