Cambridge 3

And oh boy did it rain. The bunnies sat and glared out of their hutch at the dripping run. Taffa dragged Gaz out of bed and made him run her to work to avoid arriving bedraggled. The Builder and I stayed inside for a bit. But I really wanted to go to the market so we kitted ourselves out in raincoats, hats and my umbrella and took ourselves off. You wouldn’t mind if it were torrential rain that you could sit inside and admire with a cup of tea. But this was just persistent, ongoing, never-ending heavy drizzle. And my umbrella blew inside out and the spokes died :(

We got to the market. And bought some lovely local veg and some of the magnificent bread. The fish stall was, alas, closed. And still it rained. The breadman vouchsafed the opinion that this might be the tail end of it; the clearing rain, so to speak. So it rained harder! We armed ourselves with a chocolate bread plait and thus fortified made our way back to the house. The punts on the river were so full of water some were in danger of sinking. In others there were puntmen baling the water out. We got back and found the peg box filled to the brim with water. According to people in the market place, this had been the wettest May for 60 years (after the driest April for ever!). Oh well. Never mind. The Builder and I are going home soon. It should start to dry out then!

In the meantime, we collected Gaz and we all went to Girton, where we were meeting Peter and Joan for lunch in their local “pub”. There is a pub, the George, and then the Old Crown which used to be a pub but is now really a restaurant, which is where we were going. They (Peter and Joan, not the pubs) seemed in very good form. Quite chirpy after their spring cruise around the Americas. In fact, they looked remarkably healthy. We had a wonderful lunch. A fishy lunch for me – tiger prawns followed by grilled sardines. And there was plenty of wine – if you weren’t The Builder who was driving us home. They tell me that Tim’s large black Labrador Bertie has gone to that great dog basket in the sky. And has been replaced by Molly, a pot bellied pig who comes in in the evenings and watches telly with him. I long to meet Molly.

Anyway, after a merry afternoon’s munching, we took Gareth back home and then went down from Cambridge and home to Tupton. From practically sea level to – hmm. I wonder what altitude Tupton actually is. Hang on. - umm I think it’s about 102m. Wonder what Cambridge actually is. Hang on. Oh. About 13m near Alex Wood Road. So, we went down from Cambridge and went up from 13m at Arbury to 102m at Tupton. Where the cat didn’t care whether we had come up or down; he was just pleased we were back!

The sun had come out while we were in Girton. It was still out in Tupton. We poured a drink (The Builder was no longer on Designated Driver status) and ambled round on an inspection tour of the garden. Tabitha sent a picture of Bricknell the rabbit trying to escape from the run. I fear Gareth may need to fit a lid to keep her confined! It was a good weekend, despite the rain. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again now. Weather in no way stops anyone eating, drinking and making merry!

Freyja and Mark are completing their move to the new flat. The Builder and I went round to help clean yesterday evening. The bedroom wasn’t particularly onerous. Neither was the hall. I wandered into the kitchen, intending to do the floor there. Only to discover the oven needed cleaning. For, I think, the first time ever in its whole ovenly life (so not all down to Freyja and Mark)! Was something of a challenge. Which I rose to magnificently, if I do say so myself! They hand the keys in at midnight tonight. Though there wasn’t a whole lot left to do when we left at just before 9.

Today I am on my last evening shift until September. Semester ends tomorrow and the summer students don’t get late, staffed opening hours. I spent the morning thoroughly cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. Including my oven. I blame Freyja!