Local government; rhododendrons; cats

Reading Borough Council have announced their new Con-LibDem coalition, a big change as the council has been under Labour control since the 1980s. The article is mainly distinguished by the absurd photograph of the parties’ lead councillors Andrew Cumpsty and Kirsten Bayes. The slew of impolite comments posted include 'I feel violated' and references to The Krankies.

Had brunch with Ray in Pangbourne on Saturday morning at The Ditty, a recently-refurbed café/bistro that used to be called The Ducks’ Ditty– my aunt waitressed there many years ago. Not sure whether the renaming is a sign of a cooling down of the Thames Valley’s interminable obsession with Kenneth Grahame, but let’s hope so. As a child I had a rather smart green hardback copy of The Wind in the Willows, probably given to me by a well-meaning relative or friend of my parents, it being a classic example of Books Adults Think Children Should Read (being reminiscent of those wonderful far-off days when people ate lunch out of wicker baskets in the open air, children played nicely together, etc). Like any even vaguely normal child I was more interested in reading Enid Blyton so I don’t think I got around to reading TWITW until well into my teens, by which time I thought I’d better read the book before giving it away. Anyway, returning to the café, here I am outside it, just for the record.

We then went on to visit the lovely Harcourt Arboretum, an adjunct to the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Lots of rhododendrons in amazing colours and quite a few groups having picnics. The arboretum used to be part of the grounds of Nuneham Park, also owned by Oxford University (I think) but currently used as the Global Retreat Centre run by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (!). I got myself onto their mailing list some time ago while looking around for meditation classes in the area, so now keep receiving emails inviting me to lectures and seminars on conquering fear, embracing one’s inner monk etc.

Ruth and I took the bus out to Arborfield Cross¹ on Sunday to visit Gail and Rob, who are now ensconced in their new home. The house represents more of a renovation project than I’d want to take on, but as two Building Control surveyors they should be better placed to tackle it. We had a pleasant lunch in the garden and met their two new kittens, who reminded me of how ADORABLE kittens are. I offered two rabbits in exchange for them, but nothing doing.

Refurbishment of the Cotton Club, the food and drink outlet on the London Road campus, is now complete, which is a relief after the last few months of banging/swearing/loud singing (our office is directly next door). We were invited on Monday to a private pre-opening viewing, with complimentary tea and cake, of the revamped facility, now rebranded ‘Eat and Drink at London Road’. Certainly much swankier, though that was to be hoped given that it must have been at least 30 years since the previous refurb. The refurbishment has apparently aimed to ‘reveal the historic origins of the former dairy building’, and there is indeed a mural of some cows along one of the walls. According to Jude the coffee is now more expensive, but on the up side it does now appear to actually contain coffee.

The refurb is part of a general overhaul of the University’s catering outlets, the eventual aim of which is apparently ‘a flexible, high-end food offering’ across the University. Sounds a refreshing change from the inflexible, and remarkably low-end, food offering available in catered halls of residence when I was a student. Students today don’t know they’re born, etc.

Book Group met at Tamzin's house on Wednesday to discuss Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. I had only managed to get just over halfway through the book by the time of the meeting, partly through having started it too late and partly through not enjoying it much. It struck me as a mediocre fantasy-novel-by-numbers, but as everyone else appeared to have enjoyed it, I will endeavour to finish it just to see if my opinion changes. Tamzin’s large and ridiculously appealing cat Hendrix graced us with his presence for the second part of the evening, so it’s been a whole week of cute cats. If only I didn’t live on a rat run I’d be surrounded with them, though Ruth has cautioned me that two fortyish² women living with pet cats would fill just too many stereotypes.

¹ The Wikipedia stub cautions against confusing it with Arborfield, Saskatchewan. That was a near miss then. Good thing the bus driver was on the ball.
² The use of '-ish' implies there or thereabouts. One of us is, of course, not yet forty.