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2 hours ago
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The great composer who was an organist at Worcester Cathedral
LAST month marked the anniversary of the death of a great composer who lived on College Green. A blue plaque marks this fact. It's not Sir Edward Elgar, who we celebrate annually with an Elgar Festival, but a lesser-known man called Thomas Tomkins. Tomkins died in 1656 aged 84. More: Let's celebrate the class of 2025! More of your Year 11 prom photos More: Forwarded letter's key role for diamond wedding couple More: Group feeling good after grant boost He was the organist of our great Worcester Cathedral between 1596 and 1646. Tomkins did a vast amount of things during his long life and was deeply saddened by the damage he witnessed during the English Civil Wars, especially to the city and the organ inside the cathedral. And 2025 is Play the Organ Year, a campaign organised by the Royal College of Organists to celebrate the pipe organ and its powerful music. Something Tomkins would have embraced and given his seal of approval to. When our magnificent cathedral was first built in the seventh century, organ music was literally unheard of. The first reference to an organ in Worcester dates to the 13th century when another man called 'Thomas the Organist' witnessed a simple deed. We also see wages set aside to pay the organist Ricardi Greene in the 15th century and hear of an organ being located in the Lady Chapel of the cathedral. By the 16th century the cathedral had several organs, including one purchased by Robert Alchurch. These sat in numerous locations including the Choir, St Edmund's Chapel and St George's Chapel. Sadly, this period would also see major damage to the cathedral and its organs. The radical Protestant reformer Bishop Hooper arrived in Worcester in 1552 and this led to the dismantling of at least three of these precious organs. However, following the death of the young King Edward VI, his sister Mary reigned and began to reverse some of the changes. She ordered the arrest of Bishop Hooper who was subsequently burned at the stake in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral, having been found guilty of heresy in February 1555. During this period the Dean wrote to Cardinal Pole, Queen Mary's chief minister, asking for money to restore the cathedral and its organs. The letter said: 'Where our churche is greatly down our belles and organs be broken our altars and chapelles are by Hooper violated and overthrown'. In 1613 Tomkins personally oversaw the installation of a new organ against the choir screen. This was built by Thomas Dallam, costing £381.2s.8d — about £750,000 today. This organ would be badly damaged by parliament forces during the English Civil Wars. Tomkins tried hard to dismantle this organ to prevent further damage to it. Thomas Habington described what it looked like: 'At the west end and highest ascent into the quire is mounted alofte a most faire and excellent organ adorned with imperiall crownes, red roses, includinge the white flowredeluses, pomgranades, being all Royall badges. Towardes the topp are towe stars, with the one, W. Parry, Episcopus; with the other, A. Luke, Decanus; and written aboute the Organ, By the meditation and mediation of Thomas Tomkins.' A new organ was eventually constructed by Thomas Harris with further improvements being made by Hill & Sons in the 19th century. This company would go on to build two more, all being powered by water. The water had to be piped in using extensive new plumbing. This involved digging up some of the graveyard of St Michael's Church. The rector of St Michael's that stood in front of the cathedral wrote to the Dean because 'the pipes were laid without his permission'. In 1894 Robert Hope-Jones rebuilt the two water-powered organs as one large organ for just over £2,000. This new organ was powered by a gas engine and rotary blower. This was housed in a building next to the south wall of the choir near St John's Chapel. In 1921, now powered by electricity, the organ was proving very problematic. Arthur Harrison said: 'The organ generally was in a deplorable condition, only a very small portion of it being usable. Almost the whole of the electric mechanism was in an advanced state of decay and short circuits were to be found in almost every direction. The builder of the organ had not had much practical organ building experience. The idea of the mechanism was good but the method of carrying it out was defective.' This organ, despite some modernisation and major repairs, was played until the millennium. The decorative case and pipes designed by George Gilbert Scott can still be seen today near the exit of the crypt. Today the new organ is housed in a case at triforium level on the north side of the quire. This was built by Kenneth Tickell and finished in 2008. Currently on display near the crypt exit is the Handel Organ. This beautiful survivor was built in 1667 by Ralph Dallam for Oxford University Music School. It was rebuilt in 1774 by Samuel Green and donated to the cathedral in 1937. Further restoration work took place on this historic piece in the 1980s by Peter Wood. In a year we celebrate the organ we would highly recommend taking a break from the busy lives we lead and sitting in the cool of the cathedral to listen to one of the organs. Do look out for both the free and paid organ recitals. It's hard to imagine the cathedral without music and its beautiful organs. Our columnist Paul Harding runs Discover History which offers hands-on learning of the county's history.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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People Are Sharing The One Product They Bought That Turned Them Into A Total Snob, And Now They Can Never Go Back To The Cheap Stuff
These days — especially with prices rising — it seems like everyone is always on the hunt for dupes or cheaper alternatives to their favorite products. But sometimes, the "real deal" is so good that the budget version just cannot compete! So much so that once you experience that kind of quality, there's just no going back. Recently, redditor Wonderful-Economy762 wanted to know which purchases completely leveled people up and made them unexpectedly picky when they asked: "What's one product you bought that turned you into a total snob — like, you can never go back to the cheap stuff?" From butter to bedsheets, here's what people said made them raise their standards for good: 1."High-quality headphones. Once you hear music on good headphones, cheap ones sound like static." —ColdAntique291 "This! After using great headphones, you try your old ones and suddenly it sounds like your music is coming out of a haunted bucket." —Random_NameGenerated 2."High-quality butter." —Calm-Sea-5526 "Kerrygold is my fave." —pereuse 3."Balsamic vinegar." —U_kiddingme "The thick, expensive kind." —nycvhrs 4."Really good olive oil." —WeirdcoolWilson "I married an Italian and learned of this liquid gold. When it goes on sale, the family gets the word out and some buy it by the case." —dbrackulator 5."Whole coffee beans. No pre-ground coffee for me, keep your freeze-dried coffee to yourself, thanks!" —blondehairedangel "Came here to say this. Grinding your own has no substitute." —stairway2000 6."Maldon Sea Salt Flakes." —tyrannosaurus_eh "Their smoked salt is amazing too." —Smallloudcat 7."My fancy coffee machine. I'm never going back to instant coffee." —0ld_skool "I was just telling someone I can't drink drip coffee anymore. It just doesn't taste good to me now." —leese216 8."My KitchenAid stand mixer." —rushX33 "Mine runs great. Got it in 1999 or 2000." —Necessary_Internet75 9."Heated seats in my vehicles. It's pretty common across most models these days, but I first got them in 2005, and I told myself, 'There's just no going back now...'" —TravelEven1789 "Also the heated steering wheel!" —Fragrant_Turnover_38 10."Maple syrup!!!" —FlapDoodle-Badger "True Vermont maple syrup is on another level. We have a vacation home near many sugarhouses. No chemicals, no flavoring, no additives. Just pure syrup is ridiculously better." —imonlinedammit1 11."Quality fabrics — cotton, linen, and wool." —Jadey006 "I never thought I would be checking fabrics as much as I do now. Cotton seems to be becoming a thing of the past." —VivelaVendetta 12."Birkenstock sandals. I have knee problems, and they redistribute weight just enough to make a BIG difference — so much so, that I bought a slip-in style and ankle boot for when the cooler weather comes." —nycvhrs "Agreed. I've bought similar cheaper brands and they are not the same support at all." —catashtrophe84 13."Vanilla extract for baking. I cannot use the 'imitation' crap anymore, even if it is half the price." —L0st-137 "Real vanilla is expensive and worth every penny." —Transcontinental-flt 14."Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce." —bebenee27 "Oh hells yes. It's pricey, but it's damn good." —Yankee6Actual 15."My perfume. The specific scent I wear, I've worn almost every day for the past 25 years. I won't change it." —Ecjg2010 "Exactly! I may have on a thrift store shirt and a pair of jeans I bought at a yard sale, but Imma have on one of my expensive perfumes with them." —ALmommy1234 16."Really great cookware. Most people start out on T-fal, but once you can afford the good stuff, your cooking will never be the same. I personally love my Scanpans. Oh, and quality knives like Wüsthof." —Adorable_Complaint36 "Solid advice. Great cookware and great knives are so worth it and will last a lifetime given proper care and use."—UnsafeAtEverySpeed 17."Coca-Cola. I never buy the cheap shit." —ricst "Off-brand cola is the worst. I can handle off-brand orange, citrus, or ginger ale, but any brown soda needs to be brand." —Pizzaisbae13 18."Q-tips." —Foxingmatch "True. Generic ones are crap." —FireBallXLV 19."Aesop body wash and hand soap. Smells so good and doesn't dry skin." —mega_star_ "That's a level of rich I aspire to." —Careless-Ad8346 "High-quality sheets with a great thread count.' —Heebyjeebees "And silk pillowcases." —vernongodlittle_ You can read the original thread on Reddit. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
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Town hall celebrates 125 years with floral glow-up
Lynton Town Hall is celebrating its 125th anniversary in spectacular style. To mark the milestone, the community of Lynton and Lynmouth, in north Devon, has transformed the town hall with a breathtaking display of handcrafted decorations. Thousands of knitted, crocheted and sewn flowers, leaves, animals and insects now adorn the building, recreating its original Victorian charm. Most of the intricate pieces were made by members of the community with contributions also arriving from across the UK and abroad, said organisers. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon They estimate that more than 7,000 individual elements make up the display which also includes hidden surprises for children to discover. The project, which will be on display throughout July and August, was made possible with the help of Lynton & Lynmouth Town Council, the Community Bookshop and countless volunteers who contributed ideas, materials and time. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Warm spaces open to those struggling to heat homes Rare plants flowering for only time after 10 years Chelsea Flower Show garden given to Devon charity
