I think Bill Potter and I were most surprised to see so many people in the streets of Worcester — and they were not attendees of the Three Choirs Festival! It’s also possible that none of these people heard of the Three Choirs Festival or for that matter, Edward Elgar!

Worcester is the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain, (I visited the museum on my last visit) Lea & Perrins (makers of traditional Worcestershire sauce), the University of Worcester, and Berrow’s Worcester Journal, claimed as the world’s oldest newspaper.

Today I sent my deputy photographer out to capture the city away from the cathedral.

The Swan Sanctuary

The Worcester Swan Sanctuary was created in the 1980a by Worcester City Council and the Cathedral, following a national decline in the population of Mute Swans. Research showed that was caused by the lead used in angling weights at that time. Fishing was banned between the railway viaduct upriver, and the Ferry Steps near the Cathedral, to make a safer space for swans. The swans, of course, do not know where the sanctuary boundaries are! They make use of the river from Northwik to Diglis and fly in and out as they place!line

River Severn Navigation and Fish Pass

Diglis River Lock is the largest and deepeston England’s inland waterways.

Fish passes give fish a route around an artificial barrier in the river such as dams or weirs. They work by allowing fish to move up to a higher water level above a barrier, via smaller, more manageable steps. To work effectively, the fish pass needs to direct the flow of water through the structure so that it is not too fast or too turbulent for fish to comfortably swim through.

Glover’s Needle Worcestershire

Glovers Needle – or St. Andrew’s Spire – is one of the most visible and historic landmarks in Worcester.  Located high on a bank above the River Severn, and next to Deansway road, it can be seen from many miles away and is a memorable feature of the Worcester city skyline.  Originally the ‘Spire of the church of St Andrew’ it is all that remains after the main structure of the building was demolished in 1948 after it was ruled to be structurally unsafe.

More Penguins!

I’ve already written about the Great Waddle of Worcester project, decorated penguins raising up the awareness of St. John’s Hospice. Bill happened to find more penguins along the trail.

Lastly, I took pictures of unusual signs!

One of the most important things about the Three Choirs Festival are the friends you meet over and over again! I’ve already told you about RIch Arenschieldt, chair of the American Friends. But here are others I was happy to re-acquaint myself with from previous Festivals.

I met Rosemary and John Allsop at the Hereford Three Choirs Festival, and have seen them again at Gloucester—their son, Christopher is the choirmaster and organist of Eton College. I also met Peter and Barbara Hulac of Denver, Colorado, last year in Gloucester — Barbara and I both graduated from Westminster Choir College only a year apart, but we never met before the Three Choirs Festival last year.

Our return has been delayed slightly as I found myself testing positive for Covid, in spite of having a vaccine booster just before our trip. Luckily, we had paid for an extra hotel room night in advance, and United Airlines changed our flight reservation without charge; in fact, we even got a slight refund!

Home tomorrow!