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  • LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Phoenyx Harritt)

    LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Phoenyx Harritt)

    I’ve dusted off my previous page at https://www.julianwhite.uk/ldwa-100/ all about the LDWA 100 to bring it up to date for 2026.

    This interview is with Phoenyx Harritt and this will be their first 100 and I particularly like their comment of “I think it will be a great lesson in learning when to listen to my mind and body, and when to ignore them” which I think is very true.

    Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself and say how you first became involved with long-distance walking?

    A. I’m Phoenyx [they/them] 45 years old, and a fairly new member of the Essex and Herts LDWA. I started running about 16 years ago when I entered the ballot for the London Marathon, having decided if I was going to make my childhood dream a reality, I should get a headstart on the running. It turns out marathons are quite addictive,… especially trail marathons,… and ultras too… As time went on, and my PBs became ever more distant and insignificant, I realised the longer and slower the ‘run’ the more it soothed my soul, and so I found the LDWA was the perfect way to facilitate this.

    Q. This is your first Hundred. What made you decide that this was the year to take one on?

    A. A couple of running club friends took on the FOS 100 which was the first I had heard of these events. I was inspired. I spotted the Golden 50 event which encompassed the two counties I live on the border of, was a qualifier for the Hunnypot, and decided that sounded idyllic. The timing was perfect, and the fact my dad came from Kent is a bonus opportunity to explore somewhere I have an affinity with.

    Q. How are you feeling about it now: mainly excited, slightly nervous, or a strange and probably very LDWA combination of both?

    A. Definitely excited. The term ‘maranoia’; a portmanteau of marathon and paranoia, feels like it needs a counterpart for the Hundred as what I have right now is like maranoia on steroids. The dreams about missing the start, turning up in my pyjamas, and leaving my pack at HQ feel way too real right now.

    Q. What has your training looked like so far, and has anything surprised you about preparing for this distance?

    A. I’ve kept marathon fit since the Golden 50 in July. My hill training includes the Dorset Doddle in August and the Surrey Three Peaks as my final hike before taper. I ran trail marathons on consecutive days between Christmas and New Year, then hiked the Stansted Stagger with friends that weekend. In April I ran ‘Nodnol’; the reverse route of the London Marathon starting at midnight, then met my clubmates and supported them running the main event. I set myself a ‘staying awake’ PB of 42 hours. The thing that has surprised me is that the staying awake training has been the biggest boost to my confidence in my ability to complete the Hundred.

    Q. Have you had any advice from people who have done Hundreds before, and has any of it particularly stuck with you?

    A. Some of the best advice I have heard from LDWAers is to lie on the floor with feet up on a chair at checkpoints. I’ve also heard about ultra runners taking a ‘caffeine nap’ whereby you take a caffeine gel, set a timer for 10 minutes sleep, then wake up as it kicks in. These seem like useful weapons in the armoury.

    Q. What are you most looking forward to about the Kent 100?

    A. Playing Pooh Sticks on Pooh Bridge; the Ashdown Forest will be a highlight from a landscape point of view. Mostly I’m excited for the camaraderie of the shared achievement of completing 100 miles.

    Q. Is there any part of the event that feels like the biggest unknown at the moment, whether that’s walking through the night, managing tiredness, the route, or simply reaching a distance you haven’t done before?

    A. I’m intrigued as to where my mind will take me during the event, and what it feels like venturing past the 50-mile point. I think it will be a great lesson in learning when to listen to my mind and body, and when to ignore them.

    Q. Food can become strangely important on a 100-mile event. What are you planning to rely on to keep yourself going, and is there anything you already know you absolutely won’t want after enough miles?

    A. Caffeine. I’ll be making a beeline for Cola and avoiding anything spicy. I think I’ll see what’s on offer and what I fancy as I go along. I never knew the pure joy of bananas and custard until I had some at an LDWA event so I’m sure they’ll be some revelations at this event too.

    Q. When things get difficult, what do you think will help you keep moving?

    A. The impending sense of achievement mostly. I do like a mantra too. I heard something on a podcast recently which I have paraphrased into ‘tenacity over talent’. If all else fails, I’ll resort to quoting Dory from Finding Nemo ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming…’

    Q. When you imagine finishing your first Hundred, what do you think that moment might feel like?

    A. It feels like pure joy, with a heart that is so full it might burst.

  • LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Enfys Bosworth)

    LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Enfys Bosworth)

    I’ve dusted off my previous page at https://www.julianwhite.uk/ldwa-100/ all about the LDWA 100 to bring it up to date for 2026.

    This interview is with Enfys Bosworth who has completed four 100s before and I loved the character building tantrum!

    Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself and say how you first became involved with the LDWA and long-distance walking?

    A. My name is Enfys Bosworth, I’m 32 years old and live on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast. I joined a hiking group in Manchester called the Manchester and District (MAD) Walkers. A few of us got into long distances and someone suggested the Bullock Smithy — 56 miles through the Peak District. I finished it slightly broken but very happy, and already thinking about the next challenge. Someone mentioned it qualified me for the LDWA Hundred, so I entered without a second thought — and I haven’t looked back. It’s now the highlight of my year.

    Q. This will be your fifth Hundred event. Does it feel different preparing for number five compared with your first one?

    A. It’s completely different now. My first hundred was all about “can I even do this?” — I overpacked, wore heavy boots, and just got round. These days I’m edging towards running, so it’s about refining my pace and kit — trainers, a light running bag, tasty snacks— and building mileage gradually with a couple of short runs in the week and a long one each weekend. I’m lucky to live in Pembrokeshire, so the coast path is perfect training ground.

    Q. What keeps bringing you back to the 100-mile distance?

    A. One-hundred miles will never be easy but will always be a massive achievement. It lets me explore a new part of the UK every year, and every route brings different challenges. Last year’s flatter route was really tough on my feet and mentally I was fried, while the hillier Scottish route the year before was a joy. But the real draw is the people — the volunteers are incredible. The encouragement and food at checkpoints are unmatched. Special mention to pizza crumpets and selection box chocolates!

    Q. Are there any particular memories from your previous Hundreds that still stand out, either for good reasons or for “that was character-building” reasons?

    A. So many, although some a bit hazy from lack of sleep! On my first hundred (the Trans-Pennine), I faced freezing winds overnight which really got to me. The tantrum I threw, and the shivering was truly ‘character building’, so I now always carry an extra layer. But the sunrise coming down Lose Hill made it all worthwhile. In Scotland, one of my funniest memories was my teammate at mile 95 convinced there was a net about to capture him on the path.  Watching the hallucination unfold was very amusing.

    Q. What made you decide to take on this year’s Hunnypot 100 in Kent?

    A. Last year wasn’t my most enjoyable experience, but that wasn’t the event’s fault or the fantastic organisers.  A learning point for me was to train on similar terrain as the event.  However, the pull of a hillier route, the amazing community, and a healthy bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) brought me straight back. That — and the fact I’m a big Winnie the Pooh fan.

    Q. How has your training and preparation been going this time?

    A. I had a small hip cartilage tear last September, so I took three months off to recover. Since then, I’ve rebuilt my fitness and switched things up by running more — a nice change, even if I’m not sure I can call myself a runner yet. I also did a 53-mile event called ‘The Marreg ’in Pembrokeshire — with 3000m plus of hills, some scambly bits and an opportunity to do night navigation it was wonderful. And I was mostly fuelled by delicious checkpoint Welsh cakes. The bilk of my training has been gradually building miles with 2-3 short runs and a nice long adventure on the weekend.

    Q. Do you feel you’ve learned anything from your previous Hundreds that you’ll be trying to put into practice this year?

    A. I’ve learned many things that I will try to incorporate this year:

    • Keep eating and drinking— it’s absolutely crucial. I’m already pretty good at this but my last event I didn’t carry enough water between checkpoints which was very unenjoyable.
    • Deal with foot issues early — stopping is worth it. I’ve been known to ignore the issue and regret it every time.
    • Miles 70–80 are always tough for me, so I’m working on staying positive. I know my body can do it so I can’t let my head win.
    • Save a treat for later — I’ve learned a Coke near the end is like rocket fuel for me.

    Q. Food can become strangely important on a 100-mile event. What have you learned about what keeps you going, and what do you most look forward to eating or drinking during an event?

    A. We all know the hundred is a checkpoint-to-checkpoint exercise with the temptation of the next offerings keeping you moving. I’ve always had a big appetite, so the walking picnic is a dream. I carry energy chews, high-carb bars, and salty snacks, but the real highlights include macaroni cheese, fish finger buttys, fresh fruit, and the endless sandwich options.

    Q. Is there any part of the event that you’re especially looking forward to, or anything that feels like the biggest challenge?

    I feel more prepared than ever this year and confident in my game plan which inevitably have to be adapted as the hours tick on. Pacing is my biggest challenge. I tend to get carried away early on and pay for it later. This time I want to stay steady and consistent — and enjoy the hills and scenery along the way.

    Q. What advice would you give to someone taking on their first Hundred, especially if they’re feeling excited but slightly daunted by the scale of it?

    A. It does see daunting and I never know how I do but trust your body and mind. I try not to think about the miles done or the ones yet to be completed and live in the moment. Other tips include:

    • Eat often and stay hydrated (don’t forget electrolytes)
    • Chat to people — it lifts your mood and passes the time
    • Stick to your own pace
    • Change your socks regularly — your feet will thank you

    Q. When you look back after the Hunnypot 100, what would make this year’s event feel like a success for you?

    A. Finishing, having more highs than lows, and ideally avoiding a second night — I really don’t like wearing a head torch! Fewer blisters would be a bonus too.

  • Lübeck – St. Anne’s Museum Quarter (Elijah Ascends)

    Lübeck – St. Anne’s Museum Quarter (Elijah Ascends)

    This is a surviving wing of an altarpiece that I assume has been lost somewhere over time. It all looks like it’s a medieval Lübeck painting which depicts a scene in which nobody has had time to hold a proper planning meeting, but it appears that it is of religious significance. The prophet Elijah is being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, while Elisha, his follower and successor, kneels below and reaches towards him. I’d add that I didn’t know that, I copied it from the information panel at the museum.

    The panel was painted in Lübeck at the end of the fifteenth century, at a time when the city still had the wealth, workshops and devotional culture to produce works of real beauty like this. I was strangely drawn to this, although I think I’m always intrigued by things where half the artwork is missing, or over half in this case. I don’t have the religious knowledge to make much comment about the artwork and I’m not sure I even understand the museum’s account that it “could be read as a prefiguration of Christ’s ascension”.

    It’s painted on pine and is in reasonably good shape, although the museum doesn’t know where it came from other than they acquired it in 1866. There’s a level of awe that the average fifteenth century viewer of this artwork might have perhaps thought, I rather like it.

  • Lübeck – Sudden Death Brewing Company

    Lübeck – Sudden Death Brewing Company

    Sudden Death are one my favourite brewers in Germany, but I hadn’t realised that they were based in Lübeck until I actually got to the city, so I was very surprised and delighted. Although it goes to show that my knowledge of German brewers is quite weak, but there are relatively few craft beer outfits like this in the country, so I think that they need support and I was happy to oblige.

    I was one of the first people there when they opened at 17:00 because I had limited time to get to my train which left a couple of hours later and the railway station was nearly a thirty minute walk. There was a friendly welcome from a team member although she noted that she’d have to move things about as I didn’t have a reservation. That was helpful, although they were able to seat everyone coming in without a reservation for the next hour, but I appreciated the engagement and immediate welcome.

    This is a taproom and so their main brewery equipment dominates the environment and it all looks clean, shiny and well presented. There was table service offered to customers which made matters easier, so I didn’t have to go to the bar at any stage.

    It started to get busy with a couple of large groups taking up the tables near the brewing equipment, but it felt organised and well managed. There are some fridges with cans in, but I thought I’d just try the beers in their home environment as it were.

    I looked at the menu and decided quite quickly that I’d like food. I’m decisive like that.

    I asked if they did flights and I was pleased to discover that they did, with a choice of (i) their core beers, (ii) their newer releases or (iii) anything you wanted. I decided to go with the middle option initially and the beers were from left to right:

    Bliss in the Field – anything inspired by Trillium is likely to be good and this was punchy in the hops, almost a TIPA intensity, hazy and rounded.

    Brick by Brick – a bit rustic, bit smooth, there was a bitter flavour and it was quite intense, all being something a little different.

    Hop Ripper (Cascade) – this was piney, light coloured and maybe slightly thin, but it was pleasant enough.

    Pilsener Program v.01 – it’s a Pilsner and they don’t excite me, but it was clean and light.

    The pizza arrived and it was slightly heavy, but I didn’t let that stop me. It was the taco pizza with some Mexican based toppings and the flavours were robust and it all was all rather lovely.

    I then got muddled up and ordered another flight, but these things happen. This time I chose my own four beers from their brewery and they were from left to right:

    Brewpub Anniversary Special 4 – this was hazy, tropical, punchy and hoppy.

    Echoes of Collapse – juicy, rich, hazy, tropical and fruity.

    Eat My Haze 2 Fully Loaded – hazy, peach and mango flavours, tropical and nicely rounded with plenty of hops.

    Blabarsoppa – this was the best of all the eight beers that I tried, so I left the best until last. Flavours of blackcurrant, blueberry, cherry and plum, with the whole arrangement being lightly tart. Absolutely delicious and it was good to see them making sours.

    There were a couple of guest options as well, but I thought I might as well try beers from the brewery whilst I was here. I’ve had beers from Sudden Death a few times before, but all of the eight I tried here were new to me.

    There’s the Untappd screen and two of my check-ins. I still get excited about this despite having been on Untappd for eight years, so I really should get out more.

    Some of their can art, it’s decorative and interesting.

    Overall, I really enjoyed this visit and it was like being in a brewpub in the United States, this was as on-trend as a German brewery is going to get. The team members were friendly, the venue was spotlessly clean, the glasses were in good condition and all of the beers were above average and some verged towards excellent. They deserve their reputation of being one of the best breweries in German and I’m hoping that this sort of venue is very much part of Germany’s brewing future. When I left all of the seats were taken, so things seem to be going well and the reviews are all very positive. All really very lovely.

  • LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Mark Pennington)

    LDWA – Hunnypot Hundred 2026 (Main Event – Interview with Entrant Mark Pennington)

    I’ve dusted off my previous page at https://www.julianwhite.uk/ldwa-100/ all about the LDWA 100 to bring it up to date for 2026.

    This interview is with Mark Pennington (with his wife Deborah in the above photo) who is looking forward to taking part in his fourth hundred. And I love this answer about what he’s most looking forward to and his answer was “Saturday and Monday” which seems quite realistic!

    Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself and say how you first became involved with long-distance walking?

    A. I am an accountant from Leeds with no athletic background. Around the age of 50, weight-gain suggested I needed some exercise, and my wife Deborah and I decided to walk a trail as a holiday. I found information on the LDWA website, and selected the Dales Way, which we managed to complete, exhausted, at 12 miles per day. We then joined LDWA and did our first social walk with The Irregulars on my 51st birthday.

    Q. You mentioned that this will be your fourth hundred. What do you remember most strongly from the first three?

    A. The walk into the unknown on Hundred #1. Everyone has done 50 miles to qualify, but most debutants have no idea what their body and mind will do beyond that point. On reaching Coventry at 70 miles, I was exhausted and ready to stop. Instead I asked for a lie down: while discovering that I couldn’t power-nap, I had to listen to other conversations going on around me about whether to quit. I didn’t think it was justified, so I got up, had some food and drink, set off, and gave myself 10 minutes to decide whether I felt too awful to continue. The lie down had done me some good, as I actually found a burst of respectable speed and started overtaking people. I didn’t look back from there. It was a pivotal moment for me.

    Q. Does approaching your fourth 100 feel different from preparing for your first, and are you calmer about the distance now or does it still have a healthy ability to cause concern?

    A. I now feel as though I understand the event and how to get myself through it. It’s immensely long and things can go wrong, but so far I have coped and never felt that I wouldn’t finish my subsequent Hundreds.

    Q. What made you decide to take on this year’s 100 in Kent?

    A. After two I decided I’d had enough and would take a break. This turned out to be 10 months long (!), and I was a late entrant for last year’s event: I missed having a goal in the spring. I think I’m hooked now.

    Q. How has your training been going, and have you changed anything based on what you learned from your previous 100s?

    A. My approach has been similar and I’ve come through unscathed. I just beat my PB in the Marsden Moors Meander by 19 seconds, so I guess I should tackle the Hundred at my usual pace!

    Q. How prepared do you feel at this stage, physically and mentally?

    A. Physically I’m okay. Mentally, it’s how you feel on the day: but it’s an inspiring day, so I should be up for it.

    Q. Food can become strangely important on a 100-mile event. What do you usually rely on to keep yourself going, and is there anything you absolutely cannot face after enough miles?

    A. On approaching a checkpoint I’ve always been ready to eat, and I always know what I want. In the wee small hours, milky foods like cereal and rice pudding go down well. And tea, of course.

    Q. Is there a particular point in a 100 where you know from experience that things can become difficult, and how do you usually get through it?

    A. As a Monday finisher, Sunday is immensely long and very hard. In particular, 60-80 miles is the hardest, when you’re done-in and there’s a very long way to go. Before 60 I can smell sausages, and after 80 I start to smell success. One thing I’ve learned is that your feelings come in-and-out: you don’t just feel progressively worse all the time.

    Q. What would make this year’s 100 feel like a success for you?

    A. Any completion is a success. Beating 41 hours would keep up my statistical progress, but I suspect the late hills might challenge this. I won’t worry about it.

  • Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Four Construction Problems – Bloody Civil Engineers)

    Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Four Construction Problems – Bloody Civil Engineers)

    My friend Liam is a civil engineer (not that he’ll read this, some best friend…..) and I thought of him when reading the cathedral’s comments that their structure has four quite big construction problems. Now, a medieval version of Liam would have blamed the architects and it’s clear that they made a few little errors as well.

    The first problem is that they built the cathedral in the wrong place. There is the story that God chose whether to site the building by making a miracle happen, but he chose a place that was very sandy which feels sub-optimal. The engineers got building their lovely new cathedral and discovered almost immediately that the tower was sinking and leaning, which caused quite a commotion. They built brick ribs and added walls to fix the little problem, but that didn’t much help.

    The second problem is that they couldn’t make bricks. They couldn’t afford to ship stone in from France, which would have been the sandstone that most cathedrals at the time used, so they instead used brick as that worked for the Romans. So they got some people together to make bricks, but the things they made were riddled with cracks and crumbled. The cathedral’s new facade crumbled away within years and so had to be rapidly replaced with some new bricks as they had become more experienced by this point.

    The third problem was a bit later when the repairs to fix the earlier problems started. They used Portland cement which was unsuitable and led to some bulging of the stonework and bits promptly fell off the towers. I can imagine the annoyance of the engineers who whilst trying to fix earlier problems ended up creating new ones.

    The fourth problem is that they had to keep patching up the frontage because of the succession of building errors. They, on numerous occasions, patched up the outer layer of brickwork, but failed to actually attach it to the stonework behind it. This led to cracks of the outer layer and, once again, bits kept falling off. Recent investigations have shown that just 11% of the original masonry has survived, the other 89% is more modern and attempts to fix the construction errors that have occurred.

    All of this has combined today to mean that the cathedral is currently faced with another major restoration, because the towers are still not stable. I think it’s clear that the bombing of the cathedral in 1942 didn’t much help matters, but the problems are much longer-term. I rather liked the whole engagement that the cathedral showed with this, it’s clear that many cathedral projects didn’t go to plan, although this one seems to have had more problems than most.

  • Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Painting of St. Christopher)

    Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Painting of St. Christopher)

    I’m slightly puzzled by this painting, although I’m frequently puzzled by many things so I don’t let that surprise me. It’s evidently St. Christopher, but the cathedral gives no other information about the artwork other than referencing the saint himself and how he looks after travellers. There can be few more noble things than looking after travellers and pilgrims, so he’s quite high on my list of favourite saints. I’m not sure whether you’re supposed to have a list of favourite saints, perhaps there’s another blog post there one day….

    It’s not a subtle little piece, but it’s in remarkably good condition for something which is dated 1665 in the top right hand corner. This meant I assumed that it was a modern painting which replaced an earlier artwork that was damaged during the Second World War. However, there are mentions online that this is the original and so I’m puzzled as to why the cathedral in its guide doesn’t want to make more reference to it.

    It seems to me that this is the original painting which shows him carrying travellers along a dangerous river, but it seems that some sort of restoration is likely. But maybe that’s just out of hope that it somehow survived the Second World War, I think it’s one of the highlights of the cathedral.

  • Lübeck – Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus (The Sons of Dr Max Linde by Edvard Munch)

    Lübeck – Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus (The Sons of Dr Max Linde by Edvard Munch)

    Edvard Munch’s (1863-1944) Die Söhne des Dr. Max Linde is apparently one of the landmark family portrait paintings of the twentieth century, or at least that’s what it says online and so it must be true. Painted in 1903, it shows the four sons of Dr Max Linde (1862-1940), a Lübeck eye doctor, collector and important early German supporter of Munch. The boys are not presented as neat little decorative cherubs, but they have individual personalities, varying levels of patience and the faint air of children who have been told to stand still by adults who are not fully in control of the situation.

    The museum’s own account notes that Linde first encountered Munch’s work in 1902 and went on to commission portraits of his family, views of his house, garden and collection, as well as what became known as the Linde portfolio. Its presence in the Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus is appropriate given that Munch was repeatedly active in Lübeck between 1902 and 1907, largely because of his relationship with Linde, and this work is one of the great results of that connection.

    In terms of the children, Hermann leans in from the left, Lothar seems barely able to keep still, Theodor occupies the right-hand side with considerable confidence and Helmuth in the centre who looks straight out. I wonder what the children thought of it, it does show a sense of mischief between the two of them, I rather suspect that they liked it.

  • Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Eighteenth Century Burial Slab)

    Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (Eighteenth Century Burial Slab)

    I’m more amused about AI’s response to whether it could tell me anything about this as it replied:

    “The stone is very worn, and Latin inscriptions are unforgiving little beasts even before several centuries of feet have gone over them. I can provide some words with reasonable confidence but why put these stones where people walk over them?”

    It seems to be humouring itself now, but I like its style. Anyway, the ‘Memento Mori’ which means something like ‘remember, you’ve got to die’ is a cheery little number at the bottom of the stone. It dates to 1730 although it’s not clear whether they’ve moved it because of the damage done during the Second World War. I suspect that it hasn’t moved very far, if at all, and in response to AI, it’s likely a good thing that they didn’t have this as a memorial on the wall, as that would have been less likely to survive the various attacks that there have been on this building.

    However, this stone is readable enough without AI and it’s the tomb of Kaspar Andreas von Elmendorff (1658-1730). He was born in 1658 at Füchtel, located to the south west of Bremen, and became a Catholic canon in the otherwise mostly Lutheran cathedral chapter of Lübeck. Remarkably, he received the expectation of a canonry at Lübeck Cathedral when he was only ten, which goes to show what happens when you’re from a wealthy family.

    He later held a canonry at St Alexander in Wildeshausen, before being ordained subdeacon in Münster in 1681 and priest in Hildesheim in 1700. He moved permanently to Lübeck in 1697, became an Imperial Councillor in 1705 and eventually served as senior of the cathedral chapter. He was also caught up in the rather tangled 1705 Lübeck bishopric succession dispute, supporting the Danish candidate Prince Carl, who ultimately lost out to Christian August of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf after a diplomatic intervention which all sounds very complex.

    Elmendorff died in Lübeck in 1730 and was buried in the southern choir ambulatory of Lübeck Cathedral. Rather surprisingly perhaps, some of his donated liturgical silverwork survives, which is some achievement although it’s primarily just a saucer that is left.

  • Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (War Damage)

    Lübeck – Lübeck Cathedral (War Damage)

    There was an interesting little museum area at Lübeck Cathedral, but these two images tell the story of the damage done here during the Second World War. This photo of the cathedral was taken in 1930.

    And here’s what is left following the air raid on Palm Sunday (Psalm Sunday if you’re Robert Jenrick) on 28 March 1942, with this photo being taken a month after the attack. A city left in ruins and a cathedral primarily reduced to rubble. Work to restore the building wasn’t completed until 1982, although the interior of the cathedral has been rebuilt with some considerable care.

    More in future posts, but the cathedral authorities are challenged at the moment as their building is starting to fall down and they’ve decided that they’d better fix that. This is a long-term historic issue, although not really helped by the 1942 destruction.