Rundown of June

Ruth and I attempted to have a video call on Skype in early June as prep for an interview she had coming up which was to be held via this medium. In addition to checking that there was e.g. no controversial literature on display directly behind where she planned on sitting, she also wanted to get an idea of where to look in order to appear to be looking at the interviewers, etc. Since beginning this whole fun-filled dual living thing, I have only had mobile rather than fixed line broadband, which is quite adequate for web-surfing and emailing but not so hot for video calling. The last exchange we appeared to have had on Skype was the following over a year ago, during which we seem to have actually managed a 16-minute call. We did at least manage to check the angle she was facing, even if the video did indulge in endless buffering and eventually gave up altogether.

Wolverton Park has been in the (at least, regional) news recently due to this incident earlier in June in which a man’s body was discovered in one of the flats in Trevithick Court (the block across from mine). The initial incident was in fact a fire in the flat at around 11.30 one evening, apparently attended by more than 30 firefighters – proving again what a heavy sleeper I am, as I had the bedroom window open and my bedroom looks out onto the area where the fire engines would have pulled up, and yet I heard nothing. The body was discovered by firefighters inside the flat but I believe I’ve read subsequently that it’s thought that the poor chap died prior to the fire. The first I knew of the incident was the following morning when I looked out towards the canal and saw a ‘Police – do not cross’ line guarded by an actual policeman. A section of the towpath was closed off for a day or so and it sounds as though the flat was completely gutted. Someone has evidently appeared in court – or rather via video link from prison – charged with arson with attempt to endanger life. Not heard anything about what’s happened subsequently, but the idea of the killer abseiling to safety, mentioned here, does seem rather far-fetched.

As far as I got by myself

I did get a knock on the door from the police a few evenings later, as part of their doing the rounds of both blocks, but was able to say conclusively that I Know Nothing. Very happy to have no further involvement with police or the justice system for a while. It’s already become something of a joke at work that I was burgled at my last flat and now there appears to have been a murder near current flat. Matt has cautioned me not to move to live near him any time soon lest I bring bad karma.

Finished product

Recently bought a Poäng chair and footstool from IKEA, which I am very pleased with. Actually made some headway with putting it together myself, though required Ruth’s assistance to finish the job. V. pleasant for evening reclining.

We had our first ever weekend visit from Ruth’s mother on Friday 12th. Mrs M had driven from Norfolk to her sister’s house in Lambourn earlier in the day, and had got the train to Reading from Hungerford, arriving full of the news that the last time she’d made that train journey was around 1970. Gosh. She and Ruth went off to London on the Saturday as Ruth had got them tickets for Trooping the Colour; they arrived back late afternoon seeming to have enjoyed it, plus a browse around King’s Road. And apparently they sat only a few rows back from Phil Spencer, the back of whose head did feature in some of Ruth’s video footage of the occasion.

Aldbrickham Clog Dancers

I amused myself by popping into town to do some shopping, and on the way back meandering along the Holy Brook and through Forbury Gardens to check out Reading Water Fest. Lots of boats and stalls selling tea towels etc. The crowds in Forbury Gardens were entertained by the Aldbrickham Clog and Step Dancers, who are apparently celebrating 50 Years of Clogging in Reading this year. Their sole male dancer was a chap of reasonably advanced years, so hopefully they’ve got some younger men coming up through the ranks. Here’s some actual footage of them (and their piper) filmed on the day. Gail and Rob joined us for lunch on the Sunday and I blitzed them with yet more quiche, and Ruth baked a crumble.

I managed to persuade Ruth up for a visit to MK for the weekend of 20/21 (the recent murder – see above – having only added fuel to her argument that it’s no fit place to live). On the Friday evening we went into Stony Stratford (as a far more enticing option for drinks and dinner than Wolverton) and had a drink at the Vaults before trying out the restaurant of The Bull next door (pleasant enough pub but food a bit disappointing). Not sure whether I believe Stony’s story about the two former coaching inns on its high street having been the origin of the phrase ‘cock and bull story’. On the Sunday we took a walk along the disused railway line as far as the canal at Great Linford, where we turned off for a drink at The Black Horse before walking along the towpath back to Wolverton.

Mum gamely came up for a visit the following weekend – I say ‘gamely’ as it seemed to involve a circa 4-hour train journey; for travelling east-west Milton Keynes might as well be in bloody Lincolnshire. After giving her lunch I drove us out north of Milton Keynes via Haversham and Hanslope to Salcey Forest, as I’d seen something a while ago to suggest there was a sculpture trail there. In the event we didn’t come across the trail or indeed any reference to it on the signage, though we did have a pleasant walk in the woods once we were away from the central car park/playground/ice cream area. We did indulge in an ice cream ourselves at the end of our walk.

Mum on forest seat

Have since tried to find out more about Salcey Forest but without much success. Mum was interested in the bit in the centre of the map labeled ‘Salcey Lawn’ and marked as private. I’ve gathered that Salcey Lawn is a house, as I found this entry on British Listed Buildings, but no picture – indeed have drawn a blank on trying to Google any images of it. It must be a shy, elusive type of house. I did find this picture labelled “House at the start of the drive to Salcey Lawn’, but that was as close as I got.

The British Listed Buildings text notes that Salcey Lawn was “formerly the seat of a younger branch of the Fitzroy family”. I gather FitzRoy is the family name of the Dukes of Grafton, so assume it’s the same family, though could find nothing about which bit of them lived at Salcey Lawn or when/if they left. (Relevant to nothing, but how young is the current Duke of Grafton? It’s obscene. I realize dukedoms are inherited, not striven for, but really.)

Apparently Salcey Forest once had its own railway station, though it sounds as though it was one of the shortest-lived stations ever; I quote: “The station was not situated near any settlement and only saw passenger services for four months, it being most likely an error of judgement by the railway company”.

In the evening we dined at the Calcutta Brasserie, the most upmarket-looking of Stony Stratford’s circa half a dozen Indian restaurants. The Calcutta is housed in a converted chapel, so I had been curious to go there partly on that account; also I did have a takeaway chicken dish from there while staying at the Old Stratford Travelodge last year and thought it pretty nice. In the event Mum and I both thought the food was very good and it’s certainly an interesting setting for a restaurant. Mum did a bit of cunning Googling and discovered that the building (of which the restaurant occupies only part, the bit that looks like a chapel) appears to have been originally built as a school and later occupied by the Fegan's Home for Boys.

Mum on platform

Stylish white fence. And mat.

On the Sunday we went out for a walk – despite the rain – along the same route that Ruth and I had walked the previous weekend, this time going a little further as far as the platform of the former Great Linford station. The last train ran through in 1967 and it evidently then fell into general disarray - there are some interesting photographs here. Today, the platform area is amazingly well kept with a neat flowerbed and everything. We went for lunch at The Black Horse and then did the canal walk back to Wolverton Park.

The garden at the house has been looking jolly pretty lately. Ruth’s painting of our side of the fence along the side return has helped with the trendy urban air we’re going for. Also, the grasses behind the water feature have become amazingly swishy.