12 April 2019 (Friday) - Off to Cambrdgeshire


I’d set the alarm early today as I knew we had an early start. But despite last night’s night shift I was still awake far too early. I watched an episode of “Trailer Park Boys” then went and kicked "er indoors TM" out of her pit. As she got up Pogo looked at me in utter amazement. What were the humans doing getting up in the middle of the night?
We all came downstairs and Pogo watched us get ready from the comfort of Fudge’s basket. If ever a dog had an expression of “WTF is going on?” it was Pogo this morning.

We left home just before half past five. As we drove up the contraflow on the motorway the travel news told us that the “Operation Brock” contraflow would be removed later today. “Operation Brock” has been a major inconvenience for the last few weeks; I shall be glad to see it go.
But despite having half the motorway not in use (for no discernible reason) we made good time and were at the Duxford McDonalds half an hour earlier than planned. As was everyone else. I found Karl Tracey and Charlotte at the self-service gizmo, and as I fed the dogs their breakfasts of sausage and egg McMuffins (spoiled pups!) so Wayne and Lyn arrived.

We drove to the sleepy village of Meldreth (it’s somewhere in Cambridgeshire) and we went for a little walk; our walk being directed by various film pots stashed under rocks. Within yards of starting the walk Pogo “unloaded”. I cleared his mess and walked him back a hundred yards to the dog dung bin, and he was heartbroken. This was something of a theme for the day; if he was away from "er indoors TM" for even a few moments he was distraught.
But we had a rather good walk. The weather was odd; it was too hot to be wearing my fleece so I took it off. It was soon too cold not to have my fleece on. On-off, on-off all day. Mind you it was warm enough to sit in the beer garden of a pub we found. A pint of “Oddy” from a brewery in Bishop’s Stortford slipped down very nicely.
I quite liked walking in Cambridgeshire. Compared to Kent it was very flat. As we walked we saw buzzards and yellowhammers. We found a stone commemorating the millennium which had been placed on the Greenwich meridian. And I found my eleven thousandth geocache too.

After twelve and a half miles (and eighty-three geocaches) we were back at the cars. An hour later we were at the wonderfully-named village of Molesworth (has no one but me ever heard of the star pupil of St Custard’s school?). We’d booked rooms at the Cross Keys pub. Everyone else but us had stayed there before and thoroughly recommended the place. I must admit that I went hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and I was pleasantly surprised. They were very happy for us to have the dogs with us. The little chalet-thingy we had was very comfortable.
Mind you I spent five minute fighting with the shower; why do no two hotels, pubs or guest houses ever have the same shower controller-thingy?

As "er indoors TM" showered so I went into the bar. After a couple of pints of “Landlord” we were all assembled, and we sat down for dinner. I had the mixed grill… It was really good. Cooked to perfection, and it was as well that we were allowed to have the dogs with us. Even with their help I barely cleared the plate. (But I still managed pudding!)

It was a shame that the pub’s wi-fi was a tad flaky, but despite knocking a pint of ale flying I eventually got some photos of the day on to the Internet.

Today has been a very long day…

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