A Cantwarabyrig Tale

Today a visit to Canterbury, most famous for its Cathedral, where in 1170 Thomas a Becket was famously martyred by 4 knights to please Henry II (that Rough Guide is paying off, huh!) Badly bombed in the war, it was still a pleasant place to wander around for the day with some lovely old buildings from as far back as the 16th Century.

I was quite taken by the epitaph in the cathedral for Major Cairnes who "left this sublunary scene" aged 30 - "Brief but most noble was his career and his end most glorious, bravely asserting the cause of a beloved monarch, he fell on the fields of Waterloo". What fantastic language.

I tried something called an Eccles cake today - I didn't know what it was myself, so for those that are wondering, imagine a Christmas mince pie, but without the fruit. I'm not sure why you would do that, but perhaps that kind of explains the Goon show character?

Canterbury is also the birthplace of the creator of Rupert The Bear, and so I visited the Rupert the Bear museum in search of something to post to my nephew.

The lady behind the counter blinked vacantly at me through thick, cokebottle glasses, and while she didn't ask me not to touch her stapler, she and the other occupant of the shop (inexplicably sitting in the middle of the floor) watched me in anxious silence as I perused the lovely things of the shop.

They seemed quite unable to understand even simple words like 'postcard', 'nephew' and 'I'm leaving now because you're scaring me'. This was definately a local shop for local people in every sense I think, and they seemed very relieved when I left without buying anything.

So, sorry Justin, no postcard from Rupert, perhaps we'll have better luck with Paddington, an altogether better class of bear I believe.