Monday, May 21, 2012
Dream time
For once in a while a remembered dream, interesting because it must have been two parts. I mainly remember the second part, but there must have been a scene setting first part, some time previously, perhaps earlier in the night, which I only remember much more dimly.
Living in Cambridge, coming up to retirement. I have one last Gateway review to do before I pack up. Bit silly doing it at all in the circumstances, but I go for it anyway; one last bit of travel on business. Travel, in this case, to a place called Shepreth, a short train ride away from Cambridge, home to some government agency which is the subject of the review. Nothing else known about it, in any event non-existent as I do not think there are any such in Shepreth. Nothing in the dream about my colleagues on the review, of which there would usually be two.
In part 1 of the dream I get as far as looking Shepreth up on the Internet. Take a look on Google Earth. The place seems to be quite substantial but there is no sign of any pub or hotel at which I might put up. Faff around for a bit and then light upon a B&B on the outskirts where I book in. The landlady is concerned to provide an evening meal, despite my explaining that my time of arrival is uncertain and in any event late.
Onto to part 2. I am having an afternoon after-pie siesta and wake up a bit late. Rush around putting my things to together and get off to the station and onto the train to Shepreth. One of those scruffy two coach affairs which you are apt to be sharing with interesting rural packages - such as boxes of newly hatched chickens. As I get off at Shepreth I realise that I have come out without my mobile phone, without my laptop and without any of the papers about the review. I can't even remember where the review is to take place. Or where I am supposed to be staying that night. Will I be able to make the review up as I go along?
Wonder what to do. Should I phone up BH and ask her to drive over with the necessary? This seems a bit hard on her. Should I get the train back to Cambridge, get my stuff together and come back in the morning? A taxi? This seems a bit hard on the landlady of the B&B who will lose her custom and payment. Being out in the country, there is no-one on the station, there is no taxi and the only phone box in sight contains no phone, so I wander rather vaguely into the centre of Shepreth which does indeed look just like it did on Google Earth. Substantial market square but seemingly containing no pubs and no hotels. There is a house with an open door at the corner of the square and despite the lateness of the hour I go up the steps to the door and on in, hoping to find somebody who can help. Maybe locate both B&B and agency for me. A friendly woman turns up in a morning coat, rather like BH in manner and appearance, but somebody else, none the less. She seems more concerned to be friendly than to be helpful, at which point I wake up.
Perhaps there will be part 3 in which I find the B&B, find the agency and do the review.
Living in Cambridge, coming up to retirement. I have one last Gateway review to do before I pack up. Bit silly doing it at all in the circumstances, but I go for it anyway; one last bit of travel on business. Travel, in this case, to a place called Shepreth, a short train ride away from Cambridge, home to some government agency which is the subject of the review. Nothing else known about it, in any event non-existent as I do not think there are any such in Shepreth. Nothing in the dream about my colleagues on the review, of which there would usually be two.
In part 1 of the dream I get as far as looking Shepreth up on the Internet. Take a look on Google Earth. The place seems to be quite substantial but there is no sign of any pub or hotel at which I might put up. Faff around for a bit and then light upon a B&B on the outskirts where I book in. The landlady is concerned to provide an evening meal, despite my explaining that my time of arrival is uncertain and in any event late.
Onto to part 2. I am having an afternoon after-pie siesta and wake up a bit late. Rush around putting my things to together and get off to the station and onto the train to Shepreth. One of those scruffy two coach affairs which you are apt to be sharing with interesting rural packages - such as boxes of newly hatched chickens. As I get off at Shepreth I realise that I have come out without my mobile phone, without my laptop and without any of the papers about the review. I can't even remember where the review is to take place. Or where I am supposed to be staying that night. Will I be able to make the review up as I go along?
Wonder what to do. Should I phone up BH and ask her to drive over with the necessary? This seems a bit hard on her. Should I get the train back to Cambridge, get my stuff together and come back in the morning? A taxi? This seems a bit hard on the landlady of the B&B who will lose her custom and payment. Being out in the country, there is no-one on the station, there is no taxi and the only phone box in sight contains no phone, so I wander rather vaguely into the centre of Shepreth which does indeed look just like it did on Google Earth. Substantial market square but seemingly containing no pubs and no hotels. There is a house with an open door at the corner of the square and despite the lateness of the hour I go up the steps to the door and on in, hoping to find somebody who can help. Maybe locate both B&B and agency for me. A friendly woman turns up in a morning coat, rather like BH in manner and appearance, but somebody else, none the less. She seems more concerned to be friendly than to be helpful, at which point I wake up.
Perhaps there will be part 3 in which I find the B&B, find the agency and do the review.
# posted by Jim @ 11:38 PM 
