1

SPIRE

The ninety-first annual reportof the Friends of Salisbury Cathedral 2021

2

THANK YOU!We have experienced some challenging and tragictimes during the year on which this edition of Spirefocuses.

We hope you are all continuing to keep well.

We want to thank you, our loyal members, for yoursteadfast friendship and support of our cathedral andFriends’ charity.

The cathedral will continue to need the help of theFriends in the coming years and we will be here tooffer vital grants, thanks to your support through yourmembership subscriptions and donations.

We look forward to meeting with you again soon.

Front page picture by kind permission of Tricia Glass (copyright).

Contents

The editor, Katharine Shearing records grateful thanks to all contributors. We alsothank and credit the photographers: Ash Mills, Katharine Shearing, Lee Andrews,Chris Basham, Tom Beattie, Michael Bowyer, Rob Douglas, James Fisher, DuncanGlass, Tricia Glass, Izaak Hudson, Emily Naish, Gary Price, Salisbury FlorilegiumSociety, Andrew Shearing, Jane Somerville, Alan Spittle, Declan Spreadbury, This ismy Theatre and Robert Titley.All pictures remain the copyright of the author.

Copyright The Friends of Salisbury Cathedral.

Printed by Sarum Colourview Ltd, Unit 8, The Woodford Centre, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6BU.

Tel: 01722 343600 Fax: 01722 343614 e-mail: sales@colourview.co.uk

Artwork by Firefly Graphics: Tel: 01980 863315 e-mail: fireflygraphics@yahoo.co.uk

4. Officers and Members of theExecutive Council

5. The Bishop of Salisbury

7. The Dean

9. The Chairman

12. The Executive Secretary

15. The Friends’ AGM

16. Report of the Executive Council

17. Minutes of the Annual GeneralMeeting 2020

18. The Hon Treasurer’s report

20. Summary statement of financialactivities and summary balancesheet

22. Grants

26. Friends’ events

34. The Cathedral Architect

39. The Archivist

45. The Clerk of the Works

51. The Director of Music

54. The Cathedral year in words andpictures

67. Feature: The Vicar of the Close

70. Feature: Salisbury Cathedral TowerTour

78. Legacies

3

OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCILas at 31st MARCH 2021

Patrons: The Rt Revd the Lord Bishop of SalisburyHM Lord Lieutenant of DorsetHM Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire

President: The Very Revd the Dean of Salisbury

Vice-Presidents: The Very Revd Hugh DickinsonThe Very Revd Derek WatsonThe Rt Revd June Osborne The Mayor of SalisburyThe Leader of Salisbury City CouncilLt Col Hugh Keatinge OBE

Members of the Executive Council:

Elected Members: Mr D Brown (appointed September 2020)Mrs L HerklotsMs J Higgs (appointed September 2020)Mrs K Shearing Dr V Shrubb Mr P Williams Mrs P Brown (retired September 2020)Mr K Millman (retired September 2020)

Chapter’s Representative: The Revd Canon R Titley

Archdeaconry Dorset: Mr M JosephRepresentatives: Sarum: Capt D Glass OBE MNM

Sherborne: Dr Chris HamonWilts: Mrs K Shearing

Honorary Chairman: Capt D Glass OBE MNM

Honorary Treasurer: Mr C Dragonetti

Membership Secretary: Mr D Heather

Principal Officer: Ms J Lever

Address & Contact: 33a The Close, Salisbury, SP1 1EJ tel: 01722 555190email: friends@salcath.co.uk website:www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk

Bankers: Lloyds Bank plc, 38 Blue Boar Row, SalisburyCAF Bank ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling

Solicitors: Parker Bullen, 45 Castle Street, Salisbury

Auditors: Fletcher & Partners, Crown Chambers, Bridge Street, Salisbury

Investment Managers: CCLA Investment Management, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, LondonM&G Charities, PO Box 9038, Chelmsford

Registered Charity Number: 2434394

The Bishop of Salisbury

Many of the highlights of my ten yearsas Bishop of Salisbury are to do

with the cathedral: Advent, Christmas,Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week,Easter, Pentecost…. of course, as well asspecial services and the good ordinary ofeveryday.

The bishop gets a privileged viewstanding central and seeing the lengthfrom both ends. I sometimes wish at a bigservice that I could share that. At themoment, I wonder when we will ever getback to it, but the pandemic is thecontext not the text.

It is an episcopal responsibility toencourage vocations, lay and ordained,and to discern and train candidates forministry; to commission, authorise and

license ministers and to ordain deaconsand priests. For the bishop these are bigand usually cathedral occasions.

On the weekend before my retirementfrom office we will be ordaining nine newdeacons and 14 priests. For me this willbe a good ending, passing on the ministryof the Church to people of faith and adeveloped sense of vocation.

As last year, we will be limited in number,but I am confident that the services willbe big occasions in the lives of thosebeing ordained, their families and friendsand the churches to which they will besent.

They will be big occasions in the life of theChurch. We will call down the Holy Spiriton the candidates and the Church willgather in person and online and pray forthem. They will be sent out with authorityin holy orders to minister by the grace ofGod.

That is the model of a bishop’s ministrytoo, and it’s the way the cathedral worksas the mother church in the diocese fromwhich the bishop goes out. The bishop’s care is the diocese, an areathat stretches from north Wiltshire to theDorset coast, between the borders ofHampshire and Devon and soon willinclude the Channel Islands. 1.15 millionpeople live in the diocese.

The diocese is organised in two episcopalareas, four archdeaconries and 19deaneries to which the rather differentdeaneries of Jersey and Guernsey willsoon be added.

In this geographical area there are 458parishes with more than 570 churchesand 195 church schools and academies

5

with more than 43,000 students. For allof them, Salisbury Cathedral is theircathedral.

One of the odd things about Salisbury asa diocese is that there is no single urbancentre to which we all look. At the edgesof the diocese, I have often been told thatwe are closer to another cathedral thanSalisbury. Yet it is the iconic nature of ourcathedral building that has gravitationalpull, so that even if it’s a two-hour driveto get here, it is the natural place for thediocese to gather.

As well as sending people out, thecathedral is able to gather people in forbig diocesan occasions, as it does inmore normal times for the renewal ofministry on Maundy Thursday. It has adynamic role in the life of the diocese.

Just over ten years ago, when it wasannounced I would be the 78th Bishop ofSalisbury, I stood in the grounds of thecathedral school looking up at the greatbuilding. It is very clear that the cathedralpoints beyond itself to God.

In my experience of doing confirmationsand ordinations at the spire crossing, it

also earths heaven. It is vastly biggerthan any individual, yet it is the work ofthousands of people through the agesand is a very human building in whichpeople find their place with God and allcreation.

I am grateful for the ways the cathedraltakes its part in the life of the dioceseand supports the bishop in ministry andmission. I am glad to have been a part ofSalisbury Cathedral and diocese forthese ten years.

The cathedral needs friends, especiallynow in this age of pandemic when somuch is different and more difficult tosustain.

Thank you to the Friends for your supportof the cathedral. It is the place fromwhich past, present and future bishopsminister.

Pray for us as we will pray for you and,“Now may the Lord of peace himself giveyou peace in all ways. The Lord be with allof you.” (2 Thessalonians 3.16)

+Nicholas HoltamBishop of Salisbury

THE FRIENDS’ PRAYER

God our Father, by whose inspiration our ancestors were given the faith and vision to build our Cathedral Church of Sarum

and in succeeding ages to care for its maintenance and adornment, give us grace as Friends to serve you with the same faith

and vision, so that our Cathedral may speak to every generation of beauty and holiness and be a witness to your abiding presence

in our land and in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

6

The Dean

and then the Covid-19 pandemic of2020–21, with little time to recover in2019.

In the wake of these seismic events andthe changes that they have forced uponus, what does the cathedral need as weplan for the years ahead?

Our conclusion is that we need todiversify, and as we compile a newstrategic plan for the cathedral, that isthe task we will set ourselves. What dowe mean by it?

Both the nerve-agent attack and thepandemic have underlined for us howheavily reliant we are upon the incomethat we generate from those who visit us.

Visitors will always remain key to our life.Making them welcome, and sharing withthem the unique treasures with which weare entrusted, is an essential part of ourvocation.

But when we were compelled to close ourdoors in March 2020, we knew that £2million of visitor-related income had beenput in jeopardy, with very seriousrepercussions for our ability to sustainour mission.

Thankfully we are weathering the storm,with the help of huge generosity from ourfriends and our Friends, and with theassistance of substantial grants from theGovernment and the national Church.

As we plan ahead though, we are acutelyconscious of the risk to the cathedral ofa further unanticipated downturn invisitor numbers.

Our conclusion? We need to diversify, tolook afresh at the whole range of ourassets (our property and our skilled

This year I have had the privilege ofchairing the Salisbury Diocesan

Vacancy in See committee, the statutorybody charged with drawing up astatement of what the Church of Englandin Dorset and Wiltshire needs in its newBishop. Needs. The verb is all-important:as a committee we have repeatedly hadto remind ourselves that we areconcerned with what we need in aBishop. Not with the sort of Bishop wewould like or the sort of Bishop we wouldprefer. What difference does that oneword make? Quite a big one!

Over some months, I and my Chaptercolleagues have asked ourselves asimilar question about the cathedral.What are its future needs?

We have lived through a period of greatuncertainty: the Novichok attack of 2018

7

trades, for example), to determinewhether we are making the best use ofthem possible, and to determine whetherthere are potential sources of revenuethat we have not yet explored. Goodstewardship of what we have received isa vital part of our trusteeship, and toresource our life we need to diversify ourincome base.

A highlight of 2021 has undoubtedlybeen our hosting of a vaccination centrein the cathedral. In the first quarter of theyear, nearly 35,000 jabs wereadministered in the south transept.

It was a privilege to watch the NHS teamat work and to see so many of ourneighbours visiting their cathedral. Thesobering part of this was the realisationthat for many this was their first visit, ortheir first visit in many years. This hasprompted us to identify another areawhere we need to diversify: the peopleand communities with which we engage.

Historically, approximately half of ourvisitors have come from overseas. Thetravel restrictions of the last 18 monthshave put a stop to this. But at the sametime, we have been livestreaming ourworship (thanks to a wonderful grantfrom the Friends) and webcasting allsorts of content, from Daily Reflections tonews about the peregrine falcons. Thisdevelopment has enabled us to makenew contacts all over the world.

If we are to maintain income fromvisitors, we need to attract more of them,from the city, the region and the UK; atthe same time, as a foundation whichbelieves it has good news to tell, we needto reach out, speak to communities withwhom we have hitherto had little contact,and draw them into our life asworshippers, volunteers, friends…andFriends. You and I believe that Salisbury

Cathedral has much to offer. Our need isto share our life with an ever-greaternumber and diversity of people.

The Chapter’s chief responsibility is thegovernance of the cathedral, andchanges are about to be made to theways in which this responsibility isdischarged. A new Cathedrals Measurehas received Royal Assent and will beimplemented in the course of the nexttwo years.

Clearly, a key need for the immediatefuture is to ensure that thisimplementation happens smoothly andto Salisbury’s advantage. Governance israrely a subject that sets the pulse racing,but I hope that the measure will give usan opportunity to think hard about howwe order our life.

We will be required to set up newstatutory bodies and adjust the functionsof existing ones: our ambition is that theoutcome of this should be a cathedralwhose ordered institutional life isaccountable, transparent, andcomprehensible to all – in other words, acathedral whose ordered institutional lifehas increased diversity embedded withinit, enabling our better service of thosearound us.

I have already said that we believe wehave good news to share. We do: we area Christian community and our keypurpose is the offering of prayer andworship to Almighty God. We have aproud tradition of excellence in thisregard, and we have (if anything) becomeeven more creative in doing it in responseto the successive lockdowns.

I am writing, though, shortly afterPentecost, when Jews from all over theknown world gathered in Jerusalem andheard the apostles speaking God’spraises in their own languages. God has

8

The Chairman

Welcome to Spire, our annual reportand accounts for the year April

2020 to March 2021: A year that will longbe remembered for the dreadfulcoronavirus pandemic that has affectedall our lives, causing so much illness andso many tragic deaths. Our thoughts andprayers are with all who have lost lovedones and those suffering lasting seriousmedical conditions. 

The impact of the pandemic has touchedeveryone, with charities suffering similar

setbacks as commercial businesses, andso many aspects of life adverselyaffected, which hitherto we consideredunshakable.  

Despite all that has transpired, thetrustees and staff of your Friends’ charityhave continued to function throughoutthe year by combining home working byour staff, when necessary, with keepingour office open and active whenever theCovid-19 restrictions permitted. Wesucceeded in keeping the Friends alivefor our members, although all our eventswere cancelled or postponed, which wasa great disappointment.

You may have seen reports in the mediaunder headlines such as Charity Chiefsearn more than Prime Minister,giving  details of the salaries paid tosenior officers of some 278 UK charities(there are nearly 170,000 charities inEngland and Wales) that fall into thisbracket.  It is quite alarming to read andclearly newsworthy, reporting that 2,500staff members of charities earn six-figuresalaries.

9

no received pronunciation – God speaksonly in regional accents and localdialects! So, I believe, lastly, that we needto learn some of these. We need to findways of speaking attractively of theGospel of Jesus Christ in ways that areheard by more people and by morediverse people, whether it’s in ourworship, on our website, or in thewelcome we offer.

Our mission is first to discover our ownlife in Christ – and then to enable thosewho encounter us, however fleetingly, todiscover theirs.

Resourcing our life; sharing our life;ordering our life; discovering our life inChrist and enabling others to discovertheirs: these, I believe, are the headingsthat will shape the cathedral’s mission inthe next few years, as we serve anincreasingly diverse world and see thatdiversity increasingly reflected amongourselves. I look forward to working withour Friends as the plans emerge.

Nicholas PapadopulosDean of Salisbury

The new entrance to the cloister, madepossible by a grant from the Friends.

Helen Stephenson, the chief executive ofthe Charity Commission, says thatorganisations need to justify their pay tothe public, as she is “not shy” of makingfurther requirements on transparency.Writing in The Daily Telegraph she says:“All charities should be able to lookdonors and volunteers in the eye and sayhow their decisions about pay impact onthe cause they pursue or the people theyhelp. Being a charity is a privilege, and allcharities need to know that theyultimately answer to the public - asdonors, volunteers and taxpayers - forthat privilege.”

The newspaper goes on to say that, usingdata from thousands of registeredcharities, it has analysed the latestaccounts of those paying their highest

earner more than the Prime Minister’ssalary of £157,372.  

I will stop short of listing the highest paidexecutives and their charities; suffice tosay that the figures are alarming andcertainly need to be justified.   I amconfident that this edition of Spire and itsreport and annual accounts will givemembers comfort that we administer ourcharity with a very small number ofexcellent staff on wages that satisfy theprinciples described by the CharityCommission. 

As ever, our aim is to ensure that ourincome from your subscriptions,donations and legacies is given in grantsto the cathedral in accordance with theobjects set down in the Friends’constitution: 

“To support the Chapter of SalisburyCathedral in maintaining, preserving,improving and enhancing the fabric,fittings, ornaments and monuments ofthe Cathedral; and supporting the life,worship and ministry of the Cathedral”.

Members will be aware that we increasedour subscription rates for the first time inmany years, on the 1st January 2021.

10

The cathedral welcomed 35,000 peopleto receive their Covid-19 injections.

Thank you to all who pay by direct debitand everyone who has increased theirsubscription. I am sorry we had to leaveit so long, but circumstances beyond ourcontrol prevented an earlier, smallerincrease.

During the year April 2020 to March2021, we have given grants totalling£164,786 to the cathedral for specificprojects, including the penultimate£74,000 for Little Paradise,  videoequipment to enable live-streaming totake place, the Recovery Appeal fund andthe replacement of the cloister entranceramp. Thank you for your continuedgenerous support in making all thispossible.

Your trustees are pleased to record thatour investments in managed funds havegrown steadily, despite the uncertainty inthe markets during the coronaviruspandemic and stand ready for majorgrants for projects in the future, as wellas producing a satisfactory income.

Bishop Nicholas, our patron for the pastten years, has retired, and we sent himand Helen a gift and our grateful thanksfor their steadfast support, together withour very best wishes for a long and happyretirement. Sadly, we were unable, due tocoronavirus restrictions, to hold an in-person farewell.  

We are resuming our events for thesecond half of 2021, but sadly, our 90thanniversary dinner, postponed fromAugust 2020 to August 2021, has had tobe postponed again until 2022. We lookforward to next year!

The use of the cathedral as a Covid-19vaccination centre was highly successfuland a great opportunity to welcome35,000 members of the public into this

medieval masterpiece. It would havebeen inappropriate to advertise for newmembers of the Friends’ charity, but wehope some will join, having been so wellcared-for when receiving their jabs andsoothed by beautiful music played on ourFather Willis organ.

As reported in our Easter newsletter, wehave had few new members join in thepast year, due to the cathedral beingclosed to visitors for many months andwith the losses suffered, our membershipis at a low level. Please help by introducinga new member or giving membership as agift to a friend or loved one.

At our AGM in September, we will bidfarewell to Lucinda Herklots, who stepsdown having served three years as atrustee. We are grateful for the wiseexperience she has brought to ourcouncil. Katharine Shearing alsocompletes her term of office as anelected trustee, but remains anarchdeaconry representative.

I am pleased to propose that LiisaWallace and John Kelly, whosebiographies are contained in this reportand who have been unanimouslyapproved by our council, go forward forelection by the members present at theAGM. We thank them for volunteering tojoin us as trustees.

In conclusion, I am sorry we have beenunable to hold our 90th anniversarydinner. We will do all we can to make upfor this disappointment. In the meantime,we wish you good health, and send ourgrateful thanks for your continuedsupport in preserving and enhancing ourwonderful Salisbury Cathedral, its life andministry.

Duncan Glass

11

The Executive Secretary

What a strange year this has been,covering as it does the three

lockdowns of the pandemic and all thechanges and restrictions to which wehave had to become accustomed. As Iwrite this report (in mid-June), we havejust made the difficult decision topostpone our anniversary dinner until2022, but are looking forward to ourSecret Gardens of the Close event andFriends’ Day in September. In spite of themany changes to life, however, I’mpleased to report that the Friends ofSalisbury Cathedral continues to thrive.This is due to the wonderful support ofyou, our loyal members. When we askedyou for help for the cathedral’s RecoveryAppeal last year, we had an amazingresponse and collected more than£36,000 from our generousmembership. Thank you!

Sadly, of course, many of our events hadto be cancelled last year and thecathedral remained closed for many

months, but as we adapted to the newrestrictions in life, we were able to offerFriends a number of on-line events,including quizzes, talks and videos towhile away those long winter months. Wecontinued to administer the charity usingon-line meetings in place of face-to-facemeetings, as we all learned new skillsand incorporated more technology intoour lives.

With the support of our loyal members,we were able to offer substantialfinancial assistance to the cathedral atthis difficult time. Our grants to thecathedral during the financial year2020/21 totalled £164,786. Thisincluded funding the all-important live-

What a wonderful setting for avaccination clinic!

12

The lockdown also offered an unforeseenopportunity, while there were no visitors,for work to be carried out on thevertiginous visitors’ entrance ramp intothe cloisters. The Friends were happy tofund this work: the team from the worksdepartment removed the steep ramp,replacing it with a gentle incline ofPurbeck limestone and externally, Forestof Dean sandstone paving. Victoriandrainage channels were discovered, newstones were inserted and cathedralcarpenter Richard Pike crafted awonderful new door from the original. Amuch-improved visitor entrance was thuscreated just in time for the cathedral tore-open in May and welcome worshipersand visitors back inside the building.

As we move through 2021, we hope to beable to welcome back Friends to ourevents and look forward to seeing youagain soon. In the meantime, thank youfor all your support.

Julia Leverstreaming equipment, which enabled thecathedral to continue to hold servicesthroughout the lockdowns that wereaccessible to people not just in Salisbury,but all over the world. This new formathas been so successful and popular thatsome services will continue to be live-streamed even though in-personattendance is now possible for allservices – the silver lining of the Covidcloud.

One of the major success stories of theyear was when the cathedral wastransformed for many weeks into avaccination centre for the NHS. Morethan 35,000 people were welcomedthrough the doors to receive their Covid-19 jabs - what a wonderful setting.

13

Ecclesiastical carpenter Richard Pikecrafted a wonderful new door from theoriginal.

Work in progress on the new cloisterentrance shows the beautiful Forest ofDean sandstone paving.

Friends’ Day 2021

14

When Christopher visited SalisburyCathedral to gather material for the book,he met all sorts of people, includingCanon Treasurer Robert Titley (theFriends’ representative on Chapter) andFriends’ membership secretary DudleyHeather, who was his tower guide.

“My book is about trying to look atcathedrals with a travel writer’s eye andthe eye of an ordinary punter – the waythe ordinary person looks at a cathedral,rather than the way an expert oncathedrals does,” he explains.

Christopher began to write about walkingin the late 1980s/early 1990s.

He has written extensively about walks inBritain and Ireland, clocking up hundredsof walks for The Times.

In June, he was at Old Sarum talkingabout walking and Salisbury Cathedral topeople from the BBC’s Countryfileprogramme.

Christopher’s lecture, at 3pm will followthe AGM at 2pm.

After the lecture, there will be afternoontea in the cloisters, which will include abig cake to celebrate, albeit belatedly, theFriends’ 90th birthday.

Friends’ Day will end with a short organrecital and evensong.

A booking form for the lecture and teais included in your copy of Spire.

Christopher Somerville will be giving theFriends’ Day lecture.

Following a difficult and challenging2020, during which we were unable to

hold our AGM in person, we are delightedto invite you all to our 2021 Friends’ Day.

This will be held on Saturday 25thSeptember in the north transept of thecathedral.

Journalist and author ChristopherSomerville, who was to have given the2020 lecture, will be with us to talk abouthis book Ships of Heaven – The PrivateLife of Britain’s Cathedrals.

Christopher, who is the walkingcorrespondent of The Times and theauthor of more than 40 books, will givean account of his walks across Britain totell the story of his favourite cathedrals,including Salisbury’s.

The book focuses on the people involvedwith the buildings, rather than theirarchitecture or history.

Friends’ Christmas cardsIt’s not too early to think about ordering your Christmas cards!

You will find an order form for Christmas cards enclosed with your copy of Spire.You can also order via the website www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk or by

contacting the office on 01722 555190.

Liisa Wallace

After working in ablue-chip companyas a warehousinganalyst, economicsanalyst, financialcontroller, and seniorbuyer, Liisa founded

and operated several businessesinvolved in scuba diving, leisure, andretail.

Having spent seven years in south-western Virginia raising water buffalo, shereturned to the UK where she continuesto manage her scuba retail business. Shelists her skills as business planning,costing projects, communications andorganisation.

Liisa lives in Salisbury and is amagistrate and a governor of SalisburyCathedral School.

Her twin boys started at the school in 2017.

John Kelly

John has had along career in thefinancial servicesindustry, holdingsenior management,executive and non-

executive directorship positions infinancial services companies in Europe,the Far East, Middle East and NorthAmerica.

His experience includes roles in thehedge fund industry, private equity,venture capital, insurance and creditfund management.

He has served on audit and riskcommittees and compensationcommittees.

He is chairman and co-founder of theKilimanjaro Children's Foundation, aChicago-based not-for-profit corporationestablished to run a school in Moshi,Tanzania, and serves as trustee anddirector of other not-for-profitorganisations. He sits on the advisoryboard of a credit fund in New York.

15

The two candidates standing forelection to the Friends’ executivecouncil, nominated by trustees andapproved by the Friends’ council, are:

FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGTO BE HELD ON SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2021

Agenda1. Opening prayer2. President’s address3. Chairman’s welcome4. Minutes of the Annual General

Meeting held on 5th September 20205. Matters arising6. Election of members to council

(Short biographies of the two candidates are included prior to

this agenda. They have been nominated by and have the full support of the trustees)

7. Treasurer’s report and adoption ofthe accounts for the year ended31st March 2021(please see pages 18–21)

8. Appointment of honorary auditors9. Secretary’s report10. Any other business

The summarised accounts set out on thefollowing pages have been extractedfrom the full audited accounts for theyear ended 31st March 2021 and are asummary of the information relating toboth the Statement of Financial Activitiesand the Balance Sheet. Thesesummarised accounts may not containsufficient information to allow for a fullunderstanding of the affairs of theAssociation. To view the full annualaccounts and the unqualified report onthose accounts by the Association’sauditors please see the website:www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk.Copies are also available on requestfrom the Friends’ office, 33a The Close,Salisbury, SP1 2EJ, and the accounts arealso filed with the Charity Commission.

Objectives and OrganisationThe Objectives of the Association are tosupport the Chapter of SalisburyCathedral in maintaining, preserving,improving and enhancing the fabric,fittings, ornaments, furniture, music andmonuments of Salisbury Cathedral andto support the life, worship and ministryof the cathedral. There has been nochange in the objects over the last year.

Objectives and grant making policiesThe main objective of the Associationcontinued to be the making of grants toSalisbury Cathedral to fund particularprojects and purchases. Grantapplications are assessed by theExecutive Council with reference to theFriends’ objects and the available funds.

The income of the Friends is principallyderived from subscriptions, donationsand legacies from its members andfundraising events.

Review of Activities and AchievementsThe Friends’ total income in 2020/21

was £182,900 compared with£163,451 the previous year. Theordinary income, excluding legacies, was£125,996 compared with £131,303 in2019/20. The Friends received legaciesof £56,904 this year compared with£32,148 in the previous year.

During the year, the Friends madegrants to the cathedral totalling£164,786, including the seventh andpenultimate payment of £74,000towards the Little Paradise project,£36,786 towards the CathedralRecovery Appeal, £22,000 to cover thecost of live streaming equipment,£20,000 towards the cost of the newvisitor entrance and a number ofsmaller grants towards a variety ofprojects in the cathedral. Grants madein 2019/20 totalled £115,100.

With 2020 being dominated by theCoronavirus pandemic, the cathedralremained closed to visitors for much ofthe year during the lockdown. TheAssociation was unable to hold theusual fundraising events and theAnnual General Meeting was conductedonline with members registering theirvotes by a postal ballot. At the end ofthe year, active membership of theFriends stood at 2,633 members.

Signed on behalf of the Executive Council

Ms Julia Lever (Secretary)

Capt D Glass OBE MNM (Chairman)Approved by the Executive Council

1st July 2021

THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVECOUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2021

16

17

Present: The Dean, the Very ReverendNicholas Papadopulos(President)Duncan Glass (Chairman)Julia Lever (Executive Secretary)Robert Titley(Chapter Representative)

Postal votes received from 181 members

The Friends’ Annual General Meeting inSeptember 2020 was unusual in thatmembers were unable to gather in thecathedral as usual because of restrictionson gatherings required due to theCoronavirus pandemic. All relevant paperstherefore – agenda, minutes of the lastmeeting, financial summary and reportsfrom the Dean (president), Duncan Glass(chairman), Chris Dragonetti (HonoraryTreasurer) and Julia Lever (ExecutiveSecretary) and biographies of the twoproposed new trustees – were printed inthe Annual Report (Spire) and sent to allmembers in July together with a voting formfor members to complete and return (seeattached). Members were asked to vote on:

● Approval of the minutes of the lastyear’s AGM

● Approval of the Annual Report andAccounts for year ending 31st March2020

● Re-appointment of Fletcher & Partnersas auditors

● Election of 2 new trustees to the FriendsCouncil – Jo Higgs and Derek Brown.

Members could also add comments orquestions for Council on the form.

A short video with addresses fromNicholas Papadopulos, Duncan Glass

and Robert Titley was made after 5thSeptember to summarise the results ofthe voting and conclude the AGM. Thevideo, containing also the new SalisburyAnthem for the 800th anniversary of thefoundation of the cathedral, was addedto the Friends’ website and all thosemembers on email were contacted toinform them of this with a link to thevideo.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7K-ohM1XY&feature=youtu.be

In summary:

President’s AddressThe Dean expressed his regret thatFriends could not gather this year for theAGM and Friends’ Day. He outlined thenew ways in which the cathedral hadadjusted to allow both worshipers andvisitors to return to the cathedral afterthe lockdown. He explained the direfinancial position that the cathedral wasnow in as a result of the lockdown andcontinuing restrictions due to thepandemic and thanked all those who hadgenerously contributed to the CathedralRecovery Appeal.

Chairman’s AddressDuncan Glass reported on the events andactivities and the financial position of theFriends for the year 2019/20, commentingthat the year had been a busy andsuccessful one for the charity. He notedthat the event programme had had to becancelled from March for the foreseeablefuture, but thanked members for theircontinuing loyal and generous support. Thechairman drew attention to the reports inSpire and reported that the postal votesreceived had resulted in all four itemsbeing approved by a large majority. He

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THEASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

Held on 5th September 2020 with a postal vote from members

18

thanked the two outgoing trustees, KeithMillman and Penny Brown for their workduring their term of office and welcomedthe two new trustees, Jo Higgs and DerekBrown to the Friends’ Council.

Chapter Representative’s AddressRobert Titley spoke about the importanceof friends in everyone’s life, especiallyduring difficult times such as these andin particular of the importance of theFriends to the cathedral, thankingmembers for their continuing support.

Results of the postal voting:1. Approval of the minutes of the last

year’s AGMApproved by a large majority

2. Approval of the Annual report andAccounts for year ending 31stMarch 2020Approved by a large majority

3. Re-appointment of Fletcher & Partners as auditors Approved by a large majority

4. Election of 2 new trustees to theFriends’ Council – Jo Higgs andDerek Brown. Approved by a large majority

There were very few comments orquestions, but Julia Lever replied to allthese and the correspondents weresatisfied.

18

The Hon Treasurer’s Report

It is pleasing to be able to report thatthough the year to 31st March 2021

was significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of plannedactivities, financially the impact has notbeen too serious.

None of the planned fundraising eventscould take place and the cathedral itselfwas closed for much of the year.

As a result, income from fundraising wasvery substantially reduced and our shareof the cathedral shop’s profitdisappeared altogether.

Offsetting these reductions though, theappeal for Recovery Fund raised nearly£37k and legacy income was higherthan the previous year, so overall ourincome for the year was nearly £183kcompared with £163k in the previousyear.

During the year, we received legacies anddonations in memory of those recentlydeceased of nearly £57k compared with£32k in the previous year.

Such legacies are always most welcomeas it makes it possible for the Friends tosupport the cathedral’s grant requeststo an extent which would not always bepossible did we not receive them.

On the expenditure side, whileadministration costs were reduced, grantsto the cathedral totalled nearly £165k.

1919

Direct Debit

Thank you to all those who have signed up to pay their annual subscription bydirect debit.

Subscriptions went up in January and are now £25 for a single membershipand £40 for joint membership.

We launched the direct debit system early in 2019 and since then nearly 600of you have completed a direct debit instruction (DDI).

Switching to this form of payment simply involves the completion of a DDI,which is available from the Friends’ office.

We will send you email confirmation before any payment is taken and you cancancel your instruction at any time.

Once you have completed and returned the DDI to the Friends’ office, pleaseremember to cancel your standing order mandate if you are currently payingby this method.

We look forward to hearing from you..

This compares with grants of £115k in2019/20 and £189k in 2018/19 whenwe gave more than £100k towards therestoration of the Willis organ.

Grants in 2020/21 included the wholeof the response to the Recovery Fundappeal of nearly £37k.

The other main grants paid were thepenultimate instalment towards theLittle Paradise redevelopment (£74k),video equipment for live streamingservices (£22k), fabric repairs to thestone work on the east gable (£8k) anda first instalment towards the newentrance ramp to the cloisters (£20k).

A summary statement of our financescan be found on pages 20–21, but thefull accounts are available upon requestand, in due course, will be accessible viathe Charity Commission’s website.

At the 2019 AGM a question was askedabout the extent of the Friends’reserves, which at 31st March 2019stood at £851k. Two years later thatfigure is £907k.

The use of the term “reserves” mightsuggest that this is a sum which thecouncil (the trustees) has set aside andis retaining for some future plannedpurpose.

But this is not the case. It is simply thevalue of the Friends’ financial resourcesat the year-end cut-off date.

It is significantly influenced by twofactors: the extent of the grants whichthe council has paid during the year andthe scale and timing of legacies received.

The cathedral is aware of and sensitive tothe extent of the Friends’ financialresources and is able to pitch its grantrequests in the light of that knowledge.

The Friends of Salisbury Cathedral willcontinue to be a safe haven for those whowish to make donations or legacies andyou can be sure that any contribution willbe used wisely for the benefit of SalisburyCathedral, the life of which we are all soprivileged to be a part.

Chris Dragonetti

20

THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRALSUMMARY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2021

2020/21 2019/20INCOMINGSubscriptions 51,836 51,417 Share of Cathedral Shop profit - 15,000 Donations to the Recovery Fund Appeal 36,786 -Other Donations 8,737 15,898 Activities for generating funds 2,827 18,595 Legacies 56,904 32,148Investment income 25,810 30,393

Total 182,900 163,451

EXPENDITURE ON:Raising funds 1,555 7,476

Grants to Salisbury Cathedral:Little Paradise redevelopment 74,000 74,000 Video equipment 22,000 - Flower arrangements 3,000 5,000 Recovery Fund Appeal 36,786 - Cloisters entrance new ramp 20,000 - Nave window S26 restoration - 20,000Other 9,000 16,100

Total grants to the Cathedral 164,786 115,100

Spire magazine and newsletters 10,459 10,269 Support costs 38,877 44,893

Total expenditure 215,677 177,738

NET INCOME (32,777) (14,287)

OTHER RECOGNISED GAINS AND LOSSESGains and (losses) on investments 161,358 (58,249)

NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 128,581 (72,536)

TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD 778,776 851,312

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 907,357 778,776

Respective responsibilities of members of the executive council and auditorsWe have examined the summarised accounts, consisting of the summarised Statement of FinancialActivities, which are the responsibility of the members of the Executive Council. Our responsibility is toreport to you our opinion on the consistency of the summarised accounts within Spire with the full annualAccounts and Trustees Report. We also read the financial information within ‘Spire’ and consider theimplications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or materialinconsistencies with the summarised accounts. Basis of opinionWe have examined the summarised accounts to agree that they are consistent with the full accounts. Ourreport on the Association’s full annual financial statements describes the basis of our audit opinion onthose financial statements.OpinionIn our opinion the summarised accounts are consistent with the full annual Report and Accounts of the Friendsof Salisbury Cathedral for the year ended 31 March 2021.Salisbury 16th June 2021 Fletcher & Partners Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

AUDITORS’ STATEMENT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OFTHE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

21

FIXED ASSETSTangible assets - 1,500Investments 753,221 591,863

753,221 593,363

CURRENT ASSETSStock 2,540 3,600Debtors 14,792 53,338Cash at bank and in hand 152,366 147,361

169,698 204,299

CREDITORS:Amounts falling due within one year 4,884 5,389

NET CURRENT ASSETS 164,814 198,910

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 918,035 792,273

CREDITORS:Amounts falling due after more than one year 10,678 13,497

£907,357 £778,776

Representing:

FUNDSRestricted Funds - - Unrestricted Funds 907,357 778,776

£907,357 £778,776

THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL SUMMARY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st MARCH 2021

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(i) Life membership subscriptions: These are taken to income over 12.5 years.

(ii) Investments: These are shown at market value and gains or losses on revaluation are included inthe Statement of Financial Activities.

(iii) Grants payable: These are accounted for when a legal or constructive obligation to pay the granthas come into existence.

2. RESTRICTED FUNDSThese comprise donations received and raised funds for specific purposes.

2021 2020

Grants

In the financial year April 2020 to March2021, the Friends made grants to the

cathedral of £164,786, thanks to you,our generous and loyal members.

The most recent of these was £20,000towards the £62,000 cost of theconstruction of the new entrance intothe cloister (see separate article). Afurther £20,000 has been agreed forpayment in the 2021/22 financial yearand council members have agreed inprinciple to fund the remaining£22,000.

The final decision will be made later thisyear.

As well as the seventh instalment (ofeight) of £74,000 for the Little Paradiseproject and £3,000 for CathedralFlowers, a number of other schemeshave been funded.

Bespoke expanding brackets, fashionedby ecclesiastical carpenter Richard Pike,ensured the cameras could be fitted ontothe pillars without drilling any holes.

Live streaming equipment was installedin the cathedral in September, enablingservices to be viewed as they happenby people worshipping at home.

Last September, the live streamingproject saw the Friends pay £22,000 forthree cameras and cabling to beinstalled, enabling services to bebroadcast live onto the cathedral’sYouTube channel.

This means services can be viewed asthey happen by those unable to attend inperson and was particularly welcomedduring the national lockdowns whenstaying at home was mandatory.

Other grants included £1,000 for thecathedral’s three Christmas trees – a

22

23

The towering Norway spruce Christmastree and the festive displays on the fontcreated by Cathedral Flowers weremade possible thanks to grants fromthe Friends.

Caroline Probert with one of the hymnbook rack covers.

Norway spruce at the west end andNordmann firs in the north porch andoutside the Friends’ office.

And an £8,000 legacy from the estate ofa generous Friend was allocated towardsthe repairs to the lower part of the eastend of the cathedral, known as MajorRepair Area 6 (MRA6).

The cathedral had to close its doors tovisitors during the two national

lockdowns of 2020 and the third earlierthis year, resulting in a catastrophic lossof income.

It launched a recovery appeal lastsummer and in response, a magnificent£36,786 was donated by generousFriends.

Also, last summer, three new hymn bookrack covers commissioned by theFriends were unveiled, thanks to thegenerosity and expertise of CarolineProbert.

Each took her three weeks to make, asthey are of different sizes and shapes.

Friends’ chairman Duncan Glasspresented Caroline with a thank you cardand gift voucher.

Finally, as part of the Friends’ giving tothe cathedral, Vicar of The Close, theRevd Canon Nigel Davies is using theupper floor of the Friends’ office as hisbase.

Anniversary dinner postponedIt is with regret, that due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to

postpone the Friends’ anniversary dinner.This event will now take place next summer when we will welcome back to

Salisbury the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally asour guest speaker.

More details will follow in the Easter 2022 newsletter..

Cloister ramp replacement

The Friends are delighted to becontributing to the £62,000 cost of

the replacement of the steep ramp intothe cathedral cloister.

Council members have already agreed£40,000 (£20,000 in the 2020/21financial year and £20,000 in the2021/22 year), and they have agreed inprinciple to fund the remaining£22,000.

The final decision will be made later thisyear.

The third national lockdown, whichbegan in January, meant that thecathedral had to close its doors to thepublic once again.

The following month, a governmentannouncement made it clear that the

March arrives and a digger is on site tobegin the work on replacing the ramp.

A Victorian culvert is discovered.

A sign affixed to the fencing duringconstruction records the contribution ofthe Friends to the project.

cathedral could not re-open until at least17th May.

This provided the ideal opportunity toreplace the ramp and work began inMarch.

The Friends had agreed in principletowards the end of 2019 to fund thework, but it was delayed first by theimminent 800th anniversary celebrationsand then by the national lockdowns dueto the pandemic.

The aim of the project was to replace thedangerously steep concrete ramp with a

24

much gentler approach that would notprotrude into the cloister.

This would be safer for those unsteadyon foot or in a wheelchair, and foreveryone in icy weather (when the rampneeded to be gritted).

The scheme also removed the sharpturn into the consistory court and wouldenable trolleys for the shop and refectoryto be brought in by this route, rather thanthrough the works yard.

It had been hoped to start work inJanuary or February, but this was ruledout as the masons had to complete

repair work linked to a major publicgrant.

Work began in March and wascompleted in May. It was able tocontinue during the vaccinationsessions, as visitors were re-routed intothe cloister via the works yard.

The new access has a much lowerthreshold, thanks to the skill ofecclesiastical carpenter Richard Pike.

25

Bishop Nicholas blesses the newentrance watched by the worksdepartment staff who worked on theproject.

Dean Nicholas performs the openingceremony, watched by Friends’chairman Duncan Glass and CanonTreasurer Robert Titley.

The door viewed from inside the cloistershows the work done by ecclesiasticalcarpenter Richard Pike.

On 19th May when the cathedral re-opened, Bishop Nicholas blessed thenew entrance in the presence of themembers of the works department whohad worked on its construction.

A week later a ribbon-cutting ceremonywas held, with Dean Nicholas doing thehonours, watched by Friends’ chairmanDuncan Glass and Canon TreasurerRobert Titley.

Online events

With no live events during the yearcovered by Spire, the Friends

switched to online platforms to providemembers with some light relief.

Members who had given the office theiremail address, received emails containinglinks to a variety of entertainment.

Items included two ‘Name thatCathedral’ quizzes, a virtual tour by clerkof the works Gary Price of the continuingrepair work to the east end of thecathedral, and a virtual tour by assistantlibrarian Anne Dutton of the cathedral’s15th century library, featuring some ofthe medieval manuscripts and earlyprinted books.

Members could also tune in to theEaster Monday organ concert by

assistant director of music JohnChallenger, played on the Father Willisorgan.

And a few weeks later, director of musicDavid Halls gave a lunchtime organrecital, including one of his owncompositions, which could be accessedonline.

With restrictions being eased, theFriends have been able to plan liveevents again. See the article onforthcoming events for details.

And if you haven’t yet given the officeyour email address, please email it tofriends@salcath.co.uk. You will then beable to receive emails aboutforthcoming events and other items ofinterest.

26

Forthcoming events

With Government restrictions havingbeen gradually eased over the spring

and summer, we are delighted to beoffering members live events once again.

We have missed seeing you all!

We hope you will come along to theevents we have planned – and why notencourage your friends to becomemembers and join us too?

The more members we have, the morewe can give in additional grants tothe cathedral – especially importantfollowing the pandemic and thedevastating effect it has had on thecathedral’s income.

As you read this, the Friends’ holiday toDerbyshire has taken place, with 20

members enjoying visits to attractionsincluding Chatsworth House andLichfield Cathedral.

Sadly our 91st anniversary evening onFriday 6th August, with guest speakerthe Bishop of London, the Rt Revd andRt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally has had tobe postponed.

This event will take place next summer.

On Thursday 26th August, we will bewelcoming back This is my Theatre toperform The Secret Garden in theMedieval Hall.

Many members enjoyed the group’sperformance of A Christmas Carol and thistime it has chosen to adapt FrancesHodgson Burnett’s enchanting children’s

This Is My Theatre will be performingThe Secret Garden at the Medieval Hallin August.

27

On Saturday 25th September we arelooking forward to welcoming you all toFriends’ Day in the north transept of thecathedral, starting at 2pm with the AGMand continuing at 3pm with the lecture.

Afternoon tea will be served in the southcloister at 4pm and this will be followedby an organ recital and evensong. (Seeseparate story with the Friends’ Dayagenda.)

On Thursday 30th September there willbe a joint Salisbury Cathedral/Friends’legacy event in the north transept.

Samantha O’Sullivan of Parker Bullensolicitors will talk about making orupdating a will, including leaving a legacy.

If you are interested in attending thisevent, please phone the office on01722 555190.

Once we are sure of the impact of anycontinuing social distancing measures,we hope to offer more events in theautumn such as day trips, talks andcoffee mornings. Please check thewebsite regularly for details and we willnotify members by email of any extraevents.

story, which will be interwoven with folkmusic.

There will be two performances, at 5pmand 7.30pm.

The title of the play fits in well with ourSunday 12th September event – thereturn of Secret Gardens of the Close.Please see separate article on thisevent, which follows.

Subscriptions

In January this year subscription rates went up for the first time in ten years.

They are now £25 for a single membership and £40 for joint membership.

Members who pay by direct debit will receive notification of the increaseand email confirmation before any payment is taken.

Those paying by cheque should simply increase the amount and thosepaying by standing order should contact their bank to make the

necessary adjustment.

Alternatively, these two groups can switch to direct debit – please phone theoffice on 01722 555190 and request a direct debit instruction (DDI).

Secret Gardens of the Close is back!

Visitors to the gardens will be able tosee a variety of flowers and plants, aswell as interesting features, like thiswater spout.

This way to the Secret Gardens of theClose event!

Salisbury Florilegium Society’s SecretGardens of the Close book will be onsale at the Medieval Hall, along with itsmembers’ paintings.

28

Proceeds from the teas will go to theSudan Medical Link.

We will need a band of volunteers tohelp with our Secret Gardens event toact as stewards, welcoming visitors tothe gardens.

We are grateful to those who volunteerregularly, but we’re always keen towelcome more. It’s a great way to get toknow fellow Friends and help our charityat the same time.

If you can help, please call the office on01722 555190.

Our flagship event, Secret Gardens ofthe Close is back!

It takes place on Sunday 12th Septemberfrom 1pm to 5pm.

The event will enable visitors to tour anumber of the larger gardens in the Closeand De Vaux Place and enjoy tea on thelawn of South Canonry.

There will be a Green Fair on Choristers’Green, with stalls including HarnhamWater Meadows Trust, Plantlife, RSPB andWiltshire Wildlife Trust.

Representatives from these organisationswill be on hand to tell visitors what theydo and how the public can get involved.

And Daniel Kronenberg, who specialisesin swifts, will be talking about his workwith these fascinating birds.

Salisbury Florilegium Society will host anexhibition of its members’ botanicalpaintings in the Medieval Hall.

These will be available for sale, along withthe society’s book Secret Gardens of theClose.

Musical entertainment will be provided byrecorder group Close Consort, whosemembers will be playing in a number ofthe gardens.

Eco Church – we’ve struck gold!

Salisbury Cathedral has become thefirst cathedral in the country to

receive an Eco Church gold award.

The award comes from A Rocha UK, aChristian nature conservation charityand it confirms the cathedral’s status asa beacon of good environmentalpractice for all churches.

Helen Stephens, head of A Rocha UK’sEco Church initiative, presented theaward – a wooden plaque - to CanonTreasurer Robert Titley following her tourof the cathedral and surrounding land todiscover what the cathedral and itscommunity had been doing towardsachieving the award.

Canon Treasurer Robert Titley with theEco Church gold award.

She said: “This is an exciting milestonefor one of the most important cathedralsin the UK. 

“Without the team’s determinationduring the last three challenging yearsthis wouldn’t have been possible. 

“This shows that even large cathedralscan help restore the environment, butalso how caring for the environment hasenhanced cathedral life in so manyways: from how the cathedral worshipsand what food it serves, to the energy ituses, the wildlife that lives in and aroundthe Close, and even the water thatflushes the loos.” 

Robert said: “The Eco Church awardscheme channels concern for our planetinto positive action rooted in joy at God’screation.

“Going for Gold has mobilised thecathedral’s worshippers, volunteers,staff, and local residents, and it hasdrawn in the energies of many partners,like Salisbury Cathedral School, ourFriends’ organisation, and the Harnham

29

The cathedral took part in No Mow May,an initiative to encourage pollinators toour lawns.

Water Meadows Trust. They all have astake in this award.”

The award ceremony was attended byBishop of Salisbury the Rt Revd NicholasHoltam, until recently the Church ofEngland’s lead bishop on theenvironment.

The gold award is the culmination of aprogramme of initiatives, including arainwater capture system, the switch togreen tariff energy and the installation ofLED lighting and draught-proofing.

Around the Close, residents have put upbird boxes and put hedgehog houses intheir gardens, and swift boxes havebeen installed with recordings of theswift call to encourage swifts to nest inthe area.

Last summer, 93 solar panels wereinstalled on the cathedral’s southcloister roof, which are estimated toproduce more than 30,000kw hours ofelectricity each year, the equivalent ofeight British households.

This year the cathedral took part in NoMow May, which involved the Close beingleft unmown during the month of May.30

This initiative is championed by Plantlife,the charity with its base in Salisbury andwhich works to save threatened wildflowers, plants and fungi.

Robert said the aim was to boost beevisits to our lawns.

He said: “Plantlife calculates that onesquare metre of lawn left to flowersupplies enough nectar to sustain anaverage 3.8 bees a day.

“It hopes that the initiative might lead usto think about a greater variety ofmowing regimes to benefit our wildlife.”

A rare fiddle dock was discovered lastyear, the existence of which is believedto date from the time when grazing ofcattle took place in the Close.

A rare fiddle dock was discovered in theClose last year.

Solar panels were installed on the southcloister roof in July last year.

Let’s Go Green!

We are grateful to Julian Hepplewhite,chairman of Salisbury Cathedral

Eco Church Steering Group, for thefollowing contributions to Spire.

The threat climate change poses to ourprecious and fragile planet is widelyrecognised.

What is key is how the individual canplay a part in responding to thischallenge. We hope the following aidememoire produced by SalisburyCathedral Eco Church Steering Groupwill provide some useful reminders ofwhat questions need to be asked toaddress the climate emergency.

The cathedral is committed to caring forGod’s earth and has made significantstrides in the last five years since it

signed up to the A Rocha Eco Churchinitiative.

We are delighted to report that havingachieved the bronze and silver awards in2018 and 2019, the cathedral has nowbeen awarded the prestigious gold award.This is a very significant achievement,made possible by the combined efforts ofthe Dean and Chapter, cathedral staff,congregation and volunteers, and thewider community of those who live andwork in the Cathedral Close.

We would love to hear from you aboutthe steps you have taken to tackleclimate change.

Please send your comments toJulia Lever, Friends’ secretary atfriends@salcath.co.uk.

31

A few reminders to help you on yourway…

One of the great attractions of SalisburyCathedral Close is that it is a haven forbirds and wildlife. It is a green oasiswithin the city of Salisbury.

However, when concern for the safety ofthe planet is a global priority, theprotection of the environment takes on anew significance and has led thecathedral to be part of the Eco Churchinitiative.

It is with this in mind that this ecoquestionnaire has been prepared.

It is not intended in any way to beprescriptive, rather it seeks to help thosewanting to do more and we hope it will beviewed in this light.

This document has been produced bySalisbury Cathedral Eco Church SteeringGroup and has the support of theCathedral Community Forum.

Rosemary SpencerChairman, Cathedral Community Forum

How Close to Nature am I?My cathedral● Do I support the ethical investment of

cathedral funds?● Do I support the cathedral’s eco

initiatives and caring for God’s earth?● Do I support initiatives by the cathedral

to promote Fairtrade goods?

My green space● Have I installed bird tables or bird

boxes to encourage birdlife in mygarden or communal green space?

32

● Do my trees, hedges and plantsencourage birds, butterflies, bees andother insects to thrive?

● Do I avoid human made hazards towildlife?

● Do I play my part in encouraging wildlifewithin the area in which I live?

● Do I compost my garden and householdwaste?

● Do I use a rainwater tub in the garden?

My transport● Have I thought about investing in a

bicycle?● Do I need a car?● Do I make too many car journeys when

I could walk?● Could I join a car sharing scheme?● Could I walk or cycle to the cathedral?● Have I considered an electric car?● Do I use public transport enough?● If my mode of transport is by mobility

scooter/wheelchair, have I identifiedthose areas where the localenvironment needs improvement tocater for the needs of those withmobility issues?

My home● When I renew my heating boiler do I

make a choice based on theenvironmental impact of the boiler?

● Am I on a green tariff for my heatingand hot water?

● Do I regularly switch off my lights?● Do I use energy saving lights?● Do I have loft/cavity wall insulation? ● Do I have double-glazing?● Have I considered installing solar

panels?● Do I recycle all that I can?● Do I use environmentally-friendly

cleaning products?● Do I reduce water consumption through

conservation?

My lifestyle (health and well-being) ● Do I purchase enough healthy locally-

produced products?● Do I purchase from grocery stores

which sell their produce loose and freeof packaging?

● Do I choose food produced withminimal chemicals?

● Do I refuse single-use plastic and takemy own re-usable shopping bag to theshops?

● Do I purchase Fairtrade-labelled itemswherever possible?

● Do I do enough to avoid food waste?● Am I observant enough of the environment

in which I live and its importance to mywellbeing?

● Could I reduce the number of flights Itake?

My community● Do I support measures for the safety

and security of those living in andvisiting the area in which I live?

● Do I value my local community enoughor do I need to do more to help myneighbours or to be involved incommunity activities?

● Do I support environmentally-friendlyprojects in my community?

● Am I a responsible citizen concernedfor the well-being of the vulnerable insociety?

● Have I considered being akeyholder/contact for key safe codesfor the elderly in my community?

● Have I reported damage to trees shrubsand wildlife habitats in the area in whichI live so that remedial/preventativeaction can be taken?

My personal finances● Have I considered ethical investments

when considering my personalsavings?

33

Salisbury Meditation

Cathedral assistant director of music John Challenger and a group ofmusical specialists have recorded Salisbury Meditation – Music for theNHS, a digital album of classics played during the vaccination sessions

at the cathedral.

It celebrates this unique musical marathon – between them John and directorof music David Halls clocked up more than 300 hours at the organ.

You can access the album via the link here:

https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/news/salisbury-cathedral-releases-digital-‘vax’-album-raise-funds-nhs

Volunteers

Thank you to members who continue to offer their services as volunteersat our events.

While only a few are needed to help with our musical evenings, talks, new members’afternoons and coffee mornings, a large band is required for our annual SecretGardens of the Close event, which this year is being held on 12th September.

For this, our flagship event, we need people to act as stewards, welcomingvisitors to the gardens, and staffing the pay tent and Friends’ gazebo.

Volunteering is a great way to get to know fellow Friends and help our charityat the same time.

If you can help, please get in touch with the office on 01722 555190. Thank you.

Email addresses

We do not hold an email address for more than half of our members.We would be grateful if you would provide your email address so that we

can contact you more quickly and easily regarding events and other matters,if necessary.

Please email it to friends@salcath.co.uk or phone 01722 555190.

And one last word!● Do I know my own carbon footprint so

that I can take steps to reduce it year

on year? Help with this can be foundat the following link https://footprint.wwf.org.uk.

The Cathedral Architect

Cathedral stonemasons muffled againstthe cold in January 2021.

gable (Major Repair Area 4). The workhad to be complete by March 2021,which required an intense period of workfrom the cathedral masons and glaziersat a time of year not always suited toexternal work at such a height.

The works department did a sterling jobto get MRA 4 finished in time and thescaffold was stuck exactly to schedule toreveal superbly repaired stonework andthe newly-protected Moses Window. Thisimportant 18th century enamel-paintedcrown glass window is too fragile to takedown for repairs, and this has presentedsome challenges over the last few yearsto ensure deterioration is addressedwithout further damage. This has beenachieved by the installation of an externalglazing system of toughened drawn sheetglass, supplied by Lamberts of Germany,set into a new Iroko frame meticulouslymade by the cathedral carpenter, RichardPike. The cathedral glazing team led bySam Kelly carefully lifted the fragile glassto the window as one of the last tasksbefore the team from Penmill Scaffoldingstruck the huge scaffold, to reveal thegable for the first time in more than fiveyears.

34The completed Moses window.

MRA 4 (The High Chancel Gable)

Things are slowly returning to normalityat the cathedral and in the works

department after a strange year ofpandemic restriction and intense work tomeet many grant deadlines in early2021. In the autumn, the governmentannounced a series of Covid-19 recoveryfunds and the cathedral was fortunate toreceive a grant of £250,000 from theCultural Recovery Grant Scheme forProgrammes of Major Works towards thecompletion of repairs to the chancel

The south pinnacle of the chancel gablewas one of the more challenging aspectsof the work, and required several hugestones weighing nearly 400kgs to behoisted into position.

A particularly intricate repair was theconservation and replacement arm tothe high-level gable cross – it is alwaysgood to retain original carved fabric, andbeing able to give this importantChristian symbol a healthy lease of life forpossibly the next 800 years was verypleasing.

The completed chancel gable (MRA 4).

The repaired gable cross to MRA 4.

Stonemason Sarah Klopper’s carvednesting bird.

MRA 6 (The Trinity Chapel)Work to the Trinity Chapel (MRA 6)resumed in April and is progressing well.Stonemason Sarah Klopper’s carvednesting bird is hidden high-up on an eastgable shaft capital; at present thisintricate carving can be admired from thescaffold but eventually this will only bevisible to, well, nesting birds!

Stonemason Alan Spittle rebuilding thesouth pinnacle of MRA 4.

35

36

The completed solar panels on thecloisters.

Cloisters Solar PanelsThe solar panels on the cloisters roofwere installed in 2020 and are nowcontributing to the electricity supply in thecathedral. The panels were installed inpartnership with Salisbury CommunityEnergy and save the cathedral theequivalent annual electricity consumptionof eight average houses. Salisbury is nowone of the three English cathedrals whichare part-powered by the sun!

A new welcome to the cathedral.

The new lowered cloisters threshold.

The Cloisters Entrance RampThe pandemic closure of the cathedral tovisitors offered a fortuitous opportunity toembark on the work to remove and re-landscape the cloisters entrance ramp.The urgent need for this was highlightedwhen the cathedral was first used forvaccinations.

This work was very kindly funded by theFriends, and a small team of masons ledby Luke Kingston and assisted by Ella-Louise Baldwin have done a super job inremoving all trace of the fearful concreteramp, lowering the threshold, and layingbeautiful Purbeck and Forest of Deanstone paving – some of the finest qualitystone landscaping I have seen.

The cloisters door had to be lengthenedby the cathedral carpenter to close thegap where the threshold was lowered; itis particularly interesting to see theextent of scarfing-in from the inside whenthe door is closed, as the door has beenexpertly re-coated externally to weather-in the new and old oak.

37

The lengthened cloisters door.

Work also uncovered a forgotten Victoriandrain, which was recorded by thecathedral archaeologist and cleaned outto be re-used to drain the new channeldrains.

I’m not sure that the visitors to thecathedral who now seamlessly drift intothe cloisters would even notice themissing concrete ski-ramp!

The Consistory Court Entrance DeskWhile the cathedral was closed to visitorsthis spring, the opportunity was taken toreplace the small entrance desk with anew, albeit temporary, visitor welcomedesk. The old desk was too small andcramped for adequate social distancing,and did not have enough space forstorage or staff expansion to cope withticketed events. The need for a protectiveglazed screen due to Covid-19 mayremain for a while yet, and the cathedralvisitor welcome team were determined todeliver a new desk which incorporated ascreen in a stylish way, but that could beremoved in future. The design of the deskwas a challenge; it had to incorporate allthe lighting for the Consistory Court, aswell as a lower desk for wheelchair users,and be constructed from a kit of parts ina very swift process on site to be readyfor visitors in May.

The design was inspired by the curvedforms of the vaulting ribs in theConsistory Court, as well as an openingshell, but is also curved to respond to thetapering proportions of the floor plan ofthe Consistory Court, and to try andorientate staff more towards theentrance door without being as much ofa barrier as the old desk. The desk ismade by laser-cut layers of plywoodstacked on top of each other – it waseven possible to cut interlocking tabs intothe plywood sections so that they couldbe fitted together on site like a giganticjigsaw puzzle.

The new cathedral visitor welcome desk.

The bulk of the construction work in theConsistory Court was undertaken byjoiners from Wiltshire Creative inSalisbury. I delegated the stressful job ofdrawing, checking and double-checkingall the plywood templates for the lasercutter to Laura Rogers in my office. Theprocedure was a bit like drawing andsequentially numbering every piece of ajigsaw puzzle separately and beingcertain someone else can fit them alltogether without a mistake; and everypiece did fit together perfectly!

Detail of the interlocking plywood desk.

Quinquennial InspectionThe five-yearly quinquennial inspection ofthe cathedral is due this year, and I havealready commenced this with theinspection of the spire and tower with thecathedral structural engineer, AndrewWaring. This is an important survey of thecondition of the entire cathedral, that willinform future repair work and monitor anyongoing repair issues.

Looking back at what has been achievedthis year, it is evident how much work atthe cathedral is paid for by publicfunding, private donations, charitabletrusts, and fundraising by organisationslike the Friends. Without all of thisgenerous help very little repair andregeneration work would be achievableon the cathedral. This work not onlybenefits the cathedral as a building, butalso provides work and support to manyworkers and their families, as well asproviding invaluable training andcontinuity to the craft tradition for whichSalisbury Cathedral plays a vitallyimportant national role.

Izaak Hudson

In time, and subject to funding, the ideais to replace the desk with a similarshaped permanent desk, perhaps madefrom stone floating on a sea of light!

Rope Access MaintenanceA programme of rope accessmaintenance will be undertaken thissummer to the south aisle stonework(MRA 17); workers will be visible throughthe glass roof of the plumbery restaurant.This work will be funded by an emergencyCovid-19 recovery grant from HistoricEngland.

38

The 2022 Flower Festival

Members will remember that the much-anticipated flower festival entitledConfluence due to take place in September 2020 had to be postponed

because of the pandemic.

The festival will now begin on Tuesday 10th May 2022 and run untilSunday 15th May.

Designers Michael Bowyer, Pam Lewis and Angela Turner will be joined by300 flower arrangers from across the Diocese of Salisbury.

Visitors will be able to see some of the original designs and many new ones.

39

The Archivist - Archive and Library report

There has been one positive benefit formy library and archive colleagues and

me during this last year of lockdowns: wefound we had more time than usual tospend on cataloguing the cathedral’scollections. Cataloguing is essential if weare to have a full and accurate knowledgeof the books and documents that ourpredecessors have left in our care forour enjoyment and enlightenment.Cataloguing can also be deeply satisfyingif one has a propensity for classificationand orderliness – qualities essential foran archivist and a librarian.

Cataloguing is also at the heart of ourBeyond the Library Door project, a projectgenerously funded by the NationalHeritage Lottery Fund as well as by manyothers, including the Friends. This three-year project started in October 2017, wasdue to finish in October 2020, and willnow officially come to an end in October2021. Our primary aims for the projectare ‘to open up access to the library (and

the archive) collections through an onlinesearchable catalogue and to recordadditional copy-specific information sowe are better informed about thecollection and can plan for its futureconservation needs’. The project has alsoincluded numerous opportunities forpeople to visit the library and engage withthe collection to try to dispel thepreconceptions of some people that oldbooks are ‘dusty, dull, and hard to read’.Luckily, we had already organised mostof the project’s public outreach activitiesbefore lockdown started, but we still haveone further public discovery day plannedfor Saturday 30th October 2021 - tocelebrate the end of the project – doplease come if you can, more details indue course.

You can access the library and archivecatalogues either directly via this linkhttps://collections.salisburycathedral.org.uk/home or through the informationabout the library and archive on thecathedral’s own website. The Beyond theLibrary Door project was focused oncataloguing the library books and theonline catalogue now contains acatalogue record for more than 4,500books and is growing every week. Notonly are these books catalogued, but thevast majority of them have beencatalogued to an exceptional level ofdetail to include information on bindings,previous owners, and annotations. Tohave catalogued such a number in lessthan three years is an outstandingachievement and I would like to take thisopportunity to thank my colleague, DrAnne Dutton and her team of fivecataloguing volunteers, all of whom workpart-time, for their dedication to this task.

I’d now like to share with you a few of theitems that Anne and I have recentlycatalogued from both the library and thearchive. Firstly, from the library: Somerather topical items are six pamphletsgiving special forms of prayer to be usedin churches and by individuals during andafter outbreaks of plague. These six arefrom an extensive collection of Englishpamphlets, mostly political and religious,dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.Already Anne has catalogued 400 ofthese, but that is probably only about aquarter of the whole collection. We won’tknow how many there are in total untilthey have all been catalogued. Theearliest of the ‘plague’ pamphlets wasissued by the Church of England in July1563, when London was experiencingthe worst outbreak of the plague in thesixteenth century. The title (in its original

spelling) is: A fourme to be vsed incommon prayer, twyse a weke, and alsoan order of publique fast, to be vsedeuery Wednesday in the weeke, duryngthis tyme of mortalitie, and otherafflictions, wherwith the realme at thispresent is visited. Other ‘plague’pamphlets are forms of prayer thankingGod that the outbreak is over, such asone from 1604, A short forme ofthankesgiuing to God, for staying thecontagious sickenes of the plague to bevsed in common prayer, on Sundayes,Wednesdayes, and Fridayes. It’s good toremember that the country – and thecathedral - has experienced epidemics inthe past and has survived.

One of the treasures of the library are 41volumes known as incunabula.Incunabula are books printed before1501, in the first 50 years after JohannesGutenberg invented the printing press.The word Incunabula comes from theLatin word for cradle (cunae), and hasevolved to mean books from thebeginning of printing. Alongside the workof cataloguing the incunabula for our owncatalogue, Anne is also creatingcatalogue records for our incunabula onthe Material Evidence in Incunabuladatabase on CERL (Consortium ofEuropean Research Libraries), which islinked to the ISTC (Incunabula Short TitleCatalogue), and part of the University ofOxford’s 15th Century Book TradeProject. The aim of this project is toenable patterns to be identified in thedistribution and use of printed books inthe 15th century. Salisbury is the onlyEnglish cathedral contributing to theproject and to date 32 of our 41incunabula have been catalogued. Oneof these is a copy of the works of theRoman poet Horace, printed in Venice in1496. It is very heavily annotated, and

The title page of one of the library’s‘plague’ pamphlets. This one is dated1625.40

one of its previous owners was MauriceFigge, headmaster of the SalisburyGrammar School in 1581. We know thisbecause one of inscriptions in the frontof the book reads: Maurice Figge is thereal holder of the book according toAlexander Thistellhart - which rathermysteriously seems to suggest that theremust have been some disagreement overwho did own it! Unfortunately, we don’tknow any further details.

The first page of the 1496 works ofHorace is heavily annotated with thenames and notes of previous ownersincluding Maurice Figge.

Another inscription notes that WilliamJollie of Downham, York a yeoman owes£10 of ‘good lawful English money’ toLawrence Fuller of Hereford, Lancaster.This note has nothing to do with the bookitself, rather the book just provided ahandy place to record an IOU!

Another recently catalogued incunable isa copy of Giacomo Publicio’s Artesorandi, epistolandi, memoranda (The Artsof Speaking, Letter-writing, andRemembering), printed in Venice in1485. The volume contains manywoodcut illustrations, including a pictureof a chess board set up in an openingposition (chess is described as beinggood for the memory), and seven pages

of a mnemonic alphabet, where eachletter is illustrated by an object whoseshape resembles the letter itself. Forsome, the shape of the objects clearly

A mnemonic alphabet: A is representedby a folding ladder.

A mnemonic alphabet: memory aids forthe letters I, L, M and N.

41

matches the shape of the letter (such asa folding ladder illustrating a capital A)but others need a little more imagination.A gallows and noose to represent acapital N is a particularly macabreconnection - a far cry from a child’salphabet book of today.

Cataloguing of the archive collection isbeing tackled in three ways: detailedcataloguing of items previously listed inthe old paper catalogues, items whichhave been stored in the archive for manyyears and haven’t been catalogued at all,and recent accessions. My colleague,Hannah Whittingham, assistant archivist,has contributed greatly to makingprogress on the archive cataloguing during2020-2021. We are also supported by thevery welcome assistance of a small groupof volunteers. There is a lot to catalogue,so I was particularly sorry to say goodbyeto Hannah in December 2020 when sheleft to take up a full-time position at BathRecord Office.

The key objectives of cataloguing are torecord the main characteristics of an itemin order to enable someone else to find iteasily, and to give a flavour of what theitem is all about. Occasionally I findmyself cataloguing something andthinking ‘I wish I could spend more timeresearching this further’! One such recentitem is the account book of an unknown19th century gentleman living inSalisbury. This book records all hisfinancial outgoings during the years1821-1840, giving an insight into his lifeand times. Further research may help toidentify him as there are severalreferences to rent payments for propertyaround the city, including Crane Street,Endless Street, and Rollestone Street.Purchases of personal items are alsolisted for items such as gloves, toothpowder and ‘nail nippers’, as well as

charitable donations, wages to domesticservants and various taxes. He seems tohave been fond of fruit – particularlystrawberries and oranges. How thisvolume ended up in the cathedral archiveis a complete mystery. As the number 22is written on the front cover there must atone time have been at least 21 others.

42

A page from an unknown 19th centurygentleman’s account book.

One recently catalogued collection, whichdoes have a clear connection with thecathedral, was donated to the archivethis year. It is a group of letters written byCanon James Fletcher from 1911 to1940. Canon Fletcher was attached tothe cathedral prebend of Stratford from1912 to 1940. During that time, he alsoworked in the cathedral library, first asassistant librarian and then as librarianfrom 1936 until his death in 1940.Before moving to Salisbury, CanonFletcher was the vicar of Tideswell inDerbyshire, and these letters are ones hewrote to his Tideswell colleague and

friend Fred Chapman. Although theletters primarily concern matters relatingto Tideswell, of particular interest to usare his occasional descriptions of life atthe cathedral. One letter dated 1stOctober 1939 gives an insight into thelives of refugee children in the Close.Canon Fletcher writes: They allotted usnine boys from a secondary school atPortsmouth and one of their masters.They can eat – often three good heaps ofmeat and vegetables and three ofpudding and tart!!! The bishop has 12 atthe palace, we had the next largestnumber. The Dean has 7. We have aspecial service for them all at 9.30 onSundays, which I believe all in the Closeor near neighbourhood attend, whichmeans some hundreds.

Old photographs are always fascinating.Two which recently came to light are of thenew cross on the top of the spire. Thephotos were taken in 1950 in theworkshop of Mr Charles Lisney, masterblacksmith who rented premises inLimehouse, London. The photo reproducedhere shows Mr Lisney on the left and onthe right possibly Mr McWilliams (wearinga hat) who was an employee of Messrs J WGray, Lightening Contractors.

The new spire cross 1950.

Finally, another item of interest is a groupof informal sketches by Alison Jensenmade during a service led by DeanSydney Evans, possibly in the early1980s. They include two pencil sketchesof poet laurate William Golding readingan extract from his essay ‘A movingtarget.’

A sketch of William Golding by Alison Jensen.43

Anne and I have not spent quite all ourtime cataloguing during the last year. InDecember, we worked with experts fromDIAMM (Digital Image Archive of MedievalMusic) to enable the digitisation of two ofthe library’s medieval manuscripts: twobreviaries of the use of Sarum, one datedcirca 1460, the other dating to the late1300s. These images are now freelyavailable to anyone to view on DIAMM’swebsite.

Folio 144v from a recently digitisedmanuscript.

Lynda Sayce, DIAMM photographer, atwork in a blacked-out library.

One of the display cases funded by theFriends last year is now a permanentfeature on the cathedral floor, enablingus to share items from the library andarchive with visitors. Rather fittingly, wehave positioned it near the old munimentchests in the north quire aisle. A newvisitor interpretation sign also gives moreinformation about the chest andincludes, via a QR code, a 60-second visitto the library. Do look out for the casewhen you are next in the cathedral.

The larger of the two new display cases,funded by the Friends, is nowpermanently located in the north quireaisle.

As I write, we are looking forward towelcoming our book cleaning volunteersback to the library to complete this vitalwork. We also hope to resume our usuallibrary tours and collection talks beforetoo long, so there should be lots to sharewith you in next year’s Spire about lifeand work in the library and archive.

Emily Naish

Membership cardsYour 2021/22 membership cards are

on the back cover of Spire.Please pop them out and rememberto take them with you when you visit

the cathedral.Booking instructions are on the

inside back cover.

44

45

The Clerk of the Works

Well, 2020 was quite the year, wasn’t it?! I do hope you and yours have all emergedas unscathed as possible and I offer mydeepest condolences if that hasn’t beenthe case.My thoughts were also with Her Majestythe Queen on the sad loss of Prince Philipin April. He was such a remarkable manwith so many incredible achievements.

You will all have guessed or been awarethat the cathedral, like every individualand organisation, felt the effects of thepandemic: my team were all furloughedtwice and of course, there were concernsregarding being able to carry on therepair work. I think the whole country became evenmore aware of the marvellous work ourNHS staff do. We wanted to pay tribute toall the key workers, so I fixed somelighting gels over our 16 tower spotlightsand our magnificent spire turned blue.

Gary’s son Archie’s stone grotesque.

As ever, it’s a privilege to give anupdate to our valued Friends, who do

so much for my department and thecathedral as a whole.

I left you in March 2020 with news of abudding stone mason in my family,namely my son Archie, who carved agrotesque for his end of year art exam. Iam pleased to say he was graded an 8.

Turning the spire blue in tribute to all keyworkers.

We were so fortunate to be one of therecipients of a number of grants and myteam worked very hard, even throughsub-zero temperatures at times, to havethe high east gable Major Repair Area 4(MRA4) completed to the fundingdeadline.In fact, they completed before thedeadline and those of you who live locally

may well have seen our work graduallybeing unveiled lift by lift, as thescaffolding was removed, also bringingthe Moses window back into view.I took this picture (3) from the roof belowshowing the repaired stonework, thenewly timber-framed and isothermally-glazed window.

Four hundred and twenty-two stoneswere replaced and the majority of thesewere to both pinnacles either side of thegable, along with weatherings, areplacement cross piece and a new finialon each pinnacle.

46

The repaired stonework and newlytimber-framed and isothermally-glazedwindow on the high east gable.

The same view in the context of thewhole building.

The cross piece, worked and fixed inplace by mason Andrew Kirby.

The hole through the scaffolding showsthe place where the south pinnacle usedto be before it was dismantled for repair.

There were a couple of items we also putin place while we had the chance: a timecapsule inserted into an original put loghole inside the south pinnacle, andmason Alan Spittle carved a lion’s headinto one of the large castellation stones.Neither of these will be seen for manyhundreds of years until repairs are next

47

Alan Spittle and Dave Vanstone hoistinga 375kg castellation stone up to thesouth pinnacle.

Looking down through the middle of thesouth pinnacle.

Mason Carol Pike with her replacementfinial.

needed in this area and hopefully themasons at that time will find these asinteresting as we find the little humanadditions we find around the building.The time capsule contains all thestonemasons’ banker marks, somephotos of the pinnacle being dismantled,a group photo of the current team, sometext about the project and a bit about the2020 Covid year, and a 50 pence andone pound coin from 2020.

The time capsule.

48

Our next project was to improve the mainvisitor entrance into the cloisters.At the time of writing, this project isongoing, but some of you may see thiscompleted by the time this edition ofSpire reaches you. Although the ramp meant that our visitorswho use wheelchairs could access thebuilding, it was very steep and itsshortcomings were brought into sharprelief when the cathedral was used as avaccination centre and more older cityresidents needed to use it.The cathedral’s architect drew up plansand a version approved by thecathedral’s fabric advisory committee. This project was given to stone masonLuke Kingston to oversee.

The lion’s head carving by Alan Spittle.

The lion’s head in the castellation stone.

Luke co-ordinated his team of colleagues,Christian Sullivan, Ella-Louise Baldwinand Andrew Kirby to remove the tarmacramp, lower the threshold and introducenew Purbeck paving inside and Forest ofDean paving for the outside, and to bringback into use the Victorian drainagesystem underneath. Our archaeologist, Graham Keevill kept awatching brief during his site visits, butsadly there were no finds. The cathedral’s ecclesiastical joiner,Richard Pike will also alter the door toaccommodate the new level. I have to say the whole thing really will bean enormous improvement bothpractically and visually.

Christian Sullivan and Andrew Kirbybreaking out the old ramp.

The newly levelled area with the gap atthe bottom of the door showing wherethe ground used to be.

49

Luke Kingston gently persuading aflagstone into place.

In last year’s update, I mentioned theSpirit and Endeavour art exhibition, whichsaw 20 different artists displaying theirwork inside and outside the cathedral tomark our 800th anniversary. The exhibition was extended by six monthsdue to Covid restrictions. It stayed with usuntil 21st April so more local visitors couldsee it during their daily walks.There was also a virtual online tour.

Although we couldn’t have all of ourintended 800th anniversary celebrations,we still had a visit on the 7th of Decemberfrom Prince Charles and Camilla whenthe stone we carved was blessed and LeeAndrews our head mason did a readingright in front of the royal couple. You mayhave seen the photos of the block beingchosen at the quarry in last year’s Spire.

The stone will be fixed later this year.Its inscription reads: “In the presence ofHRH The Prince of Wales and HRH TheDuchess of Cornwall this stone wasdedicated by the Bishop of Salisbury tomark the 800th anniversary of thecathedral’s re-foundation 07.XII.AD2020”

Lee Andrews, Gary Price and SarahKlopper with the dedicated stone.

Head mason Lee Andrews readingduring the foundation service.

Clerk of the works Gary Price isintroduced to the Prince of Wales.

50

In an end-of-an-era moment, it was withslightly mixed feelings that I acceptedChristian’s resignation, as he has been amuch-appreciated member of our teamand the first apprentice that I took on in myclerk of the works role, but experiencingthe great wide world is always very exciting. Christian always displayed his passion forthe work, attending a carving experienceday here long before we knew who hewas and going to great lengths to ensurehis apprentice application reached us inperson. He has brought dedication, an excellentsense of humour and amazing gamingskills! He leaves us, hopefully with some goodmemories and definitely with excellentmasonry skills, and I know he willsucceed in all of his future endeavours.

Assuming the government’s road mapgoes according to plan, we will be runninga few carving courses this year. We will be holding three workshops of sixpeople instead of the usual ten; this waywe can observe the recommendeddistancing, plus the courses are, as usual,held in our open-sided tent so they areunder cover, but extremely well ventilated.

Our peregrines rewarded us again thisyear by laying eggs in our bespoke, hand-made nesting box. We have four eggs this year and I had acompetition with my wife and my PAabout the date of the first egg being laid.I’m not one to crow, but I was right! If only we had all put money on it, somethingto keep in mind perhaps for next year…

Our Sponsor a Stone scheme is ongoing.I would like to say a very big thank you toour past and present sponsorship donorsfor their valuable gifts that have helpedtowards the vital repair of the cathedral.The scheme continues to be extremely

One of thecathedral’speregrines.

A sponsor’s initials carved into thebottom bed of the stone.

popular and I would dearly love to seemore stones being sponsored.To take advantage of the scheme thereare only 250 stones remaining before allthe stones are fixed in the next few years. We are very happy to accept pledges andpayments in instalments over one to fouryears, which helps with our planning toknow that this vital repair work will beable to continue. The sponsor’s initials are carved into thejoint or bed of his or her chosen stoneand the names are handwritten in aspecial ledger, which will be kept in thefabric archives to remember your gift.For more information you can pick up aleaflet in the cathedral or contact JillyWright in the development office on01722 555122 or j.wright@salcath.co.ukI hope I have given you a small insightinto our year and I look forward to writingagain next year.This just leaves me to say a huge thankyou for reading and please stay safe.

Gary Price

51

The Director of Music

Zoom is one) a way of rehearsing thechoristers. Picture the scene: me and a camera inthe cathedral school with the faces of mychoristers on a laptop, each child takingpart on their own in my rehearsals. We rehearsed music as best as we couldand then the children were tasked, withtheir parents’ help, to record themselvesand send the recording in for editing andthen using as part of a streamed Sundayservice. This was a lengthy process, although I feltit importantly allowed the choristers tostill feel part of a team. Meanwhile, the lay vicars werethemselves making recordings of variouspieces which were also used in streamedservices. The situation continued like this formonths and I felt particularly sorry for myoldest choristers who did not experiencethe climax to their chorister careers, asthe Winchester Southern Cathedrals’Festival was cancelled and their lastsinging day here in July was a low-keyaffair. 

In the Autumn of 2020, the socialdistancing rules started to relax, and wewere permitted professional singing inthe cathedral with strict observance of‘bubbles’ becoming the guiding principle. Practically speaking, this meant that Icould have my choristers singing andgrouped in their two school bubbles:broadly, the seniors and the juniors asopposed to being all mixed up together. I was nervous about how the junior groupwould manage, being separated by atleast two metres from the experiencedsenior group and was delighted by theway in which they took up the challenge.

Since spring 2020 and with the steadyonset of Covid-19, the year has felt

very unusual and unfamiliar for thecathedral choir. Advent in particular was something of anon-event as our spectacular FromDarkness to Light services werecancelled and it was only with some goodfortune that we were able to sing atChristmas at all, under strict Governmentand Church of England guidelines. The cathedral’s 800th anniversarycelebrations and an organ festival wereboth prevented by these measures,although the cathedral choir took part inthe online Salisbury Anthem, acommission which celebrated bothcathedral and the city community.

So, what has it been like under therestrictions for the cathedral choir?  As it gradually became clear that thepandemic situation was not going to beresolved quickly, I like many of mycolleagues in other cathedrals soughtdifferent and imaginative ways to keepour choristers singing while also trying toprovide music in the new world ofstreamed services.

We established with the help of variouscommunications platforms (of which

You will understand, I hope that we havedone our very best to take positives fromthis year. Apart from keeping the cathedral choirsinging more or less all the time in someform, we have learned how to usetechnology to widen our mission, we havepromoted a number of probationers intothe choir, and speaking personally, I washonoured to receive a Pride of Wiltshireaward from Wiltshire Life and also tocome runner-up in a nationalcomposition competition.

Although this continues to be a difficulttime for all musicians, I feel optimisticthat with the current vaccinationprogramme gathering momentum, thetide has finally turned. I am enormously grateful to my musicalcolleagues, both young and old, for theirpatience and fortitude during theseunusual times and I know that I shallhave my full choir singing once again verysoon.  

David Halls

52

Salisbury Cathedral Choir took part inthe Salisbury Anthem, commissioned tocelebrate the cathedral and city.

The organ playing during the vaccinationclinics was much appreciated.

One had also to remember that the choir,as always, felt like a new choir inSeptember, our having said farewell toten fully trained choristers in July. We even had to process in and out ofservices in a strange format and the layvicars had to be at least two metres fromeach other and from the choristers. As the song room was considered toosmall for safety, we rehearsed either inthe quire or in the Chapter House.  It washardly an ideal way to make musictogether. December 2020 came and went underthese circumstances, but I am proud thatwe were able to host a royal visit,delivered the boy bishop ceremony andlive streamed countless sung serviceswith great success.  One item of news which seems to havecaught the imagination is our provision oforgan music during the cathedral’svaccination days. My colleague, John Challenger and I havebeen playing for these important daysfrom 8.30am until about 4pm. People have been so appreciative of ourperformances of soothing classics (witha few numbers from the musicals too)and have even sent us requests which wehave done our best to play. To be able to make a small contributionto the positive news of the vaccinationshas been a pleasure and a privilege.

Despite 2020being a year

most peoplewould like toforget, cathedraldirector of musicDavid Hallsended it on ahigh note bybeing honouredwith two awards.

During an online awards evening, LordLieutenant of Wiltshire Sarah Troughtonpresented him with the Pride of Wiltshireaward for his services to music in thecounty.

In the same week he was runner up inthe Royal College of Organists or RCOComposition Competition 2020 (25 yearsor above category).

The competition is open to organists andcomposers across the country and waslaunched last year as part of a series ofopportunities for organists,  choraldirectors and composers.

53

David Halls honoured

It was judged by RCO president GerardBrooks, Master of the Queen’s MusicJudith Weir, and Thomas Trotter,international concert organist andorganist of Birmingham Town Hall. 

Speaking about David’s composition,Passacaglia, Mr Brooks said: “The workhas a good sense of forward movement,and the musical ideas are effectively andinterestingly developed as the musicprogresses.” 

The Pride of Wiltshire award is given tothose who have made a significantcontribution to the county and is one of aseries of Wiltshire Life awards that aim toraise the profile of businesses, charitiesand community groups.

David said: “I was delighted to receiveboth awards.

“I am fortunate to be able to work withexceptionally talented professionals andbrilliant amateurs, and to have made somany friends as a result of my musicmaking.”

During the third national lockdown,which began in January, musicians

from Salisbury Cathedral and SalisburyCathedral School joined forces in anonline voice workshop for youngerchildren that ended in a virtualperformance of Philip Wilby’s Make mea Light in the cathedral on Easter day.

Children could take part in theworkshop at home with the family or aspart of school lessons.

Sessions began with vocal exercises ledby Susie Lamb, director of music at thecathedral school, followed by sessionswith cathedral director of music DavidHalls.

Once they had done the workshop, thechildren were asked to make their ownrecording of the song and send it in.

Make me a Light

The Cathedral’s Year in Words and Pictures

But as the coronavirus pandemic, whichbegan in China in the latter months of2019, swept across the world, it soonbecame clear that most of those eventscould not take place.

The dawning of 2020 had brought withit the promise of a packed programme

of celebrations to mark the 800thanniversary of the laying of thecathedral’s foundation stones.

Among the musical casualties were theChoral Foundation concert, St JohnPassion and the organ festival, the latterintended to show off the newly-restoredFather Willis organ.

On 23rd March 2020 Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced the countrywould go into lockdown, all publicbuildings, including churches andcathedrals must close and everyone hadto ‘stay at home, protect the NHS andsave lives’.

Just a month earlier, half-term had seen10,000 people flock to the cathedral forSarum Lights, a spectacular sound andlight show.

And the eighth annual Salisbury PancakeRace on Shrove Tuesday went ahead inthe cathedral cloisters, due to heavy rainmaking the High Street too slippery.

54

The logo for the 800thanniversary celebrations.

A lone mother pushes her pram down adeserted nave just before the cathedralclosed for the first national lockdown.

The cathedral’s main entranceremained closed during lockdowns.

But during March, visitor numbersplummeted as countries grounded flightsand stopped ferry crossings, and UKcitizens put spring breaks on hold.

In the early weeks of lockdown, peopleliving in the Close and surrounding areacould derive much-needed cheer on theirdaily walks from the Spirit and Endeavouroutdoor exhibits.

There were pieces by Henry Moore,Danny Lane, Subodh Gupta, ConradShawcross, Peter Newman, ShirazehHoushiary and Lynn Chadwick.

The cathedral stepped up its mission toreach out to the community, with itsclergy recording Daily Reflections,uploaded onto the cathedral’s YouTubechannel.

55

In the early weeks of the first lockdown,daily walks for Close residents wereenlivened by the Spirt and Endeavourexhibits including Danny Lane’sStairway and Henry Moore’s LargeReclining Figure.

It also recorded services, including aspecial one to mark the cathedral’sbirthday on 28th April, as well as a virtualtour of the Spirit and Endeavourexhibition.

Later that year, the Friends provided thefunding for live streaming equipment,enabling cathedral services to be viewedas they happen during lockdown periodsand at all times by those unable toworship in person.

Numbers attending online services weregreater than those previouslyworshipping in person, demonstratingthat many people were feeling so isolatedat home that online worship also becamea way of sharing precious time withothers.

Similarly, the national Clap for Carers onThursday evenings was taken upenthusiastically by residents of the Close.

In June, the cathedral was allowed toopen for private prayer.

56

Continuing Government restrictionsmeant the pilgrimage to the Holy Land,due to be led by the Dean from 23rd Mayto 1st June had to be cancelled, alongwith the Visitation service in thecathedral in June to swear in newchurchwardens, and Confluence, theflower festival due to be held inSeptember.

The Visitation service was conductedonline.

On 15th June the cathedral re-opened forprivate prayer. Those attending – socially-distanced - were able to light candles, butnot take part in any corporate act ofworship.

The following month saw the installationof 93 solar panels on the cathedral’ssouth cloister roof, as part of its aim to becarbon neutral by 2030.

The panels, which cover 150 squaremetres, cannot be seen from the ground,but are visible to those on tower tours.

They are estimated to produce more than30,000kw hours each year, equivalent tothe usage of eight British households.

Also in July, lockdown restrictions easedand in-person worship resumed inchurches and cathedrals.

Salisbury Cathedral Flowers celebratedby creating a number of magnificentarrangements.

As visitors returned, in much smallernumbers than would be expected innormal times, they were greeted by anumber of new measures: they had toprovide their contact details, wear facecoverings, keep socially-distanced fromothers and leave via the works yard.

While walking through the cloisters theywere entertained by the SalisburyAnthem – specially commissioned tocelebrate the 800th anniversary – playedon a big screen.

Solar panels were installed on thesouth cloister roof in July helping thecathedral towards it target of becomingcarbon neutral by 2030.

As the cathedral re-opened fully in July,Salisbury Cathedral Flowers celebratedwith a number of stunning displaysincluding this colourful arrangement.

57

Visitors wandering around the cloistercould listen to the Salisbury Anthem,commissioned to mark the 800thanniversary of the cathedral’s foundation.

The cathedral launched its recoveryappeal in a bid to recover the estimated£2 million in lost visitor income.

The public responded generously, with£315,000 being donated, including£36,786 given by members of theFriends.

In August, the Chancellor of theExchequer’s Eat Out to Help Out initiative,school holidays and fine weatherencouraged visitors into the Close.

There was a more relaxed atmosphere,with some pausing to play or to simplyhave a chat on Peter Newman’sSkystation.

UK visitors and a handful from overseas,who returned to the cathedral albeit inmuch smaller numbers, had to follow anumber of rules, including leaving theircontact details, wearing face coveringsand exiting via the works yard. The cathedral launched its recovery

appeal, in a bid to recoup some of the£2 million visitor income, estimated tohave been lost due to the pandemic.

Fine late summer weather saw a holidayatmosphere in the Close, with visitorsenjoying family time on Peter Newman’sSkystation.

58

At the end of the month new Vicar of theClose, the Revd Canon Nigel Davies, whohad been due to arrive at the end of April,was licensed.

From 1st September, an £8 charge wasintroduced for adult visitors to thecathedral, ending the long-held practiceof asking for a recommended donation.

The ticket is valid for a year, allowingreturn visits, and there are reduced feesfor students.

Sunny weather enabled ConradShawcross’s Formation 1 (The DappledLight of the Sun) to be shown off tobest advantage.

The Revd Canon Nigel Davies waslicensed as Vicar of the Close at theend of August.

September saw the introduction ofentrance charges as, in response to thedevastating effect of the pandemic onthe cathedral’s income, Chapterabandoned the long-held practice ofasking visitors for a recommendeddonation.

Cathedral archivist Emily Naish put onan exhibition entitled The Cathedralthat moved, telling the story of themove in 1220 from Old Sarum to thepresent site.

59

Exemptions apply for the congregation,volunteers, Friends’ members and localresidents.

Early paying visitors were treated to abonus in the shape of cathedral archivistEmily Naish’s exhibition, The Cathedralthat Moved.

The collection of treasures from thelibrary and archive included the papalbull (letter) permitting the cathedral tomove from Old Sarum, the Register of StOsmund, which contains documents fromthe cathedral’s earliest history, and a 19-foot list of all the food eaten by a canontreasurer in a year.

There were also two information boardsand a four-minute animated film bystudents of Bournemouth University.

November saw the country again put intolockdown measures.

Churches held Remembrance Sundayand Armistice Day services outdoors, withworshippers standing socially-distancedaround war memorials.

Among the exhibits was an Indulgenceissued by Archbishop Stephen Langtonin about 1220, granting forgiveness for30 days of sin to anyone contributingtowards the cost of construction.

Cathedral Flowers placed these simple,but effective poppy arrangements inthe crossing to mark Remembranceseason.

The displays of poppies arranged bySalisbury Cathedral Flowers to mark thetime to remember those lost through war,took on an added poignancy in the yearwhen thousands lost their lives due to thepandemic.

In response to the lockdown, thecathedral extended the Light of Hopeinstallation until early December. 

Devised by artist Peter Walker, theillumination was set up to mark All Saints’Tide, with Salisbury Cathedral joiningother cathedrals across the country toilluminate the sky and send out amessage of hope.

The display involved beams rising fromthe cathedral roof to form a cross of lightintersecting at the pinnacle of the spire.

Later in November, on a grey, wetafternoon, the works department erectedand lit the Nordmann fir Christmas treeoutside the Friends’ office, one of three

60

– the others being inside the west doorand in the north porch.

The beginning of Advent would normallyhave been marked by the three FromDarkness to Light services, attended byhundreds of people.

However, with Government restrictionsbanning large gatherings, these could nottake place.

In early December when the cathedral re-opened, visitors were invited to follow aChristmas Trail, a series of displayscreated by more than 30 members of Salisbury Cathedral Flowers.

Beginning with the magnificent Norwayspruce Christmas tree in front of the westdoor and ending with an urn of green andsilver-sprayed foliage, the displaysinterpreted popular Christmas traditionsand their meanings.

Ecclesiastical carpenter Richard Pikearranges the lights at the top of theChristmas tree, with clerk of the worksGary Price (left) and Richard Bates,also of the works department,steadying the ladder.

They included depictions of the role ofangels as messengers of God, Christmascarols, the message of comfort and joygiven to the shepherds, the three wisemen, and St Nicholas and the legend ofgift-giving.

This exquisite ‘picture’ created from hayrepresented the hay in the manger inthe stable and was part of theChristmas Trail created by SalisburyCathedral Flowers.

A pedestal arrangement of green andsilver-sprayed foliage depicted the starof Bethlehem, which led the wise mento the infant Jesus in the manger.

61

The concept of creative director MichaelBowyer, they were all created fromfoliage, including holly and ivy, and othermaterials, such as hay.

On 7th December the service ofthanksgiving to mark the 800thanniversary of the laying of thecathedral’s foundation stones took place.

The service, postponed from Aprilbecause of the first lockdown, wasattended by the Prince of Wales and theDuchess of Cornwall.

Prince Charles and Dean NicholasPapadopulos at the foundation servicein December.

Prince Charles and the Duchess ofCornwall sign the visitors’ book. A posyfor the Duchess was made by CathedralFlowers creative director MichaelBowyer from Cornish narcissi, Englishhellebores and blue oxypetalum.

During the service the royal coupleunveiled a specially-engraved stone,carved in the works yard, to mark theoccasion.

The stone, made of 150-million-year-oldupper Jurassic limestone, was extracted

from the same seam as the stoneoriginally used to build the cathedral.

Prince Charles gave an address,reflecting on the cathedral’s past and thefuture.

He said: “As we gather here, we areprofoundly aware of all those who havegone before us, who have bequeathed usthe magnificent legacy of this glorious

Dean Nicholas takes Prince Charlesaround the cloisters to meet cathedralstaff and volunteers.

62

building, and who have maintained thespiritual community which has kept theflame of faith alive here for so manycenturies.

“The work of building, of maintaining andof protecting for the future is for us all totake forward, in each generation.”

After the service, the royal couple signedthe visitors’ book at a table on which wasplaced for the Duchess a posy of Cornishnarcissi, hellebores and oxypetalummade by Cathedral Flowers’ creativedirector Michael Bowyer.

The Prince and the Duchess then metcathedral staff and volunteers in thecloister.

The Nativity scene, a Renaissance-styletableau of three 35-foot voile panels,which was unveiled just before Christmas2019, was again hung over the spirecrossing for all to admire.

As 2021 arrived and everyone was glad tosee the back of 2020, rising coronaviruscase numbers saw the country plungedinto the third national lockdown, forcingthe cathedral to close again.

Prince Charles shares a joke withMichael Bowyer and Susan Branchfrom the cathedral flowers team.

Prince Charles meets cathedralarchivist Emily Naish.

The Nativity scene is reflected in the font,set off by four foliage arrangements forAdvent.

63

History was made on Saturday 16thJanuary when the cathedral became avaccination centre, inviting citizens aged80 years or older to receive their Covid-19 injection.

The cathedral opened as a vaccinationcentre in January. This view of thesouth transept shows the cubicles,patients and staff.

People queue along the cloister beforegoing into the cathedral for their Covid-19 injection.

Patients entering the cloister couldadmire Sir Tony Cragg’s Sail sculpture.

Cathedral floor manager Rob Douglasready to welcome patients to thecathedral.

National news coverage called it the‘grandest vaccination centre’ and theevent was made all the more special,thanks to director of music David Hallsand assistant director John Challengerplaying a selection of music on theFather Willis organ.

As the weeks went by, many moresessions were held for other groups, inaccordance with the Government’spriority list, and David and Johncontinued to play a selection of classicalmusic and tunes from films andmusicals.

64

A member of the medical team explainsthe procedure.

By the end of March, 25,000 people hadbeen vaccinated by the cathedral, andmedical staff were already welcomingback the over-80s for their second jab.

In February, the cathedral launched Lighta Candle, a virtual community of prayerand light.

In February the cathedral urgedeveryone to light a candle to reflect on2020 and to express their hopes andprayers for 2021.

The cathedral remained closed until19th May.

Since the end of the year covered bySpire, thousands more people

received their Covid-19 vaccination,some in the cathedral and more recently,at Leaden Hall.

On 1st May, the Sarum South PrimaryCare Network vaccination team held itslast clinic in the cathedral before movingto Leaden Hall.

Leaden Hall was being used by theeducation team for schools’ workshopsand by staff for meetings.

Since 16th January, the PCN team and its90 volunteers vaccinated 35,000 peoplein the cathedral, the final jab being givenby Dr Rob Hewetson to GerardHenderson.

A farewell ceremony was held in thecathedral, at which Dean NicholasPapadopulos thanked the team for allthey had done for the community and thecathedral, and Bishop Nicholas Holtamgave a blessing.

Bishop Nicholas said: “It has been aprivilege to witness the vaccination roll-out across the diocese and to observethe ways in which the community andmedical professions have workedselflessly towards a common goal.”

Vaccinations update

65

The cathedral’s tribute to the Duke ofEdinburgh, who died in April.

The launch marked a year since the firstperson in the UK died of Covid-19, andthe initiative aimed to encourage peopleto reflect on 2020 and to express theirhopes and prayers for 2021.

The scheme involved people lighting acandle, taking a photograph of it anduploading it to the Light a Candle page onthe cathedral website, adding adedication.

The Salisbury Pancake Race, organisedby St Thomas’s Church and held onShrove Tuesday, was another casualty ofthe third lockdown.

Finally, the cathedral paid tribute to theDuke of Edinburgh, who died in April, bydisplaying a portrait of him and anarrangement of lilies.

A ceremony was held to mark the lastvaccination clinic to be held in thecathedral.

Poem

Dr Michele Giorgi, joint clinical directorSarum South PCN, paid tribute to staffand volunteers, the cathedral organistswho played for every vaccination session,and cathedral staff and volunteers whoworked alongside the NHS team.

The PCN presented the cathedral with aframed collage created usingconsumables from the vaccinationsessions, and the cathedral gave eachparticipating practice a print of thePatrick Blower cartoon featuring thecathedral as a vaccination centre,published in The Daily Telegraph on 18thJanuary.

66

The vaccination team moved to LeadenHall in May.

Dean Nicholas said the NHS team’s story“will remain part of our story forever”.

Salisbury Cathedral January 2021Vaccination against Covid-19This place was never a stranger to

disease.It fostered healing.  The spire itself

was addedin the throes of the Black Death, when

stalwart teamswent right on building. 

They, and their kinsfolkused to consider plague a visitationto be endured – not, as we judge

pandemic,a cosmic outrage. They were instructed,

too,that pestilence was punishment for sin:their own. At least we’re spared that

extra burden. 

We are grateful to Friends’ member RuthMarden for contributing this poem shewrote following her Covid-19 vaccinationin the cathedral in January. 

This refuge, made for worship, till recently

open to visitors from far away,today takes in our nearest, our frail and

old. 

The shot was brief – two seconds at the most.

Here in the aisle we’re resting, safely spaced,

Crusader tomb alongside holding the pattern. 

And now the organ’s feting us with Handel,

then Mendelssohn, with waltzes twirling after

in life-asserting, cheerful repertoire. 

The smooth stone pillars lift and resolvein arches.

From the new font cool water brims and spills. 

Ruth Marden

Moving house and starting a new jobin the middle of a pandemic is not

for the faint-hearted.

But the Revd Canon Nigel Davies took itin his stride.

He and his wife Jayne came to Salisburylast summer from the Lake District,where Nigel was team rector of KendalDeanery’s Beacon Team for nearly 12years.

In a year when many people chose to stayput even when restrictions were eased,he makes light of the upheaval and thedelay in their re-location – his licensingas Vicar of the Close had been due totake place at the end of April.

The Vicar of the Close

“Once we were here, we settled in well,”says Nigel.

“It’s a nice house and an amazing placeto live.

“Everybody has been welcoming.

“The delay was unfortunate, but we hada month to settle in and sort the boxesfrom the end of July before my licensingat the end of August.”

Nigel succeeded the Revd Ian Woodwardwho retired in 2019.

“My son had mentioned the job of Vicarof the Close for retired clergy, so I lookedfor the advert and applied,” says Nigel.

“I was due to start here at the beginningof May last year, but no-one could goanywhere.

“My final Sunday (in Kendal Deanery)was Easter Day and the next Sunday Icarried on, doing live-streamed servicesuntil July.

“I got a bit of a send-off, but it was veryflat. It was not the end people imagined.”

It was not the start to his ministry inSalisbury he would have imagined either.

“Worship has been strange, but it’sstrange everywhere,” he says. “We arenot seeing it function as it used to.

“People have seen me at services whenthey have been allowed and I have donevisitor duty when visiting was permitted,so I have met guides, stewards andchaplains.

“But there are lots of staff I still haven’tmet.

“The folk at Wyndham House I knowonline and I have met some on

67

Vicar of the Close Nigel Davies waslicensed in August last year. With theservice over, he can relax and share ajoke with family and friends.

While she has made contact with theMothers’ Union locally, Nigel says she isnot rushing into doing anything, as shehas been busy caring for her motherfollowing hip surgery.

The couple have three children – Joseph,who is a member of the verger team atthe cathedral, Emily, who is a danceteacher, and Lydia, who is a student.

Nigel trained as a teacher in Lancasterand taught for seven years before beingaccepted for ordination.

“I taught eight- 13-year-olds,” he says.“Many were children of lower ability orwho had been turned off education.

“I decided I would much rather be helpingthese children than teaching.

“I was a regular churchgoer and myfather was an Anglican priest, but I didn’twant to be one!

vaccination days, but they look differentwith masks!”

Moving from the Lake District to Salisburywas not a journey into the unknown forNigel.

“I trained at Salisbury and WellsTheological College (now Sarum College),so I always had a soft spot for Salisbury,”he says.

“And the cathedral convinced me to come– when I first went into it all those yearsago, I went ‘wow’!

“The training was great - and I met mywife.”

After completing their training, Nigel andJayne served their curacies inManchester Diocese before moving toCarlisle Diocese.

Nigel has worked in a number of roles,including serving as a rural dean. Jaynewas most recently a hospital chaplainand retired a month before Nigel.68

“When I first went into the cathedral allthose years ago, I went ‘wow’!” Nigelsays.

Nigel trained at Salisbury and WellsTheological College, just a stone’s throwfrom where this picture was takenoutside the Friends’ office.

69

“My main role is being around for andengaging with the residents of theClose and cathedral congregation,”says Nigel.

“However, there was something missing,so I went to a selection conference to testmy vocation.

“I went with an open mind, saying ‘let’ssee whether it’s yes or no’. It turned outto be yes.”

Nigel waited a year before going to seethe colleges, saying he wanted to behimself, rather than someone heimagined the ideal candidate to be.

“I turned up and said ‘here I am’,” hesays. “It was affirming when they said Ihad a calling.”

Nigel regrets that nowadays a lot ofministry has become remote frompeople.

“It’s oversight and management andworking with a core group of people,” heexplains.

“Clergy are busy doing organisationalstuff and you do not have time to be withparishioners, but the heart (of ministry)is pastoral work with people.

“To be there pastorally for everybodywithin the Close, as well as the cathedralcongregation is an achievable task; it isthe pastoral work and worship which Ienjoy.”

One administrative task Nigel enjoyed inhis previous role was organising a bandof retired clergy and licensed layministers, as this meant he was able tomaintain Sunday worship in the way hiscongregations wanted.

And by giving them set Sundays, theywere able to form a relationship with thecongregation.

The pandemic inevitably loosened suchbonds and led to pastoral work such asvisiting having to be put on hold.

Nigel sees his main role as “being aroundfor and engaging with the residents of theClose and cathedral congregation”.

He also administers arrangements forbaptisms, weddings and funerals, andliaises with the families, and takes histurn presiding and preaching in thecathedral.

He works on Mondays, Tuesdays andSaturdays plus Sundays and is based atthe Friends’ office, an arrangement thatforms part of the Friends’ annual givingto the cathedral.

He enjoys “getting out and aboutvisiting”, but during the height of thepandemic he did his best to introducehimself by delivering prayer cards aroundthe Close on various occasions andtaking part in midday Zoom prayers andthe online Lent courses.

“The role is fulfilling because I can givepastoral care to people,” he says.

“Loneliness and isolation are increasingamong the population and I will foster asense of concern and manifest that tothose who may feel left out.

“In our world it is people who havemoney, influence and connections whocan change the world.

“We can model a way of caring andcompassion for the less fortunate who donot have the connections that can makea significant change.

“People want to help but do not knowhow: it’s about connecting them withgroups that need a helping hand.”

Nigel says that while congregations aredeclining through age, the Church needsto seize the opportunities that havearisen during the pandemic to continue amix of in-person and online worship.

And he wonders whether thetechnological know-how of the youngcould be used to encourage them to getmore involved with the Church by seekingtheir help with online worship.

“I hope people feel able to approach me,”he says.

“I don’t want them to think that I am toobusy with stuff to be able to be withpeople – I am here for them.”

Salisbury Cathedral tower tourWe are grateful to cathedral tower guideChris Basham for this most interestingillustrated feature.

Salisbury Cathedral’s impressive towerand spire are its most recognisable

feature. It is also a local landmark, beingvisible for miles.

Today, it is the tallest in England,although there were taller ones - Lincolnand Old Saint Paul’s, for example; butthey have fallen down.

Salisbury Cathedral tower tours start atthe west end of the cathedral where twospiral staircases inside the turrets yousee from the outside rise to the level ofthe bottom of the great west window.

Before embarking on the climb, we try toput visitors off: We don’t want to scarepeople away, but the tour, although safe,is not something to be undertaken lightly:getting half-way and finding you can’tmake the rest is a negative experience for70

us and the other members of the party,but most of all for the participant.

You have to be fit enough to climb 332uneven steps on steep windingstaircases, you need a good head forheights and you need to be able tomanage confined spaces; and it’s no usethinking you are going to get to the top instiletto heels because, if you do, I’m nottaking you!

Having got the basics about stamina andsafety across, we give a bit of context: thespire and tower reach 404 feet or 123metres above ground level; the structureweighs about 7,500 tons and the buildingwas not designed to take the load.

There is no firm dating for the spire, butwe think 1310 to 1330 is about right andso the first 60 or so years of SalisburyCathedral, completed in 1258, passedbefore the tower and spire were added.

Now it is time to start to climb to thebalcony just beneath the west window, aheight of about 60 feet.

On the way you get a first look at theancient oak timbers – many of which camefrom County Wicklow in Ireland - as well assome graffiti, which is often medieval andcovers the walls. Arriving at the westwindow balcony, this is what you see.

The length of the building is about 450feet and, unusually, there being today nochoir screen or pulpitum to divide thesacred areas from the public ones, youcan see from the west window behind youto the Prisoners of Conscience window atthe extreme east end, a remarkable view.

The west window is a composite of glassfrom various sources, some of it French,but at the bottom in the shape of threepanels of coats of arms, is some oforiginal surviving 13th century glass.

Almost all the original windows weredestroyed during Wyatt’s alterations atthe end of the 18th century.

For the next climb, a spiral staircasetakes you to the roof-space above thevaulted ceiling. The roof is of wood andlead supported today by a series ofrectangular queen post trusses, althoughin the past it was less highly pitched andmade use of X-shaped scissor trusses.

71Balcony view to the east end.

The walkway takes you the length of thenave.

72

The deep wells created by the vaultsbelow look like a gigantic open egg box.Although the roof configuration datesfrom the 1500s, many of the oak beamsare original.

The walkway on page 71 takes you thelength of the nave where a heavy dooropens into the original stubby towerwhich was surmounted in the early 14thcentury by the ‘new’ tower and spire.

The original tower was built in conformitywith the rest of the building in the style wecall early English, and the decorated towerwas built on top after extensive reinforcingwork had been done involving flyingbuttresses inside and outside, thickeningwalls and, notably, by belting the structurein wrought iron. This particular featurewas much admired by Christopher Wrenwhen he was asked to survey the building.You can see the wrought ironwork in thepicture (top right), together with the wayup to the next level, in the shape of anopen wooden spiral staircase insertedjust before the war when the existingstone staircases were blocked off.

After about sixty relatively strenuousseconds climbing you reach a woodenbalcony half-way up, where you get abetter view of the ironwork and canclearly see the architectural shift from old

English to decorated. Lots of people needa breather here and I talk about graffiti,some being initials, others sketches, anda few are technical drawings connectedwith the original building of the structure.

The glass panes in the windows on thisbalcony, together with others on the floorabove, are inscribed by people who

The roof is supported by a series ofwooden trusses.

A view of the wrought ironwork and wayup to the next level.

The glass panes are inscribed bypeople who bought them during the1980s restoration.

73

purchased them for insertion here duringthe 1980s restoration. Did you buy one?

The door which you see in the cornerleads to a very narrow spiral within thethickness of the turret. The steps arenarrow, and you have to use your toes!This is probably the hardest climb for thatreason and it leads to the chamber wherethe bells are hung.

Salisbury Cathedral does not have a pealof bells as you find, for instance, atWinchester. The reason is that themedieval bells were hung in a separatebell tower, which stood, with its own spirereaching two hundred feet, very close towhere the Bell Tower Restaurant nowstands. The bell tower was neglected formany years, ruined in the Civil War anddemolished by Wyatt in the 1789-90restoration. In consequence the bells inthe tower only sound the Westminsterchimes. And the hour bell, the singleobject rescued from the demolished belltower, rings the hours. The bells are nothung, as you would expect in a belfry,upside down because they are notswung, which might stress the tower,rather they are struck by hammersoperated through levers and pullies bythe clock lower down.

There was a fire in the 18th century in thispart of the tower, extinguished by thecitizens of the town who probably formed abucket chain to get water from the Avon upto the tower in order to put out the blaze.

According to the then clerk of the works,they were not a moment too soon or thefire would certainly have brought thewhole edifice down. A charred timberpreserves the memory of the event.

Victorian set of bells which ring theWestminster chimes.

Ancient bell from the old tower re-castin restoration.

A charred timber shows the aftermathof the 18th century fire.

Another open wooden spiral takes you tothe final level, called Eight Doors becauseit has eight doors in the shape of adouble set facing each of the main pointsof the compass; but reaching this level,the first thing you will be struck by is theamazing medieval scaffolding rising fromthe floor to the very tip of the spire.

74

The exact purpose of the scaffolding is amystery.

When I first saw it, it seemed obvious thatit was the scaffolding used to build from,but apparently, analysis of the woodsuggests a later date than the stonework,so it might have been put in as astabilising measure a few years laterfollowing a series of notable storms.

Of course, all this wood, metal and stonehad to be got up there in the first place andluckily, the builders left us their means ofdoing that in the shape of a massivewindlass, big enough for a man to walk inand capable of bringing up several tons ofmaterial from the nave floor

Eight Doors is as far as we can take you.If you wanted to go higher and were asteeplejack, then you have to take to aseries of ladders, with safety equipment,and pass through various levels beforeyou reach the point where things get evenmore interesting.

The medieval scaffolding.

The enormous windlass.

As the spire narrows, you become unableto climb higher because your shouldersare too wide. The medieval buildersthought of this and left a convenienthatch, called the weather door (probablybecause it faces north), so you canclamber outside and continue your climbon a set of metal rungs cemented into thestonework.

After hauling yourself up something overthirty feet you finally reach the top whereyou can stand on a tiny platform tochange the light or service theanemometer. Not for the faint hearted,and definitely not me!

For ordinary mortals, the final treat is toopen the doors to the three sides we canaccess (that to the south is sacrosanct,occupied by the peregrines) and enjoythe splendid views over the town andcountryside.

A view from the top.

75

The view to the east from the balconywith Bishop Wordsworth’s School andSt Osmund’s Church in the centre.

Looking west over the floods inDecember 2019.

Back to the beginning where it allbegan – Old Sarum, the site of theoriginal city. (200mm lens).

Imagine the white castle on top, the oldcathedral behind and all the grasscleaned off the ramparts to expose thewhite glaring chalk which the clergyobjected to on the grounds that it hurttheir eyes.

Remember Bishop Osmund was anacademic and had established a libraryand scriptorium where ancient works bythe church fathers were copied andpreserved. Some, we think, in Osmund’sown hand still exist.

Threads through Creation exhibition

18th August to 26th September

Threads through Creation is a set of 12 textile panels by textile artistJacqui Parkinson.

Ms Parkinson took nearly three years to create the panels, which areeight feet high and between four and 11 feet wide.

They re-imagine the days of creation described in the book of Genesis.

The panels begin with dramatic, stark elemental designs, followed by moreexuberant, spectacular and colourful ones, with dozens of creatures to spot.

One panel includes a dog trying to talk to a monkey.

For more information visit www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/events

Salisbury Cathedral through the seasonsAfter the difficult year we have all endured, here are some pictures of SalisburyCathedral taken from April 2020 to March 2021 to gladden our hearts.

76

It’s just warm enough to enjoy a picnicon this spring day.

Glorious summer sunshine accentuatesthe beauty of the west front.

There’s nothing nicer than a stroll throughthe Close on an autumn afternoon.

The spire in all its glory on a brightwinter afternoon.

77

Membership

Abig thank you to our loyal memberswho have stuck with us throughout

the last difficult and challenging year.

Without your support we would not havebeen able to make the vital grants to thecathedral, listed earlier in your copy ofSpire.

As we advised in the Christmas 2020and Easter 2021 newsletters,subscription rates have increased – forthe first time in ten years.

They are now £25 for a singlemembership and £40 for jointmembership.

These increases will enable us to keeppace with inflation (particularlyincreasing postage costs), mitigate theimpact of the pandemic on membershipnumbers, and fulfil our aim to give asmuch as possible in grants to thecathedral. Our grants are only possibleby means of the subscriptions,donations and legacies of our members.

The pandemic resulted in a huge loss ofincome for the cathedral.

Its recovery appeal was launched lastsummer to recoup some of the loss andyou will see the result of that appealreported earlier.

However, further ground needs to bemade up.

Now is a good time to encourage yourfriends to join our Friends’ community.

Their annual subscription will contributeto the preservation of our cathedral, itslife, ministry and worship, and help tosafeguard it for future generations.

They will receive a Friends’ membershipcard, entitling them to visit the cathedralfree of charge (excluding ticketedevents, concerts or parking).

They will be sent our publications,containing information about grants andactivities.

And they will receive invitations to ourevents: musical evenings, talks, theatreperformances, holiday and our annualFriends’ Day.

Why not consider gift membership for afriend or loved one?

Details are available by contacting theFriends’ Office, 33a The Close,Salisbury, SP1 2EJ; tel 01722 555190;email friends@salcath.co.uk.

Thank you for your continued Friendshipand invaluable support – it means somuch.

Office opening times

Despite the difficult times we have faced during the last year, we want you toknow that the office is open for enquiries.

Members may telephone or drop by the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdaysand Thursdays from 10am to 1pm.

People making a will or updating anexisting one, do so to make the future

more secure for their family and friends.

They can also support a cause they careabout by making a gift in their will.

We hope you will consider making a giftto the Friends in this way.

It is a simple and cost-effective way tohelp preserve the cathedral for thefuture, its treasures and the Christianfaith they celebrate.

Most charitable donations in the UK arefree from inheritance tax, which benefitsyour family by helping to reduce the taxpayable on your estate.

Your support has already helpedconserve many of the most inspiringfeatures of our medieval cathedral, aswell as keeping our wonderful choraltradition alive – there is hardly a part ofthe cathedral or area of cathedral life thathasn’t been touched by the Friends.

Legacies to the Friends have formed thefoundation of substantial support inrecent years and we are immenselygrateful for this and to those of you whohave already taken this step.

In 2019/20 a legacy of £106,000 left tothe Friends made a major contribution tothe repairs to the cathedral’s FatherWillis organ.

And in 2020/21 an £8,000 legacyhelped fund repairs to the lower part ofthe east end of the cathedral.

If you can find a place for the Friends inyour will, it will enable more people toexperience the richness and inspiration

of our cathedral and pass it on securelyfor the future.

All you need to do is speak to yoursolicitor and request that the Friends ofSalisbury Cathedral (charity number243439) be included either as:

A residuary beneficiary to receive thewhole or a percentage of your estate afterother legacies and liabilities have beenmet;

A pecuniary beneficiary to receive aspecific sum;

A specific beneficiary to receive property,stocks and shares, works of art or otherobjects;

A reversionary legacy, which becomespayable after the death of anothernamed person, often a spouse.

We are grateful to all our members, pastand present, for remembering us in thisway.

We think hard about the projects wesupport and your help will be appreciatedevery day.

On Thursday 30th September SalisburyCathedral and the Friends of SalisburyCathedral are holding a legacy event inthe cathedral.

Samantha O’Sullivan of Parker Bullensolicitors will talk about leaving a legacy,explaining the process and answeringquestions.

If you are interested in attending thisevent, please phone the office on01722 555190.

Legacies

78

33a The CloseSALISBURYWiltshireSP1 2EJ

Tel: 01722 555190 Email: friends@salcath.co.uk

www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk

Please sign – non transferable

for on-line booking to visit thecathedral please use the booking code:

FDC217VHand bring this membership card with you

Registered charity no. 243439

33a The CloseSALISBURYWiltshireSP1 2EJ

Tel: 01722 555190 Email: friends@salcath.co.uk

www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk

Please sign – non transferable

for on-line booking to visit thecathedral please use the booking code:

FDC217VHand bring this membership card with you

Registered charity no. 243439

79

Booking instructions for visiting Salisbury CathedralIn September 2020 Salisbury Cathedral introduced charges for visitors.Members of the Friends who live in postcodes SP1 or SP2, are cathedralvolunteers or members of the congregation can continue to visit thecathedral free of charge, by stating one of these criteria when booking.

Members who do not live in one of the two postcodes or are not volunteersor congregation members should book as Friends, by visiting the cathedralwebsite and entering the code: 

FDC217VH

This will change the entrance ticket charge from £8 to £0.  

Please remember to bring your 2021/22 Friends membership card withyou to show to the staff at the front desk.Members can continue to turn up without booking, but may not be able toenter during busy periods.

80

The Objects of the FriendsTo support the Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in maintaining, preserving,

improving and enhancing the fabric, fittings, ornaments, furniture, music andmonuments of the cathedral, and to support its life, worship and ministry.

The association was formed in 1930 and has approximately 2,630 members.

2021/2022

Friends ofSalisbury Cathedral

2021/2022

Friends ofSalisbury Cathedral

Please find your membership card(s) below for immediate use for the year July 2021to 2022, irrespective of when you pay your membership subscription.

Current rates of membership are as follows:

Individual Friend minimum £25 per annumJoint Friends minimum £40 per annum

Application forms, direct debit mandates and Gift Aid declaration formsare available from our registered office:

33a The Close, Salisbury SP1 2EJ tel: 01722 555190Email: friends@salcath.co.uk

Or can be downloaded from www.salisburycathedralfriends.co.uk

We are open Tuesday – Thursday, 10am to 1pm for enquiries.