274. Sunny England

Week 1








A trouble free flight from Pisa to Gatwick and my dad is waiting to pick us up. We arrive at the end of the biggest heatwave England has had in 350 years! A relaxing weekend, only broken up by a huge thunderstorm. Bernice pops round on Saturday. Sunday evening and I pop round to my grandma's to pick up my bicycle that I will be using for the next three weeks. Swandean's schedule has changed and I'm working 9.30-4.30 with Monday and Friday afternoons off! My brother Carl has had a major breakdown and is big news while we're there.






Monday - and I have lunch with Cassandra.






Tuesday evening and we have a drink at the hare and Hound with big Rory.






Wednesday is Chinese night with my grandma.






Friday and we have our first look at my big sister, Rita and Mat's new baby, William - born on Tuesday at 12.27 am and only 3 days old...






Cambridge - the 'Peterhouse' edition








We've managed to swing a 'Cambridge' visit with Annette's brother Prof. Phil. His house is a mess (single guys!) but he's fixed us up with Cambridge's oldest college, Peterhouse's most exlusive fellows room.
We train up and arrive at 12.00 and meet Phil and Leonie at the station. A quick coffee outside King's college and we're off to meet Phil's (not so new) girlfriend, Jane..
She seems really nice and down to earth (even with her Mercedes convertible!) and we have a hot date at where Phil calls the best restaurant outside London... The setting on the river Camb in Midsummer park is impressive. We have a table in the conservatory and begin our mammoth 3-hour lunch. Two bottles of pink champagne, courtesy of Gosset (at £100 a pop!) keep the conversation flowing... Pink grapefruit champagne mousses and an avocado and tiger prawn cocktail get the juices going! I opt for the foie gras cannelloni, followed by the lamb cous cous. Many scallops are consumed and after two more pre-desserts Annette and I have an incredible chocolate cake with warm chocolate sauce... mmm The bill clears £500 for the five of us! Top five ever? Maybe... but not quite topping 'il Pilone' in Alba earlier in the year...






We relax back in Jane's garden, before heading back to our 'suite' at Peterhouse. A brief repose and freshen up and Phil picks us up for an evening appointment with the 'Bard' - Midsummer night's dream in the grounds of Trinity College... and the forecast rain holds off. A late night wander for grub proves fruitless and we even bump into some drunken yobbos - yes, they're even here in




Cambridge...




After a well earned night's rest in our BIG bed and breakfast courtesy of Café Nero'. We meet up with Phil and Leonie for a spot of punting on the river Camb - no one falls in and even Annette has a go! We finish with a drink on the lawn, before bidding goodbye to Leonie, lunch is a ploughmans at 'Auntie's tea house' outside Great St Mary's church. We have a browse round the shops and relax by the river in gorgeous sun. Phil and Jane meet us back at Peterhouse and drop us at the station as our Cambridge jaunt is over... back to Worthing.






Week 2




Tuesday and we're with Lisa and Derek at Joanna and David's new house in Limbrick Lane (it turns out to be our old friends, Gary and Sam Woodhams old house)


Wednesday and we're at Ruth's for dinner and I meet Bernice's new boyfriend, Grahamee, although I don't get to speak to him much as Joe gets going...


Thursday and it's fish and chips at Felicity's in Findon. Although we buy the fish, the chips, the wine and the pudding!




London




After last year's 7/7 bombing chaos, we make it up to the capital. A quick train journey and we're strolling down the King's Road. By 11.00am. Some browsing and another flavourless English coffee outside an antique shop and we're ready for Portobello market. A quick hop on the tube at Sloane Square and off at Notting Hill Gate. We check out some cool shops and pick up some book bargains. The market is very long and lunch is beckoning. We find a cool restaurant and enjoy a nice meal on the outside terrace. We're soon back out and Annette is mesmerised by all the silverware in the market and comes away with a silver teapot!




In need of some serious rest, we chill out by the lake in Hyde park (with about 5,000 muslims!)


Our last stop is Covent garde. We listen to a cool opera singer and an even cooler dancer/trumpet player, from New Orleans and a crazy guy with a huge crowd who is juggling chain saws!!! We move on...




Some evening falafel refreshments and then we make our way back to Victoria and home to Worthing...




Sunday




A relaxing day dodging the clouds and an evening date at my mum's for some pasta and Buona Sera Mrs Campbell with Gina Lollobrigida.






Week 3




Monday




And a visit to see Alan's three girls, Olivia, Amelia and Scarlett, but Alan who is working nights at the moment stays in bed!




Wednesday




A nice drink with Bernice and Grahamee and I finally get to have a chat with him!


Thursday is games night. I cycle to Rita's and see little Will. Then I take a taxi with Mat to the Henty Arms in Ferring, where for tonight I am Mat's pool and darts partner. We lose 7-1 at pool and 7-1 at darts. We both suck at pool, but I throw some nice arrows, with a 130 and our only check out of the evening!


Friday


I drop the bike back at my grandma's and say an emotional farewell. Mavis drops me at Rita's for a last look at baby Will and I even get to feed him! Holly demonstrates her num chucks and I get to watch Little Britain. Last stop is at my auntie Fiorella's, where I get to see her new'den', this summer's hottest topic! A few glasses of cheap wine and run down of Fiorella's 6 holidays so far this year and taxi home.


Saturday


We're all packed up, Annette's sister Ruth pops round to say her goodbyes, as does Joe (separately) I even manage a smile from Elise, maybe she's happy to see us go?