Opening the door to summer by judithg

Opening the door to summer

I finally managed to buy a jacket for Adam this morning without us having a major melt down. This was partly because I've spent three months telling him his choices are not suitable for winter and now it isn't winter and partly because he had scouted one out in advance so we didn't trail from shop to shop. In fact we completed the transaction so quickly that he was early for his bus out to a friend and offered to 'hang' with me for half an hour. That being a rare offer I took him up on it and wandered round the shops for a while. On my way back home I walked past Sidney Sussex College and noticed this sign in the gatehouse so snapped it with my phone. Plans are afoot for the May Ball (which is held in June) and with the sun lighting up the stonework it made me think of long, warm evenings ahead with a glass of Pimms and the heady aroma of summer flowers....
I met a Fellow (academic) from Sidney Sussex in about 1991 and he was at the time the oldest Fellow in any of the colleges and he was bemoaning the fact that 'these days' Fellows didn't dine very often in college and tended to lunch instead. I suggested that maybe that was due to family commitments. 'Oh no, it was the blackout that did it,' he said, 'it was too dangerous to walk the streets during the war, people couldn't see where they were going.' Made me realise that my concept of time was too narrow.
I thought it looked familiar. My son (and his fiance) was at SS. They are having the reception there when they get married in the summer.
April 2nd, 2012  
Do you post this with irony since snow seems to be forecast for tonight and tomorrow? I think the fact that people still lunch together is nice. Only the students seem to do that in Leeds.
April 2nd, 2012  
@fueast Nope - more sun for Cambridge tomorrow :0) - but then much needed rain unfortunately through the holiday weekend by the looks of it. I might post the 'drought' picture I took this morning....
April 2nd, 2012  
@bigsusan55 Lucky things!! I've only just noticed those pretty king/queen busts on the wall.
April 2nd, 2012  
I like those little carved heads with the golden crowns.
April 2nd, 2012  
Very evocative of Cambridge. Lovely story too.
April 2nd, 2012  
Very well crowned with that lovely glowing gold against the lovely soft mellow sand stone. Love the gate houses at all your colleges & that great noble door. Crafty Adam , he knew all he had to do was wait for a bit of sun & you would buy him the thinner jacket he wanted all the time !! Your reward was a bit of mother & son time , couldn't be better !
April 2nd, 2012  
Love the little crowned heads and the crown in the middle. All's well that ends well, jacket-wise...
April 2nd, 2012  
great college shot Judith - glad you didn't spend forever in the shops and disagreements diverted! Super detail in this - I love those old doors
April 2nd, 2012  
Love the details, lighting and your story!
April 2nd, 2012  
Love university elections. Brings back the days
April 2nd, 2012  
Wonderful capture!!
April 2nd, 2012  
love the busts and the textures of the post on the right - so much college information - and wonderful you managed to do your shopping peaceably - apparently I have that in store for the Easter weekend
April 2nd, 2012  
wonderful peek in the door shot, the lighting is great btw
April 2nd, 2012  
What makes this so great is the door in the shot. Well done!
April 3rd, 2012  
wow, that is so interesting.....about the blackouts and danger in walking the streets. i bet that did make you think.
very nice image Judith. The door on the right and the arches and faces on them are beautiful! we just don't have architecture like that here and I love seeing it.
April 3rd, 2012  
Marvelous photo, Judith. So rich in architectural detail. And I love the subtle indications of a season on the verge of change in ways other than the weather. Wonderful story about your academic Fellow's recollection of the old days and ways. I suppose though that keeping time in a narrower context is how we are best able to "stay in the moment"...although remembering and relating stories are good things too. Love this post.
April 3rd, 2012  
Love the old door and a view beyond--great lighting. Fabulous arches and love the little details you captured :)
April 3rd, 2012  
love this
April 3rd, 2012  
Wonderful comp and so interesting.
April 3rd, 2012  
@judithg - I hadn't noticed those. Will look out for them when we are there.
April 3rd, 2012  
love the king and queen heads overlooking the area
April 3rd, 2012  
Lovely college shot. Just feel that atmosphere. Great story too.
April 3rd, 2012  
Lol, great story! love the scene too with its promise of summer! Mind, you might have to convince Adam to put a winter coat on at this rate!
April 3rd, 2012  
Great composition, rich colours and a lot going on!
April 4th, 2012  
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