An evening on the river

On Saturday evening Mary's sister, Janet, celebrated her 70th birthday, and her son Nick, suggested we take punt up the River Cam past The Backs and enjoy seeing the Cambridge colleges from the river. Once we'd passed St John's, we moored up to enjoy a picnic supper. I spotted in the distance an Italian restaurant, and thought ice creams would be appreciated, especially as there were two children in our party. When I turned up at the restaurant, there was a notice pinned to the door saying they were closed for a private function. I slipped in, and asked the proprietor if it would be possible to buy 10 ice-creams. He was kind enough to agree, and while I was waiting, a gentleman came up to me and asked me if I would come and meet the wedding party. "I'd be delighted," I said, and was escorted through the 200 guests to the top table to be introduced to a Scot in a fine kilt who had just got married to a Chinese man. I wished them both the very best of luck and returned to my family with 10 ice creams.

When I told the story back on the punt, everyone over 60 burst out laughing, and Mary said, "I would have paid good money to have seen the expression on your face." Nick, Chris and my son William, all in their 30s, didn't feel it was of any significance, and our chauffeur/punter, a young undergraduate from King's College reading Philosophy, didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. How much more understanding the younger generation is today.