Today was the day that our luck with both the weather and the wifi signal in the van deserted us. Fortunately, the sat-nav had recovered from its hissy fit and was now working, This was just as well as we had to negotiate the city centre and my attempts to download a map were foiled by the demise of the wifi signal. I was not relishing using my phone as Google Maps and I are not friends.

We waited until afternoon, so were able to look round the Weir Garden at Swainshill, on the road to Hereford, in just a light drizzle rather than a downpour. The first record of this riverside, woodland gardens was in 1673 but Roman remains have been discovered on the site, including an octagonal cistern, thought to be a shrine to water nymphs. Given the scale of these remains, it is thought that this was probably just a bath house, rather than a dwelling. In the eighteenth century, a typical ‘picturesque’ garden was designed, in consultation with Humphrey Repton. As well as the woodland walk, there was a walled garden to explore, which dates from this period. This part of the garden is walled on only three sides to maximise the sun.

Part of the reason for why Herefordshire? Why now? Was a Fisherman’s Fiends concert, which was being held at the Amp, in the car park of an arts venue called the Courtyard. This is basically a huge circus tent, with massive tent pegs driven into the car park’s tarmac. Given that the venue now had no car park of its own, we’d been directed to a nearby public car park. I’d received numerous emails about arriving early and with a sell out 1400 capacity venue, I was concerned about securing a parking space in the designated car park. Our plan was to get ahead of the rush by driving in early, securing a parking space and then find somewhere to eat before the show. Finding the car park was not the issue, it was right by the football stadium and you are going to be ahead of me here, therein lay the problem. I still think it is ridiculous that the football season starts in August but we made the mistake of arriving before the home game had finished. The car park was rammed, with cars parked in ridiculous places as well as in actual spaces. We retreated gracefully.

Plan b was to drive a little way out of the city and find a pub with a car park that served food all day, as it was 4pm, so not traditional food serving time. Just to the north, we came upon the Swan at Aylestone and were able to consume vegetarian lasagne and toffee sundae (me) and scampi followed by apple pie (Chris). We headed back to the car park as the football fans were leaving, somewhat disgruntled as their team had lost. Apart from a bit of a wait for a gap in those leaving the car park to enable us to get in, there were no problems.

Once at the venue, the predicted long queues for security were non-existent, ok so we were still VERY early. The only issue with the venue was the not very comfortable chairs and the humidity. Fisherman’s Friends were their usual brilliant selves. Then it started raining. We had noticed that it was quite damp underfoot but by the interval, it was clear that some sections of the audience were being rained on. The fact that the leaks were perilously close to lighting rigs was a little disconcerting. We were thankful not to be positioned under one of the leaks but it seems that people behind us a few rows back were and the car park on which the marquee was erected was on a slope. There was a veritable river rushing past our feet for most of the second half but it did at least seem to lessen the humidity.

Then, the following day, it was back home to ten days of mayhem before heading off on more adventures, so watch this space. Just whose idea was it to be away from three weeks in the six preceding a conference, when I am heading up the organising team?