Pig's Ear

Not those amusing little innovations of the dog-chew world, which so distress organisations like PETA. It means 'beer' in Cockney Rhyming Slang. And the Pig's Ear Festival, funnily enough, had beer on the board (or in the kegs). So this is where we went (me and E)!


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Firstly, though, my weekend started on Friday a.m. with 7.30 train from Norwich for a 10a.m. work meeting. After about 47 minutes, everyone was booted off the train in Ipswich, with the mollifying instruction to get on the 8.23 train to Liverpool Street because of a tree across our track and everything would be fine. At approx. 8.21, an announcement came over the station system, instructing that all trains to London Liverpool Street were indeterminably cancelled and that travellers should 'not plan to travel'.


Various announcements every 43 seconds gave 'yea' and then 'nay' proposals for the potential for future trains, fires on the lines, trees, and restoration of service. People were in a right tizzy, one man yelling at the train office saying, "So, one minute, the tree is there! The next minute it is not! And the next minute, it is back! Is this a magic tree?"

After eavesdropping into other people's conversations about what to do, I decided to jump on the train to Colchester at the very last second, since this was at least closer to my destination and the already-paid-for hotel. Spent trip standing in canteen, listening to another lady chatting in friendly way with the canteen girls (who were having to tell everyone who wanted tea or coffee that the train had no hot water). The niceties lasted until one chipper minx returned from First Class and proceeded to pour the remainder of that coffee down the drain. Then, the minx lied that it wasn't coffee that she was pouring out; then upon the observation that it was clearly coffee, said she meant it wasn't hot. After the observation that there was quite a lot of steam coming off it to be cold and an overt accusation of lying, an entertaining verbal sparring match ensued.


In Colchester, rumours of organised busses to Chelmsford, where there would easily be trains to Liverpool Street, appeared completely unfounded. This turned out to be just as well, since the only highway route out (the A12) was at a standstill due to a jackknifed lorry (truck). Taxi drivers said that driving to London would take 3 hours. Station announcements stated emphatically, 'NOTHING is MOVING!!!' (so please, for the LOVE, stop asking).


As usual, met random people who thought I needed talking to. This was amusing. It was also amusing to observe the herd and small group attempts to second-guess where they should be for any potential transport into the City. Frantic huffy people were pacing forth and back loud-talking importantly into mobiles. Good times :)


Rumours stabilised by 9.45 that a train would be able to depart for London at 10.28, and after this point, pockets of travellers trotted along curiously to every train that came in along the surface which encompassed Platforms 3-6, no doubt hoping to lotto lucky at the correct end so as to be first on the elusive train. One of my caretakers and myself held the fort in the middle (which handily happened to be close to the coffee shop).


After one herding movement, an exasperated train announcement was made for 'All passengers please get off the train on Platform 5. It is not going to London.' Titter.

At long last, at 11.02 or so, the long awaited announcement came that 'The train now on Platform 3 will be going to London!' at which point my companion and I looked at each other and laughed out loud. It was every soul for him or herself. Four or five cars comprised this train, and there were approx. 2,392 people on the Platform (really, there were only about 5 or 600). After being crammed into train similar to the Central line at rush hour, standing room only, made it to London about 11.30.


At least I made it in time for lunch at my meeting, and the exciting AGM, where I learnt of the UK Borders and Immigration decision to implement a system almost exactly like SEVIS. This instills me with a chill of foreboding (although better monitoring is necessary here).


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Anyhoo, it was quite a cold and rainy weekend (except for the sun when breakfast takes an hour). Sadly, someone didn't bring a brolly (me), but they had a hat. Someone else didn't bring a brolly or a hat (E). Thusfar, he has fortunately not succombed to pneumonia, despite being extraordinarily patient with a dawdling photographer.

Pigs Ear Festival very good, and extremely mellow in that it was less showy and frantic than either Cardiff or Norwich. There were no singing groups, and although there was never a chance to grab a chair or seat at a table, it wasn't horrifically crammed and busy.


My favourite part was the Wobbly Bottom Cheese from Wobbly Bottom Farm on Wibbly Wobbly Lane, and I bought some Mature Cheddar and some Ale and Mustard Cheddar (mmmmmmm!) to bring home. The Splendid Meat Company was all out of hog roast, but the Aberdeen Angus burgers were outstanding.

Have made observation that has yet to be proven, but would make interesting point of social research: there is a direct correllation between male nerdiness and short hems of trousers (pants, in American). There are a couple of imaginable causes for this excessively trimmed look: pulling pants just way too high or not freaking knowing what inseam one should wear. There are are not necessarily more short-pantsed males at beer festivals than in the rest of the world, but perhaps they are just more noticeable since they are in a kind of flock formation.

Missed E's tour of the Tower due to E's lack of enthusiasm for standing in line in the persisting-down rain with 7,000 Italians/Japanese/Americans. Am amazed (sort of, until I really think about it) by how many Brits I know have never been to the Tower! Am doing my best to improve this statistic amongst those in my acquaintance.


Am close to recovering perambulatory strength after a lethargic month in the US. It was quite funny how sore my muscles were the first day after returning to work (after the simple little 7 minute walk to and from the bus).


These are photos of and from Blackfriars Bridge, as we crossed this every day. Can recommend The Mad Hatter Hotel as clean and quite reasonably-priced (for the centre of London -- prices better online). Also, have located place to examine on next trip: Fielding Hotel, Covent Garden.

Can recommend Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden. And here is a Tabasco cab in Covent Garden.

Not many meaningful pictures of new things are available, as my gimmick this time was to try to get a panorama through sequential shots of the Thames skyline.

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Note 1: Any cold product that advertises with a sneezing tiny robin deserves our patronage. Good thing I think Lockets are the bomb!

Note 2: Butternut squash appears to need peeling before one roasts.