Back roads and unusual spires on our way to Cambridge Monday 30th June End of Financial Year

On reflection this day has always been an extremely busy one for me, when I was in business.  I recall one year when we completed all the reports for our owners at 3.15am.  Certainly was a long night.  These days though I wouldn't last anywhere near those times.  We left Wells Next Sea in sunshine, after a long breakfast with our fellow guests, all of whom were  at the same pub the night before, and all of whom had definite ideas of dogs in pubs.  Apparently after we left, a group came in with two dogs, and they allowed the dogs to get on the table.  Nuff said.  Our authorities would be horrified if that happened, as we were in unison.

The Old Customs House in Wells Next to Sea, a good choice for a holiday by the water

In our opinion there is a place for dogs, and it is in parks, on the beach or on the lead, definitely not inside libraries, British museums, buses and trains, nor in restaurants in pubs or any other eating establishment.

Along our journey today we drove through the countryside, through lots of old villages, passed many fields of potatoes and corn (?) or maize, and saw the most unusual church spires that we have ever seen.

Finally we stopped in a town called Diss, for lunch.  Not much happens here, so the driver said, until we turned into the Town Centre.  What a lively place.  The roosters wandered along the road, holding up traffic, the ducklings wandered freely where ever, and there were so many people in town for a Monday.

We wandered up the hill towards the Church of St Mary the Virgin, an Anglican church on top of the hill, and again with a different spire.

Now me being one who wants to find out about these iron spires, hasn't had much luck at working out when they were put on the church, even google is not telling me much.

But history often can be found in the strangest places, here we were looking at some story boards in the museum, and I recognised the names in a story about Sir Robert Fitz Walter one of the people instrumental in getting King John to sign the Magna Carta.  

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You see my ancestor King John wanted to marry Sir Robert's daughter, and he wouldn't let him, so King John poisoned her poached egg! He then confiscated all the lands and exciled Sir Robert.   Lovely story don't you think.  Sir Robert got his own back by making King John sign the Magna Carta, but like many politicians the King didn't take much notice of it any way!

This was the beginning of the church in 1290, as Sir Robert began construction on the church then.  We met the Rector, and he showed us a staircase to the Parvice over the North Porch, such a narrow steep staircase I have no idea how they managed to climb up to their sleeping quarters, considering the robes that were worn then.

Turns out our Rector was leaving to go for lunch, but being interested in John's Anglican missionaries and involvement in the Anglican Church, told us about his trips to Australia and his sister who lived in Bundaberg. 

I spotted some stained glass panels on the windows, and told him they were originally from 1500's (I learnt that bit in Newcastle) he didn't seem to be aware of it, but gave us a brochure about the church, and sure enough these pieces date from that era.

Now like a lot of churches they have dwindling numbers and need to re-invent themselves, but I think their proposal to remove all these kneeling cushions and open up the seating is a bad idea.  

They are so colourful and not something we had seen before

Lunch at our favourite sandwich shop Grieggs.  About the only place with really fresh bread, and small baguettes, made on the day.  I have avoided the scones, jam and cream since the first time cause the scones sit out in the open air, and are more like rock cakes.  Another thing we haven't bought is a slice of Victoria sponge.  Now a sponge cake is meant to be eaten the day it is made.  Homemade cakes it said in one place I asked if the sponge was fresh, it was made yesterday she said, it will last 3 days!  Never!  And at $6 a slice.

Anyway on wards we went from Diss to Eye, funny names, but again another unusually old church and buildings around it.

I think the Arabs must own this horse stud, it is nearly as spectacular as the Queen's

We are now in Anstey Hall just outside Cambridge, for the next 3 nights.  Looks like fine weather for the first days of July.

For the communication buffs out there, let me share this with you.  My Lebara sim card which somehow had to be reset after we came back from Ireland, (and which the call centre would never have been able to fix), has given me problems while we have been in the area from Sandringham to Wells Next to Sea.

I had no internet connection.  Then this morning up pops a message, Vodaphone network not connected.  So now I worked it all out.  Lebara, which is owned by Vodaphone, uses dedicated Lebara towers in different parts of the country and must use Vodaphone in other places.

When the Samsung tech showed me the problem regarding the sim card it was because the Lebara network was not included as a network on my tablet.  Now why did their system remove it  in the first place when we went to Ireland.  The tech showed me which networks were on the tablet, and even my Telstra was missing.  So we decided I only needed Lebara and Telstra, and he removed the rest.  Not such an easy task because not only do you search for the networks, they all come with some code as well.  So now I have the answers to my communications problems, because half way along today my Lebara network kicked back in.

After changing the network towers I think my Telstra has disappeared also.  

If you intend travelling around the UK do not get a Lebara card, stick to an O2 or Vodaphone, we were not wise to this and never thought it would be so difficult.  But I am glad I solved the issue!

Had my whinge about them now!!!