Winchester in 24 hours!

Far more than bonnets!

For at least two years I've been promising myself a trip to Winchester Cathedral for the Taize Service. It's held once a month (except Easter and Christmas). I finally made it yesterday. I arrived in Winchester about 2.40pm and saw that the exhibition Life Beyond the Bonnets (Jane Austen) was still on at the library. So, of course I nipped in there. A fascinating exhibition about servants and shop owners, the lives of people around the time Jane Austen lived. There were quotes from Austen's books and excerpts from letters.

Tea caddy

No, not a the first Pizza wheel, but a pasty crimper

A dressmaker's fashion doll (Pandora) with glass eyes and real hair. These were used to show the latest fashions. This one is dressed in the style from Jane Austen's childhood.

Where to find your prostitute!

After an hour there, I headed to Nero for a teacake and cuppa and then went to check into my hotel. I could just see the cathedral from my window. I later left to attend the six o'clock Taize service. For those who don't know about Taize, it comes from France where there is a community. The songs are short (usually no more than four lines, and often only one or two) which are repeated on a loop. They can be sung in any language (the books have everything there, including what looks like Arabic and Japanese). We sang in English and Latin. They are so easy to learn and you pick them up as you go along. The service was peaceful with a ten minute reflection. It was Green Week in the cathedral, so the two gardens representing the desolate climate change one and the flourishing garden of eden were on display in front of the altar. Candles surrounded it all.

Chilling

Winchester Cathedral

Taize

River Itchen

Guildhall

I have attended a couple of Taize workshops in the past and loved them, but this was my first time at an actual service. It was quite beautiful. There were refreshments afterwards. Everyone was friendly to me.

After the service, I went for a quick walk, but it was quite dark by then, so after I took a photo of the river with the bridge I went back to my hotel.

This morning I left just before ten o'clock and headed towards the nature reserve. I haven't been here since just after covid when there were stickers telling you to walk one way. It was great to be back. The sun was shining and I felt so free. I threw my arms into the sky and I also put my hand on the bark of a tree and said hello to it. Yes, travelling alone you get like this! No, seriously, it is such a peaceful and beautiful place to walk.

Winchester never fails to surprise me. This time I found that I could cross the bridge into North Walls Recreation Ground where they had some gorgeous flowers and I got to say hello to the swans and ducks.

North Walls Recreation Ground

From there I ambled back into town, bought two books (I said I wasn't going to do that, whoops). I made a visit to the Tourist Information Centre and then had lunch in the cathedral Refectory. There was just time to visit the cathedral shop, and then it was a quick dash to the station for 13.17 train. I was home just after 2.30pm. So, there we go. Twenty-four hours in Winchester.