RANDOM JOTTINGS

Back from Cambridge and a lovely lunch with Jan and a wander round the city.  There is something magical about this wonderful place and every time I am there I love it all over again.  We had our lunch on a small balcony outside a restaurant overlooking the Backs and had great fun watching the punts and wincing at some of the near and not so near misses taking place below us.  I was a little worried about some ducks who were in danger of getting squashed between two boats who seemed determined to re-enact Titanic and the Iceberg until Jan pointed out to me that they could dive under the water…..

Did my usual trawl of bookshops and visited one of my favourites, The Haunted Bookshop which is always full of interesting stuff and crammed into the tiniest one up one down little house you could ever see. Books are not only double but treble packed and I am sure that some of the stock at the back of all these heaps never gets looked at.  The very expensive Richmal Crompton I have been eying up for four years is still there and after I bid successfully for another one a few months ago, I keep thinking I should have a crack at this one as well, but as I will be unemployed by the end of the month, decided I had better keep my money in my purse.

I did, however, buy one book.  In an earlier post I had asked for recommendations for a new author I could try, having gulped down Mapp and Lucia in the last few weeks and now feel stranded, and the name of Angela Thirkell has come up.  I have been contemplating her for some time, particularly as she has written a series of books The Barchester Chronicles, which makes them almost irresistible as far as I am concerned, but have never got round to them.

Well, now I will.  I picked up a copy of County Chronicles and will be seeing how I get on with this in the coming week or so.  There were plenty more of hers in the Haunted Bookshop but I resisted until I see how I get on.  Anybody out there hold thoughts and opinions please on this author?  Would be pleased to hear.

Have just spotted a small side paragraph in my paper.  A signed copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is currently fetching £650 and the Enid Blyton Adventure books with dust jackets, £125.  Pleased to see this as I have the entire Adventure series and a signed copy of Goblet.  Shall sit on them a little longer I think until I fancy a Caribbean Cruise.

Off now for a lazy hour or two on the sofa and will be catching up with what seems to be the most splendid day at the Olympics for Team GB (Mem:  why GB?  Why not Great Britain I ask myself)….