LGA conference Harrogate; 30 Jun to 2 Jul 09

It was 12 months ago that I started this blog. It was meant to complement my political web-site which thanks to the kind electorate of Cottenham, Histon and Impington is required to continue. And thanks to my fellow Lib Dem councillors on Cambridgeshire County Council I am starting my 3rd year as group leader and so I was able to attend the LGA conference. Which is where this blog started 12 months ago.

I like Harrogate. It’s got some really nice hotels and a good choice of splendid restaurants (more on one below). Unfortunately Cambridgeshire County Council decided that we should not stay at one of the many close to the conference centre but to challenge us with one somewhere out on the Knaresborough Road. Nice enough location if you want to enjoy the wonderful green space south of the B6040, not so good if you want to shuttle to and from the conference centre during the day. I part way solved the problem by adding to the local council’s concessionary bus fares deficit (Harrogate really does have a splendid bus system) but given the humidity and 30 degree heat it wasnt’ really practical to return to the hotel during the day.

Restaurant-wise I picked a winner. I went to Graveley’s which is a proper fish and chip shop with a licenced restaurant ‘on the side’. I was on my own and in these days of expenses scandals I was looking for value and I got it. Within 5 minutes of sitting down I’d ordered, got a beer and was tucking in to haddock and chips. I couldn’t do a direct comparison to Petrou Bros in Chatteris which sets the gold standard for fish and chips but Graveley’s came pretty darn close.

My jouney home was interesting. I travelled by train of course and had an hour and a half to spare at Leeds. After lunch (a choice of open air cafes across the square from the station! I chose and enjoyed Loch Fyne) I returned to get my train only to find it cancelled. So with half an hour to wait for the next one I decided to take some photographs of the station (I taken a few in York on the way up). Oh dear no. A very nice official from the station staff told me I could not photograph the structure of the station (although I could get permission if I wrote in) because of the risk of terrorism. I ask you. Does that not sound a trifle OTT? I didn’t argue. We smiled and shared a ‘what’s the world coming to’ moment.

I didn’t watch the cup final; 30 May 09

Every month I write a monthly report. I do it because I’m a county councillor and it keeps the parish councils in my division up to date with what I do. I finish every report with a personal item. I thought you might like to read the one I wrote yesterday. You can read the full monthly report (not recommended) at www.davidjenkins.org.uk.

The Beehive, Horringer; 24 Apr 09

The Guardian yesterday ran an article about Suffolk for the benefit of Roy Keane who’s just taken over the manger’s role at Ipswich. It talked of sheep and tractors and contrasted the pace of Suffolk life with that of Manchester and that part of Cheshire beloved of its footballers.

The Pheasant at Keyston; 30 Mar 09

 

 

 

 

For collectors of meaningless trivia: if you want to find a restaurant midway between Histon and Market Harborough go to Keyston. Keystonis just oof the A14 west of Huntingdon and it strikes me as a rather affluent village. The blue bins mark it out as being in Huntingdonshire and it boasts a fine church, a manor house and a fine restaurant at the Pheasant.

Drum and Monkey, Harrogate; 8 Mar 09

 

 

 

Yesterday was a good day for food. I started off with a cardiac breakfast at my hotel, the Crown, in Harrogate. And after a 4 train journey back to Cambridge I enjoyed my weekly steak which is the one meal that I’m allowed and expected to cook. In between was lunch at the Drum and Monkey, small but perfectly formed.

FUSE, Impington Village College; 27 Feb 09

 

 

 

This evening I enjoyed yet another breathtaking experience at Impington Village College. Dancers from Wayne McGregor | Random Dance have been in residency at the school working with students and creating original dance material. This evening they performed.

Little Tokyo, Leeds; 17 Feb 09

 

 

 

Tuesday evening we fancied Japanese food and instead of going south to Teri Aki in Cambridge which is very good we headed north instead and ended up in Leeds at Little Tokyo. Actually that’s not true. It was number one daughter’s birthday and we went up to surprise her. The wife hatched a plot with Clare’s number 1 man, Alex, and we headed north.

Stars in their eyes; Impington Village College; 11 Feb 09

I had a Simon Cowell experience this week. I was flattered into joining the judging panel for Impington Village College’s annual ‘Stars in their eyes’ talent show.  It was awesome.

Snow: week of 2 Feb 09

 

 

 

I found myself in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with Nigel Farage this week. It was Thursday evening, Question Time and the panel was asked about the shut down of the country after the snow of Sunday night and subsequently. Senor Farage was the only member of the panel who felt that by and large we are a nation of wimps and give up too easily in the face of a little snow.

Edwinn’s, Cambridge: 24 Jan 09

 

 

 

Have you noticed that when you find a restaurant with a super value set menu you generally end up spending twice as much as you expected when you went in ? So it was with me today when I was attracted by the £9.95 on offer at Edwinns in Cambridge. By the time I’d added a glass of wine (it was Saturday) and an espresso my bill added up to £17.27!