High Sheriffs’ Visit to Hereford Cathedral

On Friday 6th December Bob and Bea hosted a visit by various High Sheriffs to Hereford Cathedral.  They were joined by The High Sheriff of Powys Mr Bernard Harris and his wife Susan; The High Sheriff of Somerset Mrs Maureen Whitmore; The High Sheriff of Staffordshire Miss Susie Lillingston; The High Sheriff of Warwickshire Mr Keith Sach and his wife Elizabeth; and The High Sheriff of Worcestershire Mr Nick Wentworth Stanley with his son Freddie.  Other guests were Mrs Aileen Vaughan and her daughter Sarah along with Miss Edith Deacy, Personal Assistant to Bob and Bea.

Guests were greeted in the Deanery by The Very Reverend Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford.  They were then introduced to Mr Glyn Morgan who is the Chief Executive of the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust who gave a brief account of the creation of the Mappa Mundi Exhibition in the new Library Building which was built specifically to house the Mappa Mundi and the world famous Chained Library.  Guests were then given a private tour and explanation of the Mappa Mundi Exhibition and the Chained Library by volunteer Mr Derek Trumper.  This was followed by a visit to the Working Research Library where the Cathedral Archivist Mrs Rosalind Caird displayed documents unique to Hereford Cathedral which included the 1217 Magna Carta, the world’s only surviving copy of the King’s Writ dated 1215 as well as documents signed by Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII.  These documents were particularly relevant to the party as it would have been the responsibility of the High Sheriffs of the time to ensure that the general population were made aware of the contents of the documents.  All of the guests were deeply moved to be in such close contact with these ancient and important documents.

Bob and Bea then hosted a lunch for the guests.