Quarry Bank Mill, England--Outside

When we lived in England, we took a lot of trips in and out of Manchester Airport. People who visited us often flew in and out of there as well. We'd often pick up or drop off visitors. Sometimes, rather than drive the one and half hours there and head straight back we'd do something extra either along the way or in the Manchester area. One time we stopped at Quarry Bank Mill, an old fabric mill less than 10 minutes from the airport.

View from the parking lot, darn trees!

The smokestack end of the mill

Walking in, we saw some of the drive shafts from the mill's water wheels. The original 1818 shaft was replaced in 1847 when a crack was found in the original. The 1847 shaft needed repairs in 1874 but continued to work until 1904. The shafts are amazingly huge and can even be used as a bench.

Massive drive shaft

The 1847 shaft

L uses it as a bench

Being a National Trust site, the mill has a playground that J and L wanted to visit before going to see all the boring historical stuff. J started with the covered slide.

At the top of the slide

At the bottom of the slide

L liked the bridges but J wasn't sure which way to go down.

Ready to cross

Go like a fireman or Indiana Jones?

Other classic equipment includes a climbing challenge that wasn't too challenging.

Going up

No where to go but down from here

L was a bit worn out, you might even say she was tired.

No interest in tyres

J on the big swing

Soon enough the children had their fill of fun. We headed off to the mill, which required us to cross a few bridges.

Playground view of the mill

Bridge over water power

More on the mill in the next post!

Book Review: The Devil Went Down to Georgia: Stories by Charlie Daniels

The Devil Went Down to Georgia: Stories by Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels is a country/southern rock musician most famous for his fiddle-duel song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. He's had a long career as a song writer and this is his first foray into literary writing rather than song writing. Some of the stories are based off songs from the band (like The Devil Went Down to Georgia and Uneasy Rider) and some are character sketches or scenes from life. The stories work fairly well though the titular story doesn't work as well as the song on which it is based. On the other hand, he nicely expands the Legend of Wooley Swamp into a longer story with well-crafted bookends.

Comedy is prevalent and Daniels has a natural hand at it. The story of two cowboys escorting some bulls to New York City is particularly enjoyable. He's quite good at poking fun at both Southerners and Northerners, rich people and poor people, smart people and dumb people. The even spread of comedic targets shows a certain amount of class and that he just loves telling stories rather than scoring points. It's not a great book but is enjoyable.

N's Baptism

N has been baptized! The event went off without any problems, except for his on again/off again crying during the ceremony. Surprisingly, he was perfectly quiet during the pouring of water on his head. Naturally, we were overjoyed at having our boy officially Christian!

The moment of baptism

We used the same baptismal gown that's been used in my family since my eldest brother was baptized. A Dominican nun made the gown for him and we used it for L and J.

Looking cute (and don't I know it!)

Dominican hood

Adding the white garment given by the church

Bar Convent Chapel, York

When Bar Convent was rebuilt in the 1760s, practicing the Catholic faith was still illegal in England. Thus the chapel was hidden from view and many of its features kept things covert. Inside the chapel is a lovely dome that is not visible from outside. The roof is high enough that pedestrians can't see it.

Bar Convent outside

Classical dome inside

The chapel has eight exits, allowing the congregation to scatter when a raid happened. The floor includes a priest hole where the celebrant could hide.

Chapel

Priest hole

The main altar was rebuilt in 1969 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the chapel and to accommodate the new style of Mass after Vatican II. From the original altar are the Pelican in her Piety (a statue showing a pelican feeding her young with her own blood, a simile to Christ's sacrifice) and the angelic heads.

Main altar

Pelican in her Piety

Above the altar are painted wooden figures of St. Jerome, Pope St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Ambrose of Milan.

Four fathers of the church

A reliquary by the main altar has the hand of St. Margaret Clitherow, who was killed in 1586 for being Catholic. She had sheltered priests in her house and Mass was said there frequently. She was executed by putting a door on top of her and then 800 pounds of weights on top of the door, crushing her to death. Her body was thrown away by the authorities and recovered a week later by a Catholic. The hand was originally in the chapel's altar. In 1874 a special case was made for it.

Reliquary with St. Margaret Clitherow's hand

Statue of Margaret

The stations of the cross are from the early 1800s, crafted from mother of pearl in the Holy Land.

Stations of the Cross (click to enlarge)

The chapel also has some fine statues.

St. Michael the Archangel

St. Sebastian

St. Margaret

Halloween 2014

We had a fun Halloween this year. L wore a costume that I think she's worn before--her Cinderella dress. She even posed as parts of the story.

Running from the ball!

Looking sweet!

Crazy dance moment?!?

Js obsession with Minecraft resulted in a mom-crafted costume--the dreaded Enderman!

Enderman J

N had a hard time deciding what to be for Halloween. He started out as Superman, but in a crafty Cinderella move, was transformed into a pumpkin.

SuperN

BAM! You're a pumpkin...

Let me go, I need to turn back into Superman!

One of the neighbors organized a party that had plenty of pot-luck foods and a bouncy castle. Round about 6 p.m. kids were ready to trick or treat. J and L went without N, who may go next year if he is more mobile.

Ready to go!

Our house was blessed with an extra decoration this year. Friend Brian sent us a Minecraft-themed pumpkin--the even more dreaded Creeper!

Picture without flash

There's the Creeper!

We had great fun this Halloween!

Bar Convent Museum, York

Since today (as I post) is the Feast of All Saints, here's the first part of my visit to a convent in York!

Bar Convent sits just outside the medieval walls of York. It opened in 1686 as a boarding school for Catholic girls even though practicing the Catholic Faith was legally forbidden at the time. The nun hid their identity and were known locally as "the Ladies of the Bar." It remained a school for 300 years but still has an active religious community, making it the oldest living convent in the United Kingdom. They now have a museum, gift shop, guest accommodations, meeting rooms, and a cafe.

Bar Convent, York

The museum tells what life was like during the recusant period from King Henry VIII to George III, when the Catholic faith was suppressed. The main display room includes a recusant altar. The Tudor headboard has a shelf that folds down for an altar and can be quickly folded up if and when the authorities make a raid. The bed could be rolled back in place and none would be the wiser.

Display/conference room

Recusant Altar

Display on martyrs John Fisher and Thomas More

 The original 1680 house key for the convent is also on display.

Convent key

On the stairs is a series of paintings depicting the life of Mary Ward, a Catholic pioneer in women's education and founder of a religious order, the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary Ward's life

The girls boarding at the school often did girlish things and this doll house is a toy modeled after the convent building.

Bar Convent Action Set

The museum includes a wide variety of art objects, original works and copies of other famous works, as well as some vestments and religious items.

15th century statue of the Madonna and Child

St. Cecelia statue copied from the one in the Roman catacombs

Liturgical items and dishes

Annunciation (sorry about the reflection)

Madonna and Child in the cafe

 The gardens are available for dining and provide a refuge from the busy city life.

Bar Convent garden

Tomorrow, the chapel!