Thursday Group Trip to Lincoln

Another great trip to another great cathedral town. After Peterborough, Norwich and Ely it was time to visit Lincoln and its wonderful cathedral. According to Wikipedia It was the tallest building in the world for over 200 years (1300–1549), but the central spire collapsed in the sixteenth century and was not rebuilt. The eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin declared, "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." Well we liked it and it is certainly unlike any other, or as some might say "very unique".

"We" on this occasion were the usual band of seasoned travellers: Dr Watson, Carolyn, Nigel, Norman, David, Bruce and Sylvia. Plus JQ and David the ordinand and his fellow ordinand Chris. Lincoln is 100 miles from Cambridge so once embarked on the 2 hour drive, we did what we usually do on such occasions and had a very early lunch. There was a half-hearted attempt to play some form of word association with Lincoln, but ideas were pretty thin on the ground. After Lincoln green, Abraham of that ilk and the Lincoln Continental (as in car) the well of inspiration ran dry and we reverted to eating more sandwiches.

The cathedral is the 3rd largest in Britain (in floor space) after St Paul's and York Minster, being 484 feet (148 m) by 271 feet (83 m). It is Lincolnshire's largest building and until 1549 the tower was the tallest medieval tower in Europe. Accompanying the cathedral's large bell, Great Tom of Lincoln, is a quarter-hour striking clock. The clock was installed in the early 19th century

After the cathedral we walked round the old town, searching for a colouring book for Sylvia. After Great Tom had duly chimed 4, we were admitted to the castle where the Christmas Fair is staged every year. Most of us found the Fair disappointing. It didn't feel all that special and certainly not the biggest and best in Europe as the blurb proclaims. It didn't matter. We had had a marvellous day and our joy was compounded as we drove OUT of Lincoln by the fact that we were not trying to drive INTO Lincoln along with the thousands and thousands of others who thought - mistakenly - they'd take a quick look at the Christmas market.