A Visit to Ely, Cambridgeshire

I arrived back in Istanbul to oppressive heat, overwhelming humidity, and NO INTERNET CONNECTION FOR THREE DAYS!! Apparently the server in our building had burned out in the heat, and had to be replaced. Fortunately I had enough work to get on with, so although it was EXTREMELY ANNOYING, I managed not to have a complete breakdown. Today, however, the weather has cooled slightly (now in the low thirties rather than the high thirties), with a soft, refreshing breeze, and I am sitting happily at my computer.

When I was in England, recently, I went with Clare, John and Jessica to Ely, where the Breckland Brass Band was to play in the Jubilee Gardens, overlooking the Great Ouse. We arrived especially early, as we wanted to have lunch before Clare had to get ready for the concert. Our restaurant of choice was The Maltings, but this was closed for a private function, so we walked along the river front to find somewhere else.

The Boathouse Restaurant on the banks of the Great Ouse.

John, Jessica, and Clare in the Boathouse Restaurant

We spied the Boathouse Restaurant on the banks of the river and thought it looked inviting. Unfortunately, the service was extremely slow and when the meals eventually arrived, they were barely warm. They had obviously been sitting around and forgotten, until we reminded a waitress that we hadn't been served. The meal was also extortionate, considering the less-than-average quality and presentation of the food, and the fact that Clare had to rush off to avoid being late on the bandstand. We have had far better pub lunches for far, far less! We certainly won't go there again!

Ely Cathedral

 Stands the church clock at ten to three...

After lunch, John, Jessica and I decided to go to look at Ely Cathedral. The cathedral stands on the site of an ancient monastery, founded in 673 by St. Etheldreda, a Saxon princess who came from East Anglia. The monastery was destroyed by the Danes in 870, but was reclaimed by Benedictine monks in 970. Work on the cathedral was begun by Abbot Simeon in 1081, and, although Henry VIII closed the abbey in 1539, the cathedral has survived to the present day.

In 1322, the Norman central tower of the cathedral collapsed. Alan of Walsingham built this octagonal lantern to replace it. It is considered a 

wonder of medieval engineering.

 This Norman stone carving over The Prior's Door, dates from the 12th century, and depicts Christ enthroned in Majesty.

Ely Cathedral's restoration is always ongoing. Here is an ancient gargoyle on the right, and a more modern one on the left.

...and the band played on...

Ely

The bandstand in Ely, England

It appears that we have been waiting in vain for our baggage as, contrary to what we were led to believe, it hasn’t even left the depot of the shipping company in Istanbul! At least we know now that we are free to go visiting for the foreseeable future. Today we are off to New Waltham, Humberside, to see David’s mother and sister and family. I am sure New Waltham used to be in Lincolnshire, but it appears to have been rezoned for some reason.

Clare playing the horn

David relaxing in the shade

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Ely with Clare as her band was playing in The Maltings, on the banks of the Great River Ouse. The day was glorious and we found a spot in the shade to read the Sunday papers and listen to the band – bliss! We then attended sung evensong at the cathedral and stayed to listen to an organ recital by Matthew Carlton, a brilliant young organist from Durham University. The acoustics in the cathedral are magnificent and the voices of the visiting choir (Hatfield College, Durham) soared to the very roof of this magnificent building. For us, it was a very fulfilling and typically English Sunday.