ST. WERBURGH The shrine to St Werburgh is the magnificent Chester Cathedral. Born in Staffordshire early in the seventh century she was a Benedictine and patroness of Chester, Abbess of Weedon, Trentham, Hanbury, Minster in Sheppey, and Ely. Not only this but she had an impeccable royal pedigree. Her father was Wulfhere, a Mercian king and her mother was also a saint, St. Ermenilda, who was herself a daughter of a King of Kent and a sainted mother! They just keep on coming. The legend that is associated with her, being a miracle leading to sainthood, concerns a goose, a very fat and happy goose. This goose was part of a flock that lived in the convent meadow at Weedon, swimming in the pond there. This fat and happy goose became her favourite and she named him Grayking. Now we come to the obligatory wicked convent steward, Hugh. The geese pillaged Hugh's corn field as geese do and Hugh was aggrieved when Werburgh took a lenient view of the incident, probably because there's not much point in getting angry with a goose, it just doesn't get you anywhere. Hugh decided on rough justice and killed and ate Grayking. When Werburgh found out, she was furious and, recovering the bones of the wretched bird, she willed him to reconstitute himself. Lo and behold the goose Greyking reappeared in all his original fat and happy contentment. Now, as I said, this was a miracle, but only if you are a high ranking Mercian aristocrat. If, for instance, you are Werburgh the tinker's wife, then pulling this kind of stunt is more likely to end in being barbecued at the stake for being a witch. Thinking about it...not a lot has changed!