Winchester - after Christmas.

[spindrift]

Just before sunset, warmly dressed, I strolled around Winchester.
The sky was a brilliant blue and the cathedral walls were bathed in a golden light.



Winchester's Christmas Fayre is an annual event and is held in the Cathedral Close. An Ice Rink is put down at the same time and is so popular that it goes on until 10th January.



I should explain that the boys dressed in red robes are known as Quiristers. Quiristers are the same as Choristers but are known as 'Quiristers' because they attend the Pilgrims School which is a feeder school for Winchester College (Pilgrims takes boys from the ages of 8 - 13yrs). Quiristers have a hard life. Their duty is to sing in Winchester Cathedral which means that they have to forego most of their Christmas holidays to stay on at school and sing at the services. Quiristers' parents are rewarded because their school fees are greatly reduced. Quiristers live apart from other Pilgrims boys in a special 'house'. As I walked through the cathedral grounds I was interested to see this poster encouraging girls to become Choristers. In the past this was never the case.

lots more to come

[Deleted]

Thanks Spindrift. I was a girl "chorister" (an alto,REALLY wanted to be a soprano!!). I have great memories of that time,I was at a convent school. It's probably the only real happy time I can recall from Christmas's past,and likewise for my mother,who brings it up every year.

[Deleted]

Oh, a red-dressed sect recruiting children! I am hooked already.

[spindrift]

Casimira - I, also, was dragooned into the convent choir. My voice is definitely 'alto'. I find high notes impossible.

I loved listening to the nuns chanting Gregorian chants

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2010 17:38:59 GMT spindrift said:

Casimira - I, also, was dragooned into the convent choir. My voice is definitely 'alto'. I find high notes impossible.

I loved listening to the nuns chanting Gregorian chants

Did you not want to be a soprano though? I so hated singing alto ,and my place standing was right next to the sopranos. I would sometimes try to sing with them,and got reprimanded more than once.

Still love Gregorian Chants.

[spindrift]

Ice Rink special ;D







I got chatting to the Ice Monitor (pictured) and asked him whether there had been a lot of ice-related accidents so far this year. He said 'no' but then told me of a lady who broke both of her wrists and fainted from the pain. I'm not surprised to hear that she fainted. I well remember the agony of breaking just one wrist on the ice in Switzerland several years ago But I think the IceMan is covering up the truth for I've seen ambulances rushing around Winchester and last year my neighbour fell on the ice and broke both wrists.
'And what about the Disabled Access sign?' I asked - and he told me that people in wheelchairs are allowed onto the ice if pushed (!) by helpers.

[spindrift]

No, it never occurred to me to want to be a soprano...

[bixaorellana]

This is SO wonderful, Spindrift ~~ really a happy and pretty thing to see on the first day of the new decade. I love how everyone has introduced color into the winter clothing. Even the rink skates are a jolly blue. That glorious golden light shows up in all the pictures, but the first two of the cathedral are exceptionally beautiful. more? more!

[Deleted]

It looks like the people in Winchester are not any more comfortalble on skates than the people in Paris.

[spindrift]

The 'business' end of the rink is masked by a rather tired row of Christmas trees



Every couple of hours a machine sweeps ice crystals off the rink and dumps them here

The area where previously food stalls were erected is now devastated and muddy (grass ruined)



Someone has lost a sock



I walk toward the high street. After the excitement of Christmas what happens next?

THE SALES

[Deleted]

Definitely looking like the end of the holiday season!

[bixaorellana]

Oh dear ~~ you don't think the grass will recover?

The sock looks as though it contained the classic lump of coal.

Poor tired trees. One simply had to lie down.

Do you know what the ice cleaner-up machine is called?

[spindrift]

No, I don't know what the machine is called - but I can probably find out. Maybe I have a pic of it somewhere....

I am sure the grass will recover by the summer. It looked fine last year in time for the summer tourists.

[spindrift]

I found these two pictures taken earlier this week just after the ice-machine swept the ice.

[spindrift]

A glass, plastic and can re-cycling facility is available in the cathedral grounds. It's awful, isn't it?

and because there has been no waste collection since before Christmas, rubbish is piling up in the streets (and we pay such high rates!)

The council has put up pretty lights in The Square

And every shop has Sales notices in the windows

[Deleted]

Those ice machines have some sort of strange Italian name.

[Deleted]

Zamboni!

[spindrift]

I spy Winchester's Christmas tree! And it looks rather sad. I see that Mawsons have sponsored the tree. They are my hairdressers!

And notice that from January 4th access to the High Street will be restricted due to re-paving. Ten weeks seems an excessively long time.

[spindrift]

So now I'm taking you for a tour of Winchester's High Street -





Boots the Chemists

I feel compelled to post these pics in case I 'lose' them

[spindrift]

Please notice how expensive these dresses are!



I pass Bang & Olufsen ~



The back of Boots ~

A shop selling books entirely of religious themes ~

A restaurant pretending to be French ~



and turn into my street which looks very untidy!



I am glad to get home into a warm house.

[voy]

St Swithin's !! we need a pic of St Swithin's!

and thanks!

[imec]

Thanks for taking us on this walk around Winchester spindrift - terrific!

[bixaorellana]

Kerouac wins a stocking cap with a pom-pom on the tip for answering "zamboni"!

What a delightful, lively city, Spindrift. You really make it feel as though we are walking with you. I did want to go in the shops when I saw those great sales advertised, but almost fainted when you showed the close-up of the dresses' prices!

[spindrift]

Voy - do you mean St. Swithun's upon Kingsgate little church?

why is the screen stretched? it wasn't yesterday

[bazfaz]

The screen is fine for me.

I hope you are resisting buying those dresses (unless they accept airmiles).

[spindrift]

Oh Baz - you DO tease me about the airmiles....

do you like the ties in the shop window?

[traveler63]

Oh, spindrift, I love these pictures. The ties, well, they certainly are colorful
The dresses, well they were colorful too. I love the ice rink! The sock, well, it reminds me of a comic we have in our paper, called Mutts. It is about a dog and a cat and their adventures and the cat is in love with a pretty pink sock!!!!

Truly your pix are wonderful, and I am hitting the After New Years Day sales with my two grand daughters who flew here from Los Angeles.

[voy]

writeon.. yes - the little teeny St Swithun's over the date.. there is something just perfect about that tiny little place.

[Deleted]

Spindrift, you absolutely have to show me around Winchester later this year when I visit.

[spindrift]

Deyana - I'll be so happy to show you around. Come and stay with me - please do.

Voy - I've a picture of one side of the church but not the side with the steps going up. I'll take a pic for you!

Traveller63 - your granddaughters have beautiful faces - I'm sure they take after you.

The colourful ties I was wondering what Baz's taste in ties is like....(I know, bad grammar).