Today we began the Battle of Britian.

Trying to get our rental car out of Europe Cars Marble Arch garage and back to the hotel, was only the arm-up. Her magesty the toffee nosed lady on our car sat-nav was quite understanding and didn’t loose her temper with us more than once. We succeded in getting up the Edgeware Road and finally out into those “green and pleasant feilds” on the road to Cambridge. ( Except its all golden and brown with wheat and barley ready for harvest.)

After two hours we tried to find a layby to pull in for lunch and in the end said “bugger it” and turned up a side road and the only parking space was ouside this church across the road from thatched cottages and with a bench in the grave yard under a centuary old yew tree. I guess it will do. We had found ourselves in the 16th Century Old Trumpington Church.

After lunch the Battle of Britian resumed, this time to find overnight parking in Cambridge. My advice to future traveller’s is DONT. We travelled the same block four times to the recommended place only to find acess denied due to roadworks and some police fellows. We eventually found a council park with overnight rates that are only Low way robbery, some rates would put the famed local Highway robber, Dick Turpin to shame.

After a soothing coffe with seasonal tart, we collected our overnight bags and set off across Midsummer Common, over Maids Causeway and into the Porters Lodge at Christs College.

When was the last time your hotel recptionist gave these instructions to get to your room. “Please follow the First Court yard to your right and pass through the arch in the Masters lodge. Here you will see the Fellows Dinning room where breakfast will be served. Continue around Second Court past the Blyth building and below the Darwin gardins to stairwell number 4 in the Visual Arts centre along Kings Street”

And trust me in a few paces the hair stood up.

Off to Evensong in Kings College.

Any one for a punt?

Pete.