Making the Past Present

As you could probably guess from the lack of activity on this blog lately, things have been busy here in York for the last few weeks. Between essays, classes, preparing for the end of term, and the rest of life, it’s been a busy month so far. So, hold onto your hats as I roundup what I’ve been up to this November in England.

Several weeks ago, I went to see the Northern Lights with a friend. Not the actual northern lights (there was no jaunt off to Iceland or northern Scandinavia)! This was a light and sound projection show at York Minster inspired by the Minster’s medieval stained glass windows. When I first entered the Minster, it was very dark inside – only the nave was illuminated and even then with only the bare minimum of light – and very empty, as all the chairs had been removed from the nave to make room for all the people packing in to see the Northern Lights.

I have never felt so small as I did when I stood in the empty nave of York Minster. I felt completely dwarfed by the monumental scale of the building. The projection lasted around 10 minutes and was shown twice, for maximum enjoyment. It was absolutely amazing to see the Minster transformed in this way!

In the first week of November, I had my first class field trip. The cultural heritage management class went off to Sheffield to tour Park Hill, a former social housing complex built in the early 1960s that is being renovated and transformed into a mixed-use development, with flats, businesses, and restaurants. It was an interesting look at a different kind of heritage: a postwar brutalist building, rather than a medieval castle, a cathedral, or a stately home. Plus, I got to go on a construction site and wear a hard hat! (Unfortunately – or maybe fortunately – no pictures exist of this event.)

The next few weeks were a steady parade of due dates: I was kept busy writing an essay, a report arguing why a building should be listed as officially “historic,” and a critique of a community heritage project. My first half-term skills class also ended, so instead of learning about community activism in heritage, I’m now learning how to identify artifacts discovered during excavations, such as a chamber pot and a piece of a 19th century soda bottle.

After I finished all of my assignments, I treated myself to a short trip down to London. As usual, London was overwhelming (so many people, all riding the Tube), but so interesting. On my first day in the metropolis, I explored some new areas for me. I walked through Hyde Park, down Oxford Street, popped into Selfridges (a very posh department store), and walked through Grosvenor Square. I also soaked up some art and culture at the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

The next morning, I got up early and did some exploring. As I walked around, I learned that London in the morning is my favorite London. Before the city gets overrun with people, you can appreciate the architecture and views more. I walked around St. Paul’s Cathedral, down to the Thames, across the Millennium Bridge (which has excellent views of St. Paul’s, the south bank of the Thames, and Tower Bridge), and along the South Bank of the river, where I said hello to Shakespeare’s Globe, one of my favorite places.

From the Globe, I headed back across the Thames and made my way to the main attraction for the day, the Museum of London. Set out chronologically, the museum has a number of interesting exhibits telling the story of the city. As you walk from room to room, London grows from a prehistoric settlement to Roman Londinium to the medieval capital of England, suffers two of its worst years in 1665-1666 with the Great Plague of London and Great Fire of London, recovers to become the capital of the British Empire and a metropolis in the 18th and 19th centuries, goes to war in the 20th century, rebuilds following the destruction of the Blitz, and evolves into the multicultural city it is today. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about London, I definitely recommend the Museum of London (and its secondary branch in the Docklands, which tells the story of London as a port city).

After leaving the Museum of London, I had time to wander around a bit more before catching my train back to York. Because of engineering work on the main north-south line, the ride home took longer than usual, as we had to be rerouted through Lincoln. I was disappointed to find that we arrived in Lincoln after it was dark, as I wanted to see the cathedral. I guess I’ll have to make a trip back down to Lincoln in the daylight!

Well, I’m finally caught up – I hope you’re still with me after this trip through my November in England. The Christmas season is officially in swing here, so I’ve been enjoying York’s Christmas market and festive lights, especially since the sun now sets before 4:00 PM. Stay tuned for what’s coming next, as I take part in my first English Christmas!