not near the coast

Pop up shop Carousel in Bridge Street Framlingham has been an impressive success.  Previously it was ladies clothes and this week it is paintings by Peasenhall artist John Bawtree.  His works are thoughtfully attractive and are of both local Suffolk scenes and overseas including Venice, France and Zanzibar!

Here's a roller derby novelty, the British Championships Mansfield Roller Derby v Hellfire Harlots B is free entry ... though it is a ways to Mansfield admittedly.

It's all the go in and about near the coast, temporarily closing petrol stations to re-model them, not an insignificant matter when there are so few to start with.  Woodbridge (has it re-opened yet?), Co-op Stowmarket (not closed but building going on), Haynings Framlingham (reportedly will have a 24 hour self service pump) and now the BP garage on the west bound A14 near Newmarket.  Fortunately services just off the A14 on the other side of Cambridge are copiously resourced ... three Costa Coffee machines!

We found French director Céline Sciamma's film Tomboy highly involving and rewarding not least because it made the Parisian suburbs look idyllic.  So very gratifying to find a sealed copy of her later film Girlhood in the Framlingham EACH chazza.  Here the banlieue is relentlessly gritty and though Vic essentially remains trapped in her situation the opening sequence is women's american football from team Les Molosses.

We've added Swiss national road race cycling champion Nicole Hanselmman to Ladies in Framlingham.

As we were leaving Cambridge by the A1030 and in fading light Sunday evening it was dark enough for us to see that the cycle path next to the road had its own small white cat's eyes marking the edges of the track ... good idea eh?

The 17th and mountainous stage of the 1978 Tour de France broke up the peloton with riders coming into Morzine the stage finish mostly singly.  Seeing British rider Paul Sherwen after the finish gently riding through the town (no team buses then) we made a congratulatory comment and he replied You must be bloody joking.  Paul was a two time national champion, participated in seven Tours de France and was during his career pretty much the only Brit in the peleton.  He died yesterday aged 62 ... he will be missed.

Yesterday we arrived untypically early in Cambridge for Anglia Ruskin Uni Rhinos v Essex Blades to be told it would be a late start as the key to unlock the game equipment was still on it's way.  In the event as is the way recently the medic arrived ... more here

Norwich women's american football team the Iceni Spears are planning for the end of January joint training with the Essex and Peterborough teams followed by a seven a side contact tournament ... can't wait.

Delayed by roadworks on the A14 and in Colchester we arrived at the Amis Velo Supacross in time for the back end of a veterans race followed by the seniors to end the day.  The course was comparatively dry and pretty much all rideable though some muddy turns with reverse camber hard on steep little up slopes gave some problems.  Afterwards cold and hungry at catering we rediscovered how comforting an egg roll can be; as the late Robert Robinson observed (roughly) There's nothing quite like an egg sandwich that has been warmed in the glove box of a Rover.

Lance's flat in Double Street Danebury has been LET.

Last Sunday in Loughborough Dolly Rockits 225-063 Killa Hurtz.

Yesterday Royal Grammar School Colchester put up four rugby teams against Framlingham College.  When we arrived maybe halfway through the first half of the second XVs an injured RGS player was getting gas and air and RGS were losing 20-00.  Some disorganisation with Fram losing possession for dithering ... more here

In historic Stamford charity shop DVDs are typically 99p ... a lesson for us all eh?