Livingstonesque?
Appropriately enough, as I’m writing this blog whilst listening to Ken Livingstone presenting on LBC, I thought I’d start with this photo from the train which Abi, Oliver and I took to Shoreham on Saturday morning. I was supposed to be looking as if I was happily contemplating my secret plan to renationalise the railways – something which comes very easily to me on trains, I have to say. Ahaha, one day… *cackle*
Abi, Joe and fête food!
Anyway, Shoreham Village Fête was a great day out, and many thanks to Joe for hosting us. We ate, drank, slid down slides, watched falcons flying and smashed crockery (an event now complete with Health and Safety glasses) under the bright summer sun, which managed to get us all in the end. With our reddening skin, we then travelled back to my house to watch Doctor Who… and what an episode it was 
Without spoiling anything for anyone else – I really can’t wait for next week!
A brave band of slightly sun-burnt travellers
Mango beer! Hurrah!
That evening I jumped off the bus leading Abi and Oliver back to the Northern line (pah) and into the presence of Joshua. Yay, Joshua 
With work meaning that he was now unable to attend the picnic planned for the next day, I was really glad we were able to go for a few pizza slices and mango beers to catch up after another term. It was also the first time I’d seen his slightly shorter hair 
but with my own currently shortish hair it still trumps mine!
Picnic people: Sanna, Robert, Saoirse, me, Emily, Rishal and Charlotte
So! Finally! The what is turning into the annual Hampstead Heath pic-a-nic took place yesterday, reuniting me with some people that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. In the case of Robert, since last September! No-one has really changed much, though Although hayfever did come after me and Sanna in particular, it was very much worth it to see everyone again and a few of us came back to mine to enjoy the first of the four new Futurama movies. One exciting new development on behalf of me, Sanna, Saoirse and Emily is the determination to begin a book group over the summer – clearly sailing quickly into middle age! The first book has indeed already been selected, so hopefully the momentum will continue and I will be pushed into reading fiction again. Hooray for summer
Old friends (and young friends)
My Grand Tour of British Rail ‘National Rail’ stations has seemingly been resumed for the summer! Luckily I agree with Sanna – travelling by train is the best – so I highly enjoy it. Over the past few days I’ve been at Lucy’s, from whence we made an expedition to Worcester yesterday. (I really should have twigged before now that at the heart of every Somewhereshire is a central Somewhere, but never mind. I’m not a shire-dweller.) It was a lovely trip, and in our quest for free activities we took in the River Severn, an art gallery and Worcester Cathedral – although in this last place we spent a worrying share of time in the gift shop. Sitting alongside a book attacking Richard Dawkins was a hefty tome detailing the Church’s approach to homosexuality, with contributions from various different authors and bucketloads of scriptural quotes to feather out their chapters. I take quite a bit of pride in knowing that I could outline my entire ‘approach to homosexuality’ on the back of a napkin, although in the light of the embarrassing backwardness we’ve had to witness this week it obviously hasn’t sunk into everyone yet. Grrr!
We’ve also whiled away the hours playing the London Underground board game which Lucy got me for my birthday Bit perturbed that TfL have classified this as part of the ‘childrens’ section though! It’s clearly a very mature and advanced endeavour, despite unforgivably cropping the Tube map to the exclusion of Willesden Green.
Tomorrow I’m back on the train to Shoreham to see Joe’s motherland and take part in what promises to be a highly exciting village fête! I hope you’re ready for us, Kent…
Things are too good at the moment! After the May Ball I went home for two nights to spend my birthday with family, which was really lovely and included a traditional meal at Pizza Express, surely one of the best places in existence. After a gentle day of watching new Futurama – new Futurama! – receiving generous gifts and satisfyingly getting Katie her computer back from the dead, I returned to Cambridge this morning for a final night in my beautiful room. And was met with even more amazing things! Top of the list must be this indescribably awesome dartboard:
Yaaaaay!
I can tell that Oliver and Abi absolutely slaved over the making of this, and I’m thankful beyond words. Love it! Everyone else also got me brilliant presents and cards: a plump biography of London from Owen, and a Doctor Who game and Tube book from Sophie, Irfan and Joe. Thank you all! Also pictured below are my sexy cards, from Daily MWail parody to a Doctor Who badge bearing one…
So me that it hurts
Mmm… my cake!
Before I go and picnic in the sun, I would also just like to say thank you to everyone who has e-mailed, commented, Facebooked or even sent real cards (you know who you are 
): I love you all and will get round to replying to everyone as soon as I possibly can! I hope all students especially have an amazing summer which is pleasingly free of work stress…
Genuine enthusiasm time: 2008’s Caius May Ball – City Lights – was one of the best experiences in my entire life, ever. Sure, we’d heard that May Balls were something special to look forward to. The eye-watering ticket prices do suggest that it’s going to be big. But it’s impossible to fully describe what they’re really like: extravagant, amazing, luxurious, decadent, wonderful. We arrived at 8pm for champagne before dinner at 9pm… and by ‘dinner’ I mean a fabulous five course meal lasting two hours accompanied by white wine, red wine, dessert wine and port. And then, armed with a beautifully designed programme, we had the entire night to explore what was on offer in the college grounds and rooms. Which was more than anyone could possibly take in over just one night! From bands such as Supergrass and British Sea Power playing on stage to burlesque, jazz and blues performances. Magicians, clairvoyants, comedians and mind readers. Classic interwar films in a cinema, rides, games and dancing. And all through the night, unlimited – and free! – food and drink: martinis, Pimm’s, beer, larger lager, wine and much else besides – including tea! – alongside crepes, seafood, candy floss, doughnuts, ice-cream, chocolate fountains and, again, just about everything you could wish for. We partied all night until the survivors’ photo at 5.30!
Hurray! Rides! See more in the photo gallery!
There are so many magical moments from last night, a few of which are captured in my photo gallery which will be accompanied by Facebook photos shortly. It can’t tell the whole story, however, of how wonderful it was to enjoy such an amazing party and round off a year of uni with so many good friends – and Lucy. So if you ever get the chance, don’t turn down a ticket to a Cambridge May Ball!
Because everyone will rave about the main bands playing, I thought I’d share a little glimpse of my own personal little highlight from the night: Kitty La Roar and Nick Of Time. Here they are performing a mashup of Shaggy and Robbie Williams… great fun
Oh, and I’ve just turned 19! Hurray
Cheers, Owen!
Phew. I have just enjoyed the most rewarding shower, a lovely long, hot and strong affair. The Garden Party – which has been causing Abi and I great stress over the past week with a particularly hairy ‘we have no barbecue?’ few days towards the end – came off without a hitch. Despite a weather forecast of showers the rain held off, albeit threatening us with drops once or twice before deciding to be generous and give us sun. Many thanks are in order too: to Abi, obviously, to Owen, who did a fantastic job as head chef behind the barbecue despite not even being a historian, to Oliver and Joe who gave us loads of time rather than standing back and watching us struggle, to Sophie for her (wifely) moral support, to Tom, Felix and Richard for lending us their expertise gleamed last year – and, in Richard’s case, mixing our Pimm’s! – and to GCSU and the porters for everything. And to everyone who came, too! Hurray!
And everything turns out alright
Sorry about the poor quality photos, but they’re better than nothing and – as Owen put it – we wanted something to prove that it happened. Event management is hard though. I don’t know how my mother – or Nic – does it In fact, it wasn’t until it was all over that I suddenly remembered that it was Doctor Who tonight! So now Abi, Oliver and I have our evening’s entertainment all planned out too yay!
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