I'm not usually into big events involving crowds, but thought I'd stroll down to the waterfront on Sunday last to see what was going on at the Maritime Festival.
It was well worth the effort. Apart from the expected (ships and boats, food and drink) there were some added delights. The Great War seemed to be a theme, with re-creations of life at the front, and not only for the British soldiers, as the Germans got a look-in too.
The massive turnout meant a few bottlenecks as people strolled along the waterfront but that didn't affect the general good-humour. It goes without saying that the hostelries along the waterfront were overflowing, and I was able to enjoy a welcome pint in Isaacs. Batman also loaned me the Batmobile for the event, and it drew a curious crowd when I parked it.
It was well worth the effort. Apart from the expected (ships and boats, food and drink) there were some added delights. The Great War seemed to be a theme, with re-creations of life at the front, and not only for the British soldiers, as the Germans got a look-in too.
The massive turnout meant a few bottlenecks as people strolled along the waterfront but that didn't affect the general good-humour. It goes without saying that the hostelries along the waterfront were overflowing, and I was able to enjoy a welcome pint in Isaacs. Batman also loaned me the Batmobile for the event, and it drew a curious crowd when I parked it.
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On the way back I noticed that St Nicholas Street was almost deserted, leaving poor old Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (of Henry VIII fame) looking very lonely. For those who don't know, this statue of him, seated with one of his cats (he was a great cat-lover) was erected very near to the place where he was born. Some of the buildings that would have been familiar to him are still there, indeed the one on the corner pictured here was once thought to be his family's home, but now we know he lived opposite in a house that no longer exists. It is not widely known that Cardinal Wolsey had ideas about education that were ahead of his time, and said that it should be an enjoyable experience. This idea had still not been implemented when I was at school...
Further along St Nicholas Street, on the corner with Cromwell Square, is the memorial to Prince Alexander Obolensky (17.2.1916 to 29.3.1940), considered one of England's greatest rugby players. He joined the RAF in 1939 and died when his plane overshot the runway at Martlesham Heath. A great rugby player but, alas, a rotten pilot.
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