Kat,

Find Amazing Blondel on MySpace - I'd mentioned them in my blurb on my MySpace bit and THEY asked me to be a friend - wow! It comes to something when your heroes find you.....!!

I'm not sure what they are doing at the moment - up to a few years ago they were doing gigs, at least around the Lincolnshire area. I booked them for our local Arts Centre when I worked there.

I first came across their music when I was going to college in the late 70's and a mate made me a few cassettes of music (AB, Steeleye Span) to take with me. The Amazing Blondel contribution was Fantasia Lindum. It just about saw me through college - it got a fair bit of playing, especially during the exams as it was so relaxing. I was therefore blown away about 10 years ago when they reformed and started gigging again locally. So I now have a few other CDs to accompany Fantasia and, as I mentioned in my earlier post, some of the songs have now taken on a completely different meaning!.

Another snippet regarding the Cathedral - a few years ago there was a programme on TV about the cathedral and the renovation work being undertaken on it. One of the stonemasons was interviewed about the work being done on a frieze over the west door. He said that one of the panels depicted the punishment for sodomy. The interviewer then asked "And what is the punishment for sodomy?". The stonemason obviously didn't know so came back with the answer "More sodomy"!. As he said it, you could see the panic in his eyes as he realised what he was saying but he just couldn't stop himself. I'll never forget that clip!.

I visited the Cathedral on 6th August 2005 to see the sets being built for The Da Vinci Code. When I arrived I was told that the main nave of the Cathedral was closed as there was a service in progress - The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta in England and Wales and Provinces Overseas were holding their Great Priory Family Service. This group is of course better known to most of us as The Order of St. John / Knights Templar / St. John Ambulance Brigade etc.. I, and many other people, went into the cafe for a while until the service finished and we could enter the Cathedral. We went in and watched the knights process out. There must have been over 300 of them in their robes and cloaks with various insignia and from many countries. It was quite a sight.

Another visitor then asked me what it was all about. I explained that it was The Order of St. John - blank expression. I mentioned the Knights Templar - also a blank expression, - the Crusades in the 11th Century? - Nope, still a blank expression. By this time a small crowd had gathered, obviously enjoying the explanation. I looked at the visitor - male, mid twenties, possibly of Arab / Asian extraction - no rucksack or anything suspicious, so I took a deep breath, explained that the Crusades were undertaken to win the Holy Land back from the Infidel and waited for his reaction. "Oh, right" he said, still looking puzzled, and off he went. The rest of the crowd just grinned and laughed and then moved off to view the sights. WHY ME???!

I kept a copy of the Order of Service from that day as a memento.

If I think of anything else, I'll come back to you.

Deirdre