Memorable Mondays

With Alison's contract at an end, it was an opportunity to start visiting some of the places we had been talking about for some time. It transpired that the weather dictated that the only decent days of a pretty miserable August were Mondays. I had been to Cambridge a few times, but never as a tourist. What a treat was in store. The colleges were beautiful in the sunshine, and most of them were open. We looked inside the church of Great St Marys and I persuaded Alison to go with me to the top of the tower. It was worth it for the views.We spent some time around King's College, especially the chapel. The River Cam was fairly quiet, and it was just nice to stand on one of the bridges and take in the views.

We even found the quiet back road of Portugal Place and the exact terraced house where some of Alison's ancestors lived. She says that is why she always felt at home when she lived near the city.

The following Monday we were off to the Tower of London. We did go about eight years ago, so the only incentive for me was to see again the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula where most of the main characters of my screenplay were buried after their executions. However, I was surprised how much I could not remember from our last visit. This time we just went everywhere. The medieval palace above Traitor's Gate was just wonderful.

I had been trying to remember if we had ever been to Kew Gardens. We had talked about visiting for many years. When we arrived, it was obvious we had not been before. Being a Monday, the gardens were very quiet. Not only were the main large conservatories very impressive, but it was great just to walk around the grounds. Well worth the visit.