The
Hare and the Minotaur
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
wrote the well-known music "The Planets". He
was born in Cheltenham. Holst's father was the Organist and
Choirmaster of All Saints' Church.
All Saints',
Cheltenham
The impressive West Entrance
Christ in glory
St Stephen (holding the stones with which he was martyred;
well, not the actual stones)
St Lawrence (with the grid iron on which he was martyred)
This lady does not look very happy!
The Nave
Looking towards the chancel screen
The Sanctuary
Note the name of Holst's father first on this list. It can
safely be assumed that Holst played this organ!
I could have tried this organ out but it happened that the
organ tuners were there!
This bust was on the organ console above. It's hard to see but
it is at the left of the second manual from the bottom.
Jesus visits Mary and Martha
The Lectern, created in 1862, was exhibited at the Great
Exhibition of that year.
Sts Ambrose and Gregory
The south transept rose window was designed by Sir Edward
Burne-Jones.
The ceiling of the sanctuary
The Pulpit
St Elizabeth of Hungary, and St Hilda
Sts Monica and Agnes
St Jerome, and William Tyndale
one of the first people to translate the Bible into English.
Sts Thomas Aquinas, and Anselm of Canterbury
Sts Benedict, and Francis of Assissi
This mural was painted by Sir William Richmond. He practised
by painting the murals in St Paul's, London, before creating
this one.
Jacob, Benjamin and Rachael are all part of the story of Joseph.
Sts Columba and Patrick
When we first encountered an arrow like this, we feared we
might be driving on the wrong side of the road! It is actually
warning any driver from the other side, who is using this lane
to overtake, that they should return to their own lane. Even
now, these arrows give us a bit of a jolt!
It is said that "all good things must come to an
end" and this was true about our time with Caroline and James.
We have very much enjoyed getting to know them during their time
in Australia and it was great to catch up with them on their
home ground. Sadly, it may be some years before we see them
again.
So began the long drive to London. When we arrived at our
accommodation, we had no way of checking in. I had messaged the
Airbnb host (as requested) but did not get a reply. I then made
a phone call to the host who answered with his name. When I
explained that I was wanting to know how to access the house, he
said it was the wrong number and hung up! Shortly thereafter, a
lady emerged from the house and told us that she was renting it
long-term. Oh dear! A call to Airbnb was not very helpful. They
promised to call back but didn't. So, we were in the hot sun, in
London at 3:30pm without anywhere to stay! At least they came
good with a refund (which will take "up to 15 business days" to
arrive in the bank)!
After a while, we decided to drive to a McDonald's. At least we
could be cool there and have something to eat and drink. We were
getting quite concerned as so many places were booked out (or
obscenly over-priced). Finally, we found a Premier Inn, located
about 20 minutes away. The reception staff member was not
helpful and told us we had to book online. Satoshi tried but the
debit card wanted to send a code to our Australian phone number
(not helpful). The staff member then decided that we could book
with him but it would cost more. We had little choice and paid
the £108 required (about A$216). The room was air-conditioned
which was lovely!
Our first show in London was to be "Alice's Adventures
Underground" and we had purchased tickets months ago. This was
advertised as an experience in which one moved through a
labyrinth, solving puzzles similar to those faced by Alice, on
the way. After a very hot trip on a bus and a train, we arrived
at Waterloo Station Sidings. Asking a staff member, we learned
that this was a shopping centre. A staff member at the shopping
centre directed us to a restaurant. When we arrived there, we
learned that not only had the show not started yet, the
installation of the labyrinth was not even finished. We were
cheerily told that it would probably open sometime next year!
After some time on the internet, the man on the door found us an
email address to contact the ticket office. He also gave us a
complimentary drink. So, now another process of trying to get a
refund!
After a quick meal at Starbucks, we returned to our
accommodation (another hour on a train and then a bus) and went
to bed.
