On Friday the 10th of November I had the privilege of being part of a group who went up to the top of the Lantern Tower of Ely Cathedral during the school's remembrance service.
The Lantern Tower sits above the Octagon, and features a number of wooden panels painted with angels - they are painted so that from the ground they appear in the correct proportions, so they are elongated when looked at close up. We were accompanied by David Bruce, the Cathedral's cellarer: a post which originally meant that the post holder was in charge of the cellars and provisions for the cathedral, including the wine cellar.
This was a real privilege. I'd experienced the poppy drop for the previous ten years from down below - the petals falling during the two minutes silence after the reading of the names of all those who died from the school community, and the Last Post - played by a student - as was the Reveille.
The petals it turned out are heart shaped and provided in four boxes by the Royal British Legion.
We headed up the spiral staircase to the first level, where we had the organ pipes and could see the flags, including one for the British Legion, in the North transept. A special view both within and beyond the Cathedral.
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