Is there a lion in the meadow?

The beautiful King's college in Cambridge

It's been a while... sorry about that. In between travels around England and working now, I haven't made any time to write about what we've been up to. So, this is a condensed version of our travels since Canterbury - Manchester, Cambridge and Bath.

I'll start with Manchester, which was a fleeting visit to see Jerry Seinfeld live with good friends, Mike and Kristen. Seinfeld was hilarious, and if you get the chance is definitely worth going to see. Even if you know nothing about Manchester's past, it is unmistakably an old industrial city. It feels grittier, with a bit more utility about it. We explored the city centre on the Saturday and wandered around the Museum of Science and Industry, which is a great museum with loads of information about Manchester's industrial past, especially the textile mills and steam engines. Sunday was the Old Trafford trip for Mike and Hamish - very red. I'm surprised a Liverpool and an Arsenal fan were seen dead there, but there you go - it's all about the love of the game apparently. We made a hasty exit from Manchester when the Red Devils ceded the title to their cross-city neighbours in the final game of the Premier League, with Man City taking the lead over QPR in the final minutes of extra time to beat Manchester United on points for the top of the table spot. The streets teamed with people - many of them without their pants on and unable to walk straight. Pretty funny stuff.

Our next trip was to Cambridge to see Emma and Nick - Emma is completing her PhD at Cambridge so took us on a great tour of all the beautiful colleges, including the college she studies at. Nick, on the other hand, took us to a beer festival on Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining, it was hot and Hamish was in the mood to try some proper British ales. When all the beer had run out and the festival was closing, Emma and I headed home and Hamish and Nick headed out to the pub... until it closed too. Good times. The following morning we were off to Granchester and The Orchard, home for a time to Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, Rupert Brooke and E.M. Forster. It was a beautiful spot, and the walk there was just as delightful. It reminded me of the Margaret Mahy book 'A Lion in the Meadow'. We drank Pimm's by the river, had lemonade and scones under the blossom trees at The Orchard and enjoyed another day of amazing sunshine. Nick and Em were amazing hosts and we are looking forward to our next trip!

This last weekend, Queen's birthday weekend, I'm rather ashamed to admit we fled the festivities of London for Bath. But, I'm pleased we did. Bath was like something out of a film set - in fact, I think Vanity Fair was filmed in one of the gorgeous old Georgian streets. The old Roman baths are the best preserved Roman baths anywhere in the world and are really evocative to visit. We had amazing food, wandered through the most delightful streets, took a boat up the river to see the surrounding English countryside and generally relaxed before Hamish's first day back at work this week.

x

Brunch in Manchester

Old industrial building facades

At the Museum of Science and Industry

At the Museum of Science and Industry

Old Trafford, home of Manchester United

The competition was fierce between these two

At the Cambridge Beer Festival

Is there a Lion in the Meadow?

The Orchard

The sun comes out, and the Brits get their kit off

The meadows on the way back from Granchester

The Roman baths - unfortunately you can't see the steam coming off them in this shot

At the Roman Baths

A Sally Lunn Bun - not all it's cracked up to be

Bath Abbey

Hamish made me put this one in - not my most glamorous shot!