Cambridge and Folkestone

Next morning we set off across country to Cambridge where we had arranged to have lunch with an old business friend of Dad’s with whom he has kept in touch since Colmar days. We had an excellent meal and a Chablis in the conservatory at The Three Horseshoes in Madingley - to be recommended. This hamlet features the magnificent 16^th century Madingley Hall as well as the delightfully bucolic churchyard of St Mary Magdelene. Afterwards, we ensconced Dad in a comfortable hotel in Cambridge and drove up to Nuneaton where we had an enjoyable dinner in the local pub with Ingrid’s brother Mike and his wife Pat.

Next morning we headed back to Cambridge, picked up Dad and headed towards Folkstone. Our fear of the infamous M25 traffic was unfounded, so once over the Thames we were able to have a leisurely wander along the Medway in search of lunch. Later, we booked into a Faulty Towers like hotel and then went for a wander around downtown Folkestone.

The immaculate sunny Spring weather with which we had hitherto been blessed finally began to break. The blustery grey hue suited the town, with its omnipresent atmosphere of bygone prosperity. One bright note amongst all of this was The Samuel Peto pub on Rendezvous St. It had been a Baptist Chapel, boasting an extremely grand street façade with an even more over-the-top interior - a long way from its country cousin in Nyah.

For me, never has the term “faded grandeur” been more eloquently displayed than in the Grand Hotel, Folkestone. In its heyday 100 years ago as “Gentleman’s Residential Chambers” it boasted many famous patrons including King Edward VII and his companion, Mrs Keppel. We booked in for dinner in the Palm Court conservatory without great expectations. With the help of a bit of imagination, the setting was wonderful, with magnificent views out over the English Channel to the cliffs of Normandy. These were only slightly spoiled by the realisation that the imposing structure at the end of the immense shingle beach at Dungeness was, in fact, a nuclear power station.

Dinner over, we were treated to a grand tour of the establishment by another enthusiastic young man, taking in the immense function room and the ball room with its stage on which both Robert Morley and Michael Caine are said to have made their debuts (on separate occasions). The tour culminated with a visit to one of the penthouse suites with its rooftop terrace. Despite the blustery conditions, we stood and gazed out over the Channel with its twinkling lighthouses and passing shipping. This, together with our dinner in Calais 12 days earlier, neatly bookended a most enjoyable sojourn in England.