Wells, Bath, dying cars, trains, weddings and coming home
Woke up around 8, had a shower, then breakfast, got stuff together and headed off, again in beautiful weather.
The drive to Wells was short, I parked in the main car park and walked to the cathedral the long way round.
Quite impressive from the outside already, especially the front with its many sculptures, incl. the ShoggothsSeraphim. I paid my donation and £3 for a photography permit and wandered around the various areas of the interior taking photos and then joined one of the free tours. The "inverted arches" are quite unique and were inserted after parts started to sink into the ground. An impressive feat of engineering in the 14th century. Apart from more detailed information about the various stages of the building the tour guide also pointed out various bits one might easily miss when you're on your own like the variations in the capitals of the pillars, some of which even told little stories or little scenes of everyday life like the bloke with toothache.
I managed to get quite a few good shots and then continued my journey.
On the way to Bath I stopped at a roadside pub for lunch (beef and ale pie) which was rather nice and then it didn't take long until I was in Bath. I didn't even get lost and found my B&B. The landlady was really friendly and chatty and gave me good directions into city centre. I headed into town via the big park, past the Royal Crescent into the very busy centre. My main destination were obviously the Royal Baths which were very busy indeed, even on a weekday outside of season. I've always been fascinated by Roman culture and engineering and this location is a prime example of both. For a natural hot spring the water actually smelled quite pleasant but the big green pool still wasn't very inviting. There was no restriction on photography and as most of the exhibits were very well lit, I found it very easy to grab a number of shots I'm really happy with. There's a lot of information on offer and you can't really digest it all but I remember one quote:
A barbarian chief asked Emperor Hadrian once why he would want to bathe once a day, to which the Emperor replied, because he was too busy to do it twice...
Afterwards, I wandered around Bath some more, had some food at a vegetarian pub with a rather eclectic music selection, trundled back and watched TV while editing a photo preview.
Day of Doom
After I'd had a good night's sleep and a lovely breakfast, I continued on the next and rather long leg of my journey which was cut short just after Bristol and just before the Severn Bridge when my car suddenly died without warning. The engine basically just stopped, I managed to pull over onto the wide shoulder but the car won't start again. Lots of steam/smoke as I opened the bonnet and it didn't look good so I phoned the AA. The man found me very quickly (less than an hour), looked at it a bit more thoroughly and then suspected that the head gasket had gone. Bugger, not an easy, cheap or quick job. After weighing up various possibilities (and him phoning various garages for options), I decided that it would be best if he towed me to Bristol, drop the car off at Nationwide and I get the train to Tenby. Relay only works to the destination of the journey which would have meant having the car in Tenby and still not being able to ge back so leaving it in Bristol seemed to be more sensible. It now depends on how quickly they can do it all but hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up on Saturday.
The AA man was a really nice bloke and not only did his job of getting my car to the garage but also gave me a lift to Temple Meads station and then even refused the generous tip I offered. I guess they don't call them Road Angels for nothing.
I was very lucky that a single to Tenby only cost me 26.50 and the next connection left an hour later. So I had a bit of lunch and phoned ahead that I would be late.
The train journey involved two changes (one in Newport and one in Swansea) but wasn't two bad, especially as I randomly met Liz and Alex on the last bit so after a major stop we managed to get a four seater bit and could spend the rest of the time chatting.
The train arrived in Tenby at 17:38 which wasn't too bad. davedevil kindly picked me up in his incredibly cute red roadster and then took me around Tenby in a rather big diversion as there had been a huge fire a few weeks ago and half of the town was shut.
I checked in, dropped off my bags and headed down to the bar where many of the usual suspects had already gathered. I met almostalady (the chief bridesmaid) and her other half and had a good time chatting and catching up with people, the car troubles not really on my mind. Later we walked into town quite a way in search of food and finally found The Buckaneer which Dave had recommended. With good reason, as it turned out as the food was great. I had a huge plate of pan fried mackerel with chips which for the size of portion was reasonably priced. The "dragon beer" was rather nice, too. It was really good to catch with people I hadn't seen in a long time and I got on really well with those I had just met, too.
Cunningly, we took a taxi back and the driver told us some more about the fire and that it most likely was an "insurance job" or at least a very convenient accident.
After more time chatting with people in the bar, I turned in around 11, watched the second half of Jonathan Ross and then had a bath (the shower attachment was faulty) while Later... was on (the new Portishead stuff is very interesting indeed and the other acts were brilliant, too).
After putting various batteries on chargers (for which I had to unplug kettle, TV and storage heater) I went to bed and had a good night's sleep.
Saturday
Got up, had meh breakfast (the weakest so far), made sure all my gear was working and had a good look around the wedding venue. There was plenty of light so I wouldn't need flash (which was a condition the friendly Registrar had imposed on my being able to take photos during the ceremony) so I was in good spirits. I also joined the briefing so I knew were things and people would be and picked the best spot.
I mentioned my shower problem to the lovely gal at reception who then immediately offered me another room as the problem wouldn't get sorted on the day. So I just moved my stuff across the corridor and had a bigger room wih a double bed and a working shower. Result.
After all the cats had been successfully herded, the ceremony began on time and it was wonderful indeed. sea_of_flame's dad was clearly the most touched (later C remarked that she had to support him rather than the other way around ;o) Edit: Which might have been because of the slippery floor), inskauldrak and elethiomel performed two wonderful and very fitting readings, the couple were very happy indeed and just glowed. *sniff*
Afterwards, we took a huge group shot in the garden and headed back to the wedding suite for drinks.
"Wedding breakfast" was served a while later. The mushroom soup was rather nice, the main of roast beef was a bit meh and Alex had some problems with the clueless waiting staff ("I can't eat beta carotin" - "What's that?". come on, as catering professionals so should know about these things) but he got an edible version in the end (even if
quisalan swapped his plate with one of broccoli and potatoes when he had left the table for a moment.
Dessert was a cheesecake with a really nice and sharp raspberry coulis that counteracted the sweetness nicely.
After the sparkling wine had been poured (with a little present for Alex), it was time for the speeches which were all wonderful but Dave's was the best (if a bit soppy ;oP).
Then there was an official break (for Dr Who, mostly) during which I had a good look at the photos so far and edited a few of them. Dr Who was quite cool (even if the giant brain was a bit naff looking).
The last official part of the wedding was the cutting of the cake and then the party started. The DJ had been instructed with a very specific playlist so it was very bearable indeed and good fun. I managed to get some great action shots of the dancefloor and other happy people and had a really good time.
A downer came when just after 11, vilenspotens Slipped (possibly on some spilled drink), went over backwards and broke his wrist as he tried to catch himself. However, he was soon taken care of (IIRC, one of the wedding guests was a paramedic who knew what to do) and whisked off to the next hospital that would deal with fractures (30odd miles away). He looked fine and chipper in the morning but will have to take it easy for the next six weeks. All the best from here, mate!
I called it a night at midnight, processed some more photos and started the slideshow creation thing before I went to bed.
Sunday
Six hours after a rather busy day and a night of fun and drink wasn't quite enough and I was actually quite happy I didn't have to drive. chrisvenus had kindly agreed to give me a lift to Oxford so we set off after breakfast and saying good-bye to people. The drive was pleasant and quick, the only heavy traffic was in Oxford itself where we arrived at around 2:30. chrisvenus took me to the bus station and just as he left the bus arrived. During the journey I wrote this and napped a bit.
Back in Cambridge, I grabbed a taxi (stupid rank has now moved to Parkside but I guess that's where all the aiport stops are so it makes sense) and was home.
The drive to Wells was short, I parked in the main car park and walked to the cathedral the long way round.
Quite impressive from the outside already, especially the front with its many sculptures, incl. the ShoggothsSeraphim. I paid my donation and £3 for a photography permit and wandered around the various areas of the interior taking photos and then joined one of the free tours. The "inverted arches" are quite unique and were inserted after parts started to sink into the ground. An impressive feat of engineering in the 14th century. Apart from more detailed information about the various stages of the building the tour guide also pointed out various bits one might easily miss when you're on your own like the variations in the capitals of the pillars, some of which even told little stories or little scenes of everyday life like the bloke with toothache.
I managed to get quite a few good shots and then continued my journey.
On the way to Bath I stopped at a roadside pub for lunch (beef and ale pie) which was rather nice and then it didn't take long until I was in Bath. I didn't even get lost and found my B&B. The landlady was really friendly and chatty and gave me good directions into city centre. I headed into town via the big park, past the Royal Crescent into the very busy centre. My main destination were obviously the Royal Baths which were very busy indeed, even on a weekday outside of season. I've always been fascinated by Roman culture and engineering and this location is a prime example of both. For a natural hot spring the water actually smelled quite pleasant but the big green pool still wasn't very inviting. There was no restriction on photography and as most of the exhibits were very well lit, I found it very easy to grab a number of shots I'm really happy with. There's a lot of information on offer and you can't really digest it all but I remember one quote:
A barbarian chief asked Emperor Hadrian once why he would want to bathe once a day, to which the Emperor replied, because he was too busy to do it twice...
Afterwards, I wandered around Bath some more, had some food at a vegetarian pub with a rather eclectic music selection, trundled back and watched TV while editing a photo preview.
Day of Doom
After I'd had a good night's sleep and a lovely breakfast, I continued on the next and rather long leg of my journey which was cut short just after Bristol and just before the Severn Bridge when my car suddenly died without warning. The engine basically just stopped, I managed to pull over onto the wide shoulder but the car won't start again. Lots of steam/smoke as I opened the bonnet and it didn't look good so I phoned the AA. The man found me very quickly (less than an hour), looked at it a bit more thoroughly and then suspected that the head gasket had gone. Bugger, not an easy, cheap or quick job. After weighing up various possibilities (and him phoning various garages for options), I decided that it would be best if he towed me to Bristol, drop the car off at Nationwide and I get the train to Tenby. Relay only works to the destination of the journey which would have meant having the car in Tenby and still not being able to ge back so leaving it in Bristol seemed to be more sensible. It now depends on how quickly they can do it all but hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up on Saturday.
The AA man was a really nice bloke and not only did his job of getting my car to the garage but also gave me a lift to Temple Meads station and then even refused the generous tip I offered. I guess they don't call them Road Angels for nothing.
I was very lucky that a single to Tenby only cost me 26.50 and the next connection left an hour later. So I had a bit of lunch and phoned ahead that I would be late.
The train journey involved two changes (one in Newport and one in Swansea) but wasn't two bad, especially as I randomly met Liz and Alex on the last bit so after a major stop we managed to get a four seater bit and could spend the rest of the time chatting.
The train arrived in Tenby at 17:38 which wasn't too bad. davedevil kindly picked me up in his incredibly cute red roadster and then took me around Tenby in a rather big diversion as there had been a huge fire a few weeks ago and half of the town was shut.
I checked in, dropped off my bags and headed down to the bar where many of the usual suspects had already gathered. I met almostalady (the chief bridesmaid) and her other half and had a good time chatting and catching up with people, the car troubles not really on my mind. Later we walked into town quite a way in search of food and finally found The Buckaneer which Dave had recommended. With good reason, as it turned out as the food was great. I had a huge plate of pan fried mackerel with chips which for the size of portion was reasonably priced. The "dragon beer" was rather nice, too. It was really good to catch with people I hadn't seen in a long time and I got on really well with those I had just met, too.
Cunningly, we took a taxi back and the driver told us some more about the fire and that it most likely was an "insurance job" or at least a very convenient accident.
After more time chatting with people in the bar, I turned in around 11, watched the second half of Jonathan Ross and then had a bath (the shower attachment was faulty) while Later... was on (the new Portishead stuff is very interesting indeed and the other acts were brilliant, too).
After putting various batteries on chargers (for which I had to unplug kettle, TV and storage heater) I went to bed and had a good night's sleep.
Saturday
Got up, had meh breakfast (the weakest so far), made sure all my gear was working and had a good look around the wedding venue. There was plenty of light so I wouldn't need flash (which was a condition the friendly Registrar had imposed on my being able to take photos during the ceremony) so I was in good spirits. I also joined the briefing so I knew were things and people would be and picked the best spot.
I mentioned my shower problem to the lovely gal at reception who then immediately offered me another room as the problem wouldn't get sorted on the day. So I just moved my stuff across the corridor and had a bigger room wih a double bed and a working shower. Result.
After all the cats had been successfully herded, the ceremony began on time and it was wonderful indeed. sea_of_flame's dad was clearly the most touched (later C remarked that she had to support him rather than the other way around ;o) Edit: Which might have been because of the slippery floor), inskauldrak and elethiomel performed two wonderful and very fitting readings, the couple were very happy indeed and just glowed. *sniff*
Afterwards, we took a huge group shot in the garden and headed back to the wedding suite for drinks.
"Wedding breakfast" was served a while later. The mushroom soup was rather nice, the main of roast beef was a bit meh and Alex had some problems with the clueless waiting staff ("I can't eat beta carotin" - "What's that?". come on, as catering professionals so should know about these things) but he got an edible version in the end (even if
quisalan swapped his plate with one of broccoli and potatoes when he had left the table for a moment.
Dessert was a cheesecake with a really nice and sharp raspberry coulis that counteracted the sweetness nicely.
After the sparkling wine had been poured (with a little present for Alex), it was time for the speeches which were all wonderful but Dave's was the best (if a bit soppy ;oP).
Then there was an official break (for Dr Who, mostly) during which I had a good look at the photos so far and edited a few of them. Dr Who was quite cool (even if the giant brain was a bit naff looking).
The last official part of the wedding was the cutting of the cake and then the party started. The DJ had been instructed with a very specific playlist so it was very bearable indeed and good fun. I managed to get some great action shots of the dancefloor and other happy people and had a really good time.
A downer came when just after 11, vilenspotens Slipped (possibly on some spilled drink), went over backwards and broke his wrist as he tried to catch himself. However, he was soon taken care of (IIRC, one of the wedding guests was a paramedic who knew what to do) and whisked off to the next hospital that would deal with fractures (30odd miles away). He looked fine and chipper in the morning but will have to take it easy for the next six weeks. All the best from here, mate!
I called it a night at midnight, processed some more photos and started the slideshow creation thing before I went to bed.
Sunday
Six hours after a rather busy day and a night of fun and drink wasn't quite enough and I was actually quite happy I didn't have to drive. chrisvenus had kindly agreed to give me a lift to Oxford so we set off after breakfast and saying good-bye to people. The drive was pleasant and quick, the only heavy traffic was in Oxford itself where we arrived at around 2:30. chrisvenus took me to the bus station and just as he left the bus arrived. During the journey I wrote this and napped a bit.
Back in Cambridge, I grabbed a taxi (stupid rank has now moved to Parkside but I guess that's where all the aiport stops are so it makes sense) and was home.