The Corner House RIP

call me quaint? call me sentimental? call me just crazy? but today as my last visit (for the time being at least) into Cambridge I thought I would end where it all sort of started... at the Corner House Restaurant. Of course it is not actually still there and it never was on the corner anyway, but still I went back. I first went to the Corner House when it was not on the corner in 1981 when I came up to Cambridge for an interview at Westcott House theological college. I arrived late and then discovered that Cambridge railway station was not like most stations in that it was not in Cambridge at all, but way on the edge with about 30 minutes walk still to do! This meant I missed all the welcoming, all the worship and all the food! So I asked where I might find supper, and was helpfully directed to the Corner House (but it is not on the corner!)
I can still remember sitting on a small table for one in the corner near the toilets!

Tradition sticks and I would go back there, not always in the corner by the toilets, and not always alone either (I am not quite so sad after all)many times. When it closed and reopened under a new name I still kept going back and today I thought this could be the circle being made complete.
There are no longer any small tables but the toilets are still in the same place so I sat as close to the corner as I could and enjoyed lunch at the Corner House once again and it is till not on the corner anyway. Yippee! (well that is what it is called at the moment!)

at the Royal oak in Barrington

last night at the Royal Oak was a wonderful event. This is the second of the "pub crawl" farewells, the first being at the Queen Adelaide in Croydon. Lots of people from the villages came along to have a drink and say farewell. Gosh it is hard saying goodbye!

This is the Island of Burra where I shall be living

An empty house and open road... I hope

It is now just over a week before I finally pack the car with Eli and my last few belongings here and head north. It is very hard to say goodbye to all the people here who I have known for nearly 18 years. The days now all seem to contain at least one "moment of goodbye and thanks" and I very conscious of doing things here for the last time. Having said that I am excited about the future now and all set for it. I even have an interview on the 8th December for a care job, so I am keeping my fiingures crossed again. (I have applied for many jobs but only had three interviews so far)
I am now in a house without any furniture to speak of and it is very echoey. Eli has now invaded my bed in the day time at least! I kick him out into the porch at night... his usual place.
I am being well fed however with all the farewell meals and invites out, so I am ok in that department.
I shall be calling in to my mum and dad on the way up north and I am booked in on the Thursday night boast from Aberdeen. So Friday 4th looks like my arrival date.
There have been so many strange "coincidences" about Shetland since I went there on a school trip from St Georges Primary School in 1971. Something has called me there perhaps since then. I now have to discover what it is.

From Eli

well here I am, Eli, on a recent visit to Shetland. It is very confusing in Orwell now because all the house is empty and I keep being taken out for supper in other peoples houses, which is very kind. Last night I went to Henry's house and he took lots of pictures of me. Henry has two tree houses in the garden

well the furniture has gone up now, and Eli is booked in on the ferry at the end of ther month (Nov 2009)

well this is just the start of the journey to Shetland. I will try to keep up to date as time goes by