BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL

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Having boasted re our city driving at Coventry one error reading the Sat Nav led to more recognition of the ring road than probably necessary in Birmingham, but we soon found our way to easy parking near the Cathedral.

Dogs are not allowed in the Cathedral, so Dorothy remained outside with the dogs first. I was introduced to Chaplain Carol who listened to me talking about Jeel and our students. She had studied in Palestine when training for ordination and was very aware of the issues. She showed me the newly restored Burne-Jones stained glass depicting the Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension. The colours are vibrant and there is no difficulty understanding the story within them.

Outside the Cathedral I found Dorothy who had been chatting to some of the many waiting in a queue for “lets Feed Brum”. This addresses the immediate needs of people by giving them a hot meal and a bag of essential supplies, every day, in partnership with Birmingham Cathedral. I spoke with a lady, in her 60s, who needed this service, living on her own with two cleaning jobs, struggling to make ends meet. A sobering thought.

We visited on a Thursday when it’s the Cathedral’s turn to host them in the large green surrounding it, which also has a memorial to the 21 people murdered in the Birmingham Pub Bombings in 1974.

There is a toilet inside the cathedral which is locked but opened on request but no cafe, so we made the most of a dry day by enjoying a coffee at a pavement cafe nearby. The juxtaposition of Let’s Feed Brum and some very expensive restaurants around the Cathedral Quarter was ironic to say the least.

Birmingham has more canals than Venice, so we walked Scout and Kit up past a series of locks through the city centre. I have never been to Venice so cannot compare it to Birmingham, but we did enjoy the excursion and unlike Venice, The City of Birmingham does not charge for admission.