Category Archives: United Kingdom

Valerie and Norman

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We visited Valerie and Norman for a couple of nights.  On the Tuesday we set off with hedge trimmer and chainsaw to trim their hedge.  First job on arrival was to consume an excellent soup lunch.  Then the hedge was attacked, lopping off a couple of feet.  

That evening we walked to The Cradock Arms.  We ordered and were soon eating.  But there was a pub quiz that night. What to do. We adjourned to the bar and entered the quiz, team was named SadGits.  We didn’t come last!  Walked back home, nursing our bruised egos.

Wednesday morning after a fry up, we headed out to Southwell and parked in some free parking by the leisure centre.  Our first stop was the Southwell Minster where we spent more than an hour looking around. Rosemary was hunting the carved mice on the furniture, think she found 9 of the 22.  There were numerous carving of small heads, one which looked very much like Donald Trump, which even had been mentioned in a church pamphlet.  The small carved heads stood in contrast to the rather squat fat pillar holding up the knave.

The chapter house had exquisitely carved leaves throughout.  These leaves have caused a few books to be written.  The chapter house also housed a picture exhibition themed on Adam and Even.  There was some quite interesting representations, Unfortunately the two we might have considered buying had been sold,

A quick walk down the road to The Hearty Goodfellow for lunch.  Small pub, with good beer and menu.  I ate a special of Moules Frites, We then walked to the Workhouse owned by the National Trust. Interestingly, there were some rooms that had been turned into bedsits for mothers with children which were still being used in the 70s, the fathers had to stay away.  Tea and then back to the Minster to visit the Great Hall in the Bishop’s Palace. 

On the way home we made a detour and stopped at the excellent pub called The Ale Classroom.  The Classroom is small, two rooms, but sells excellent beers, constantly changing, all served straight out of the cask. Rosemary, embarrassingly for me cos I had to buy it, wanted lager.

Back to V&N’s for a good pasta supper.  The next day we left mid morning to drove back in some large downpours. Thank you Google, you seemed to have missed predicting those.  Back at home there had been little rain and the garage was progressing.

Celia and Richard at the Hatton Arms

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We met up with Ceila and Richard at the Hatton Arms.  Walked along the Grand Union Canal and back for 50 minutes or so in some unexpectedly brilliant sunshine.  Yes, the weather had taken a break from the incessant cold and wet weather we have been having.  We met C&R here before several years ago, the metal dragonfly is still in position.

Back at the Hatton Arms we had lunch on the terrace and continued to catch up with each other’s lives.

 

Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza

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We had tickets and a campervan pitch for the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza.  There were three acts on the Saturday night, The Black Dyke Band, Corinne Bailey Rae and headliner Brian Wilson.

We drove down on the Friday, stopping off on the way at CJ Van Designs for some advice on wear on the popup roof.  He recommended placing some strips of carpet over the lights in the roof before closing down the lid.  We arrived at the site and parked the van, but we did not erect the awning as we were only there for a couple of nights. We sat out in the sun and drank our bottle of fizz before eating our supper which was Coronation Chicken, finished off with raspberries & cream.

The site was much as it was as the previous year, except that there seemed to be more campervans (of all ages) this time, and where we had camped last year there were now vans there.  The loos were not the composting type this time, but the traditional Glastonbury long drop, a large tank with cubicles on top, open to the weather at their roofs. Even after only a day it was getting pretty stinky.  There was also a van this time selling bacon butties (not that I was allowed to buy one).

Next day it was raining, but it was predicted to get better with no rain for the show.  We hung around at the campsite waiting for the rain to stop, and headed into town on foot and made it to the pub called The Who’d A Thought It. Alas, as it was lunch time we were unable to sit outside, so had to drink our pints in the bar.  Outside I had spotted the long queue to the Glastonbury Festival Office where tickets to the Pilton Party were on sale.  When we left the pub the queue was short.  Rosemary gave me permission to buy a ticket for the 1st September, so I joined the queue where I soon heard it was cash only sales.  I had gone cashless, luckily Rosemary had not yet left the area and was beckoned over to supply the cash.

A couple more hours to spare was spent looking around the weird and wonderful shops in Glastonbury.  After a while, we joined the queue and were soon walking into the Abbey where we sat down on our chairs on a small rise.  I think next year I shall sit more over to the left of the site, this seems to be the area where Michael Eavis appears for pictures.

First on were The Black Dyke Band, a Leeds colliery band.  I thought they were good, Rosemary considers last year’s school band was better.

Next up was Corinne Bailey Rae, sorry did not enjoy the performance, nothing I could sing along too.  We used the time to purchase some wraps with Halloumi, salad and Hummus.

Brian Wilson came on finally with his backing band.  Much more pleasant, with recognisable Beach Boy sounds.  The crowd really enjoyed the performance. Brian is a bit past it, didn’t play much and only sung a little.  The backing band and singers though provided brilliant performances.  The event ended with a great firework display.  

We left quite quickly and were on the second coach back to the campsite.  Very efficient service.  I sneaked in a JD in the campervan before going to bed.

The morning was a bit soggy, breakfasted and left.  Stopped for lunch at 12.00 at the The Cross Keys Inn.  We still had time to kill before meeting up with Sue and Ken, so we visited the National Trust house of Lytes Cary Manor.  It would have been better if we had skipped lunch at the The Cross Keys and had just eaten at the NT house.  

We arrived at Sue and Ken’s, Sue was in, Ken was supporting the pub which had only recently reopened, but he came back fairly quickly. We inspected Sue’s vegetable plots, chickens & cats. Good to see them.

The drive back on the A303 was a pain, Google recommended a big diversion before we reached Stonehenge.  Duly taken.

 

 

 

 

 

Visit to Eaton Socon, Grimes Graves & Norwich

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We visited Ann, Liz & Bob in Norwich and stayed a couple of nights.  On the drive over we stopped at Eaton Socon and had a coffee in a pub called The Rivermill.  This was a converted mill building on The Great Ouze. They were quite happy to serve coffee, In fact they seemed to have a morning coffee and-cake special running.  Rosemary was quite taken with some flats overlooking the river. Nothing was as we remembered it. We then drove past are old house, 183 Great North Road, which was still standing as was the Leylandii Hedge that I planted in the front in the late ’70s.

We stopped in the park by the river in St Neots and ate our picnic lunch before heading on to Norwich.  As we had plenty of time we stopped off at Grimes Graves.  These are prehistoric flint mines in the Brecklands.  I last visited then in the ’60s and Rosemary had never seen them.  You can still go down one of the mines.  There are a couple of others which have been excavated.  The landscape outside is Breckland grass, but here there are lots of round dips caused by the pits.  There are many pits which all apparently inter-join below ground. 

On to Norwich where we all went to the theatre to watch The Play that Goes Wrong.  A comedy about a play that goes wrong from beginning to end.  This had been recommended to us. Amazing timing by the actors as scenery fell down around them. An audience member got to the stage of laughing where they just squeaked intermittently. 

The next day, we raced off to my favourite online camera shop. I’d never seen the bricks & mortar shop. Later, we accompanied Bob on a walk to the local Waitrose via the club where he plays golf. Lovely scenery and very edible wild cherries. Expanding our local geography even further, In the afternoon, we took a walk in Eaton Park, where Liz jogs.  A huge park in Norwich which was created after the First World war.  It has a large boating pond, and tracks for miniature railways. Despite going to school in Norwich, I had never been to either place.

On the Saturday we returned via Cambridge for the Caius benefactors May week garden party where we met up with Richard and Andrea. (And yes, it was June, but that’s Cambridge for you.)

Cambridge Society Visit to Salisbury 12-14 May

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We headed down to Salisbury on the Thursday, stopping off at Figsbury Ring.  A hill fort being grazed by cattle.  From here you could see the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, and the planes landing at Sarum airfield. Lovely sunny day and a nice spot, though fenced in on one side by military fencing and a rather poor access road. We then drove on to the Salisbury Camping and Caravaning campsite and parked  Van the Van for the night. Big, open site, next to a huge playing field.  Good walks down by the river and into town.

On the Friday we started late and walked to the Old Sarum Iron Age Hill Fort for our guided tour.  Lovely views of the surrounding countryside including the airfield, Figsbury Ring, Salisbury Cathedral and of course our campsite as one member of the society commented.

Walked into town for dinner at Sarum College where most of the other Cambridge Society members were staying.  Good meal in the student canteen.  We taxied back to the campsite to bed.

Saturday we again walked into town to the cathedral for a guided tour.  We were divided into a couple of groups.  Our guide gave a rather dumbed down talk.  Fine for me, but not for those who wanted more information.  Next we had a guided tour of the roof and tower of the cathedral.  This was really very interesting and was excellent.  Tower tours seemed to be run very regularly. I think there were three in progress at a time. We walked from one end of the cathedral to the other under the roof, then up steps through the tower to the base of the spire.  Outside we could look over Salisbury from a narrow ledge.  The tour went on longer than planned, so no lunch and straight out for a walk to see Clarendon Palace Ruins.

Evening was another lovely dinner in Sarum College. and then a taxi ride back to the campsite.

Sunday another pleasant walk into town to pay for our meals and then a guided walk around Salisbury. This included the old court house where Kate, a Society member, had once sat as a judge.  We cadged a lift to Old Sarum Airfield where we ate lunch.  Apparently there was a rather large unanticipated crowd there today with a sponsored parachuting event.  No matter.  The main event for us was the museum where we could look at and sit in old military aircraft which had to have  some connection with Boscombe Down.

Walked back to the campsite for dinner.

On the Monday we drove home, stopping off National Trust Mottisfont Abbey.  The Abbey itself was not open, but the gardens were.  Lovely river with large fish swimming, and some working displays of lock gates for children to play with.  No children around so Rosemary and I had great fun pumping water and operating sluice gates. R wanted a set in our garden.

 

 

Clare College

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Rosemary and I were invited by Ravi for a meal at Clare College, Cambridge University, where Ravi is a Fellow. On the way to Ely we stopped of at the Emmaus shop which solid “preloved” furniture and goods, where we ate a quick snack lunch.  We checked into the hotel in Ely and walked around the city.  It was Ely Eel festival.  I managed to grab a couple of pints, avoided the eels and listened to a band which was playing outside the Poets House Hotel. Quick change of clothes before meeting up with Ravi to catch the train into Cambridge where we had a preprandial drink at The Eagle.  Quick walk to Clare College where we were to eat at 19.30 in the dining room.  

Today there were no senior fellows in attendance, so Ravi had to host the three MCR members who were also eating at the top table.  The three post graduates were from Germany, Holland and Sheffield.  We chatted over sherry before being summoned to dinner.  We walked through the dining room past the undergraduates and positioned ourselves at the head table.   Ravi read grace, and then we sat and were served dinner.  After dinner was complete, the waitress (college servant) brought a small gong for Ravi to sound.  He duly sounded the gong, dinner was now over and we and the undergraduates could now leave.

After dinner we retired to the SCR and drank some postprandial drinks.  After everyone left we posed for some photographs and left for Ely by taxi.  As we walked to the taxi, we saw the three post graduates  outside in the Clare College court chatting amongst themselves.   Wonder what they were talking about.

The next day we ate breakfast at Poets House Hotel with Ravi who came to join us.  We had a small wander around Ely, visiting the antique centre by the river, before picking up the car and driving back home. 

Degas to Picasso: Creating Modernism in France

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We met up with Norman, Valerie, Viv and Bill to see the Degas to Picasso: Creating Modernism in France  exhibition at the Ashmolean.  Lovely sunny day with lunch at the cafe in the crypt of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.  Fabulous walk around the University Botanic garden where there was a brilliant display of tulips.  While we were sitting admiring the pond we met Robot Wars judge Lucy, whom Rosemary knows from her exercise class and daughter knows from Toastmasters.

Weekend In Leicester

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We had a lovely weekend in Leicester staying with Valerie and Norman, along with Bill and Viv.   The visit started off with a chainsaw massacre  in the garden with a little bit of pruning.  After this hard work, our thirsts were quenched with a couple of pints at The Classroom Real Ale pub.  This is a real ale micro pub, twenty minutes walk away, serving some great ales straight from the cask.  I was very impressed with the quality of the beer and service.  Looking forward to a return visit.

Next day Bill, Norman and I went for a walk along the Grand Union Canal from the Navigation pub to Wistow Rural centre.  Lovely day, the canal had a thin layer of ice, and the outward walk was over frozen mud.  At Wistow Rural Centre we ate lunch and had a walk around the garden centre.  The pictures I have taken are of a model village, notice the campervan. The walk back was a little muddy as the mud had thawed.  On the way home we stopped off at a real ale pub called The Cow and Plough for a quick pint.

In the evening we took a taxi into Leicester centre for supper at the Ask Italian restaurant.

On Monday we had a walk at Bradgate Park. A large open deer park with a ruined house, some lovely oak trees.  We walked to the top of the hill where the Old John Tower is situated.  This 18th Century folly sits on the highest point of the Park and is one of Leicestershire’s most famous landmarks.   Lunch nearby in the Jade Tea Rooms.  Very reasonable and sizable portions.

 

 

 

 

 

Caius College Garden Party and Illuminated Caius Choirbook

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Rosemary and I visited Cambridge for the Gonville and Caius Alumni garden party.  This is a thankyou event to those alumni who donate to the college.  Despite high fees paid by undergraduates, their payments only cover half the costs.  When I was a student at Cambridge, tuition costs were fully paid, and I also received a grant for living expenses.  I feel a debt of gratitude which I now repay by donations to Caius college.  This is big business to the college, who have a set of rewards depending on the value of gifts made.

The day was a sunny day, and the city was lively with the Brexit campaign in full swing.  The city was full of those supporting the Remain campaign.  Of course the majority  of those we spoke to at the alumni party were in support of Remain.  Education and research is so bound up with freedom of movement and research grants from the EU. It is no surprise that Cambridge voted to remain. 

The food at the party was as usual excellent.  I have never seen so many prepared Cromer grabs.  Wine and fizz was available in good quantities.  After the congratulatory speeches we hastened to the Cockerell building where the Illuminated Caius Choirbook was on display.  We were also entertained to some singing from the Caius Choirbook and came away with a CD.

King Richard III Exhibition

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Rosemary and I visited Valerie and Norman in Leicester along with Maggie and Ravi on the 27th September 2014 to visit King Richard III.  We looked around the recently opened exhibition, saw where Richard III had been excavated from under the car park.  Drank a few beers in the local pubs, and even joined BBOWT at a Sunday Market.  Great time was had, lots of lovely food.