As I am typing, we are waiting for Richard and Suzie (Kathy’s sister) to arrive. They just finished their mission in Johannesburg and are stopping by on their way home. They will be here for a few days and then driving to Scotland (where Richard served his mission) for a week or two, then back here for a few more days. They are driving up from London and were expecting to arrive here in the a.m. As we speak, they have pulled off the road about 2.5 hours away (with no traffic) because they have sat for hours in traffic that has not moved. I predict they will not be here for about 5 hours (about midnight). Friday night is not the time to be heading north on the M6 or the M61.
While the winter has been very wet, it has been relatively mild. I think I have only had to chip ice off the wind-screen three times all winter. The flooding up north of here has been horrific. Our office is full of chairs on their way to Kendal–where the church was gutted by waters when the river over-flowed.
Two weeks ago, we drove over to Lincoln (about 2 hours southeast of where we live). It is known for its important part in the English Civil War and for its cathedral. We found it to be a really interesting and pretty village.
In the background, the High Bridge Cafe–where we had lunch
Getting from the town center to the castle and cathedral requires that you walk up a very steep road (so named). Fortunately, there a lot of shops going up so you can rest without lying down in the street.
The gate going up the “steep street” to the castle and cathedral
The castle houses one of the 4 original Magna Cartas. We had seen it in Oxford so we did not pay to see it again and it was out on loan anyway. Had I gone to see it, there would have been some major disappointment.
The Lincoln Cathedral taken from the wall of the castle
Inside the Lincoln Cathedral
They had a wedding the day before, so all the chairs had been removed from the nave–making it look even bigger. Very little of this cathedral has been rebuilt or replaced. Construction started in 1185 and it opened in 1311. John Ruskin (a preeminent Victorian writer said of it “I have always held… that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have.”
Inside the Lincoln Cathedral
Last Saturday, we took a drive through the Forrest of Bowland (about 1 hour north). Tiny roads and villages and a lot of moorland–which is quite beautiful this time of the year.
Forrest of Bowland
Forrest of Bowland
We took a very small side road (like 9 feet wide) towards a farmhouse and came upon a strange site. I have mentioned before the mole problem in England. Well, this is the time of the year they are in their prime and farmers hire professional mole trappers (where do I apply?) who are paid by the mole. To prove how many they killed, this is what they do:
Moles Hung for the Count
There were hundreds of these displayed. I realize this may be offensive to some; but it is business–or, if you prefer, it is evidence establishing animal cruelty. In either event, the crows love it.
We ended with a quick run through Clitheroe–an old village–with what is left of a medieval castle. Heber C. Kimball had quite a few converts here and in the nearby villages of Chatburn and Downham.
Castle of Clitheroe
No sooner finished the weekend when I took AND PASSED my driving test–so I am now a full-fledged British-licensed driver. Sort of like passing the California bar exam, but harder.
Last week, we attended a baptismal service up in Blackburn. A Romanian fellow was baptized a few months ago and his wife, who just arrived from Romania a month ago was baptized tonight. It was a very nice service and we met some good folks. Elder Backman and Sister Backman have been teaching Chiprion and Anka in the Gospel Essentials class and have been major fellow-shippers. Blackburn has a very large Muslim population. Four mosques are visible from the front door of our church.
Well, that’s it for now.