So. Pat, Graeme and Margaret headed off to Cambridge on Friday morning. The Builder went to work. I stayed at home and did useful things, like the washing and the ironing and some gentle tidying. Then I had a sudden rush of blood to the head and, instead of going out into the garden as planned, decided to embark on the long-planned book reorganisation and cull.
This generated quite some level of chaos, which is not entirely reduced yet. But the books on the shelves are looking very orderly!
We couldn’t entirely conveniently join everyone in Cambridge on Friday evening. Tammy had inconsiderately taken herself off on holiday in Turkey with her parents on Friday morning and there was no one to feed Marlo. So we headed down reasonably early on Saturday morning, leaving Marlo with two bowls of food and a small feeder of biscuits. That should keep him fed and happy for two days.
We made good time to Alex Wood Road, where we met Taffa and Gaz. Pat rang in from the hotel and we made our way to The Boathouse to meet them for lunch. It’s surprising quite how much time we spend in The Boathouse, given that we live in Chesterfield! It is probably one of my favourite summer pubs. In the event that T and G should ever move from Cambridge, I may need to take regular summer visits just so I can go to The Boathouse and to the Green Dragon. And occasional winter visits to check out the Fort St George!
We started out sitting outside for lunch, but then the drizzle came in and we decamped inside. At which point the drizzle went away again! After lunch Pat went back to the hotel for a rest, and the rest of us went to the fair on Parker’s Piece. One of the nice things about Cambridge is that there is always a fair or a festival or something going on. We narrowly avoided death by Storm Troopers, escaped extermination by daleks, failed to be shot by small children with pop guns and by and large had a lovely time.
Then Graeme and Margaret went for a pre-prandial nap, and the rest of us repaired to a pub for a drink. I had a pimms – based on Cassie’s unexpected conversion to the drink a couple of weeks back. Can’t say I ws particularly struck. Taffa and Gaz explained that the pimms at The Anchor by the river came with fruit and cucumber and might be better. So we wandered off there to find out. And it was better – but still a bit sweet. So I moved on to wine and we had a merry time watching inexperienced people desperately trying to get their punts to do as they were told!
We had dinner in Don Pasquale – pizzas all round. And arranged to meet on the Sunday to do lots of touristy stuff. The kind of thing that Taffa and Gaz, and even The Builder and I have never really bothered to do.
First the tourist bus. Sat upstairs, of course. And you know – I really enjoyed it. It went for about an hour and a quarter, trundled all over the city centre and out towards Madingley and the American Cemetery. It was extremely informative and told me a few things that I didn’t know. And it was interesting to see things from slightly higher up than street level. Then we had Sunday lunch in The Eagle. And then a guided punt tour. Which was, it must be said, an extremely civilised way of spending a Sunday afternoon. We should do it more often. Though it is, of course, considerably cheaper to hire a punt, punt it yourself (that’s Gareth’s job!) and take a picnic lunch with you. Heading to Grantchester, rather than along the Backs which were stuffed full of inexperienced punters seriously getting in the way of the punting professionals. (Though they all seemed to be having a good time).
Then we had to leave Pat, Graeme, Margaret, Taffa and Gaz and make out way back to Chesterfield. It was good to see Pat, and very nice to meet Graeme and Margaret. Pat bought us lots of food and wine (thus, clearly, subverting my plans to slim down to fit into my wedding trousers – but you obviously can’t be on a weight reducing regime when on holiday). Graeme and Margaret gave us some nice Australia coasters, together with a fridge magnet and a pen. Thank you to everyone for a lovely few days.
We weren’t using Jenny on the way back. Not because Pat had run away with her but because we didn’t think we needed her and I wanted to use the in-car charger for my iPhone that The Builder bought for me a few weeks ago. This meant, of course, that we missed the turning off the A1, had to fish Jenny out and came home Another Way. Which we actually quite enjoyed. Lots of bits of country we hadn’t previously seen.
The in-car charger, which works perfectly well in Oscar, doesn’t seem to work in The Vixen. It keeps popping out – and even when I am holding it in (which is not entirely convenient!) the phone didn’t seem to be charging. Might have to investigate further. It appears that Tom Tom is preparing a GPS application for the iPhone which will need a holder and a proper charger. One which works!
Oh – and while King’s College may have evening and Sunday services during the long vacation – Clare does not, should you be thinking of going to Clare’s very lovely chapel for some spiritual sustenance during the summer.
Back at work now. Five day week in prospect. Gulp!
Unless my coff should render me hors de combat during the week. It does seem to be getting worse. It is also EXTREMELY irritating!!!!!!!
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