Sunday July 26th – It’s not often that we get to sleep in on a Sunday morning…but that’s exactly what we did today. We had a nice leisurely breakfast and then sat and read for about 90 minutes before heading out for the day. Since out sightseeing time was somewhat limited by needing to get to the college for registration, we decided to go to the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Housed in a beautiful old Georgian-style building, it is one of some 16 museums associated with the university. Admission is free and visiting a museum appears to be a popular thing to do on a Sunday. The entrance was quite crowded as we arrived just after the doors opened. We were encouraged to just hang up our coat on the rack by the door and put our wet umbrellas in the umbrella stand on the other side. I played dumb and asked if there was a coat check somewhere. “Since we are traveling, I’d rather not lose a good rain coat” said I. “I’ve worked here for 20 years and never lost a coat yet,” replied the attendant, “but if you’d like I can check yours back here.” Forthwith he provided a hanger and claim check. Trusting lot, these Brits!

The museum had two displays which were quite interesting. The first was called Ruskin’s Turner and was a display of twenty-five watercolours by J.M.W. Turner. Ruskin thought that Turner was ‘the only perfect landscape painter that the world has ever seen’ and became Turner’s most fervent champion. The terms of his gift to the museum prohibits them from lending these watercolours outside the museum, so they are rarely all seen together. The second display was a collection of eighteenth-century gold boxes from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. There were some 60 boxes on display, many with intricate and ornate carvings/inlays. There was also a fascinating display of fans and samplers. I suggested to George that if we kept mother’s sampler long enough, we’d be able to donate it to the ROM!

While lining up for lunch at the museum cafe we were introduced to the Steampunks. This refers to a sub-genre of science fiction/fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs (a rejection of the utilitarian designs of today)  inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. There were about eight of them in line in front of us and one of the women described it as somewhere between Jules Verne and the future. I gather there’s a whole range of art and literature in this style, reminding me very much of Jenn’s fantasy World of Pern.

Finding the college and getting George registered was a bit of a challenge but we eventually succeeded. Street names would be wonderful if present and visible! The annual conference here begins with a gala banquet, which George wasn’t aware of, but we were fortunate to be able to fit in to a cancellation for a nominal charge. Our dinner companions were Brits from the north providing for great conversation about travel plans, the differences between church life in Canada and the UK and the importance of musical education in primary schools. Following dinner John Rutter was the guest speaker. They also introduced Rowan Williams, retired Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the theme speaker on Monday.

We were able to watch Saturday’s CBC news and the end of the Canadian Open before turning in for the night. Maybe next year David. It must have been very disappointing for all the golf fans at Glen Abbey!