Craig Online

A pretty strange week in terms of things going on plus lots of late night calls with work. Sometimes it feels like I get up in the morning, shower, work, then by 10PM I've finished and ready to go to sleep again. Didn't get much sleep across the week- not good given I'm in the US this coming week and have a pretty hectic schedule (and of course I'll likely wake up at 4AM).

Drinks with some of the lads last night - good to catch up (and not talk about work too much). Planned our Summer Scotland trip - this time we will use Glasgow as the focal point of things and just head into Edinburgh on the Saturday. I like that as there is more to do in Glasgow (or at least I know of more things to do). By the looks of it I have a good social calendar the first half of the year - Newcastle/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Iceland/Dubai (and that's not including any work trips). 

Huge amount of police outside Cambridge- not your usual Police (looked more like special units). Still wondering what they were up to. Cambridge is somewhere you see little police presence (especially when my house is being attacked by the lower classes with nothing better to do). 

Got up early this morning to head into Cambridge. I was sitting in Starbucks on Market Square and looking out at what a horrid place Market Square in Cambridge is. You have the council office that looks like something out of 70's Moscow (the one where the alcoholics are slumped outside). However, of course the view is obscured with the absolute horror that is Cambridge town centre market. I think this pretty much sums up the attitude in Cambridge city centre to aesthetics. I'm not against markets, I just think that you have 2 forms of retail - either fixed shops or floating markets. The trouble with Cambridge is that the market is a permanent fixture and looks awful. It also smelt really bad when I passed the other night (given that there are food stalls). Don't get me started about the cafe that's on the corner (whose sole purpose is to block passing foot traffic). As I looked out the one thing aesthetically pleasing that I saw for the '3' store. For a mobile 'phone shop they have actually done this pretty well and blended it into the surroundings. Warning - there will be a future blog post about Cambridge city centre with pictures !

Bought a pair of wellington boots also from a shop called Arthur Price. It's a shop that sells more traditional British clothing. I was expecting the experience in the shop to be poor- but actually the staff (and service) was excellent. All I need now is the Barbour Jacket... wait a minute I have one of those already !

Finally got my lifetime membership of the University Union (GUU) through. Doing this had been in my mind for about 9 years- at last I managed to fill in the paperwork, drop the payment and do it. I'm not sure how much I'll use it - but at least I'll be able to go and have a few drinks in the Beer Bar whenever I like.