[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Bus to Cavendish, where we have lunch at the Sue Ryder Museum (she helped settle dislocated persons after WWII), then stopped in the ‘antiquing’ town of Long Melford…but on an early weekday afternoon, there were only one or two stores open, which seemed rather odd. Next was Pentlow, the home of a former parishioner of Palmer’s, where the local parishioners hosted a wonderful tea for us (including some truly incredible homemade shortbread), then a concert in the Pentlow Parish church, which was the smallest venue of the trip, but also the most rewarding, because it was packed to the gills…most of the parish’s 110 people were in attendance, as well as many guests, and followed with a nice reception afterwards.
Author: Joe White
[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Free Day in Cambridge, which can mean only one thing: punting! Jeff went off to meet his cousins, so it was just me and the Belcher twins. We wandered around the bridge getting offers from the different companies, but settled on the one that, for the price of the punting tour, threw in an hour of punt rental for free. All the punt tour guides give about the same spiel, a fact we noticed when we heard guides from another company telling the same lame joke our guide had told us on the way up. After the tour, neither of the girls wanted to try their hand at punting, which suited me fine, because then I got to do the whole hour. 🙂 It took a few tries before I realized that the easiest way to guide the punt was to let the pole trail in the water a bit and use it as a rudder before pulling it out. Had a couple of close calls, but never lost my pole in the muck, and even helped rescue one lost by one of the ‘professionals’. 😉 Lunched at a chain pub called ‘The Slug and Lettuce’, then, giving up on the idea of renting bikes in the afternoon, spent a while wandering around the shops until Brian Jordan’s (the music store) opened, where I bought their entire stock of old G&S scores, and we got several copies of the Chester Book of English Motets, with an eye to doing some busking in London. Went to evensong at Clare College and heard Tim Brown leading the Eton Choral Workshop people, then hooked up with Norma and we grabbed some sandwiches and wine and went to Dowling College for an open air production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. It was really well done, with an excellent cast, and very attractive: I was lusting after the leading ladies, and the girls were all lusting after the leading men. Afterwards hooked up with some more of the group and played with the Young’uns while waiting for the bus. When we realized that we had missed the bus we wanted, and that the next one wasn’t for an hour, I got us a couple of cabs and we headed back to the hotel.
[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Off to Cambridge, where we have an incredible workshop with Tim Brown at Clare College. Originally supposed to go for 3 hours, both he and the choir want more, so we go for another hour. He saw my PowerBook at the break, and, also owning one, asked if I wanted to check email or anything, which of course I did. After the workshop I spent another hour and a half with him and AJ (a film student) showing them things in iMovie and iPhoto and generally being a geek. In the workshop he was lamenting the lack of basses in Great Britain, and then he remarked about his lack of computer support…I jokingly said I’d be happy to come over for a year and do both, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea! Will follow up with him when I get home and see if maybe we can work a deal.
Walkie Talkies come in handy in tracking down the gang, since I missed lunch to play on the computer. Find a book fair and get a book called ‘Austria’s Eastern Question: 1700-1790’. Skip the coach back and spend a few hours more in town, then catch a bus to the hotel (Cambridgeshire Moat House) for another uninspired meal. Go swimming afterwards, try the wet sauna (nice) and the dry sauna (insanely hot: 80˚C). Swam some more with Laurie and Camille (after paying Camille back for two things I ‘owed’ her for by picking her up and jumping into the pool), then back to Jeff’s and my room for some durak.
[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Day trip to Peterborough. Whee. Shopping, not much else. Tried to get my cell phone unlocked, but nobody could do it…suggested I try in Cambridge or London. Took the early bus back to the hotel and napped. Back to Ely for evensong in the main sanctuary, then return to hotel. Several of us take a taxi into town to a Chinese buffet, which was pretty decent, if expensive (most places are compared to Houston), but found out I like Lambrusca. Also found out that Tuesday night is gay night in Peterborough.
[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
We head out early for Ely, getting a nice gawk around the Cathedral before we rehearse a bit. Stroll up and down the high street looking for a shot glass for one of Camille’s coworkers, then have a nice lunch in a shop set in the cathedral wall. Go to the Ely Gaol Museum, watching a fascinating video about eel-catching (really!) and see some pictures of the local group that did G&S in the 20’s. Stop by a bookstore and find David a birthday present (heheheh), then back to the cathedral for rehearsal and evensong in the Lady Chapel. The Lady Chapel has a marvelous acoustic, better even that the charter house at Yorkminster, but it has the most hideous statue of Mary I have ever seen: a large, buxom Asiatic-looking woman wearing a bright blue robe holding her arms as if someone has just scored a touchdown. Bus to Peterborough, where we’re staying (Holiday Inn) while singing at Ely (Why??? It is miles from Ely, and nothing to do at night, since we’re not even in Peterborough proper…maybe no place near Ely was big enough to hold us.) Dinner a disappointment after the great food in Chelmsford.