A punt party - Relatively Speaking - a prelude to Prague

Going down the pub on Friday night followed by a punt party on Saturday afternoon, theatre Saturday night and then dinner and some drinks afterwards is probably not the best preparation for a Sunday flight to Prague, but actually it all worked out fine. Friday night was just a couple of pints with one of my ex-trainees whom I hadn't seen for a couple of months. Always good just to catch up, and we seem to get on very well. 

Then an early start for the punt party in Oxford. Indeed I also squeezed in a visit to the master drawings exhibition at the Ashmolean beforehand.

 Then a nice stroll in the sunshine through north Oxford.

The punt party was an excellent way of celebrating a mate's 50th. We set off from the Cherwell Boathouse in a little flotilla of four punts with a number of children and enough picnic food to supply an army. Luckily the weather was kind and overall it was just a lovely activity for adults and kids alike. 

 I even managed to stay dry - my main objective given a theatre trip in the evening. This was a particular achievement given I was nominated (by them) to be in the punt with three excitable teenage boys

Cherwell Boathouse

The launch of one of Tim's 50th birthday presents. Boys and their toys. I bought him some cuff links. God I am horribly sensible now.

Then straight back to London to meet up with a couple of friends to see the Ayckbourn play Relatively Speaking. This is a beautifully contrived little comedy based on total misunderstanding of all involved - a comedy of errors indeed. The first scene is a little dull as it merely sets us up for what is to come. A couple of young lovers are getting up in the morning. He is somewhat suspicious at finding a pair of men's slippers under her bed, and is a little put out that her last relationship was with a man 30 years his senior. Despite his pleading, she is adamant its too early for him to come down with her to meet her parents in the Home Counties that afternoon, but he picks up their address and is determined to give her a surprise.

We then arrive in the Home Counties address, to be met with a middle-aged couple over a late breakfast, she, (Felicity Kendall - the big name to sell the play) trying to make her uninterested husband jealous by indicating that she just might be having an affair. He goes down the garden just as the young man arrives. She has no idea who the man is, but assumes he must have come to see her husband. He says he has, and when he comes he indicates his interest in marriage and wants his permission. Of course the young man wants his permission to marry his daughter, while the man leaps to the conclusion that he is brazenly seeking to marry his wife. This seems a more likely assumption because he has no daughter. Rather of course, this isn't her father but her older lover whom she is coming to see to stop him pursuing her further. And so the disconnections continue, but gradually unravel except for the the young man who remains oblivious to the whole affair. All very neat, clever and amusing. And as a modern play, also quite short, which meant we could have dinner afterwards in Chinatown. That was really nice affair and I very much enjoyed the company of this couple, not least as I was going to miss their engagement party the following weekend. Although common sense would have suggested that I shouldn't go back to the East End with them for some more drinks given my early start to catch a plane. But since when did I have common sense over temptation?

My early start was as it happens unnecessary given that my flight out to Prague was 3 hours delayed. But that's life. I did drop off on the plane though.