4th Jan 2009
We
went
to
the
Beefeater
"Travellers
Rest"
in
Girton
so
much
that
the
staff
knew
us,
and
we
knew
them.
It's
nice
to
be
known,
to
feel
one's
among
friends
to
some
extent.
We
kept
disappointing
the
waiters
and
waitresses
by
seldom
ordering
desserts.
You
know
what
you
got
with
the
food
there,
especially
if
you've
been
there
as
often
as
we've
been
there.
I
quite
often
went
for
the
Chili
Con
Carne
even
if
it
was
unromantic
to
see
the
Chef
squeezing
the
meat
out
of
a
bag.
Standard
fare
at
reasonable
prices
if
you
go
before
6.30pm.
I
like
the
building
the
Traveller's
Rest
(the
Beefeater
in
Girton)
is
in.
Sometimes
we
sit
downstairs
in
a
nice
secluded
alcove.
Sometimes
we
site
overlooking
the
kitchen
and
wonder
if
it's
our
dishes
waiting
to
be
collected
off
the
metal
shelves.
Sometimes
we
sit
in
the
conservatory
and
admire
the
fuchsias.
Beefeater's
reward
card
looks
like
someone
took
a
bite
out
of
it.
As
of
July
2024
sadly
this
Beefeater
has
closed.
7th Feb 2009
Clean
snow
covers
up
many
a
weed.
The
ground
is
slippery,
and
stubbly.
I
have
to
open
the
car
from
the
other
side
as
the
lock
has
frozen.
Breath
can
be
seen
as
mist
upon
the
air.
Hypnotic
swirling
patterns
of
dots
rush
towards
me
as
I
drive.
Suddenly
the
other
side
of
the
road
is
a
long
way
away,
and
I
wish
I
could
work
from
home.
The
cats
tread
gingerly
in
the
back
garden,
unsure
of
putting
each
paw
down.
It's
been
so
so
long
since
winter
came
and
stayed.
Perhaps
I'm
not
out
there
with
the
children
building
snowmen,
but
I
love
the
change
that
winter
brings.
Each
season
has
its
own
magic,
its
own
value.
My
mind
drifts.
I
like
Vivaldi's
"Four
Seasons".
And
I
like
Mucha's
"Four
Seasons"
too.
6th Mar 2009
We
had
friends
round
earlier
this
year,
and
as
we
were
sitting
down
to
Sunday
lunch
there
came
a
dire
crash
from
the
lounge.
Fearing
the
worse
(cats
mixed
up
with
broken
glass
cabinet)
we
dashed
to
see,
Happily
the
cats
were
safe
upstairs,
but
a
framed
print
of
Van
Gogh's
"Bridge
At
Arles"
had
tumbled
down.
Broken
glass
and
frame
littered
the
floor.
Decided
it
was
time
for
something
different
hanging
there.
Started
surfing
the
web
to
see
what
was
on
offer.
We
like
Thomas
Kinkade,
the
painter
of
light,
but
his
pictures
are
very
expensive.
After
some
deliberation
we
picked
"Noonday
Dreams"
by
"Tadashi
Asoma",
a
Japanese
painter
working
in
the
US.
To
support
local
business
in
Histon
we
had
it
framed
by
"Jane's
Frames"
in
Station
Road,
she
got
it
done
fast
and
well.
And
now
it
hands
over
the
fireplace
-
well
over
where
the
fireplace
would
be
if
it
wasn't
the
boiler
and
we
didn't
have
central
heating.
6th Mar 2009
We
haven't
been
for
a
while
but
we
did
go
regularly
to
the
Bella
Italia
in
Newnham.
This
is
in
what
used
to
be
a
watermill
and
still
has
the
millwheel
visible
in
a
glass
cabinet
inside
the
restaurant.
There's
another
glass
tile
in
the
floor
through
which
you
can
see
the
mill
race
underneath!
A
chain
of
restaurants
with
pasta
dishes
on
the
menu.
Spaghetti
bolognese
is
one
of
my
favourite
dishes.
At
a
Bella
Italia
I
quite
often
have
San
Pellegrino
Limonata
to
drink.
Lemon
flavours
act
on
me
like
catnip
does
to
cats.
Nice
ambience
and
an
interesting
setting.
In
2016
this
restaurant
was
moved
to
Bridge
Street
in
Cambridge.
18th Mar 2009
The
keyboard
I
had
been
using
for
practice
at
home
is
of
limited
range,
one
key
is
prone
to
not
sounding,
and
the
touch
is
very
light
compared
with
the
digital
piano
I
have
lessons
with
Jan
Payne
on.
Eventually
thinking
about
getting
a
better
instrument,
and
talking
about
a
better
instrument,
have
grown
into
action.
I
ordered
a
Roland
digital
piano
from
Millers
in
Cambridge,
and
it
arrived
today.
Buying
was
a
slightly
worrying
experience
-
my
credit
card
vanished
for
an
appreciable
time
with
what
I
hoped
was
a
salesperson!
But
the
interest
free
repayments
are
worth
having.
At
first
my
fingers
got
tired
from
the
heavier
touch.
But
my
teacher
says
it
is
definitely
helping
my
hand
shape!
Despite
being
a
cheaper
model
it
has
three
pedals,
and
multiple
sounds.
Virginia
may
well
try
her
hand
or
hands
at
learning
piano.
Must
continue
to
urge
and
encourage
her!
18th Mar 2009
"The
Old
Crown"
used
to
be
famous
for
its
very
large
portions.
It
did
roaring
business
then.
Times
have
changed,
for
a
while
the
tenants
found
it
very
difficult
to
make
ends
meet
because
of
the
terms
forced
on
them
by
the
pub
chain
landlords,
but
at
the
moment
The
Old
Crown
seems
to
be
surviving.
The
most
recent
change
of
decor
has
worsened
the
character
for
me
(the
pictures
are
some
time
back.)
The
food
isn't
as
special
as
it
was
a
year
or
so
back.
But
it's
reasonably
close,
and
it
offers
a
different
menu
to
the
other
places
we
go.
25th Mar 2009
The
cake
Virginia
did
for
my
mother's
80th
birthday.
19th Apr 2009
On
Sunday
we
had
a
very
pleasant
day,
seeing
how
my
sister's
family
was
faring
on
a
narrow
boat
holiday
on
the
Grand
Union
Canal.
The
weather
was
very
benign,
a
sweet
refreshing
breeze
that
complemented
the
clear
shadows.
If
it
had
been
raining
not
so
much
fun,
but
the
heavens
were
smiling.
The
holiday
narrow
boat
(not
a
barge)
slept
six,
and
came
with
a
TV
and
DVD
player.
The
boats
are
narrow
enough
that
two
fit
side
by
side
in
the
locks.
There
was
a
good
range
of
boats
on
the
river,
from
holiday
boats
through
private
boats
festooned
with
moving
gardens
to
even
a
floating
smithy!
The
speed
of
the
boats
is
about
walking
pace
(one
should
slow
down
past
other
boats
and
fishermen.)
It
is
this
forced
slowness
that
made
the
day
so
pleasant,
no
choice
but
to
slow
down
and
relax
and
unwind.
Like
stepping
back
in
time
out
of
our
stressed
strained
suspicious
modern
age.
There
was
time
for
me
to
have
a
chat
with
my
nephew
Andrew
which
I
rarely
do,
and
find
how
he's
spending
time
on
customising
Firefox
tabs
with
Javascript.
8th May 2009
We
spent
a
long
weekend
seeing
Stonehenge
and
Longleat
and
Avebury
Stone
Circle.
17th May 2009
The
cake
Virginia
did
for
her
mother's
70th
birthday.
21st May 2009
Two
fledglings
were
roaming
about
our
back
garden,
undecided
whether
flying
was
something
they
wanted
to
do.
One
was
a
blackbird,
one
a
starling.
They
seemed
quite
unafraid,
calling
out
for
food,
even
jostling
a
dove.
Could
have
sworn
that
the
same
fledgling
got
fed
by
both
blackbird
and
starling
but
perhaps
I
was
wrong.
Virginia
kept
the
cats
from
having
their
exercise
in
the
back
garden,
something
they
complained
about!
And
they
did
so
want
to
have
a
present
to
give
her...
Two
days
later
they
were
gone.
Hopefully
the
absence
of
feathers
means
they
left
under
their
own
steam
rather
than
in
the
clutches
of
a
marauding
beast.
4th Jul 2009
Histon
has
its
Feast
Week
at
the
middle
of
the
year.
The
funfair
comes
and
squats
on
the
village
green,
Virginia
is
amazed
how
much
they
manage
to
fit
on
quite
a
small
area.
There's
a
variety
of
events
from
the
Feast
Parade
through
concerts
to
hog
roasts.
We
went
to
a
concert
by
the
Moonlight
Mandolins,
an
enthusiastic
and
competent
amateur
group
who
played
on
a
variety
of
instruments
including
mandolins,
lutes,
guitars,
and
mandora.
Had
tried
several
times
before
to
see
(and
hear)
them
so
this
was
pleasant.
Good
to
do
different
things,
and
as
I
listened
I
thought
it's
good
to
have
outlets
for
one's
energies.
If
I
didn't
have
hobbies
I
would
be
a
sadder
person.
5th Sep 2009
Digby's
in
the
house.
He's
standing
in
a
cosy
corner
of
the
kitchen
like
he
doesn't
mean
to
move,
but
you're
conscious
he's
there
because
of
the
way
he
hums
to
himself.
A
bit
loud
but
we'll
get
used
to
it.
He's
a
bit
sure
of
himself
is
Digby.
I'm
friendly
not
frosty
like
the
others
he
says.
I'm
clever
with
an
A
in
Economy
he
says.
I'm
a
cool
dude
he
says.
I
find
Digby
rather
intimidating
-
he's
given
to
icy
stares,
he's
taller
than
I
am,
and
he's
definitely
clammy
to
the
touch.
Get
too
in
with
Digby
and
he'll
chill
you
to
the
marrow.
But
we
all
have
our
ways.
Digby
is
quite
accommodating,
and
willing
to
shelve
things
which
is
nice.
We
all
compartmentalise
to
some
extent.
We'll
let
Digby
stay
-
freeze
jolly
good
fellow.
7th Oct 2009
Virginia
and
I
went
to
see
the
unfinished
Elizabethan
mansion
of
Lyveden
New
Bield
belonging
to
the
National
Trust.
The
rains
held
off,
and
it
was
clear
(but
cold
on
the
exposed
hilltop
the
mansion
is
built
on.)
The
mansion
was
being
built
for
Sir
Thomas
Tresham,
but
abandoned
on
his
death
in
1605.
The
family
fell
on
hard
times,
particularly
as
the
son
was
involved
in
the
Gunpowder
Plot
and
died
in
the
Tower
of
London.
The
mansion
against
all
the
odds
survived
in
its
unfinished
state
til
the
National
Trust
bought
it.
17th Nov 2009
A
cruise
to
the
Eastern
Med
so
Virginia
and
I
could
tick
the
Pyramids
off
as
well
as
the
Parthenon.
The
ruins
of
Ephesus
were
the
best
bit
for
me.
13th Dec 2009
The
cake
Virginia
did
for
Carmen's
dedication.
25th Dec 2009
"Tabitha
And
Amelia
See
The
World"
was
a
free
browser
based
game
where
the
player
helps
our
cats
(Tabitha
And
Amelia)
to
see
a
variety
of
countries
round
the
globe.
The
style
of
the
game
is
a
CYOA
(Choose
Your
Own
Adventure)
so
very
much
simpler
to
the
other
games
I've
tried
to
do.
The
aim
this
time
was
to
manage
to
complete
a
game
for
a
change!
The
puzzles
in
this
game
are
word
based,
similar
to
those
in
a
crossword.
There
isn't
a
plot
to
follow,
a
moral
to
be
drawn,
or
a
prize
when
and
if
the
end
is
reached.
There
is
no
sound
either
in
the
game,
but
on
each
'page'
there
is
a
scene
showing
one
of
our
cats
at
a
scenic
location.
If
you
like
doing
crosswords
or
word
puzzles,
don't
mind
a
simple
presentation,
then
this
game
may
be
for
you.