A Very Full Day

Well, someone must have prayed because I had plenty of energy today. And it came in handy.

After brief said Matins at Mary Mags, I went with the rest of the CMRS students on an academic field trip to Gloucester Cathedral and Berkeley Castle. And they were ringing those bells at Gloucester.

The two are an interesting combination. For King Edward II was murdered in the castle, and his shrine is in the cathedral.

Back in Oxford at the end of the trip, I stepped into the Whitehorse Pub where one of my professors happened to be having a pint. So we enjoyed pints together. He had very helpful advice about the local beers and pubs, too.

He gave an interesting historical tidbit as well. Since many monasteries through the centuries have made excellent beers, I had thought that Henry VIII’s dissolution of them harmed the state of beer in England. But my prof said not so, that many monks when deprived of their status went into . . . brewing!

After we finished our pints, I went over to the Blessing of the St. Giles Fair, the Bishop of Oxford presiding.

It was a hoot hearing traditional hymns played by a carrousel organ.

UPDATE: As you see, the photos are now up. There are more of them here.