As Phoebe approaches her fifth birthday, it's fascinating to tune in to her inquisitiveness and her evolving skills in reading and arithmetic. Around the cathedral, she asked me several questions about the things she saw - including the stained glass windows and the fifteenth and sixteenth century tombs that are located close to the main altar. To see things through a child's eyes can be pretty instructive.
I filled in the Christmas tree voting form and Phoebe popped it in the special postbox. You might be able to guess which tree I voted for but I must admit that it had been nicely "spruced up" - what a fine pun!
We had a light lunch in the cathedral cafe. Phoebe had a gingerbread reindeer, Shirley had a toasted teacake and I had a bowl of curried vegetable soup. It's nice to eat somewhere where all profits are used to support charities and Sheffield Cathedral does excellent work with the city's homeless throughout the year.
Upon leaving the cathedral, we headed through the "TK Maxx" store to Orchard Square then out into Fargate and past the city's magnificent late Victorian Town Hall before descending into The Peace Gardens. There was a lovely pre-Christmas buzz about the streets with choirs singing, musicians playing and traders selling their wares from temporary Swiss-style wooden kiosks. And there were plenty of shoppers and visitors bustling around too - just like Saturdays used to be.
We headed down The Moor and popped into "Next" and "Primark" looking for a sparkly Christmas jumper for Phoebe but there were none to be found and time was pressing as she had been invited to yet another birthday party. We had to get her home by 1.30pm.
At the front of the top deck of the Number 88 bus home, Phoebe was insistent that Grandma should sit next to her and not smelly old Grandpa with his bristly chin. Grandpa was rather cold-shouldered as she played "I-Spy" with her favourite grandparent but I managed to fight back the tears of rejection. Walking up Greystones Road on the way home, the little princess did allow me to hold her gloved hand.
Forty Christmas Trees, toasted teacakes, and a little girl who let Grandpa
ReplyDeletehold her hand on the road home.
It's right grand to be back in Yorkshire Pudding Land.
Ee by gum, ah bet it is n'all.
DeleteIt sounds like a lovely day out with your granddaughter. I hope Shirley's tree wins
ReplyDeleteWe could feel Christmas spirit in the air.
DeleteWhat a fun morning for you three! The trees are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNo photo or film could faithfully capture the loveliness of those decorated trees.
DeleteSounds like a fun outing!
ReplyDeleteA different Saturday morning - that's for sure.
Delete"smelly old Grandpa"? Oh dear. Has your coat absorbed smoke and alcohol fumes for your visits to pubs? Surely you don't have bad breath! I used to really enjoy the pre-Christmas buzz in the city, but not anymore, with councils "going green" so minimal decorations are up and many stores don't decorate as they used to, not to mention the attitudes of so many these days make a visit to the city much less fun.
ReplyDeleteBah humbug Mrs Scrooge! I guess I smell like Scrooge now.
DeleteYou wait until Phoebe starts complaining about peas in her bed = The Princess and the Pea for those who do not remember their fairy tales.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fairy so I know nothing of fairy tales.
DeleteSeeing things through a child‘s eyes is indeed very instructive.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine says it really makes him think hard when his five-year-old grandson asks him about god, or other Big Questions.
As adults we take so much for granted - "as read" but small children see it differently. It's quite refreshing.
DeletePhoebe sounds like an eminently sensible young lady. Who wouldn't want to snuggle against sweet, cuddly Grandma instead of smelly old Grandpa!
ReplyDeleteNobody. You know how to make a grandpa feel better about himself.
DeleteI learn about your city more from other people than yourself who lives there. Not a photo of the exterior of your cathedral! You railway station is quite attractive too, as I have seen elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteRay was marvellous in Little Jo's eyes. I just worked hard behind the scenes.
This blog has been running for over twenty years and if you use the search facility you will see that I have blogged about Sheffield many times and there have been many photos too. As I used to say to schoolkids, "Pay attention at the back!"
DeleteWhat a lovely event! And a cathedral cafe! I'd go to that church.
ReplyDeleteIt was once just a parish church for the long ago village that was Sheffield. But then we had the industrial revolution and a settlement of a few hundred became a city of of 580,000 so the parish church had to grow accordingly. I think you would like it there Kylie. By the way, I gave money to a Salvation Army silver band yesterday morning.
DeleteI'm not sure I've ever been inside the cathedral (at least I don't recall), surprising really.
ReplyDeleteI like the inquisitiveness of children and their open minds; too bad many of us lose both of those things as we age.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a memorable day out for all.
ReplyDeleteI hope you got pictures because that is a day you will want to remember.
ReplyDeleteIt's always said that small children help us see things anew. It sounds like that was your experience with Phoebe, maybe? I would have lasted about an hour on a bowl of vegetable soup.
ReplyDelete