Monthly Archives: July 2007

17 July 2007

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OK, it’s still 30 July, but we’re going to carry on pretending. Here we are in Legoland, Windsor, where we went on 16 and 17 July with the grandchildren and their parents. Oliver and his father are featured on the Safari ride, with Amy almost visible in the car behind. This was Vicky’s birthday present!

I was impressed with Legoland, which I would have thought was not really my sort of thing at all. There were a few queues, but all the rides were free – and short – which meant the queues moved quickly. We went on too many to list, but we really enjoyed the Fairytale Brook, where you went round in a boat and saw models of bits from fairy tales, mainly Little Red Riding Hood. The Lego models are all brilliant, even the ones you just stand and look at. Nearly all of them do things. Oliver and Amy had a great time: Oliver showed what a natural driver he is when he outmanoevred all the other children on the cars.

The food was quite reasonable too, though that wasn’t free. We were lucky to catch a big goody v baddy drama by the pool, and took in a big wheel, helicopters, etc. Some Dot and I went on, and some we watched. On the first day Oliver and Amy went in the water feature and got pleasantly wet, after the usual nervous start.

On the way to the hotel at Reading (which was part of the deal) Dot and I lost David and drove round for a while before re-establishing contact. Both our phones were out of order (details in Square One article): an amazing series of coincidences. But eventually we got back together at the Holiday Inn, which was excellent, although the bar prices were extraordinarily high.

14 July 2007

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I am not really writing this on 14 July. It’s 30 July, but if I tried to get everything that’s happened since the 9th on one entry, it would be a huge mass of text. As it is, I’m going to have to cut it down drastically, because I just haven’t got time to write it all. Future historians (ha!) will find more information but less coherence in my notebooks.

The picture is of me at Bantry, shortly after receiving my 1000-euro cheque from Fish Publishing and reading my poem, The Island Grows On Me, to the assembled throng. Quite a large number of them and in a very swish setting: the new and very upmarket Maritime Hotel, Bantry. Dot was so impressed by it that she took a picture of the ladies’ loos (not included here).

Also in the picture are Debra Shulkes, runner-up in the poetry (with her back to the camera), Jo Cannon (short-story runner-up) and (off to the side) Jo Campbell, runnner-up, short histories. Got to know these three quite well, as well as a guy from America.

We’d flown to Cork from Stansted on July 11, after Dot had visited two schools in the West of Norfolk: Necton and Ten Mile Bank. We’d strolled round Swaffham, finding the house featured in Kingdom – Stephen Fry’s TV series – and had eaten lunch at The Bridge, where we’d eaten earlier iin the year when Dot visited Oakington. Nice meal, lovely setting on the Cam.

Flying was the usual nightmare, even though it all went smoothly. Dot’s handcream alarmed the machine, so she had to go and obtain a plastic bag for it, which of course immediately rendered it harmless. I was searched randomly. At least, they said it was random, but it seemed systematic to me. Car hire at Cork no problem, but we had a little trouble finding the hotel. Once we did, we enjoyed it: very luxurious. If I could remember what it was, I’d tell you.

On the 12th – my 62nd birthday – we drove to Bantry. Before too long we stopped at a little-known place called Inchigeelagh, where there was a tasteful modern cafe and a ruined church, which I wondered round, almost falling into a couple of semi-open graves (holes below the stones). Quite eerie. Headed onwards to the Gouganne Barra – a magical spot in a glacial valley where St Finbarr established an oratory on a little lake island accessed by a causeway. This area also featured the toilets of the year 2002, which were quite something. I know you think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

Later we took a single-track road into the hills north of Bantry – a place called the Priest’s Leap. Happily there was absolutely no other traffic, because there was hardly anywhere to pass, let alone turn round. Amazing view of Bantry Bay from near the top. Quite idyllic. Walked a little then managed to turn and drove down into Bantry, where we found the hotel – nowhere near as good as the Cork one, but good enough. Had a home-cooked-style evening meal and went for a walk: found the Pillar Stone of Kilnaurane on a hill, surrounded by rather cheap wire and ramshackle posts. This is a ninth-century artefact which may carry a carved picture of St Brendan. In England it would have a visitor centre and a large car park. In Ireland it has an easily-missed signpost and is approached over a field from a back road. The view from the hill is superb.

The next day we drove down to Mizen Head, the most southerly point of Ireland, where there actually is a visitor centre – quite good, too, though we had to ask someone how to reach the path to the headland. The Irish are not great on signposts. In cloud when we arrived, and the man who took the tickets said we had no chance of seeing Fastnet today. Less than an hour later the cloud had lifted quite well enough to see Fastnet clearly, which just goes to show that local weather forecasters are not all they’re cracked up to be. Cliffs here are spectacular. Made our way back to Bantry for the evening ceremony, taking in a nearby beach and the southern coast, including Goleen, with its tiny harbour and inviting but shut Heron restaurant, and the much busier Schull, where we saw the ferry from Clear Island arrive. Lovely coastline.

After a bar meal we drove into Bantry for the ceremony. Saw the first part of the Slam (open mic) afterwards, but then returned to the hotel for sleep.

“Today” we drove back to Cork. Weather has been mostly good, with the occasional shower, most of which we missed. Drove to Glengariff and then over Healey’s Pass, a beautiful winding road which took us into County Kerry. Got slightly lost around Kenmare and found ourselves on tiny back roads: at one point a tractor had to back up for us. Eventually emerged roughly where we had anticipated and worked our way by back roads to Inchigeelagh again, where we had lunch to the accompaniment outside of what must have been a major wedding in the area. Stopped at a a haunting wetland area, then decided we just had time to see Blarney Castle – and ended up climbing to the very top to see the Blarney Stone. We decided not to kiss it as this required contortions: there were also hygiene issues. Lovely castle, though.

The drive back to the airport took longer than we thought, but we had plenty of time in the end. Met a couple from the ceremony – Jo Campbell and her husband – and the flight home was pretty uneventful. Stansted to Norwich took well over two hours, largely (or entirely) because Dot left her glasses at a service station on the Newmarket bypass, and retrieving it took a 25-mile round trip because of the lack of dual-carriageway exits. So home about 12.30am – and it was really July 15. Ah, well.

9 July 2007

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This is a rather lovely work of art composed of hazel branches and on show at the Welborne Festival. Provides a nice frame for a shot of the mid-Norfolk countryside.

Happily, I’ve now completed my tax return. Less happily, Dot hasn’t. That’s a pleasure to come. Always nice to do mine, though: never as complicated as anticipated.

We’ve also been out to Poringland to see the Walpoles, over from Canada. Had a Chinese, and discussed education, among other things. They seem in good form – are thinking of moving further south, because their forest home is getting to be too much work.

Meanwhile our hedge has been cut, and everything is much brighter. Acres of foliage have gone, as have several bags of leaves, which I suddenly thought Colin could take away with him. Bit like having a haircut: quite satisfying. Almost as satisfying as watching Jamie Murray and Jelena Jankovic win the Wimbledon mixed doubles. which was a really exciting experience and much more interesting than Federer winning the men’s singles for the fifth time, though I have to say his match against Nadal was an epic encounter. And the Tour de France has started too – really annoying that I’m going to miss so much of it, but I am recording the various stages to look back on.

Dot’s ear operation was this afternoon – new holes!

Weather’s been a bit better, but showers still every day.

6 July 2007

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A fuller view of the refreshment hut mentioned last time: a truly amazing agglomeration of cast-off building materials, it also contains a library, or maybe a secondhand book shop. It was hard to tell which. It is situated just behind what used to be a shingle bank at Cley, and its continued existence is truly remarkable. Perhaps it was washed up by the sea some time in the past, or repeatedly.

The weather has continued very wet, although I managed to get into the city and back yesterday, and managed a two-mile walk the day before. I now have my watch back with its new battery and accompanying reassurance. Existing without a watch is a very odd experience: it’s easy enough to find out what the time is, but mostly you don’t bother. Days seem to last longer. I also got some euros for Ireland, in the hope that further terrorist cock-ups don’t shut down the airports. Last week failed car bombs in London and an attack on Glasgow airport that didn’t work.

Last night I had what was probably a unique experience: I went to an opera and loved every minute of it. I steer clear of operas because the language and the plot are usually so banal, and you can’t hear the words anyway, but we went to this one because a friend was singing in it. It was The Night Bell, a one-acter by Gaetano Donizetti, and it was put on by Claxton Opera. This is a group based in a small village near the River Yare, east of Norwich – really out in the wilds. We had to park in a farmyard and were driven by minibus up to a large house (The Old Meeting House, but someone actually lives there), where the inside had been re-formed to provide a small concert hall holding about 80-90 people. The orchestra were on the ground floor beneath the stage, which was therefore on the first floor – level with one set of seats. We were in the second-floor “gallery” – front row, with a great view down on to the stage.

The production was highly professional, from stage sets through costumes to acting and direction. The first half of the programme was Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale – not an opera, but an acted-out story with a narrator (the brilliant David Newham) and of course Stravinsky’s music, which was rather in the style of Kurt Weill. The acting was excellent and the story not too bad, but there were rather tedious lulls where the music took over and there was nothing for the actors to do – so we had dancers prancing around rather pointlessly.

The Donizetti was stunning, however. Our friend Ruth was Serafina, one of the leading roles: I knew she could sing, but her acting was a revelation – some beautiful comic touches. The whole thing was extremely funny, and the two leading men were both superb, as were the chorus. Maybe it was the acoustics, but you could actually hear what people were singing.

Needless to say it started raining as we left Norwich and continued all evening. There was a bit of hanging around waiting for the minibus afterwards, but we had umbrellas, and we managed to have a chat with Ruth and with a woman in the chorus who we’d known long ago, when Dot taught at Surlingham.

2 July 2007

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A pause for refreshment during the Cley Marshes hike. The refreshment hut – an interesting conglomeration of brick and random pieces of dodgy-looking wood – was due to be pulled down in spring, but evidently survived the threat. The drinks were surprisingly good, and at this point the weather was lovely – warm and calm. A couple of hours later it was tipping down. Present at refreshment were Dave and Julia Evetts, and Dot.

Anyway we’ve just had lovely weekend with David, Vicky and the children – despite the Hollywood Bowl being mysteriously closed when we arrived for our session. They obviously saw us coming. Inistead, after much cogitation, all of us except David went by train to Wroxham and back. During our 30 minutes at Wroxham we walked over to the Bure Valley railway and saw the little train arriving.

The road out of Wroxham towards Coltishall was closed by police with several vehicles in attendance, and in this morning’s paper we found that a young person had been killed when their car hit a wall. No idea why it hit the wall.

On the Sunday the weather was still iffy, and we all went to see Auntie E at Hethersett. Took Amy’s tricycle but couldn’t get Oliver’s tractor in the car, so I spent some time explaining to him how my car’s air conditioning worked, which naturally fascinated him. During this, I discovered that I didn’t know exactly how it worked, but I have a better idea now. Auntie E seemed quite well.

In the afternoon we were mainly indoors, though Oliver had a go on the tractor for a short while. Amy got extremely interested in wood lice, as well as the water feature, but fortunately didn’t combine the two.

This morning I took Phil to the doctor’s. He’s had a bad bout of flu and now has severe UTI; so they’re in a bad way at the moment. Dot is working on her last inspection report of the term.