Miscellany

[pensnest]

It seems that *four* women from my college were Damed in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2018: Emma Thompson (a contemporary of mine, we never met but I saw her perform in a revue called Women's Hour, bald); Sue Owen (economist and champion of gender equality and LGBT rights); Stella Manzie (for her work in public service and local government) and Professor Mary Beard (for services to the study of Classical Civilisation).

Go Newnhamites!

*

A post on MetaFilter alerted me to Slip Coaches, sadly—or, perhaps, mercifully—a thing of the past, having ceased during the year of my birth. Apparently, trains on British railways would uncouple carriages while in motion and allow them to come to rest in local stations while the express train rolled happily onward. Amazing.

*

Princess Fluffykins managed to conceal herself in the kitchen when I thought it safe to leave the room. (Beast had Warcraft this evening and had not cleared away the supper preparations as he usually does.) I was alerted to this by the clatter of the cheese grater hitting the floor… my cats adore cheese, and Sable followed me into the kitchen. Soon, both of them were nomming grated shards from the floor.

It's interesting, having cats.

*

There are about fifty churches in Norwich. Legend has it, a church for every Sunday of the year, not sure whether the count includes the two cathedrals or not. A lot of the churches are no longer functioning as churches, but still. And because most of them are 'wool churches' they are generally rather handsome. I visited one today, St Stephen's, which has Sunday services but otherwise functions as a café, as we're having a concert in it early in January, to usher in our chorus's 40th anniversary year.

We'll also be singing in the cathedral - *the* cathedral, rather than the RC one, a mere Victorian newcomer - next month. Should be fun! The local press group have decided there should be a Norfolk Day, which seems to be designed mostly to encourage Norfolkians to buy newspapers, but the cathedral is doing an all-day concert, different group every half hour, and we will be on at 8.30pm.

Comments

[milosflaca]

is this the first time you have cats? I'm trying to recall if you ever posted about owning a cat, but so far I can't remember any post where you had mention any!

[pensnest]

There was Socks, for many years while we lived in Hemel - strictly speaking she wasmy daughter's cat, but she ended up as ours and lived to be 19.

I knew I wanted another cat, but had to wait until the building work was done. Then I spotted the two of them on the PACT website, so there we are.

[spikedluv]

Our dogs love cheese, too! (And we have to keep an eye on Ti because he likes to pillage the garbage, escaping with butter wrappers and mayonnaise jars . . . (So gross when I saw him licking that one out, lol.)

[pensnest]

Fluffy found a mayonnaise jar too... that cat will eat anything (except the small creatures she brings into the house).

[turlough]

I'm firmly of the opinion it's a good thing those coaches don't exist any longer. They sound scary!

Lancecat is such a picky eater. He turns his nose up at cheese and demands smoked ham instead :-)

Singing in the cathedral, awesome!

[rikes]

OMG, that train article! Can't believe that was an actual thing. I love the idea though, just seems a tad dangerous.

[watervole]

You missed half the quote...

When I lived in Norwich, I was told a pub for every week of the year and a pub for every day!

[watervole]

That should read church instead of the first pub...

[frausorge]

Your cats are very wily!

I hope your cathedral concert goes great.