To Cheltenham yesterday, the town that prides itself as the Regency capital of the Cotswolds.
The town was heaving as early Christmas shoppers explored its chic boutiques and Christmas market. Tasteful Christmas music played over the market tannoy — no Slade or Wizard here, but Bing Crosby and even the great Paul Robeson (certainly a first for a Christmas market). The Cotswold’s finest were out, intent on re-injecting enough cash to keep the economy of the entire nation afloat. The Christmas crowds were swelled by thousands of Irish visitors, in town for the Paddy Power Cup over at the racecourse.
I was in Cheltenham to catch up with fellow Challenger Humphrey Weightman who makes regular visits to the town to see his mother.
Mates of Humphrey will be pleased to know that he was in fine form. Although only in Cheltenham every six months or so, Humphrey seems to know everyone. We went first to a chic bar where Humphrey greeted the barman in his native Spanish. The barman was able to reproduce from memory a cocktail of Humphrey’s own design. Then it was off to a friendly, family, Italian, where Humphrey was greeted as a long lost friend, with a flourish of Italian. Humphrey is, I suppose, the Challenge’s own renaissance man!
We had a great evening discussing all kinds of things including, of course, the Challenge and the Pyrenees. Humph’s account of this summer’s Pyrenean storm was fascinating. There is nothing quite like a Pyrenean storm and for a while he thought he would only return home as a piece of toast!
My original plan was to spend the night in town and to make a weekend of it. But the Paddy Power cup had a remarkable effect on accommodation. The Holiday Inn Express, which tonight is charging £75 for a room, was — last night — charging £300. That’s right! £300 for a room in a Holiday Inn Express!
Humphrey experienced a similar problem. The nice Irish B&B that he uses was full. But being a man of resilience, Hump simply but up his Laserlite tent in the garden of the B&B!
Challengers are made of such stuff.
Laserlite?? I thought Humphrey was an Akto man?
New this year for the Pyrenees. Apparently the Akto was a bit threadbare.