So on Midsummer’s Day we caught the train to Cambridge. Isabel was wearing some pretty funky nail varnish.
It was hot and the sun was bright and Isabel’s eyes were itchy so we went into a shop to try on some sunglasses. Isabel picked a pink pair with gold butterflies that matched her fingernails.
We booked a ticket to go punting but there was half an hour to wait before the next boat set off. Just time for an ice cream? Maybe not. Isabel said she’d already had one. Then wished she hadn’t mentioned that. Just time for another ice cream? I think so. Super-delicious ones from Marine Ices. Isabel chose chocolate and hazelnut. Victoria chose chocolate and raspberry sorbet. We both love chocolate ice cream.
Hang on, one of those is mine…
Hang on, I said….
We stood on Magdalene Bridge to eat them, watching traffic jams of punts in the river. In one boat there was a bride and her groom. Another punter went so close to the houses that he could reach in through one of the windows and pick up an orange ball lying on a table. He did put it back…
A couple of river selfies….
The punter of our boat was an American guy called Derek who said he’d only fallen in the river once. We hoped he might fall in again. So did the other girls on our boat…
Unfortunately, Derek was too good to fall in again. He did bash into a couple of other boats – but only when he wanted them to get out of the way. One of them complained. Derek shouted back, “Learn how to steer.”
It seemed as if no one was going to oblige by losing their footing and then – SPLASH – to everyone’s delight one of the men punting just a couple of boats away slipped and went right in. We didn’t grab a picture though.
After the punting, the plan was to walk around the back, across Jesus Green and into Jesus College to have a quick look at the rooms Mummy and Victoria had when they lived next door to each other in the first year. What we didn’t know was that, on Midsummer Common, we’d find the bright lights, candyfloss smell and loud music of a….
Shall we go?
YES.
But just one ride, Isabel. Just ONE ride…
The question is, which one….?
I was scared Isabel might pick this one and expect me to go on it with her…
But luckily she was still too small….wasn’t she? Hmmm, I’m not sure…
Yes, definitely too small. Phew.
So what would it be? The carousel?
The dodgems?
Oh – she’s chosen….
When I said just one, I really MEANT just one. (I get travel sick, I was way more scared of this than Isabel.) But someone else had other ideas.
Yes, five minutes later, we were on another ride.
Isabel, after the Frog experience.
Come on, we’ve really got to go and get some dinner otherwise we’ll miss the last train home. But there were the giant water balls…
And a giant ice cream…
And hook a duck to win any prize…
We wanted to stay….but it was getting late…
So a couple of goodbye fairground selfies…
A quick march up Jesus Lane…
And just, but only just, time for a sausage pizza, “one of those lemonade thingies” and a glass of water for a Very Important Puppy (or was that Victoria, Isabel Perry?)
And then a rush to the station – and home, looking out of the carriage window at the midsummer sky and the beautiful, golden clouds.
What a brilliant day….
Dear Isabel 