Peterborough - better than you think

[altariel]

Like mraltariel, I was surprised to find that contrary to the impression given by, well, the railway station chiefly, Peterborough is not 'orrible after all. Quite the reverse, in fact. The cathedral is particularly beautiful, although - as seems to happen to me a lot - the unique Gothic west front was covered in scaffolding. Everywhere I go, a scaffolding company seems to be a fortnight ahead (the Brandenburg Gate was a particular blow). Just as we were getting tired of wandering around, and were glumly thinking about resorting to the museum, a market researcher offered shelter from the rain, a cup of tea, and a means of killing twenty minutes.

We were in Peterborough to sort out Mr A's passport, after the tumble dryer's wicked assault on it last week. The agency which deals them out is apparently now called the Identity and Passport Service. Identity Service? What's all that about? "Ooh, I must take my identity in for a service..." Also, the Union Flag seemed to be flying everywhere. I thought this might be because we were in UKIP country, but apparently government buildings can fly them at their discretion. Have they always been doing this and I just haven't noticed?

It was a good day to be out in the fens, because it kept switching between bright sunshine and sudden showers. On the train back home, between Manea and March, you could look out and watch the heavy dark clouds hanging over a silvered bit of clear sky, which suddenly merged into a haze of grey across where the rain was falling.

All day I had a shocking pain in my diodes sharp pain stretching from my right eye down through my jaw and to my neck, which generously brought with it sudden waves of nausea. It's still hanging around today, though it's not quite as bad. Is there something going round?

Oh, and Peterborough railway station did me a brilliant bacon buttie while we were waiting for the train home, so I shouldn't scoff at it either.

Comments

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

I think the Union-flags-on-Government-buildings thing is a Gordon Brown initiative, isn't it? I'm sure I read something to that effect.

Ah yes, here we go: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6276280.stm

I hope you feel better soon!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link, I need to go and read that Green Paper, I think.

And thanks for well wishes too :-)

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

Pain - migraine?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Could be, could be... I do get severe stress headaches from time to time, but the onset and symptoms of this have been a bit different. Migraine generally incapacitates, doesn't it? And there's been no sight impairment or anything like that. Just ouchy.

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

You *will* fly the flag at your own discretion, perhaps ...

I'm ashamed to say I've never been to Peterborough. Could the headache be something to do with air pressure in the changeable weather. I often get one when it's working up to rain.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Could be air pressure, actually. It's rained a lot, but it doesn't feel any less muggy, does it?

[raspberryfool.livejournal.com]

Could your headache have been brought on by the reversal of your decision to eschew Peterborough?

The agency which deals them out is apparently now called the Identity and Passport Service. Identity Service? What's all that about? "Ooh, I must take my identity in for a service..."

*l* Just our Government's way of making us feel like they're doing us a favour by extracting money with their ID cards. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain etc...

Anyway, hope you're feeling better now. :-)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Could your headache have been brought on by the reversal of your decision to eschew Peterborough?

Hmm... perhaps my body is trying to tell me something...

I fear you may be right about the Identity Service *sigh*

[chazzbanner.livejournal.com]

I once spent nearly a week in Peterborough. The guesthouse owner couldn't figure out why. :-) - Most of her regulars wete salesmen or construction workers. - And me, a Yank! It was central and on a rail line. I went to Stamford, and to King's Lynn, and a day trip to London, too. In Peterborough I visited the cathedral, and a steam railway, I believe. And I took a self-guided walking tour, which is one of my chief joys of traveling.

Oddly enough, that was the trip when I had some kind of cold in a muscle (if that's not impossible), that had me in agonies most of my time in Edinburgh (doing genealogy) and Peterborough. My neck and shoulder--! My Burghley House visit was particularly painful... though perhaps that is because I was a spy of the Dudleys in the house of Cecil.

BTW, I'm reading The Saturdays aloud to my 94 year old mother. We just did Oliver's trip to the circus. :-)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

What a very sensible choice of base! I imagine it would be loads cheaper than all the more touristy towns - and you'd be well placed to go out towards Birmingham too from there. What a very clever idea! I keep meaning to get the train out to Stamford from here.

Ouch ouch for your poor neck and shoulder though :-( I do sympathize.

I was a spy of the Dudleys in the house of Cecil.

:-D

I got my hands on a copy of Gone-Away Lake during my last period over in the US: I'd read the sequel, but had never seen the first story in the UK at all. Lovely book. Hope your mother is enjoying The Saturdays!

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Could your pain been caused by a trapped nerve?

The cathedral is particularly beautiful, although - as seems to happen to me a lot - the unique Gothic west front was covered in scaffolding.

I'm sorry to learn that you share the cathedral's problem and that your unique Gothic west front is often covered by scaffolding. :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Probably not a trapped nerve, Mr A is exhibiting a couple of similar symptoms, which made me wonder whether some weird virus was going around.

your unique Gothic west front is often covered by scaffolding. :)

*snorfle!* Of course, like Gaffer Gamgee, I don't hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

You'll be selling Peterborough to aliens next. "Look, it's not 'orrible after all and you can get brilliant bacon butties at the station." Can't think of anything else your average alien will need, and besides, you can distract them with picture postcards of the cathedral.

I like looking out on the countryside between Peterborough and your home. There is lots of sky, and the trees are all bent in the direction of the wind. I see Ents on that journey.

I hope the pain is easing up, and if anything, it's a bug that goes far, far away, and never returns.

[trixieleitz]

I like looking out on the countryside between Peterborough and your home. There is lots of sky, and the trees are all bent in the direction of the wind. I see Ents on that journey.

It is lovely, isn't it? And for me, it had that bonus feeling of being nearly home after a long journey. If I had to change at Ely in daylight, I'd just stare out across the fields until the next train came.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I demand a posting to the Camden Lock!

I see Ents on that journey.

Yes! Striding toward Norfolk, unhastily!

The pain has all but gone this morning, thank you. I think it may be a variation on the usual stress headache, but I could do without it.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Now, there's a slogan. I wonder whether they've ever thought of adopting it?

the Union Flag seemed to be flying everywhere.... government buildings can fly them at their discretion

Well, it doesn't sound very discreet to me. That new title is great, though, in a 'Ministry of Justice' kind of way. Plus, it's a whole lot better than 'The People Who Know Who You Are'.

I hope that the pain is easing, whatever it is.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I did get a leaflet shoved through the letterbox roughly on those lines once...

[kathyh]

I've been through Peterborough on the train and coach more times than I can begin to count and I've always wanted to stop and see the place properly. Somehow it just never happens. Must try harder.

Hope the pain is better now. When I get a migraine it goes from above my eye down into my teeth and sometimes to my neck. If it's all on one side of your face it could very well be migraine.

Mmm..bacon butties! All the more reason to stop in Peterborough.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I don't want to overstate Peterborough's charms - it's got nothing on York, for example - but it gets a bad press and turned out to be a perfectly reasonable town centre. And a very lovely cathedral.

Pain much better today, thank you - just some tiredness around the eyes, like it's gone into retreat.

[kerravonsen]

Oh, and Peterborough railway station did me a brilliant bacon buttie while we were waiting for the train home

What's a buttie? Obviously an item of British food, but...

[trixieleitz]

Sandwich.

[trixieleitz]

"Ooh, I must take my identity in for a service..."

One of the lesser-publicised sidelines of the Obsidian Order.

I was always prejudiced against Peterborough station, probably because I spent so much time sitting there waiting for trains :/

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, that was exactly my prejudice against Peterborough too.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Blimey, I should get that pain checked out. It's not an abscess, is it?

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Or an abcess.

[greylin.livejournal.com]

Ouch, that does sound similar to common migraine in several ways - one-sided, involves eye/jaw/neck. If it happens again try a painkiller, which won't work if it is migraine.

I can recommend the tea shop on Malvern station if you're ever out that way. We went in craving tea and chocolate cake and found our heart's desire. Yum!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Painkillers don't work with my usual stress headache: they've softened the edge of this one, but not controlled for it. So it could well be a form of migraine, gah.

Ooh, tempted to arrange a trip to Malvern now! Although my local Co-op is fatally selling some delicious chocolate chip cookies at the moment...

[metamorphosa.livejournal.com]

I've been to Peterborough, but in the evening. Now, that was *not* fun, though I must admit some of the buildings were beautiful. They were not enhanced by the hoards of people spitting and blatantly shooting up in front of them, though...

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You get that in Cambridge too, sadly. Friday and Saturday night, I wouldn't go anywhere near Cambridge town centre.