Week 9

I took this picture from inside the coach just after 7.00 am. It was my last day at uBuck. Although i won't miss the early hours or the commute, I will miss the job.

Portsmouth and area

The weather on Sunday was gorgeous. We had breakfast in the garden then went back into Portsmouth. We stopped in to the quays and walked around the docks. The HMS Victory is pictured here.
The Victory is the world's oldest commissioned warship and is probably best known for its role in the Battle of Trafalgar.
Matt tells me that Nelson died on board the Victory, and I'm guessing he was in a room at the back.
This little car was attracting considerable attention. As the tide came in, we could see it rocking back and forth. We're not sure what happened, but it was gone when we came back.
Our next stop was in Porchester, a 3rd Century fort with a Norman Keep.

Matt, reluctantly posing, on a stone staircase.
The Roman walls.
Looking out to the sea from the inside the walls.
There were a number of boats and pleasure crafts out that afternoon.
Training boats for little sailors.

Gunwharf Quays, Hampshire

On Saturday, Matt and I drove down to see his father and his wife in Ports- mouth. We arrived in the early evening and took a walk around the quays. Portsmouth, as a naval base, was pounded during the Second World War and little of the original architecture remains. A few years ago, the city council undertook a redevelopment project. Here, Matt is sitting underneath the wharf.
We watched a few ferries coming into harbour. This one looks like is coming back from France. The Isle of Wight is a short distance away. We thought about going over there for dinner, but the cost, £50 return, was prohibitive. We'll come back another day when we have more time to spend.
There were a number of lookout points dotted along the quays and the views were quite nice. I'm not sure why I took a picture of these benches. I think I liked the look of them. Also it made me giggle that one of them was missing. Lots of nice cobbled lanes down below and bijou terraces.
I'm not sure about this picture. Matt likes it, but I don't think it was a total success. The sky looks very Turneresque, but the composition is slightly off.

Longwall Street

Today I slept in and took the late train. When I get up at my usual hour, I start the commute at 7.30, which seems to be a magical time free from gridlock and delays. I got to the station at 8.00 but didn't arrive for another 90 minutes. It's a 20 minute commute usually.

Lovely fall day here. It feels like summer's come back for a bit.

Rooms with a View

Rooms

I've moved seven times in three years. Here are a few of the rooms I've called home.

Canary Wharf

This weekend Matt and I went to London to see a play at Regent's Park open air theatre. It was a production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Despite the fine rain that fell throughout the performance, we had a good time. Later on that evening, we drove to Canary Wharf. It looks amazing at night. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures so I pinched this one from the web. On our way out, we had to pass through a security checkpoint, which was a new experience for both of us. Three security guards were on duty, one directing traffic, just us really; the other swabbing the car for traces of explosives; and finally the third noting down details from the safety of his booth. Since it's the a banking and business district, Canary Wharf is a likely target for terrorism. Obviously, London was on high alert Saturday night.

Bollywood

It's been a quiet week. I did a little shopping this morning to celebrate getting paid and bought as many books as I could justify plus a really nice box of sushi from Pret. On my way back to my room, I passed a Bollywood film crew. In this scene, the soberly dressed business men are all holding pink copies of the Financial Times. Nothing else happened. Someone I met up with on the street said they'd been filming a song and dance sequence yesterday by New College. That would have been exciting to watch.

I did some work in the afternoon until my friend texted me to say she'd passed her transfer. We met up on Broad Street and decided to go to the Turf to celebrate. We sat outisde and drank Pimms until 5.00. All in all a good day.

Suffolk

We spent the bank holiday weekend with Matt's family in Suffolk. It was a quiet time for the most part, but we did do some sightseeing on Sunday. We drove to Lavenham, a pretty little village that got very rich during the wool trade.
The streets Lavenham were full of tourists looking at the cottages. Although they're described as medieval, I would guess this one dates back to the late Tudor period.
This crooked house is painted Suffolk pink. Originally, pig's blood tinted the paint, but nowadays they use a less gruesome substitute.
Matt and his mom standing in front of a half-timbered cottage. Someone was watching television inside, which is unfortunate because we spent a good few minutes criticizing the plastic plants near the door.
I loved this street. It made me feel like I'd stepped inside an illustrated children's book or a Tim Burton set.
On one of the side streets, Matt and I came across a remarkably well-preserved water pump, which judging by the ornate ironwork probably dates back to the Victorian period. Of course, I could be wrong. It's only a guess!
After walking around the village, we liberated Barney from the car and took him for a walk. At the top of the hill is a fifteenth century church dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. We had a walk around and looked inside.
Matt being absolutely hi-lar-i-ous. Actually, I made him pose that way. It seemed funny at the time.
One of several stained glass windows inside the church. A lot of the embellishments and improvements in the church date back to the eighteenth century when people were getting rich off the wool. So the building is a strange mix of gothic and neo-gothic.
Outside the church grounds are beautifully tended, and you can see from the light in the picture that it was a really nice day. A little breezy but clear.
I'm not sure who these three crypts belonged to but they caught my eye.

Clare was our next stop. This shot is from the top of the motte, some 70 feet high, looking at the remains of the castle keep against the evening sky.
Walking down from the motte this time, still looking at the keep. The castle dates back to the thirteenth century. It was a pretty sleepy town. We didn't get a chance to walk to the Priory, which is apparently still in use, albeit for retreats.

Around Caversham

I'm staying with Matt in Caversham this week. Although my temporary room looks nice, it's quite stuffy. There are three big windows, but I'm only able to open one of them. Unfortunately, it only opens a crack.
Yesterday, I was up at 5.00 and on the train by 6.30 in order to get to Buckingham. The commute was in two stages, so I spent another hour on the coach. It was nearly 12 hours before I was back in Reading. Today, I did some work on my dissertation, but I started my day with a walk to the shops for milk, bread and the paper. On my way back I noticed the dental surgery, pictured. It's a bleak little building I've walked past a dozen times without noticing. Today, I took a closer look, noticing that it seemed to be abandoned. It was only when I got closer that I noticed that someone had made a cheeky comment on the quality of care. Poor dentists. No one seems to like them.

Woburn Abbey

Today Matt and I drove out to the Safari Park at Woburn Abbey and saw lots of animals. It was a nice day out.
Although the stripes look black in the photo, the zebras looked more reddish brown in person.
Cattle or bison, originally from Africa.
Warning sign.
Siberian tiger prowling around his mate's cage. The other two males were patrolling the edge of the fence, keeping a close eye on the wolves in the next enclosure.
Canadian wolves and bears, pictured here, were kept in the same enclosure. This one seemed to be happy playing the bathing beauty for the crowd of watching cars.
The lioness was making a beeline for one of the adult males, who was isolated from the rest of the pride. One of the park rangers chased after it in her Range Rover, forcing the cat to return to the pride. We noticed the lions were under close surveillance. Not sure what was up. Security concerns? Possible plots?
MONKEY!!! One climbed on our car. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a clear shot.
Some very bored looking camels. to be honest, most of the safaris inmates looked like they could do with a dose of Prozac.
This rhinocerus was being a bit of a bully. He moved into the road and tried to block cars.

River Thames

I've been staying at Matt's since Friday, and it's rained more during the past two days than it has all summer. Here are the swans making their way down the Thames in spite of the deluge. We've had a lazy morning, but we're hoping to go out for a drive should the rain let up.

Bod View

A view of the upper reading room in the Bodleian Library on my way back from lunch. Note the number of vehicles parked in the lane. It looks like the local colleges have the workmen out in force, fixing broken locks, plumbing, flooring, who knows what.

It rained a bit this morning but the sun is out again. My new room has lots of windows, but it's only possible to open one of them. I'm feeling a bit drowsy from a lack of fresh air.