A Church, a Friend, some angels and a dinner...

Had a lovely day yesterday.  Got to Cambridge and met up with Diana from LA and set off for Upwell and Outwell to be taken on a guided tour of St Peter's Church, which is widely believed to be the church featured in The Nine Tailors by DL Sayers. The route I printed from the net was useless and we got lost, though in all fairness we were nattering so much we probably took a wrong turn of our own volition. (Must say as we ventured near the Broads I did think of Noel Coward 'Very flat, Norfolk').  Anyway, the scenic route was beautiful and we arrived in good order and in good time in the end.

Two other friends of Diana were also there, from the DL Sayers group, and Alan who is the rector of St Peter's  Church, took us on a personal guided tour, after we had had a pub lunch.

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"Flinging back the light in a dusky shimmer of bright hair and gilded out spread wings, soared the ranked angels, cherubim and seraphim, choir over choir, from corbel and hammer beam floating face to face uplifted"...'My God' muttered Wimsey"

  

 "The ringers with much subuded shuffling, extricated themselves from their chairs and wound their way up the belfry stairs.....the bells gave tongue: Gaude, Sabaoth, John, Jericho, Jubilee, Dimity, Batty Thomas and Tailor Paul, rioting and exulting high up in the dark tower...."

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The drive back into Cambridge threw me into a panic as we hit the town centre in the rush hour and because of the one way system, got totally lost though I knew where we should be going.  I am a bit of a wuss when driving in packed traffic and no way of stopping and getting one's bearings. Goes without saying that the first three people I asked for directions were all visitors. Luckily a cyclist gave me very clear instructions and after calling down blessings on him, his children and his children's children, we got back safely and there was Helen waiting to greet us.

Later on in the evening Diana came round to St John's and she and I and my daughter, Helen, went into dinner at the college. The hall itself was not being used, as it was out of term time, but the room in which we dined was simply beautiful. Low ceilings, beautifully carved and decorated with panelled walls, long table set out and the entire event lit by candles all down the length of the table and in the wall sconces. It was quite lovely. There were 19 in all for dinner and lots of lively conversation as you can imagine. There was a Latin grace read out at the start and end of the meal by an extremely aged professor who looked very wise and learned. Helen informed me, as he was being helped out of the room later on, that he had done something genius with radar and had probably helped us to win the War......

The service was superb, efficient, quiet and as my plates were being whisked away and my wine glass replenished, my thoughts turned to Gaudy Night (well it was a DL Sayers day) and I remember the passage:  "So the Hall seethed and the scouts looked on impassively from the serving hatches. 'And what do they think of us all, God only knows' mused Harriet."

Managed to keep my end up in conversation as did Diana though I think we both felt slightly overwhelmed by it all - I know I did. But the highlight of the evening for me was watching my beautiful girl, dressed in her gown (they all have to wear them for dinner), chatting and talking and at ease with the dons and professors around her to the manner born. I was so proud and got quite wobbly at one stage which I hid of course as she would have been cross.

   

And then the three of us went back to my 'room' for a bit of chat. I say room but it was a small suite, with living room, bedroom and bathroom and just in case I felt like a quick snifter and a read in the middle of the night, there was a decanter of both port and sherry and also two shelves of books.

 

 

My room overlooked the Backs and earlier in the afternoon as I leaned out of the window and fed the ducks with the biscuits provided by the college for my tea, I mused on how lucky I was to be retired now and enjoying these things, and felt very happy.

Comments

[R.A.D. Stainforth]

Ah, Cambridge! Been there myself and once had a room for the weekend at King’s College, for reasons which I no longer remember. However, I do remember many excellent afternoons spent in the Free Press. I wonder where you had your pub lunch?

[Jan Jones]

So glad you had a lovely day. Hope you gave my regards to Diana. Wish I could have joined you but I'm up in the Lakes organising like mad for the RNA conference.

[anne]

I love your DLSayers-related posts! Marvelous pictures, both the ones made w/words, and the photos posted!

[Gill]

What a blissful sounding day. You are so right to be proud of your daughter.

[Nan]

I just love the way past and present are one in England. This was an achingly beautiful post. Thank you so much. The Nine Tailors is my favorite Sayers, though Murder Must Advertise is a close second.

[Southern Gal]

ah to be Harriet/DLS for a day! bliss! and it sounds like it was! thanks so much for sharing with us especially those of us Britain travel virgins...oh to be in England!