Pub music

Friday night Felpham, we went for a drink in a pub in the village next to Bognor and found it was live music night. I didn't see the band; there was such a crush, but I'm sure they were grey-haired, like most of the people dancing. Sort of Mick Jagger age, and enjoying themselves enormously! From the Beatles to Robbie Williams, and all you could see were wiggling bottoms and waving arms.
Then on Sunday Mum took me for lunch in Isfield, to a pub called, for some reason the Laughing Fish. Lovely ploughman's lunches, and a folk society meeting. One of the rooms of the pub, people were taking turns to sing or play. Folk songs, sea shanties. Mostly middle-aged or elderly, ordinary-looking men and women stood up and sang many-versed songs, then sat down and another had a turn. The landlord told us they came there about once a year, and did other pubs in the meantime.

Bognor regis

It's a bit of a dump! However, yesterday I walked back to the campus, first along the beach, paddling in the shallow water. With a cool breeze blowing, the temperature of the shallow water was lovely.

 Here, you can't see the beach, but the jet skier was having a great time. Today is the World Cup final, Spain against Holland. The group of Spanish teachers doing a course here have dressed up in red and yellow and painted their faces. I think they must have found a pub where they can watch it. Of course, I 'll be happy for them if Spain wins!

Idyllic July

Bognor Regis, Sussex
The Bognor Regis campus of Chichester University is small compared with Royal Holloway where I stayed last week, but when you're going from one classroom to another it seems quite big. Its got lots of trees, grassy spaces and rabbits and squirrels are everywhere outside. On the other side of a terribly busy main road there's the famous holiday camp, Butlins, which is 2-3 times the size. Someone said it's like Dirty Dancing. Or Hi de Hi, which is longer ago. People were certainly having a raucus time there at the weekend. We've been lucky so far with the weather, which is like it should be in Camelot  (fine).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCtselIX4yg
This is a link to youtube Camelot, Richard Harris singing.

World Cup

I'm away from home for the month. At the moment at the lovely campus of Royal Holloway University, Egham, doing preparation to direct a summer language course in Bognor. We've finished the sessions and have to wait a few hours for a coach to take us to Lewisham on the other side of London. England is playing Germany in the semi-quarter finals of the World Cup (football) and there are about 50 of us in a big bar with big TV screens. At the moment, 5 minutes after half-time, Germany is still winning 2-1. Every movement towards the goal the crowd goes wild. I don't care about football, but this is fun. I can hear the wild screams behind me from inside! In fromt of me at this pub table is the incredible sleeping beauty quadrangle Founder's Building. Great World Cup weather, hot sunshine. The latest report is 4-1. I'll cheer for Spain....

Summer!

It's been a cold, wet spring, but summer has finally arrived. This afternoon has been pretty hot. You can still see one or two people in warm jackets, but shorts and t-shirts look a bit more sensible now. I spent the afternoon working in the garden, which really tired me out.
Yesterday there was still light after 10 pm. I love the long evenings.

Mallos de Riglos

Yesterday I had to get to Huesca by 9.30. not usually a problem; it's an hour's drive. However, yesterday in particular I couldn't be sure of getting there on time, because of the Quebrantahuesos.
The Quebrantahuesos is a 205 km cycle race which starts and finishes in Sabíñánigo and uses the roads in the Aragón and Tena valleys. They don't close the roads, but with up to 10,000 cyclists the traffic is severely affected.
So we decided to use the alternative route through the mountain pass of Santa Bárbara. It's longer and very wiggly, but very spectacular, passing through the gorge made by the river Gállego with views of the extraordinary Mallos de Riglos.

The journey was pleasant, not too hot, and we arrived in plenty of time for a cup of coffee before my exams were due to start. Today is the last day of spring, and it has rained so much lately that everything is lush and green. 

Only two weeks till summer!

Here they say don't trust spring weather, don't take your warm clothes off until the 40th of May.  That's today, and the rain has been incredible. The streets have been running like rivers, and all the eaves dripping.