Out and In

On a day trip to the city of Warwick, a few days ago, I got a good look at the church of St Nicholas. It is a stirring spectacle, with ancient graves still occupying much of the grounds. The car park behind the church is very helpful, for it serves as a base for exploring the historic surroundings. I didn't get to see the insides of the church because a choral workshop was in progress. The name itself was enough for me, the only one I've seen dedicated to Santa.

From there it's a stone's throw away from Warwick Castle and its imposing entrance. Just a little further and we were exploring the Church of St Mary. The proximity of these two places of worship is a sure indication that religious affairs were very much a part of everyday life in times long gone. All, all are departed, the old familiar ways.

St Mary's, here in Warwick, is an even more poignant reminder of times past. The church is huge, the chapel in it dedicated to events in the past, the crypt within conjuring up scary images, and the numerous vaults commemorating various historical figures, ancient and modern. The names we come across inside remind us of courtly romance and intrigue (Robert Dudley, for example), others of outstanding military leaders (Montgomery, for instance), while the souvenir corner can provide you with replica coins of 16th century England.

Warwick can boast of at least one hero of the ordinary kind, the boxer Randolph Turpin. This guy was England's first black boxer to become a world champion, but he became really famous when he outboxed the American great, Sugar Ray Robinson. When comes such another?

See you again next Friday, people.