Out and about

Last week I travelled by train to Winchester to meet with a school friend, apart from that link she taught both my children at their different secondary schools so she's interested in their progress too. On our way to the cathedral we passed the public library, of course I had to have a peep inside, does this count as Continuing Professional Development? Very impressed, well arranged, also something new to me was the loan of periodicals like Ideal Home, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Mollie Makes. 

Almost as expected there was a First World War exhibition, the display of poppies had become to me a thoughtful art work.

After refreshments in the Cathedral Refectory we spent a long time in the Cathedral, on my previous visit there hadn't been time for this, unfortunately it meant I didn't see the Winchester bible as there is much building and restoration work afoot and the library and its treasures won't be available for a couple of years. We joined a tour group led by the most knowledgeable Hugh, a trainee guide pointed out windows designed but not executed by William Morris, I could see the links with some of his wallpaper and fabric designs, especially the leaves here in http://www.wallpaperdirect.com/collections/morris/william-morris/79 in Arbutus. 

On the train home was amused by the announcements approaching Basingstoke when passengers were told to "change here for Oxford, [pause] The Midlands and [another pause] The North".  It made the last two destinations sound a long way off,  rather exotic and a strange country. Oh, no it shouldn't be passengers, we are all customers now. I was in a quiet carriage, but that didn't  exclude chatter and noisy conversations with colleagues and other travellers, these presumably are allowed as not phone calls or loud music. 

Still a preferable way to travel rather than driving in the dark on the M3 with attendant road works between junctions 1 and 4A for I managed to crochet quite a few granny squares.