Glory and Poverty

Surfing the internet I noted with interest that there was an art exhibition on at Southwell Minster. Southwell is a fair old jaunt, but the forecast was dismal, so it was agreed that we could combine a trip to see the exhibition with a visit to the nearby workhouse now owned by the National Trust. In order to understand why the workhouse would be of interest, you need to be familiar with the writings of Jacqueline Wilson, in particular, the Hetty Feather trilogy. The KHT is a massive fan of the books of JW.

First we had to say farewell to the last of our visitors, then we were free to head off to the wilds of the East Midlands. Here the land is flatter and from almost no discernable elevation, you can suddenly see for miles! Most disconcerting!

The exhibition displayed in the Minster was called Crossing. Artists had been invited to submit a pair of paintings, one for Lent and the other responding to the resurrection. The Lent pictures were currently on display.

The artwork was interesting and challenging. However, it was not always clear where the exhibition ended and the Cathedral's own exhibits began.






The KHT and I successfully decoded the message in the Chapter House, only to realise it was part of the 'Leaves of Southwell' project, based on stone carvings around the building and nothing at all to do with the art exhibition relating to the current season in the church year!
Interesting, and art, but not part of the art we had come to see!








One of the most moving exhibits was the Lampedusa Cross, made from the timbers of the wreck of a boat carrying refugees. 311 Eritreans and Somali refugees drowned.













The KHT was very taken with this triptych, which shows a battle scene when closed and a peaceful lily scene when open. A small-scale model is attached to the front pew, so you can always compare the alternative view to that displayed. Triptyches are normally closed during Lent.






The KHT also took time to engage with the prayer station by lighting a candle and adding a prayer to the display. I also left a prayer for a friend who is having a really tough time at the moment.

As it took far longer for the KHT and I to explore the Minster, our fellow traveller was waiting in the Minster Refectory. The food here was classy, but not my taste. I succumbed to a panini and wished I hadn't. The ham was lovely, but the panini resembled a desiccated tombstone. To be honest you were paying for the location. We were short of time, so we used the Refectory as it was closest to both the Minster and the car park. However, when we return we shall venture into the main streets of Southwell and find somewhere cheap and cheerful. We felt sorry for the elderly and clearly frail, who were stood waiting for a seat, while reserved tables sat empty. We did not dilly dally.




Next stop, the workhouse, a beautiful building on the edge of town, with a past that was challenging. It was devastating for those who ended up here, but at least they didn't starve. A poignant reminder of the harshness of life in Victorian times.

Imagine sitting picking rope apart all day.















In the schoolroom, the KHT tried on a costume. Later I showed her the photo's.
"It's good, but I don't want to be 'dessytuted' " (sic) was her verdict.
I think when she dressed up, she suddenly began to grasp a little, of what life within this harsh and regimented environment, would have been like, and it would have been far from comfortable.






After Easter, the pictures in the exhibition will be changed to the counterparts, reflecting the resurrection.  The question is will we return in time to see them?  Time will tell.