Safe arrival

[tinyjo]

I had mentioned to several people how excited I was about the prospect of driving down to my parents for the weekend. I haven't driven for ages and I really miss it - for some reason, I find it a very restful activity. What I didn't mention was that I was a little nervous too. It was well over 18 months since I'd last driven and I'd never done a journey this long on my own. What if I couldn't get the hang of the clutch again? What if I got lost?

It turns out that my fears were groundless. The little car, apart from having a very high biting point for the clutch was a pleasure to drive, and despite the less than perfect conditions, I didn't get lost once. And I still enjoy it every bit as much as I remembered. Something about the style of concentration that you need I find very comfortable. I found myself thinking "I could get used to this." Ah well, maybe if I get a few raises :)

Visiting home is as pleasant as always. Today was shopping trip (M&S vouchers well and truly spent and then some!) followed by dinner at the St Benedict's restaurant - a very fine venue indeed. Jasmine tea smoked goose salad (!) followed by venison douche and then port and cheese has left me quite sleepy, but (surprise, surprise) not quite to sleepy to pop onto LJ before bed :)

Comments

[shepline.livejournal.com]

That explains the "Argg. Tired" reference to your second reply to my posting then? - thanks v. much for it by the way, I'm trying out both the frames and the redirect methods to see which I like best.

So how's Norwich then these days? I miss it you know - it's a nice small city. Have they finished rebuilding the Assembly Rooms yet after that terrible fire? I couldn't believe it when I heard about it (and then the library burnt down too!) I did some work experience for Anglia Multimedia back in 1996 and really enjoyed being back in the area for the while and can remember thinking that I could have settled there - but then the Oxford job came up and I settled here instead (similarly nice just a bit more pricey!!) :-)

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

No problem for the help :)

Norwich is ticking along nicely :) Still got better shopping than Oxford and some very nice resturants. I don't know about the assembly rooms, but they rebuilt the library into a big glass walled complex called the Forum with resturants and misc stalls and stuff as well as the library. It's quite nice, in it's way.

I do love Norwich, but I don't think I could ever leave Oxford now - I have been sucked in :)

[shepline.livejournal.com]

Speaking of shops, is Jarrolds still there on the corner of the market square? I know the one back in Lowestoft had closed, and I heard a rumour that the Norwich shop was closing too...

I can remember buying my first record there (and I mean the actual embarrassing first record, not the trendy first record that people later claim!) - a BBC soundtrack to Watch (http://tv.cream.org/arku-z.htm#watch) with such "classic" songs as I went to the cabbages, Little donkey, and that one about David and Goliath - He was one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine feet - nine feet; He was one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine feet tall.

I also remember the toy department up at the first floor having the most amazing (well I remember it as being amazing!) displays at Christmas time.

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

It is indeed still there, and I haven't heard anything about it going as yet. I prinicpally remember it for its book department where I used to drag my parents most weekends and hassle them to buy me another one. Bonds (which is now renamed John Lewis) was the place I remember for toys for some reason.

[shepline.livejournal.com]

The place I remember going to hassle my folks to buy books was the Heffers Children's Bookshop in Cambridge. We would have a day out (and in those days with the rurality of East Anglican roads it really was a day out!) and have lunch at the University Centre on the banks of the Cam, buy Chelsea Buns from Fitzbillies, spend hours and a small fortune in one or other of the bookshops, departing with armfuls of books between us.

Sadly the best childrens bookshop doesn't exist anymore (it was even better than the now defunct Blackwells Childrens shop), thanks to "the wisdom" of that once happy, friendly family company Blackwells...

But I remember Bonds too (but for their art supplies)!