There has long been an internal debate in my mind about how to refer to Ely. On the surface, it is most obviously a small, but quaint, joyous town. It is most definitely on the commuter belt judging by the number of individuals I witnessed at the train station in the morning and evening rush-hour. But is it actually a city? To technically be a city requires a cathedral. And Ely certainly has that, indeed, outsiders who are vaguely aware of the town probably know of its existence because of that dominating structure. Despite Wikipedia referring to Ely as a city, a population of 20,000, in this urbanized world, doesn't scream city to me. Yet Cambridge, which has no cathedral, is given city status due to the university. Peculiar, eh!
I had this debate on the short commute in, when I wasn't bewildered by how much of the land had been taken up by solar panels. Although I accept, and welcome, the need for effective renewable energy, to help mitigate the negative impact of climate change, nobody can deny that, like wind turbines, they spoil the landscape. Nevertheless, I pragmatically realise they are a necessity until more aesthetically pleasing technological renewal energy is available. Presumably, the panels would be even more efficient if they were in a nation with an even warmer climate than ours. Then again, apparently the UK's future climate could be the present climate of the Mediterranean! Anyway, I digress. Arriving in Ely, one immediately notices the fine contrast between the commercial and the natural world, the rush of individuals and perfect calm. When leaving the fairly small train station, which thankfully had attendees in the ticket office, the first sight was cars, cars everywhere. They were rushing down the roads at multiple miles per hour, pulling into the station, or parked in a Tesco's superstore. Reading their opening hours, Tesco appeared to be open non-stop between 6am on Monday and midnight on Saturday. This was Amazon in reality, permanent purchasing at the fingertips of individuals. Although I appreciate consumerism, much to my despair and poignant sadness, has become an ingrained part of our material world, the complete liberalisation of those opening hours was somewhat sickening. Thankfully, that slight pessimism quickly escaped my mind as I took some photos and walked the route my family has walked many times on our trips to Ely. Given my sense of direction, that didn't stop me from checking the directions on Google Maps before and taking screenshots of some key locations (though, I didn't use any of them). To see greenery, complimented by beautiful terraced housing, the colour and brickwork so exquisite, was nothing but a pleasure. The sounds of cars had vanished, the rush of people anticipating another day of work was gone. There was only calm, peace, a feeling of ecstasy travelling through me. That feeling was, ultimately, due to the Great River Ouse. Near a pub I had spotted - thankfully barren at 7:50 in the morning - was a fine wooden bench where I could admire the river in all its glory. Despite the eternal traffic racing over it, be they commuter or cargo trains, the water appeared so pure, so elegant, just a few ripples travelling around. Barges and yachts lurked at the side, not spoiling but complimenting the aquatic landscape. People clearly loved the Ouse like myself and wanted to show this. It was a sign of glory and wonder, amazingly located just less than an hour from home. Reading my book under the protection of a tree (though the eternal clouds also helped) I felt only contentment. I took the scenic route into the main Jubilee Gardens. How strange - and pleasurable - it was to see them so empty of people, only the natural landscape dominating. We had been used to attending Ely every spring for the flagship Ely Eel Festival, involving town-criers, fish throwing, battle reenactments and rock music. It was, and remains, a mixed, varied event, modernist and traditional in equal measure. Over the last couple of years, my presence has been absent, neglecting the occasion (along with the Reach Fair) due to the timing of exams. Yet to appreciate the land, water and air, the most basic of natural elements, with hardly anyone present, was only a delight. Many of the shops in Ely appear to be independent businesses, which I believe is marvellous. It relates to my economic outlook of supporting small business, which socially form the bedrocks of communities and make places special. There are vast numbers of tea rooms, with 'Peacocks' being the first to catch my eye. While most people my age like to go on pub crawls, I feel an Ely tea crawl will have to take place in the not too distant future! The antiques shop by the river, also caught my eye, but was alas closed when I initially walked past it. Visiting on previous occasions, it appears to own every item that has ever existed on planet Earth. Quite extraordinary. The landscape remained picturesque as I continued my walk up the slope to enter the main high street. This had been thankfully staggered by the sheer number of benches available, which made the walking process far more pleasurable. It sounds contradictory, but every house I walked past was similar and different. They were similar in their beauty, how neatly arranged the brickwork and windows were, the traditional designs that made them the perfect holiday cottage. (Indeed, writing about the housing makes me reminisce of Rosemary Cottage in Southwold, a utterly marvellous abode.) Even the bin-bags, neatly placed outside, were uniform in appearance. Yet they differed in their colours, designs, with rich, unique characteristics. It become perfectly obvious why somebody would choose to reside here. As I've stated, the cathedral dominates all. There are so many angles and sides to it, with its sheer height, majestic windows and intricate brickwork making it impossible to avoid. But that is a pleasure. People know of Ely through the cathedral, so why shouldn't it be permanently visible? It is surrounded by grass that is clearly well attended to, a perfect place to sit, and gravestones for reflection and commemoration. If I recall a sign correctly, the cathedral has been a presence in Ely since 653 AD. That's quite a while. There were multiple tours available, with the stained glass museum, a cafe and general exploration available. On this occasion, I didn't opt to go in, but the fact the cathedral is so open to all regardless of belief can only be welcomed. I may be getting old before my time, but much of the trip to Ely was spent on benches, of which there were aplenty, people watching individuals. As it was a Friday, there were mainly older, retired folk about and some younger individuals, who presumably, like myself, have completed A-levels or GCSEs. It was clear people were going about their normal Friday, in anticipation for the weekend but aware the time hadn't arrived just yet. There was still one more day of work. Though of course, with the growing popularity of the four day week and changing work patterns in this 'gig economy', that could all change! There was plenty of time to muse the streets, explore the different charity shops which I will always have an affection for. It is only ever their book sections which really grab me, entice me see what bargains are on offer. In national shops like Waterstones, which I have nothing but admiration for, there can be an element of predictability about what is on offer. That is never the case at charity shops! Many of the shops were of course nationwide, no different to any other city I have visited. But whether it was the absence of cars, broadly speaking, roads free for pedestrians, or the historical architecture, Ely always seemed to be resisting rampant urbanization, the kind that has overwhelmed Cambridge, and retain its cultural heritage. If somewhere has a library, there is a high to near certain chance I will visit it. Ely ticks that box, meaning the location where I would spend a chunk of my time was decided. I've been doing quite well in my library tours, having visited the St Neots library when I spent three days there. There were plenty of sections, the (sadly) typical machine allowing me to return and renew items, fiction, non-fiction, sitting areas, periodicals (though far fewer than the central library) and books galore. Plenty of people were using the services, so, as ever, it is so vital that these places are available for people to enjoy. Of course, my highlight of the trip had to be the wonder that is Toppings bookshop. Located in the heart of the high street, covering three floors, it is simply magnificent. Quaint, authentic, friendly, books everywhere you look, it is my idea of heaven. Despite being one of only four shops around the country, it has the best reputation I know. Having exchanged a message or two on twitter, I was told I would be welcome for many hours. That was a relief, given the amount of time I wished to spend browsing and reading (three and a half hours in total). The shelves cover the whole wall, requiring a dainty ladder to reach the uppermost literary volumes. One can't help but marvel at hardback books carefully wrapped in plastic protection, seats for reflection, reading and gazing out at the views. All year round, speakers are invited to chat about their books, including well known individuals like David Mitchell. I can see why they would want to attend. Toppings is like a home, offering warmth and delight. As the evening arrived and people looked forward to enjoying their weekend, my day ended precisely where it started. I was down by the Ouse, sitting on a bench that was slightly more inhabited. Now, teenagers still in school uniforms were together, ready to enjoy the night ahead. Elderly people remained, sat on benches, waiting to get ice creams due to the perfect weather. Couples were sat on the terrace of the now inhabited pub, their drinks out as a reward for managing the working week. Yet what united these individuals of multiple ages was gazing out into nature, appreciating the world around them. It was like they had never seen such a sight before, the light allowing the natural world to exist in perfect harmony. In these incredibly divided times, that was a beautifully satisfying sight to conclude my Ely wanderings.
1 Comment
David
23/7/2019 21:50:12
Hi Noah, I enjoyed your trip to Ely. Just a suggestion, reading back your blog before you post it, especially for grammar, effective punctuation, and word order is a good idea. Getting someone else to read it through before publication is also a thought, it has served many writers well. A fresh eye spots things like repetition and cliche. Good luck with your writing!
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