Lavenham with Bill and Lynne

Had a lovely time in Lavenham with Bill and Lynne. What an inspirational couple they are - they have lived and travelled all over the world and have so many interests and stories. Lynne did a fantastic lunch too - so felt very spoilt. Lavenham itself was also a real highlight. Regarded as being the finest surviving example of an English Medieval town, it provides a lasting legacy of the wealthy 15th and 16th century clothiers. Of particular note is the splendid Church and Guildhall intermingled with the ancient timber framed dwellings. Bill and Lynne knew a lot about the village and gave us a fascinating tour.

Weekend at the sea side

We spent the weekend at East Bourne with Colleen and Steve. Right next to Brighton, the town is similar but quainter and quieter. The weather was glorious.

Highlights

• Leisurely walks along the promenade in the evening sun
• Delicious cheese cake at a 1790's bakery (very quaint indeed and the cheese cake was heavenly)
• Italian ice cream
• Watching the full moon rise from the sea
• Contemplating the beautiful view of the sea from our hotel room - and listening to the lap of the waves during the night
• Exploring the white cliffs at Beachie Head on Sunday
• Watching thousands of birds flying in to roost under the old pier
• Spending time with Coll and Steve - we'll miss them big time

Ally and Colleen have been friends now for over 15 years




Roosting birds

As evening came, 1000's of European starlings started to gather at spots accross the town. From there, they then made their way in mass to congregate on the roof of an old building on the pier. At 7:30 pm sharp, in one enormous flock, they dived up into the air and then plunged down in a whirling, spiralling torrent to take up their roost for the night underneath the pier. We were on the pier at the time (having been told off this nightly pilgrimmage) so got to see it close hand. Managed to duck most of the inevitable missiles from the sky.


The view from our hotel


Lazing by the Beachie Head Cliffs






Mood shots

London Mood Shots

Photos of the London Eye taken (at speed) from the tube on the way home. Nice to see London in a moment of grace. We left Vancouver at 10 pm Sunday night and arrived in London Gatwick at 5 pm Monday evening. Then a two and half hour train trip back to Cambridge. Now for a good nights sleep - to be fresh for work tomorrow.

Sandringham Estate, Norfolk

We did an enjoyable day trip to Sandringham, the country residence of the Queen. Set in stunning gardens, we also did a tour of the house itself. A much more intimate interior than Buckingham Palace, we saw the board games they play and the dining room table on which they have dinner. Sadly the Queen couldn't fit us into her social dairy - she was in St Pauls today commemorating the women of the 2nd world war.

A very wet Thetford Forest

Went to Thetford Forest for some fresh air. It started raining with avengeance by the time we got half way there and poured most of the time. But we had fun. Thankfully we'd decided to make it a day trip - not an overnight camping stint. We would have been cold and miserable. I think we'll leave the overnighting for the true summer which is on it's way. Clocks go forwards tonight.

Never too late for a happy childhood!

Sunday twitching at Fowlmere

I added a new bird to my life list: a GoldCrest (Regulus regulus) It was more exciting than the Latin name would lead you to believe!

Day trip to Suffolk

We drove to Suffolk today and had a bracing walk along the beach with Amanda and Johnathon. Filled up on lots of fresh air and plenty of good laughs. Suffolk is a relatively sleepy town at this time of year (not quite high season yet) but is very quaint and attractive in it's own way. We enjoyed visiting some nice art galleries and sampling the local brew - a bitter but tasty ale that is famous, though I can't for the life of me remember it's name.

I didn't get wet, believe it or not, but Amanda got a good shot of me dwarfed by a wall of water that narrowly missed me.

A warm, sunny day by the sea side. Well, maybe not!

A little critter we found on the beach

On the cannon

Warming up in the pub

Silly devils through the glass