Old Cathedral and Church of St Michael

Helen - I suspect you're having a lend of us, but is it really true? There are no references to John Thornton in Wiki's "Angry Birds" page.

Shameful that Thornton gets no credit but sadly his work is out of copyright. But pictures don't lie. Look at the eyebrows, beak and attitude on that little birdy. Even the Twitter logo is suspiciously similar.

Rob has a similar drawing of this in the library collection but this appears to have been taken from a publication called 'The Builder' from June 1891 by Messrs Paley and Austin Architects.

Not seen this before - St Michael's Baptistery (Library pics).

1861

East end showing radiating chapels, vestries.

Sadly Prof, many of those library images are just very small - they were just samples and obviously not intended for enlargement.

Thank you Rob for explaining.

The beauty of this forum - it brings me back home, and my childhood. We entered this beautiful, tall cathedral to the evensong. It was strewn with vases of flowers, candlelight and oil lights flickered, a soft melody of organ music greeted the ear. We were given or bought small programmes - as the crowd settled down the choirs began to sing, the crowd joined in and suddenly this beautiful church was alive with music and passion. A women's choir was present, solo artists, songs like Greensleeves, solo organ music, more hymns and songs, but the highlight was when both choirs sang and chanted Monastery (Gregorian) music - that to me fitted in with this old medieval church. There was no sermon, just a short prayer at the end. The warmth and good feeling (not religion) was immense. I was about 10/11 years old. (thank you Rob)

I add enlarge any images people may need and re-add back on here - just let me know what you want! Hope thats OK Rob.

Prof, Re your photo on 436, Edward VII. Yes, amazing the Cathedral is full. He was known as Dirty Bertie, he had been kept as a strict child by Victoria, but when he went to France as a teenager he was taken to a bawdy theatre, had an affair with actress, one of over 400. Nell Gwyn, Lillie Langtry were his mistresses - he completely rebelled against his mother's strict rule. He was related to all the European royalty and great friend to everyone he knew. It was said the WWI would have happened 10 years sooner but he took his cousins etc for a drink and war was averted. I believe he was on tour when it did happen. He spent a lot of our money, not on guns etc but on pleasure - a giant playboy - but the country seemed to love him for it. They too had had enough of Victoria's strict regime, he turned the country from a strict life to one of gaiety and music halls, theatres, etc. No wonder that the Cathedral was packed.

Prof Photo on 435 Really shows just how much Coventry people really loved the old Cathedral. It had belonged to our parents and grandparents, and way back, we had seen it from birth - it may seem a little silly these days, but we grew up with it, it was part of Coventry and us. It was fairly full most Sundays in those times. The general feeling was that it would be rebuilt, it wasn't till we heard there was a competition for a new design that people got worried - by that time it was too late and religion was taking more of a back seat and there wasn't enough support from the younger people. By then I had changed my views on religion, but would have still have visited the cathedral for the sheer sound of choirs and organ music that had a special sound in that particular building, somehow it seemed to swirl around those pillars and hold a deep affection - but then I was a kid who used to dream.