The meeting of the Society on Tuesday 20th May attracted the highest attendance for many years. We were pleased to see a number of new members and understand that even newer members joined during the evening. The history of The Close is always likely to be of outstanding interest to members, but it would appear that Dr Nigel Tringham's reputation had gone before him as an added attraction.

His talk was both authoritative in its content and entertaining in its presentation. A few carefully selected slides served adequately to illustrate and also to provide that comforting "I know that" familiarity. While the scholarly and unfamiliar information brought alive past occupants and their peculiarities. We were conducted around The Close with, unusually, our backs towards the Cathedral. Images of a fortress were created with descriptions of the last four Medieval towers, a drawbridge in the Dam Street corner and even a portcullis. We heard of a far-from-frugal Christianity being displayed by extravagant demonstrations of wealth; made evident through buildings which, had they been and grander, would have subordinated the Cathedral.

Ivor Mitchell
May 1987