Shakespeare Café, Braintree

Shakespeare Café

Having risen at the usual time, even though it is a Monday Bank Holiday, I sat lamenting my life for a while at the laptop, including lamenting the fact that the spare laptop would not switch on last night, and downed coffee in a vain attempt to waken up.

By 9:30 I decided to venture out into the chilly sunshine and cross the greenery in the park.  The need for a small bit of green is within us all, though not if it is growing on the wall.  So, off I trotted, passing only a couple of dog walkers, and a young dad proving eh is a 'modern man' by walking the two Labradors along with a pram.  The dogs were too much under control, but dad will think he is 'strong.'

I wonder what my nieces would say to him?

Slowly hobbling up the hill I decided to breakfast in the 'Shakespeare Café.'  You will note the spellchecker ensures 'café' is always spelt correctly!  This was indeed a good idea.  Not long after 10 ish I was served by one of the two friendly staff.  These places make it easy today, the menu has set breakfasts etc, and all you do is choose one and ask for 'Set 2 please.'  This gave me a decent sausage, two eggs, on fried bread, two bacon, two hash browns, a wee bowl of beans, tea and two thick slices of bread, all for £9 plus small tip.

As I ordered it did not sound much, but in time a large plate appeared and I realised just how much there was here.  By the time I looked at the two toasts I thought I might not finish it all!  But I did!

A very good clean café, with friendly staff, usually lots of customers, today I arrived when it was quiet, and I certainly intend to make use of this place again.  Neatly laid out, tidy, well cared for and I suspect a great many regular customers.  I recommend this place!

Of course, now I am stuffed I can hardly move.

After this, I carried my increased bulk into Sainsburys, chatting to a Labrador pup guarding the owner at the door, and picking up a bag of wee orange things without a label thus holding up the ever growing queue at the other end.  I blethered my way out of their unspoken fuming, and ran for the door.

Altogether it has been a good morning, now to see what can go wrong with the day.

As I left the Kirk yesterday I sauntered along a road I have not walked for years.  The long way home took me past things often noticed but never pictured before.  The old museum habit of taking shots of anything remotely of historical interest has not died.  So, the school sign, declaring it was Essex built in 1929 somewhat boastfully is taken.  Not a school anymore, but still used for kids in some way. 

At the bottom of the hill stands the 1930s pub 'The Oak.'  Now long changed use it stands on the busy  corner.  This picture shows how much things have changed in just over 100 or so years.  

The 1930s building stands slightly to the right of this ancient one.   Judging by the motorbikes and the fashions in the picture this may be around 1914 time.  The distant houses have gone, industrial use now, but at first sight, apart from the rickets, 60 hour weeks, and low pay, life appears more leisurely. 

Only those who know their history would realise this lonely, and probably unused light appears to be part of the original 'Lake & Elliot' factory.  Most buildings remain, all in some sort of use, but only one such as I would jump to a conclusion, probably wrong, that this is ancient.

I limped home, getting slower as I moved, wondering if anyone tends these plants that appear to grow wild at the side of the road?  Possibly the council tend them, but I have never seen any action here.  Still, this is better than another fence, however well painted.

Saturday Delight

 

 

Saturday, a day of rest for many, of shopping for others.  

I managed to avoid the crowds by joining the crowds yesterday when the bread ran out.  This was a mistake.  Still, it would be worse today.  I fail to comprehend people who always shop on a Saturday when it is busy.  Surely they can find another time?  These big stores are open till 8 in the evening, five days a week, sometimes they open till nine or later!  How come everyone arrives at the same time on Saturday?  

 

However, proper football begins tonight, in the meantime we have the Blue bigots playing Livingstone. This was a poor game, especially as the blue bigots won.

This will have to do until later, whem we begin against the Green bigots.  8 pm on a Saturday night?  What a strange time to play football, some of the younger players may enter the field holding their phones and Lager bottles by mistake.

That church in the picture has been there for at least 800 years, possibly longer.  The pub, or a pub, has stood on that spot since at least the Saxons I reckon.  A building nearby has a beam that was dated to 1392 I think the man said. This is because this was the road from London to Norwich, and at Bury St Edmunds lay St Edmunds, so a popular pilgrimage route began, and money was taken...

 

BBC

 

So, at the ridiculous time of 8 pm we 'entertained' Celtic in the opening game of the new league season.  While it is true they are not at their best, neither are we, indeed that showed in the first half.  However, after taking the lead, we allowed them back in.  Tsk!  Still, improving in the 2nd half and after losing an undeserved equaliser we changed the shape and finished them off with a great John Soutar header a minute from time.  Add to that two saves in the Jim Cruickshank mould in the last minute of added time from captain Craig Gordon and the job was complete.  Heart of Midlothian win by two goals to one and it ought to have been more.  Even the ref was quite good for a change!

 

Shorn Men and Morrisons

From my eyrie in the sky I watch shorn men wandering about, their hair tidy for the first time in months.  This causes me to wonder what they do with all the shorn hair?  Now I suspect for health reasons this is dumped, however, is there anyone who would buy a job lot of used hair?  You could fill soft toys with it, pillows, cushions, feed it to animals who may not care what they eat, possibly such leavings could be put on the compost heap and added to the garden, the ticks therein would feed the ground quite well.  

You can tell just how much LockDown has got to me...

People all around are meeting folks unseen for months, the cry "I haven't seen you since the plague" is quite common I note.  Families can bother one another, mates meet up outside pubs, women chattering noisily outside coffee haunts all around.  Still too chilly for me I say but many are risking it.  At the barbers one man told us how he headed for the local as soon as he could, having a Guinness and a sandwich and heading back home where it was warm.  A bit daft I thought, if it's that chilly stay indoors in the warm.  Some folks of course have no life outside of pubs, that is where they meet their friends as they may have no-one else to talk to.  All rather sad really.

 

 

 

'Morrisons' have upset people.  They are plastering their goods with this Union Flag.  It is on eggs, butter, cheese, veg and all other products.  Clearly this is a Government initiative.  Tesco have done this for a while, refusing to allow Scots or other flags on their produce.  I noticed today a Twitter account I follow, for an English regiment, now features the Union Flag alongside the name, a new item. 

This may well be a Brexit legacy.  The idea to force people to 'Buy British!'  The point being Brexit has stopped the goods we actually want coming into the country.  The fact that Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish flags are not encouraged also indicates government policy, forcing the Union nonsense upon us all in an election year.  

There is no 'Morrisons' in this town now.  They took over a failing store and failed to make it a success as the premises are too small for their needs.  A 'B&M' now uses the space well.  'Morrisons' have a store six miles away next to the station at a London overspill town.  This store has worked well for years and no doubt will continue to be a success as that is also a Brexit town.  'Morrisons' always made a thing about being cheaper than the bigger stores, this indeed is quite true, until you compare sizes.  Their tins, bottles, bags are cheaper but contain less goods than 'Tesco,' the contents are not always better, though they are acceptable, and now with Brexit shortages much more 'British' goods will be pushed by this company. 

Of course it goes without saying that when they use the term 'British,' what they are really trying to say is 'English,' but even they are not yet that brazen.

 

Second Covid 19 Virus Wave approaching

I notice how the media today is filled with people desperate to get into the local pub.  Café's and restaurants seek urgently to open, at least in part, and it appears the threat of a deadly virus has faded somewhat.
It is understandable that a business wishes to reopen, much loss has occurred and many may never recover, this is extremely sad, especially for the small coffee shop close by that we had begun to frequent on occasion, I doubt he can have much cash put aside.  MP's and MSPs are pressurising the leaders to reopen everywhere, Cafes, restaurants, shops, Zoo's, almost anything and everything that has been closed down.  Of course in some areas the public reaction has been to make out Lock Down has ended anyway so lets just get on with it.
There is a problem with this, Covid 19 is still around.  What drugs that have been found to work are still only a partial help, and then only for some.  The deadly virus is still with us and while returning to normal is good it may also be deadly! 

Only a few days ago while I was out there were few people to be seen.  Tonight I visit Sainsburys and the car park is busy.  While we all avoid one another it is clear people have forgotten about the danger.  This is not completely forgotten just pushed to the side a wee bit.  I suspect large town centres where large shops are considering opening are less safe than Sainsburys.
The second wave is on the way...

Passing Showers

This passing shower took ages to pass, cleaning the streets and overflowing the gutters.  Jolly good I say as the streets needed a wash (remember the days when a lorry would spray water on the streets?) and while I saw no lightning and thunder was minimal over me it did show up elsewhere. 
This part of the land often has thunder after a few days heat.  When in London I sat in a pub on the Thames called the 'Mayflower.' This pub claims to be the oldest in London and also that the 'Mayflower' parked itself here to avoid taxes nearer London before heading out into the wild of the Atlantic Ocean.  Such things can never be proved but it had to dock somewhere nearby.
As we sat there a storm blew above.  Brave soul stood at the door leading to the jetty while lightning flashed across London easily seen from the view over the wide expanse of the Thames caused by the bend in the river at this point.  
I sat by the bar.  
Soon however the heavy downpour poured in through the door and the barman was to be found fighting the incoming tide of rainwater as it sloshed its way under the door.  Cries of "Man overboard etc" were to be heard.  
I sat by the bar.

Slaving Away Saturday

Saturday ought to be one of my many days of rest and instead I have twice wandered slowly around the town searching for things and also spent time in the museum.  I wandered in there out of habit and found the lass once again on her own.  This is not a good situation and I hung about for a while as I was in no hurry and enjoyed the chat.  I heard about the reasons for the failure of the Christmas lights, the chap responsible left the job and no-one bothered to replace him.  This meant nobody headed up an organised Christmas, no money, no working together and no efficient result.  A wasted opportunity to put the town on the map.

This however was not the only turkey in town.  This guy and his mate spent much time showing off to the kids and indeed frightening them by his cry.  "Gobble Gobble" sound OK on tv or in cartoons but when a bird yells it in your face many kids ran for their lives.  I followed them!  

The 'little donkey' was not that keen to meet folks, he spent much time with his head stuffed in his feed.  Reindeer last week, donkeys, turkeys and sheep this week, I suspect the animal lovers who grumbled about having them in the town are at this moment writing to the local paper demanding these beats are put out into the fields.  Actually by this time they probably are, or tucked up nicely for the night.

The whole point of having such attractions is to bring folks into the town centre, this however is harmed by a lack of political control.  The council will not reduce the rates, small shops canny survive and we now have many very good charity shops but wandering about the town today I realised how little is on offer beyond the basics.  Sure some big shops have premises but most are loss leaders and many have closed, that leaves two big supermarkets and many disgruntled shoppers.   Big towns 15 miles away benefit.

   
I was much tempted to visit the 'Bull' as I passed but not only was it crowded my knees indicated home was preferred.  The 'Bull' has stood there at least since 1769 when it was 'licensed' as an Inn but I expect it operated as an Inn before that.  The shape of the building makes me wonder if it was originally a house at the edge of town, possibly a farmhouse, the 'Nags Head' standing me as I took the picture certainly was a farmhouse.  Much changed over the years and extended into the one time Saddlers next door it is one of the towns most 'popular' pubs.  Few pubs are not popular and at least this one has not been closed down by police request as one or two others have been.  
Until the 1960's the pub was popular with farmers and their men who came in on Wednesday and Saturday for the market.  Cows were still seen here in the 60's and in times past small stockholds would operate outside the pubs, sheep or pigs held therein.   A lovely aroma for the townsfolk.

Dreich Night!

It was a dark and stormy night as I made my weary way homewards from another extra turn at the museum.  The rain pelted down, the wet streets enticing only for pictures of lamplight reflecting thereon.  All was closing for the night bar supermarkets and public houses.  I avoided the pubs but bought bread from Tesco, it was the cheap option.  

The vast sums spent on Christmas lights in the town was well worth it, there is a smattering of them to the top right off the picture.  Such lights have drawn out the crowds as you can see. 

Standing in the rain with two loaves of cheap 'Tiger Bread' in the bag I pondered on those who can afford to stay, eat, and be made welcome in the hotel.  What brings them here?  One at least is a one time resident on holiday visiting his past and his relatives, this is not uncommon, but who are the others?  There is little to see in the town but the Museum and the handsome welcoming staff (but only when I'm on) although many travel around Essex and discover there is indeed a lot to see and it is a county worth visiting, unlike the general impression of the place.

Being too wet to ponder I dripped home to enjoy a supper of cheese and bread with added indigestion.  Then watched football while my head looked for my brain which appears more dead than usual at the moment.  You will note how few cars were around last night at this time, how unusual is this?  Are they scared of the wet?

Back to work tomorrow as she who must be obeyed has a school in and no-one to help when they come into the shop, all 60 of them!  Guess who volunteered!

A Wander

Ah the dying suns rays brighten the darkest skies!
Actually it would be lighter but I set the camera to the wrong setting and this resulted.  Good enough for me I must say.  Doing that and pointing the camera at the sun gives a better picture as it hides the town beneath it, and that canny be bad.
I sauntered around half dead, I forgot to eat properly again, looking for unusual signs and views with which to entertain myself.  This meant walking slowly, as I do, looking up dreamily at the buildings in the High Street and being accosted by folks rushing past on more normal Saturday duties.  Tsk!  The taxi driver I unwittingly stood in front of was most kind, he picked me up and dumped me at the side of the road after running me down in that side street. 

   
I'm sure someone will know the significance of this flower (?) being placed at the entrance to the parish church.  There is a similar but different one at the other side.

It may just be decoration but it is the first time I have noticed these.  The advantage of actually 'looking' enables you to see what lies in front of you, the things that you ignore just because they are always there!  I still don't know what purpose these met.

Opposite the church door stands a tree that is home to some sort of bird.  Quite a large nest and it is only at this time of year these become exposed.  I wonder what nests here?  In one of the villages the zimmer bus passes through one tree has half a dozen very large nests visible high above the main road.  Clearly home to someone, Crows possibly?

This does not respond to my day!
I found this in a small shop, once upon a time a pub, which sells variety of ice cream to the kids and teenagers also I suspect.  Quite how it survives I do not know but it was open today and with a couple of folk inside.  There were other words on the other windows but this one can be used again and again, about twice a year if the present is anything to go by...

The town has lots of 'Gants.'  These are narrow alleys between buildings in the town centre mostly, the word originating most probably with the Flemish weavers in the middle ages when the arrived here to avoid persecution.  Many moved down the road into Bocking and their trustworthiness was such that the 'Bays & Says' they sold far and wide were never checked on arrival as their honesty was without reproach.  If it said so many yards then that is what you got!  
There were roadsigns placed at the gants a short while ago to remind us of the town's heritage, many being rather obvious such as this one but others being somewhat strange to the eye.

Now work that one out!
This relates to a small pub that once worked from the back door of the building next door to the sign.  There were an enormous number of pubs in this small town, in olden times many found them warmer and more social than their own rather poor housing, but others were cheap and not always so cheerful.  I would not like to guess what this one was like, not what was on the menu!

Can you guess what this is?
Yes indeed, it's used by a small dance company!
This once was the church vestry, used for such meetings and indeed was used by the town council in times past I am told.  Until recently a law firm stored their documents in here but they have moved to safer dwellings, I hope.

Little Hell, Great Hell & Damnation.

 What was the George Inn on the left and the Three Tuns on the right.

The bad reputation earned by New Street during the 19th century was a real one.  With great foundries producing metal items, a great many employed in agriculture around the town the centre attracted many men with money to spend into the public houses.  

This is not something to sneer at, many lived in accommodation which was far from ideal, often with families with several children and as is the way with many the attraction of drink in a war, gas lit, public house with in some places no women and others with plenty and an idea that the money they earned was theirs to spend pubs became their home.  

Single men, especially the young, have little concern for anything but fun as they have no obvious responsibilities and little sense.  Public houses became a place to find entertainment and fun from the friends with whom you may have spent a hard ten or twelve hour day.

The result was many of the towns pubs became places to avoid.

 Green Man

The 'Three Tuns' was as far as I can make out glancing at these books the 'Little Hell' of the piece.  This stood opposite a fourth drinking den called the 'White Horse.'  The 'George Inn' becoming 'Great Hell' and this delightful pink house, now used for respectable occupations was the 'Green Man,' the 'green man' being one of the pagan beliefs of times past or possibly referring to the many foresters dressed in green, Robin Hood' style to blend in with their surroundings.  Essex was once covered with forests.  This pleasant place was I believe 'Damnation.'

 Cage

Just down from the 'green Man' stands the 'Cage.'  Most towns and villages had one of these for the local constable to lock up for the night any drunks who pushed their luck or any criminal caught pushing someone else's.  Many a drunk took one of the two cells inside just as many a man carrying someone else's chickens home for tea did likewise.
The introduction of what we now call constables arrived in 1829 and soon the town had a proper police station and suitable jail for such peoples, now we have an even better station with a great many less officers staffing it.  Isn't progress wonderful!  It must be said much of their time is spent outside pubs on a Saturday night.
These men, and here I suggest it was mostly men, have long gone, the majority sadly to discover Hell indeed is real and somewhat fewer finding salvation in Christ Jesus and land in a better place.  I wonder what the churches did for these people at the time?  Were they too middle class?  Many men joined the independent non conforming churches and would avoid such places.  But did anyone really speak to the heart of those who made New Street pubs their home?  
Of course not all local men left work and wasted their money in the pub, the majority tried their best for their families and worked hard to improve their lives as was the way in the 19th century.  Personal improvement, 'getting on' to better yourself and your position was common.  The local rich provided schools for kids and an Mechanics Institute for those willing to learn more.  This was common throughout the land and other public houses enabled such men to meet and drink in a more rarefied atmosphere.  
Looking at the paperwork it is surprising how many of these places were run by women.  Sometimes following on from a dead husband, sometimes from the father.  Some pubs were run by the same families for decades.  Now these three are very quiet, long since they were turned into housing or warehouses, long since they worried the constable or irked a wife with little money and a well bashed rolling pin.
The town has lost around fifty pubs in the last hundred years, the majority since the second world war.  After that major industry was threatened and defeated by cheap foreign imports, cinema and then television kept people away from pubs and the attitudes of men changed over the period.  While the majority carried on as normal the wasters were fewer in number and even today the last twenty years has seen a change in attitudes to pub behaviour.  While rowdy areas frighten people and the police are never in enough presence two town centre pubs have failed and one is for sale.  
I doubt those that pour lager down their throats today would consider the old local game of sitting on the floor and spinning round and round like a top.  Apparently this was a popular entertainment among the locals, but appears less so today.  Maybe too many mobile phones now...

No Thank Yeeeew!

 

 There are many things I wish to see in the entertainment world but this is in my mind a step too far!  Five topless barmen?  

Just imagine the beer bellies hanging over the bar as they pull pints!  Just consider for a moment the Health and Safety aspects of such a job - for the drinkers!   It's all sounding too much for me.

 

This sounds more like my cup of tea....

Busy Day

Home from an enjoyable Sunday Service, cooked a bad lunch, fell asleep from watching late night football and had to watch another game after that.  Now I prepare for the second of the day, the third starts at eleven at night!  This means I have no time to scribble (can you scribble on a keyboard?).   So here is an old picture of Greyfriars Bobby.  Bobby is the dog not the pub but the pub is named after the dog and the publican may have fed the dog but maybe not and the pub is now named after the dog not the dog after the pub.  Is that clear?   Oh I have not got the time, the teams are coming out, read this Greyfriars Bobby.

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Thursday Shopping!

This depressing view is how we shop today.  Romance tells us that in the past small shops were friendlier, more sociable and more human.  The last is certainly true!  The sociability and friendliness depended on the shop owner but their size at least was easier for as human to comprehend.  Today large shopping centres are geared to the rich man in his automobile, leaving a depressing emptiness outside, even if clean and safe.  The large buildings house all those shiny things we long desperately for, whether they make us happy or just fill our emptiness is another question.  Today in search of something shiny I took myself to the Stanway centre by bus, I left the Bentley in the garage.  

Now some weeks ago it came into my head to fix the broken PC, I need this in working order in case the laptop dies, dead computer means life as we know it comes to a halt, and that will never do! Struggling with this idea I was in Chelmsford, at Maplins shop, investigating a motherboard an other nameless bits on the shelves there.  My brilliant brain decided to leave it and investigate PC World and the vast stocks on their shelves, therefore I was here in their Stanway shop.  Here I discovered, via a friendly and competent young assistant, that since uniting with 'Curry's,' PC World/Currys no longer stock the inside bits for PCs, only shiny new ones.  The young lad suggests I try 'Maplins,' they stock motherboards he offers helpfully.  My slumped shoulders headed for the bus stop where I caught the next one into Colchester itself in the vain hope that their shop would be readily available in the town centre, it wasn't!  Bah!  So I wandered about, avoiding the charity and book shop temptations keeping my eyes upwards looking in case something interesting was to be found.  Several bumps into people and street furniture later I changed my approach.

      

Behind the Roman wall at what once was the edge of town stands St Mary at the Wall a redundant church that has stood here for around a thousand years and now is merely an 'arts' centre.  I suspect it will be an excellent venue according to the many big names that have appeared there, it must hold a thousand or so in the main hall.  Had it not been for the dual carriageway someone had dumped in front of me I would have had a closer look.  

This is a pub called 'The Bull.'  They have enabled even the daftest to realise this by placing a 'bull' high above the door.  This of course was what was done in days of yore when education was lacking, even the daftest could tell the difference between a bull and a Swan, as many were named.  The flags are out to tempt people to watch the 'Six Nations' rugby which is on at the moment. Sadly the sun shines on the other side of the street hence the dullness.

  

The Edwardian's liked fancy buildings!  The Baroque Town Hall was built in 1902 with a rich patron, James Paxman, paying for the tower soaring high above crowned by the statue of St Helena the towns patron saint.   Inside and out it represents the wealth the men of the town wished to impress upon the world, and bask in reflected glory themselves.  No doubt some of those men were around when Henry Charles Fehr sculpted the war memorial raised in 1923.  The usual words bedeck the memorial as the townspeople attempted to believe their war was indeed just and glorious.  Memorials raised today do not inspire such admiration I think.

I was unable to find 'Maplins,' probably because it lay on the other side of town from where I landed, so instead had a closer look at the 15th century gatehouse to St Johns Abbey, the only remaining part of said abbey.  Besieged during the English Civil War, which was not very civil as may lost their heads here, the gatehouse survives although behind lies merely a car park, and only for the use of the members of the organisation based here.  

At one time this supported a statue of either a saint or a local worthy, today it just wears away in the rain.  The siege may also have caused damage, the twin was almost worn away.  

Inside the small gate reflects the small size of people in those days, six foot tall people were unusual at the time, and I wondered about the people who peered from the windows at those waiting outside for them.  The Benedictines moved in late in the 11th century and moved out when Henry VIII kicked them out.  The Abbot refused to hand the place over and was gently hanged just outside the gate. Henry had no patience in those days.  The Lucas family took over and moved in, sadly they supported the crown during the civil war in 1648 and this led to their end and the bits of damage to the gatehouse.  The buildings inside disappeared over the years.

I was impressed by this wee house, dated 1823, clearly enlarged since and more so round the back I noticed, but remaining a delightful small cottage.  I am not jealous I state here, not jealous at all.  St John's Green primary school also drew my admiration, although I am not willing to attend there.  Built in 1898 in a kind of Dutch style it reflected the weaving history of the area and the Flemish connections from the past.  

  
As infants rarely have the ability to read I am struck by how many old schools put directions above the doors to ensure the wee ones went into the right area. Maybe they were a wee bit brainier in those day?

This area abounds in churches that date back a millennium, the disused Church of St Giles goes back to the 12th century but I am not sure what it is used for these days, signs are not obvious. The tower got my attention, that appears very Saxon in its style but it dates from around 1700ish.  As always it has been amended and added to over the years but now lies quietly surrounded by the iron railings that also go back to the 1700's.  

Behind me as I took this picture lay the main police station, the cells I believe lie behind the small square, thick glass windows I leant against, you may no better.  When this station was built in the 80's an archaeological dig discovered 371 Roman burials and this building dating from 320 - 340.  The evidence indicates this could be the earliest church building in the British Isles but further evidence is wanting.  Some reckon it is possibly a Roman soldiers Mythraeum, but they would, wouldn't they?   Ever known archaeologists to agree?  Bah!

Having wandered around the town with my money still in my pocket I splashed out on a £1.50 coffee from this man at the bus station and well worth it it was! I was intrigued as to how somebody ends up running a very successful coffee stall and it transpires this man is an ex-serviceman.  That got me wondering also.  Now he may be happy in his work, he may be making a good profit, this is a busy place to operate, and he may well make sufficient to keep his family happy but it suddenly seemed sad that a man who risked his life in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan should be running a coffee stall.  As stated he might well be happy but it seems to me men who have risked lives for the nation could be getting better treatment than they do, especially when they are capable, knowledgeable and possess that amiability we often find in such men. I am just glad he is as fit as he is, IDS would be naming him in parliament otherwise.

While admiring Coggeshall's old buildings and remembering I was going to visit there I found this cat that I noticed last time.  He slinks on the roof high above the crowd looking for birds that are not gathering in front of him.  Maybe they think he is real!  It reminds those with cameras to always look up, and check it is safe to do so, as above the shop doorways there is often something intriguing awaiting you. 

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