Saturday 1st April 2023

Woke around 0800....Aki brought me a mug of tea, then cooked breakfast. Packed our bags, which I hauled to the car. Set off north-eastward at around 1130. Aimed for Manor House first and stuck some petrol in the car, then drove to the farm shop near Babraham, just south of Cambridge. Stopped there for a coffee and a pastel de nata…served hot! Drove on to West Stow and had ourselves a walk around Lackford Lake and along the River Lark. Drove into Bury St Edmunds, stopping off at ASDA to buy Tim a bottle of champers to mark his birthday. 

Drove on to the Priory Hotel for our VIP stay…it started well, with my name nailed to a tree, denoting my reserved car parking space. The executive suite was very disappointing, though, and we hurried back out into  the  gloaming. Got lucky with a town centre parking space on Angel Hill, and walked to the Queens Bar & Grill on Churchgate. Ordered the lamb…an hour and a half later we were still waiting! They charged us half price by way of apology, and we walked up Churchgate, a trifle late, to the Unitarian Meeting House where Tim was celebrating his 60th. Managed a brief chat with him and Lynn…no other ex New Vic alumni had made it, so I was the sole representative…Tim and Lynn met on the first production of Good Golly Miss Molly. 

Caught up with their daughter, Sidi, who is living on a canal barge currently moored up in Hackney Wick. Got chatting to a couple, Danny and Finn, at our table, who had recently moved to a nearby village after living for most of their working lives in London. 

I vaguely recognised Danny…he’d been an actor with London Bubble, and we discovered we had mutual friends in common. We snuck out during the last Ceilidh dance and got back to the hotel before the 2300 curfew!