A MACABRE but fascinating find was made in Worcester Cathedral at this time 250 years ago.

The Worcester Journal of 1752 reported: "Workmen employed in repairing our Cathedral, upon taking off the top of an ancient tomb in the North Aisle, found the bones of a man which, though they are the remains of a person who died about 456 years ago, yet are surprising firm, and most of them adhere together in the same position as when first interred.

"About the head and shoulders appears something like coarse sacking or sail-cloth, extraordinary fresh. In this tomb (the inscription thereof is wholly obliterated except the date of the year being 1296) was supposed to be interred Sir James Beauchamp, Knight Templar."

The same Journal edition of 1752 also carries this short item: "We hear from Clee Hill that there is at that place one Lucy Wadeley, spinster aged 105, who has been blind for several years past but can now see as well as ever she could, is breeding a new set of teeth, walks about and is in perfect health."

And this week half-a-century ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher took part in an historic service in Worcester Cathedral.

It was the first consecration of a bishop in the Cathedral - the elevation of the Rev John Mort from Vicar of St John's, Worcester, to Bishop of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria. Before the Archbishop, the newly consecrated Bishop took his Oath of Allegiance to the Queen.

The Journal reported that the huge congregation included 160 robed clergy. "Two stately processions passed through the Cathedral to the chancel, the rich colours of the vestments adding to the solemnity of the occasion."

Three days before the service, John Mort had addressed 1,000 young people at a Worcester Diocese youth rally in the Cathedral, stressing that his new appointment as Bishop of Northern Nigeria would be "a terrific challenge".