About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

S is for STAINED GLASS

Welcome to ABC Wednesday, the superlative of weekly memes, created by the stellar Mrs. Denise and administered by the saintly Mr. Roger.  This week we celebrate the letter S as in sunshine, salad, sensational, soup, and sincere.  During my travels last summer, I chanced upon several spots where I stood in awe at stained glass windows. 

I was very excited to arrive at the sacred Liverpool Cathedral and exited the Hop On/Hop Off bus with spirit and sparkle.  After seeing the singularly exceptional entrance, I excitedly entered the cathedral.  Such was my anticipation of this visit that I had my camera secure and at the ready!  To the left, was a beautiful window with flower boxes brimming full of splendid and stately selections of showy blooms.
This stained glass window, although extremely pretty with its pinks, blues, yellows, and greens was nothing compared to what awaited me in the cathedral proper. As I slowly walked down the wide entry hall, I was completely unaware of what awaited me. To the right, I gazed upward toward the west window which has been designed around the "Benedicite," a canticle (hymn of praise). Below it, in pink neon, reads "I felt you and I knew you loved me“ and was installed 2008 when Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture.
 I then turned to the east where the altar is located and took a photo of it with its stained glass window rising strikingly above it.  Unfortunately the lighting was not conducive to very good photos, but this is the best I could do.  Then I moved closer to take a shot of just the window itself.
In the front of the abbey in Rosedale (that I wrote about last week) I found this next stained glass window with a lace-covered table beneath it. 
The Liverpool Cathedral has many more stained glass windows within its walls, but as I mentioned, the lighting was not good for taking photographs, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.  When I had a day in York, I found two more very special stained glass windows.  One was in the Medieval Guild Hall, one of the most important buildings in the medieval city.  It was built in 1357 by a group of influential men and women who came together to form a religious fraternity called the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the largest timber-framed building in the UK still standing and used for its original purpose. Inside, I found this stained glass window that appears to evoke life in medieval times in York.
Finally, in a second location, I found this one that symbolises agricultural life in the York area.
We don't see many stained glass windows here in western Canada, but there are probably some in the Catholic churches here or in the east.  So it was a real treat to see these ones in Liverpool and York.  There are some artisans who make them here, but they're more modern and artistic in style, not like the old religious ones of the "old country."  Hope you enjoyed these shots, and that you have a sensational week.  I'll see you all back here for the letter T when I'll show you what it's like in the town of Tenby in the south west of  Wales.

16 comments:

Trubes said...

Leslie,
I can't begin to tell you how delighted I am that you included
our beloved Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in this meme.
It has many happy memories for me when i was a chorister in the
Parish church choir, We used to lead the services when the Cathedral
choirboys were on holiday, it waas quite an honour.
Also my college would
hold it's annual Speech days there.
Wondeful memories.
Love Di.
ABCW team.

Hildred said...

Very beautiful... one of the highlights of our visit to Yorkminster was the wonderful Air Force Memorial window there. It would be nice to see more of these inspiring and beautiful windows in the churches here in Canada...

Photo Cache said...

A superb collection of stained glass. I love them.

My ABC WEDNESDAY

MelodyK said...

Its a wonderful subject for s indeed, I always get silent and amazed if I see it.... thankfully my son and daughter in law create such things themselves.... very beautiful, hours of work, but the results are great

Have a wonderful ABC-day / – week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
http://melodymusic.nl/a-b-c-wednesday-19-s/

photowannabe said...

Breath taking windows.
Cameras just don't do it justice.

carol l mckenna said...

Gorgeous photography of the stained glass for S ~ thanks.

Wishing you a peaceful week ~ ^_^

Nonnie said...

oh, thank you for sharing these stunning stained glass windows. I never tire of looking at the windows in my parish church. Such dedication those who made these windows. It's amazing that so many have survived hundreds of years.

Amit Agarwal said...

Awesome indeed!

Roger Owen Green said...

LOVE the stained glass, and how it tell stories
ROG, ABCW

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

The windows are always a highlight for me. The light and color add so much to cathedrals.

Janis
GDP

LindyLouMac said...

This is the first time I have joined in Round 19 and it is already the letter S. Good to be back playing along and visiting other meme entries. I love stained glass and am having a window renovated for my home.

Splendid Little Stars said...

such a strikingly showy stained glass window! How beautiful!

Joy said...

You've done a beautiful job with the stained glass photos, lighting is always tricky trying to capture their detail. Liverpool cathedral is a fabulous space. The neon sign is by Tracy Emin, not something she is usually associated with.

photodoug said...

Leslie, sensational stained glass. Thanks for sharing.

Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA said...

Those stained glass window are certainly breathtaking. I would love to visit those churches sometime. Blessings!

Su-sieee! Mac said...

What a treat to see so many gorgeous stained glass windows! Thanks for sharing.