Month: October 2016

Half term, 2016, October.

Still in Cambridge this morning, but after waiting the compulsory two hours for daughter to get ready we were ready for the off. I went down and mentioned to the manager that “something” was taken from our room – she didn’t seem concerned in the least, and I know its just a cube of fudge – but it was TAKEN!

In car, down to the retail park so that daughter could have a look at a shop that sold two stories of tat, then onward to Oxford.

Sat Nav took us all over the place, not sure why – we ended up about 20 miles from London at one point – but after two hours we landed in the second Premier Inn – some miles from Oxford.

Again couldn’t check in, but had a taxi called, and within 20 mins we were mooching around Oxford. The taxi driver was a little surprised at where we wanted to get out, but it had ticked over to eight quid – and that-is-my-limit. We walked up and down the main drag, and it was not cool.

Lunch was in Nando’s at the very end of George Street, disappointing – we used to love Nando’s and I still remember losing my Nando’s virginity in Cheltenham all those years ago – it was fan-bloody-tastic, this one was not.

Little look around the Castle, and a walk around some of the more olde-wordly streets to the Library, then down though the little alley ways to the Turf Tavern. The Brend took me there when we stopped off in Oxford on a cycle, and I was mega impressed – as it was hardly signposted and was a little higgeldy-piggledy place, with little rooms and a seating area within a block of houses. I don’t think the family were as impressed. And the Amstel was not great.

Afterwards, a treat for daughter, in the Winter and after 14:00 you can have a look around the New College, and in here, apparently, was where Malfroy was turned into a ferret. She recognized it immediately – she was happy.

After the culture we walked behind some of the colleges and down to the Head of the River, which is our go-to pub in the summer – not so busy in October, but quite nice to have a couple of beverages and a £4.50 sausage roll.

After liquid refreshment we walked along Broad Street behind Christ Church, then back passed New College and over to the Kings Arms where we watched the ebb and flow of customers with a few Morrittis and some large hairy scratchings.

After this we ambled over to the restaurants and decided on Jamies, we had to wait at the bar, where I ordered some drinks and the bar man talked me into putting my card behind the counter – something I never, ever, ever, ever do. Everywhere seems to serve beer in cans now – idiotic – but it must be the fashion I guess? Sian had a great linguine, daughter a decent burger and I had a crappy dappy pasta -which describes itself as:

• GENNARO’S TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE

  £6.50 / £10.95

  Amazing pork & beef slow cooked with red wine, topped with pangrattato & Parmesan

Bloody liars.

I expected chunks of meat – it was rubbish. I commented on the fact it was poor twice, to which the waiter just said thanks. I moaned at the manager and got it removed from the bill – which was good, but I wasn’t after that, I just wanted some recognition to the fact that the dish was dire. It didn’t come, but at least it meant we got a free taxi home with the discount.

Nine quid to return and we checked in, pretty pooped – I then realized that I had a tag in my pocket, I’d left my bloody card behind the counter!

Half term, 2016, October.

Not had much of an update on this for a while, not really sure why I have stopped updating, I guess I am just far too lazy which is a shame. Anyway – we went to two University Cities this half term.

I always take this week off, as my birthday always falls within it, and its a good excuse to go away for a few days. Initially we ummed and arred about going abroad, but because we always leave things until late, the only places were Ibiza and Corfu, anywhere near in budget, and both of them have rain (potentially), so why fly miles away when we can have rain here…

Left on Sunday morning, for the three and a half hour drive across to Cambridge, it’s been many years since I came here last, which was when I was working on a project in work based in Cambridge. Mrs Sat Nav really wanted us to go across the M4/M25/M11 but I was insistent that we go up to Birmingham and do M5/M42/M6/A14 which meant we had a frosty half an hour in the car whilst she insinuated that my navigational skills were rubbish, in the end I won though. Ha! Take that TomTom..

Missed a turning and ended up coming into Cambridge from Arbury side, which meant I could bore the passengers with a very quick detour to Perse Way, where I first rented a house for my short time in Pipex at the Science Park – around twenty years ago! Quicker than expected we were into the center and after a slight queue and me being completely confused we arrived at the hotel. Another Premier Inn, but as we will see later perhaps the last?

Far too early to check in, we got our bearings and took the shortish walk down New Street to the Grafton Center. Gosh, it looked a little different – as I tried to work out just what I expected to be there we walked down the road towards Parker’s Piece. Straight across here and you are on the main drag into the town center.

Watch out for bikes! They are everywhere and anywhere and no-surely-not-there, but we navigated the cycle-tide and managed to get ourselves to a place that pretty much summed up what they sold – Bread and Meat.

We had some bread and meat.

After that we mooched around the corner to spend £11 climbing some spiral stairs to have a crap view from the top of “Great” St Marys church, it was closed for visitors on the Monday onward, such a shame they hadn’t started on the Sunday…

After this, a little bit more of a walk North, then down Trinity Lane and over the Cam to walk along the backs. Luckily, it was a pretty nice day for us, so after ear-wigging the punters (and not so secretly hoping one of them would fall in), we had a nice little stroll down the back of the uni’s.

Once complete we went to find the old Crown Plaza (which is now a Hilton) and took a stroll out across the town to the “North side”. We stopped here for a quick beverage, but as time was getting on, we decided to head back to the hotel to check in.

Once back, we had a sit down, and at 5:45 decided that we didn’t have the energy to head back to town, so went to visit the bar. They had no Vodka, which is quite amazing, and no Coffee – however they did have a happy hour, so we had four Miguels and four buds for fifteen quid – can’t knock that. Then, as we had beer, Pizza was the favored supper, so next door to a very tasty Pizza Hut. Then bed.

Next day we arose early, then waited around for 2 hours whilst daughter got her act together, then we headed back into town, with a plan. That plan initially required a visit to The Eagle, where we we going to have breakfast, but there were no punters, so we just walked through and had a look at the RAF bar – but didn’t eat. Instead we went to the Copper Kettle – I used to love the one in H/West, and their Sausage, Chips and gravy – but this one was not so good.

After breakfast we headed right out North as far as possible and looked around all the streets we missed on Sunday. Unfortunately none of the colleges were open to the public today – unless you wanted to part with some folding – so we walked to Silver Street and as luck would have it, waited 5 mins for the “tour bus”. We always go on these as its a good way to see around, but this one was a bit hopeless. For somewhere which is so great, the tour doesn’t have a lot to say, but it took us around, and we listened to some bloke say something about a city or university or something.

After that it was lunch, so daughter suggested we go to Byron’s, which was pretty good – ordered a medium rare burger, which was actually medium rare – and pretty tasty. All good.

Just around the corner from Byron, is the Varsity Hotel and Spa – which has a little entrance hall, and a lift right up to the top which has an roof top bar. Which was great, but cold today (although the supplied blankets!), the view is great (well, you could see a lot of cranes) but the drinks are expensive. We had two, and they cost the same as eight had done yesterday. Good experience though, it’s rammed in the Summer, as you would imagine, but in October – plenty of places.

We walked back into town and popped in the Regal for a quick one – an old haunt of my CPR2 days, and then over to the Vue cinema for a relax. Really fantastic reclining, comfy, massive chairs here – pity the film (Inferno) was shit.

It was now about 8, so we walked down the East Road to see what food we could find down Regent Street, we found an ace little Chinese right at the top – Yim Wah Express , which was nice, and ordered a load of stuff that was really very good.

Then back down the dark streets to the hotel, where we found that the cleaner had stolen one cube of daughters fudge. How odd.