Tuesday 2 June

Hottest day of the year.

A nice relaxing start to the day as I am not due at The Abbey until 11.30am (Adam invidulating.

I go into pretty Woodbridge town centre to take photos and post home. After being given directions to the post office I find it is inside a supermarket. I enter the main door behind a tall, unkempt man with a strange backpack. Someone in a tie (I presume the manager) comes up to this man and tells him he is banned. The man asserts his “rights” to go to the post office, arguing he has been banned from the supermarket but not the post office. All of this goes on and on in front of me as we sig and zag around the isles. Finally we arrive at the post office section where there is a queue. The man with a tie instructs the people behind the post office counter that they are not to serve the man. Man with tie rings police. Banned man invites me to go in front of him and I send home a 1.8kg parcel.

I take photos of town centre and meet a charming elderly woman who recommends a restaurant. I then go up to Woodbridge, sign in and take photos of grounds, buildings, WWI monument and startling statues. Adam later tells me they have polarised the school’s community. I can see why. I liked them but I can see that the statue of a heavily pregnant naked woman might not be to everyone’s liking.

Down to the Abbey, photos and another lesson. Lunch was at Woodbridge (senior school) and no Jamie Oliver English school lunches rubbish. Magnificent range of healthy things to make up a salad. I met John Wharam, who started the project. Adam’s lesson in the afternoon was a revelation. It was with his great hope for the future. This lesson involved much higher thinking skills and Ethan’s responses were very sophisticated.

I was on my own for dinner and went to the Riverside restaurant – a recommendation from a local. They show films as well ie you can have your first course, go to the movie and then continue your meal. They had the nicest bread I have ever eaten. I had a stereotype English meal: cold pork pie with very hot English mustard followed by beer battered haddock.

Overheard in the Ufford Park bar, “I don’t like Tia Maria but it’s alright in my hot chocolate”!!!

Tina did two school visits.

News item, but before I write it I would like to make the point that it is not a criticism of wind turbines. In fact, I am in favour of them and do not agree with the protests against them. I just found this funny – nothing else.

“The great Penghu archipelago goat mystery may finally have been solved. After eight turbines were installed … a farmer told the authorities that his livestock began to die for no apparent reason [400 to date] … It now appears that the turbines’ high-volume, late-night spinning … induced terminal insomnia in the goats.”