The local lunch

Today I am lunching with around 22 other people who were also members of the choir of St John’s college Cambridge. I anticipate a very large age group. We  are meeting at a pub called “5 miles from anywhere” in Upware near to  Cambridge. Most of the  organisation has been done by the Rev Christopher Robinson who was a member of the choir in the 50’s.
This is the fourth meeting of “the local lunch” and certainly the largest.

12.30 saw nine people come together for lunch at ” 5 miles from anywhere” in deepest Cambridgeshire.

Our group was made up of

Nan Guest
Alastair Roberts
Alex Riley
Christopher Goodwins and wife Doreen
Colin Shield
Francis Judd
Fabian Redpath
and myself.

We met and ate a very good value hearty lunch while looking out onto the river Cam. It was a first for a couple of people and I think everyone enjoyed them self.

It was good to meet old and new friends. Alex Riley told us he never hears anything from “College”. Perhaps one to add to your database Caroline. Alex has had an interesting life, ending up as a wine importer and living in Longstanton.

I understand John Bull was unwell and consequently his party of five didn’t make it, and Nan told us Jonathan Hellyer-Jones was also not feeling up to par and didn’t manage to join us. Martin Redfearn had intended coming but cried off as he had business to attend to in Cardiff….. Perhaps next time Martin?

Fabian Redpath told us he now lives in Greenwich and is in contact with half a dozen old friends from the 70’s and would be pleased to help organize a “London Local Lunch” at some time in the future

I will liase with Fabian and we will try to pull together a group for a lunch somewhere in London in the new year.

A big thank you has to go to Christopher Goodwins who took on the task of organising today and we were all pleased to see a 300% increase in attendance over our last meeting in Wicken Fen.

It was agreed that we would meet again at the same venue sometime towards the end of March/early April when if  weather permitted we would be able to eat outside on the riverside.

I will keep you updated and let you know of future events

Hady

Recently I wrote to a friend who I had not been in touch with for sometime. Hady is Egyptian and had been a neighbour when I lived in Welwyn Garden City. He was single at the time and we became very close.
Hady was courting a lady from South Africa called Rashida. Rashida worked in Toronto and we occasionally saw her and made her welcome and tried to encourage the relationship. After some ups and downs Hady and Rashida married and moved into a lovely house in Hertford.
In 2007 when my marriage started to go wrong and we started divorce proceedings I felt (perhaps unjustly) that Rashida particularly was siding with  my ex wife and whenever I saw her I felt as if I was being quizzed and whatever I had said was being fed back to my ex wife. It felt uncomfortable and as Hady was Rashida’s partner it meant we were alienated.

I made the effort  to get back in touch with Hady and had a positive response. I hope we can pick up our friendship.

Ice on the bird bath

It’s cold this morning with ice on the bird  bath.
Our router just went down. What a drag. I have ordered a  replacement netgear 750 but don’t get it until tomorrow.
I plucked up some courage and rang my Dad. Isn’t that crazy? Having to pluck up courage to speak to your own Dad. It was a very very brief conversation. It left me wondering why I get so stressed about it.
The garden is beginning to look very bare. Most of the leaves have now fallen and in a couple of days I will have the dubious pleasure of spending time sweeping them up.

The dogs haven’t been out since Sunday. I am feeling guilty but I am still feeling rough and my back is playing up. I may just take beattie for a small walk.