A Day in York

As one born in the north of England, I blush to admit that I have never visited the see city of the northern Province of the Church of England. Since it so happens that General Synod was meeting here this weekend and two of my collaborators - Kevin Ward and Mark Chapman - on a forthcoming study of the Kikuyu Conference of 1913 (in its day an affair whose ecclesiogical implications looked set to be as far reaching as the election of Gene Robinson in 2003) were to be in town, Jennifer and I decided to meet up with them.
  

Here's a view from the city walls - champion sight, as any good Yorkshireman would exclaim.

Approaching Yorkminster Cathedral. A nice day (no rain) meant that hordes of tourists were about.

The west doors of the Cathedral. We arrived too late for morning service but returned for choral evensong, which celebrated the 800th anniversary of the awarding of a city charter by King John (three years later that unfortunate monarch had more pressing concerns at Runnymede, so perhaps it was as well that the burghers of York got to him when they did).

Well there's a surprise; a soon-to-be ex-Archbishop of Canterbury and one of his possible successors.

 
In the shadow of Archbishop Sentamu's cathedra, St Michael Le Belfrey upholds the banner of Evangelicalism. 

On a lighter note, this band made a joyful noise as we took a stroll through the town in the early afternoon.

Photographs: Jennifer Bonner (who wisely persuaded me - against my better judgment - that it was time we acquired a digital camera).