Coventry/Stratford

We only took a day trip this time, so here's the report on Coventry Cathedral and Stratford:

Coventry used to have a cathedral called St. Michael's. But in November 1940, a German bombing raid came through Coventry and one of the bombs destroyed the church pretty much entirely.

But instead of being mad and such, the next day the church leaders decided to rebuild the church.

They actually still had quite a bit of the old cathedral walls left behind; so they left those up and started work on the new cathedral about 10 steps away. Its front windows reflect the old cathedral walls.

The new one wasn't finished for almost 20 years but when it was done, they invited the Germans to come to the opening ceremony. The new church has a running theme of peace and reconciliation.

It's a little weird walking in the old cathedral where there is no roof; it was spooky. The new cathedral was lovely in a modern sense; it took some getting used to but it kind of grew on you the more you walked around in it.

Then we headed off to Stratford.

It was me and another girl named Rachel today, and we went to the church where he was baptized, where he worshiped as a child and as an older adult, and where he was buried. It was a small, but attractive little church whose only real claim to fame is him, and he's at the back of the place.

His wife, daughter, her husband, and I think another son-in-law are buried there together. There's a horribly painted statue up above that we saw unpainted copies of everywhere in Stratford, and a copy of the page containing his baptism and death records.

All in all, it was English major heaven...

Then we went to his daughter's house (she married a doctor) and there was some interesting medical information there about how doctors treated people with extract of peony in order to cure them of falling sickness, whatever that is.

We then went to what I think was his other son-in-law's house (the remains of Shakespeare's home that he bought at retirement was in the backyard).

Then we went to his birthplace; saw the room he was supposedly born in. Pretty sweet stuff, all around.

Then we went to see Henry the Sixth, Part 2. Lots of blood splatter and people hanging from pulleys. I personally got a major kick out of the seance that caused the floor to open up and what appeared to be ram-headed demons emerging from the red, smoky depths of the stage (I was so geeking out)

Not much else to say; I have so much homework yet, even though I worked hard on some today. Guess tomorrow is "Nose to The Grindstone whether I like it or no" day.

(Sigh.)

Cheers,
Bec