It's like, culture, innit?

Since it's half-term this week, I took today off work, and have Friday off as well. Today Isabel and I went on an expedition to meet one of my best friends, who happens to be a teacher and was therefore also off work, and her two year old little boy. After lunch in Wagamama's (ginger chicken udon, yum...!) we wandered in and out of a few shops, and then went to look round St Alban's Cathedral. Call it Isabel's cultural outing for the week. We all thoroughly enjoyed it, even the kids, although they had a bit of trouble with the concepts of "don't run" and "don't talk".


Apparently (I may have known this before, but if I did I'd forgotten it), St Alban was the first Christian martyr in the UK, and was killed by the Romans in either the second or the third century (depending which historian you believe). We didn't discuss this with the kids, in case you're wondering! The cathedral itself was beautiful, and massive. Lots of it dates back to Norman times, and it has the longest nave (central section leading up to the altar) of any cathedral in England. I think the picture below adequately demonstrates the scale.


A guide showed us some cool things for kids too, such as an ancient altar tucked away at the side of the cathedral which was not ornately carved, but just a large slab with crosses in each corner, and full of fossils. My favourite thing (apart from the ceiling, I'm a sucker for high ceilings) was the Rose Window - the stained glass was gorgeous and there was nothing overtly religious about it. That's the only thing that puts me off churches and cathedrals. Usually I can just enjoy the architecture for what it is, and ignore the religious connotations.


Some of the pillars were lovely too. I don't know when these pictures were created, but the colouring left in them somehow brings to mind cave paintings rather than cathedral art.


The only thing I wasn't keen on were these rather odd fellows. There were loads of them, and they were all very strange and painted blue. Looked more Punch & Judy than cathedral, if you ask me.