Pirates of the East of England

The 24hour sail in aid of the RNLI is a spectacle to behold in the cafe. The flags and the bunting go up, the staff are briefed and there is a sense of expectation in the air.
The theory is that each team keep a vessel on the water for 24hours, counting the laps of the lake, and the time in which it takes to go around. Some of the sailors take this really seriously, it is a race after all. We, on the other hand, dress as pirates and take a pedaloe out, and generally get in the way. We do however have a really good weekend and try to get a generous donation to the RNLI.This year the staff really got in the mood. We got a pedaloe team going, and even the Newbies got involved, not forgetting the help from Barry's lads from nextdoor, some random customers who just fancied a go and even Ian the Ranger who did laps for us before and after his ranger shifts on that weekend.
There seemed to be more boats on the water this year, and a good wind saw them flying over the lake. This is brilliant for them, but not good when you are so low on the water, but our chaps carried on regardless. The 5am shift- valiantly covered by Jodie, is great- calm water so you can overtake the boats, much to their chagrin.
There is a flypast every year- this time it was a Hurricane, a Spitfire both of which were dwarfed completley by the majestic Lancaster.
Shakehands Eric(see post below) played a set in the cafe, and were once again fantastic. They then moved to Barrys side to play for the worn out sailors. They played in the garage- although I don't think they now come into that genre- and said how lovely it was to play overlooking such a beautiful lake. They are sorry for the view their audience had! Our team managed to do 30 laps, and we won the prize for most committed team. That may have been the team that needed to be comitted most! Thanks to the fabulous generosity shown by our customers the cafe has raised over £300 for the RNLI. The figure for the whole weekend has yet to be published. The race has been a great success this year, and we hope will continue to be so. It always takes place around the longest day. We hope to see you there next year- dressed as pirates if you wish.

"The Crows would gather on the railing"

Mark Twain wrote a lot on crows- specifically the Indian crow. He felt they chatted about him, remarking on his clothes, his actions and why he had not been arrested, when he shooed them away they would fly up in circles laughing at him, only to return to the balcony and start the process again.
The crows at the cafe are getting more familiar, and more plentiful. I feed them on crumbs in the morning, and having done so since we opened, they now come to my whistle. I have always been fascinated by them and the stories that follow them.
Often believed to be a symbol of bad omens, war, and death they have been written about for centuries. Celts thought they heralded war- although this seems to be because they are seen flying around a battle field, after the war was over. Apollo is always associated with them, and Odin had Hugin(thought)and Munin(memory)on either shoulder to whose council he listened before battles. They are often said to be the keepers of sacred laws and tricksters. In Russia they are thought to be shape shifters or witches that have turned themselves into crows.
To me crows are clever, fascinating and amusing. They work together sometimes. One stands on the top of the bin and pulls the bag, standing on the fold each time. Eventually the base of the bag comes to the top and the contents falls out into the waiting beak of the crow that waits at the bottom.
One that has been coming to us for the last two years has learnt that speed is of the essence. He gathers four or five large bits, then picks them all up until his beak is stuffed full. He then flies to either a puddle in the car park, or the edge of the lake and soaks each bit. Thus they become soft and easier to eat, and as he's alone he does not have to hurry.
The staff often eat their lunch on the steps at the back of the building and the main crow sits and watches them. If they leave their plate the crow will hop up the steps, circle the plate, hop down one step, look around, and then hop back and take whatever is on it. One of my girls lost an entire sandwich to the crow, as she left a full plate of food on the steps while she went and had a cigarette.
We had two cases last week where crows took food off plates on the balcony- a scone from a lady who had turned and tied her dog up, and another couple nearly lost half a panini, had one of the other customers not shooed it away.
You may also see them sitting on cars. They have been known to remove windscreen wiper blades and the seals around the sunroof of cars. They are fascinated by their own reflections and will slide down the car windscreens just to hop back up to the roof. If you are getting plagued by them, either don't wash your car or cover the windows with newspaper. They only seem attracted to certain sorts of cars, I don't know how they differentiate.
You will often see the main crow sitting either on the roof of the cafe, or near the jetty if there are not a lot of sailing people about. Sometimes if we are quiet enough he will sit on the railing, or on the picnic benches. Say hello if you see him- he sometimes answers back!