Architecture
Que Pasa
Here is an inside tilt-shifted shot of Que Pasa before the public are allowed in. This pub used to be known as The Corn Exchange and was used as such, then became a craft market before becoming a public house. It is a great space with a lovely glass and metal roof and could be greater, if only they would spend some money on doing the place up.
Tiled Floor in St. Mary’s Church
These tiles appear to be Late Medeival in date and can be found in the west end of St. Mary’s Church between the font and the bell tower.
St George’s Day.
At the junction of Whitehill Road and St John’s Road at the top of Hollow Lane, is a house that has an absolutely wonderful roof finial in the shape of a dragon. Today being St. George’s Day (April 23rd), I thought the dragon finial would tie in nicely with the story of St. George and The Dragon. (http://tinyurl.com/2v6vfa)
As well as being the patron saint of England, St George is also the patron saint of Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Ethiopia, Palestine and Russia. Pretty good going for a man who was born in Lydda – Modern day Lod in Israel (but was Palestine before Israel invaded) and lived in Nicomedia – The once capital of Bithynia (part of Modern day Anatolia in Turkey)
It has been suggested that perhaps England could have an English martyr for its patron saint, such as St Oswald – King of Bernicia (north part of Northumbria) or even a British saint such as St Alban who was martyred at Verulamium (St.Albans) rather than a foreign imported saint. Who knows, but until then, we have St. George.
Hitchin Library Frieze
This photograph is part of the frieze that hangs on the wall of Hitchin Library in Payne’s Park, though it originally used to be on the wall of Argos on Brand Street when it was Sainsbury’s.
Foggy Hitchin
A photograph taken of St Mary’s Church on a very foggy night on Friday 11th of December. The diffused light giving it an even more serene look and feel. This was taken from the a corner of St Mary’s Square car park that over looks the river Hiz and Portmill Lane.
Rooftop Hitchin
For a change, I thought I would include a more ‘aerial’ view of Hitchin by showing it from a much higher level. This was taken from St. Mary’s Church bell tower roof looking across the roof tops of properties in churchyard towards Market Place. This is a view most people won’t see as they won’t go up the bell tower of the church or just never look up at the buildings that surround them.
You can see the old Corn Exchange (now Que Pasa) and to its right, the building that houses Waterstones’ bookshop and the snooker hall above it. Immediately to the right of those is the building that contains Merricks (the sweetshop) and the dentist L. Granhed above that.
Mosaic Frieze
Continuing the church theme this month, is the central part of the frieze behind the altar in the central nave of St. Mary’s Church. More of this frieze will be posted at a later date; as will the beautiful stained glass windows in the southern aisle and chapel
Angelic Host
St Mary’s Church in Hitchin is full of little gems such as this angel. I’m not sure if it’s an original or a Victorian reproduction. If it is an original, then I’m surprised it survived the iconoclasts’ destruction; But as Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews pointed out, they only pulled down statues of saints that people prayed to and not angels to which people didn’t pray.