Chastleton House

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Decided to get the most from our National Trust membership and so off we went to Chastleton House, near Moreton –in-the-Marsh., billed as “one of England’s finest and most complete Jacobean houses”.   It turned out not to be an exaggeration; a lovely house.  The embroidery had Rosemary drooling (and returning to re-commence some of her many UFOs/USOs) – table covers, fabulous bed hangings and the most amazing flamboyant but tiny almost priest-hole room, LINED with bargello (falme-stitch) hangings.  The guide said she’d also heard bargello termed “Irish” stitch, not a term with which R was familiar.    Some extremely old wall paintings, fabulous uneven floors and wood everywhere, which made the odd woodworm hole at home seem a total non-event.  Had it not been raining, we would have enjoyed the topiary outside. 

No tea place on site, so followed guide’s directions to “a farm shop which did tea”.  This turned out to be Daylesford Organic Farmshop  which must be the most upmarket farm shop, we’ve ever seen.  Fantastically expensive china/pottery (£56 for a single soup bowl?), cheese etc in very trendy, but satisfyingly plain surroundings, even if the brownie R ate wasn’t her best ever.

Cambridge Annual Gathering

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Today was the Gonville and Caius college annual gathering for the years 1971 and 1972.  This was my third gathering.  I duly arrived and booked into my room on E staircase of St Mikes Court, changed into my DJ and went for my wine in the Senior Combination Rooms.

Dinner started at 8.00pm, and the hall was by no means full.  Part way through dinner we all swapped around and I was seated on the upper table.

I was seated  by Dave Walker, Chris Finden-Browne, Mike Bell.  Spoke to Chris Davies and congratulated him on his sound bite on the today program. Long chat with Jon Hughes.

We ended the meal singing Carmen Caianum, and then retiring for whisky and brandy in the common room.

Next morning up for breakfast, with a little headache.

The menu was.

Salade de fromage de chevre avec sa vinaigrette sa vinaigrette aux poivrons rotis.

Filet de bar la ciboulette

Tournedos de boeuf a la grand-mere
Pommes de terre chateau
Chou-fleur a la Mornay
Mange-tout

Creme brulee aux fraises

Dessert

Cafe

Those attending in no particular order where:

Dr Thaites, J-L Evans (71), A Fishman (71), J Shapiro (71), C Knowles (71), The Master, H Carter (71), B Bretherton (71), P Chambers (71), A Kuyk (71), D Carter (71), Dr Macpherson, A Schubert (71) S Wolfensohn (71). S Brearley (71), R Morgan (71), A Reid (71), A Lee (71), P Lapinskas (71), M Cashin (71), A Underdown (71), J Clark (71), P Boeuf (71), Professor Phillipson, D Jeffrey (71), P Kinns (71), N Peace (71), A Morris (71), P Jacquelin (71), A Thompson (71), S Kelway (71), Dr Robinson, T Squire (71), J Morrell (71), A Charlton (71), R Carter (71), P Dearsley (71), M Le Moignan (71), F Khan (71), S Gibson (71), T Howlett (71), B Jones (71), M Powell (71), G Levine (71), L Hambly (71), C Taylor (71), S Young (71), J Bates (71), N Holliday (71), S Rich (71), M Arthur (71), D Phillips (71), S Perry (71), N Leary (71), P Taylor (72), S Chambers (72), J Dufton (72), R Thomas (72), R Perry (72), R Gluckman (72), C Davies (72), T Swift (72), J Williams (72), J Hughes (72), R Thompson (72), R Ratcliffe (72), S Blasdale (72), M Bell (72), A Evans (72), R Gleed (72), A Arnold (72), The Dean, I Buswell (72), R Goodman (72), A Kitchin (72), D Walker (72), C Finden-Browne (72), Mr Herd, A Ball (72), P Farmer (72), R Handley (72), P Hadley (72), Professor M Arnold, Mr Hedley, A Hunetr Johnston (72), M Armour (72),  Dr Lyon, C Henshall (72), R Hodges (72), Dr Casey, T Merson (72), R Wakling (72), D Nicholls (72), S Bunzi (72), D Mason (72), A Daws (72), A Greenhalgh (72), D Kusin (72), J Davis (72), W Furber (72), C Edwards (72), R Harrad (72), R Page (72), J Bax (72), R Wilson (72) 

Farsi and Newcastle

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Well I have started to work on the Cedar e5 product range, and my first project is to take the WUI (Web User Interface), a Java applet and convert it to support right to left languages such as Arabic and Farsi.

Today I did the 4 hour drive to Newcastle to gather some knowledge of what I should be doing.  Successful visit, followed by the four hour drive back home.

Rosemary is back

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After an extended stay in Jamaica, Rosemary has at last made it back.  First thing she did was a quick visit to the Plough and Anchor for a pint of real English Larger.

Jamaica

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I have today off – weird, no idea what to do other than read, but finding a good place to read is not that easy.  Room is large, but little natural light.  Outside too hot (and I find I have no suntan oil), so may have to use one of the many nice sofa areas, which no one ever uses.  I could also try using the PC, have also found one of the Axon guys has all 15 episodes of the first series of Desperate Housewives on a hard drive, but I think he has hired a car and gone out…..

Had a 40mins telephone conversation with Steve this morning, all over the Internet (we could hear each other and talk to each, no time delays and no cost and PRIVATE).  Brilliant; wish I’d found it earlier. www.skype.com

Last night a few of us went to one of the Axon people’s houses for supper.  I even got a taxi there, but a bit taken aback when the driver seemed to think I knew where I was going and asked directions.  House a bit like West Africa – stone floors, security grills everywhere and an guarded entrance to drive to it and other houses on a small “estate”.  Supper itself very nice.  Tom, the Axon guy, had both Fri & Sat off, after working 7 weeks non-stop and long hours each day.  Said he’d done very little except doze and go to the supermarket, but he looked loads better.

I have found a niche market here which could earn someone mega bucks. There are few barbers around and two lads who went recently both came back with Graham style haircuts, ie number 1 settings, which was not what they wanted.  Then one of the others heard that the US Embassy flies in a barber once a month, so he booked an apointment three weeks ago.  He came back (lousy haircut, looked better when it was longer) and announced it had cost him 80 dollars.  Looks it, said someone,  thinking he meant Jamaican dollars which would make it roughly 80p; no he meant US dollars!!!!   Meena (girl) has been out here since October and has rather longer hair than I recall her having before.  It’s strange because many of the Jamaicans have good haircuts, but perhaps the locals take  colonial revenge on Brits hair…

+++Rosemary

Jamaica

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The news from Jamaica is as was expected; Rosemary will not be coming back this week.  She is to stay on in Jamaica for another 8 days.

At least she managed to get a good meal on her birthday; this is her report of the meal.

Had a v expensive meal 30 pounds but do not believe I had my value in alcohol – 4 bottles of Red Stripe (Jamaican) lager and one glass of EXTREMELY expensive, but not that good, white.   But we had it in a roof-top restaurant so quite fun.   In fact some of the pix will be quite naughty.  Left disposable behind when we moved on to the Hilton for a last drink – but two of them went back & got it for me.

+++Rosemary

Cambridge Visit

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Today I met up with Ravi Kanbur and Simon Potter at the Baron of Beef in Cambridge for a beer and lunch.

Afterwards we had a wonder around Caius college, sat in the Junior Combination Room and read the papers.  Next a
quick tour of Clare college and then on to Harvey court.  Here we had a quick wonder around the student bar, and saw the progress of the new extension being built to the Caius college.

Then on to the Sedgwick site to see the new buildings.  I then persuaded Ravi and Simon to take a look at the new Mathematics buildings.  These are pagoda shaped buildings surrounding a courtyard and a Tele Tubbies style building housing the canteen and coffee rooms.  Luckily there was a maths demonstration in progress for school age children, so we were able to enter the building and wander around.

Kingston Jamaica

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It’s Saturday morning and here I am in the office in Jamaica, but at least with a view overlooking Kingston through the bougainvillea which surrounds the building on all floors.   Having said that it is mega humid but overcast and rained yesterday.  Not exactly like Bletchley, except for the rain. The flowers are fabulous, bird life sparse (but it is a city), few cute cats andseveral mangy looking dogs (apparently at night they race around in packs but I never hear them above the noise of the AC unit) and the odd goats and I did see two delightful skinny, black pigs (their ribs are very good).

Food is plentiful and cheap, especially in the canteen – loads of rice and peas (ie kidney peas) and v spicy, either bits of chicken with bones or whole fish with a zillion bones. Some pork ribs, but basically American.  Good salads, but it takes ages to be served even when you are being served; several ladies each of whom must add something to your plate.  I want to find a supermarket and have a look around.  Loads of food selling street vendors. The guys are offered ganja and women – Steve would love it.

Roads are not well maintained to say the least, seldom lit and ill marked and many cars have very dim headlights and of course it gets pitch black at 18:15 or so promptly – no dusk – all of which makes for interesting road journeys.   Everyone is concerned about lone females walking, and insists you take taxis.

As from tonight, I’m the only person on my project staying in my hotel, which should be jolly (NOT).  Breakfast at 06:30 normally and then en masse walk to the office.  Not sure what I shall do about that next week.  Taxis seem to me ridiculous, but on the other hand I don’t really want to lose the laptop.   Part of the walk is across a v well maintained park, with lovely flowers, most of which I vaguely recognize but can’t name.  Fabulous colours. 

Went to the warehouse on Thursday – good view across the huge natural harbour.

Ah well, better press on.  Love to everyone

Regards

—Rosemary

Dubai

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We are back from holiday.  Had a short trip to the Oman for some sun and swimming.

We travelled out on Friday evening on Qatar airlines, landed in Doha, catching a connecting flight to Dubai. Once in Dubai checked into our hotel and met up with the other Explore punters.

After a shower and snooze we met up for a walking trip around Dubai.  We split up into four taxis to meet at the ferry to cross Dubai Creek.  Alas no taxi ended up in the same place.  We waited for 30 minutes at the ferry crossing before deciding on striking out to the museum.  Here we eventually met up with the others, learning they had all come different ways.

After an interesting visit we had a ferry trip around the Creek seeing some magnificent hotels.  Then it was time for supper at an Egyptian restaurant.  We ate a mixed set of starters, and I ate a mixed grill for my main course.

Back to our poor hotel, Sun and Sand to go out for an evening sight seeing.  First stop was the Emirates Towers Hotel, where we went to the 51st floor bar for a cocktail.  Here we had a bit of a problem with one of the group being rejected because of trainers.  Eventually was allowed to stay.  You could feel the building sway in the wind.  Great lift ride down from the 40th floor in a glass lift over the reception area.

Caught another taxi to see the Burj al-Arab hotel, (the hotel build like a sail), here we could not get in unless we had a reservation, so just admired the building illuminated by a changing blue and purple light.  We walked to the nearest hotel, The Jumeirah Beach Hotel which overlooks the Burj al-Arab.  The hotel supprts the Wild Wadi water theme park.  At this hotel there was an English bar called the Dhow and Anchor.  Would have taken a picture for our local Plough and Anchor pub, if only there had been some wothwhile signage to be seen.

Found the time was nearing midnight, so back by taxi to our hotel.

Sunday up and out on a coach to drive to the Oman, stopped on the way several times to view other cities.  We boared our motor dhow and set sail.  Soon stopped at Cable Island for lunch and a swim, then more cruising before supper and going to bed.  We split between those sleeping on the land, and those on the boat.

Next day we set off for the Indian Ocean.  On the way stopped at various villages and saw around some houses in a very remote village.  This delayed us somehwat, and after going through the Strait of Hormus we were in rough water in the dark.  Many got sea sick.  Eventually stopped short of our destination and stayed at a fishermens village.  Again split between those who stayed on the boat and slept in a villagers house.

Next day we returned back to our starting port, had a trip in four wheel drive vehicles around the near mountain, climbing up to 2000 meters.  Back to Dubai late at night, just in time for supper, but no shopping.

Wednesday was just the reverse trip back to London, and the cold and snow.