Hitler's kitchen chair

Okay, no, I lied, it isn't actually Hitler's kitchen chair, but this is the story:

Above the great west window of Winchester Cathedral there's a smaller plain glass window. Inside it on a stone ledge this chair sits. During the Second World War a firewatcher spent nights up here peering through the glass looking out for fires - very necessary with Southampton only a few miles down the road being bombed flat (as well as the docks, the Woolston area of Southampton was where the Supermarine factory was turning out Spitfires, so you can imagine how much the Luftwaffe wanted to flatten things).

In fact, during the whole war, only 1 bomb ever fell on Winchester, when pilot dumped it as he was turning for home. No-one knew why the City got off so lightly until a possible explanation surfaced a few years ago. A group of German research students visiting the cathedral told staff that Hitler gave orders for Oxford and Winchester not to be bombed. He wanted Oxford for his capital and Winchester Cathedral was where he was to be crowned.

I have no real way of verifying the story, but I've been wanting to blip this for ages because as tales (tall or otherwise) go, it's pretty spectacular.

Oh, and yes, those currants round the chair legs and on the sill are dead, or nearly dead, flies..

Thanks for all your good wishes, BTW, and you see I did get a bit of playtime, which makes the work side of things a good deal better..