Putting on the Fitz

The magnificent Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam Museum against a dramatic sky

The impressive entrance

The beautiful ornate ceiling

Side view of The Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam Museum is one of my favourite places.

It has a fabulous, eclectic collection of paintings, pottery and many other amazing artefacts.

I love the fact that you can stumble across a Picasso one minute, a Monet the next and a host of other works of genius from the ancient to the contemporary in between.

It also has a wonderful shop - and cafe.

It was in the cafe that I met my lovely friend Debbie whom I haven't seen for ages. We met originally when we were both studying for a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) MA.

Debbie was one of the best things to come out of that course and we've been firm friends ever since.

We have so much in common - grown-up sons who are both at university, a love of language and art plus a passion for literature.

And a fondness for The Fitz.

We've both been through a lot so it was good to talk through our various trials and tribulations, each listening carefully to the other and providing genuine sympathy and support.

We both love coffee and cake and too and our conversation was punctuated with sips of strong black coffee and bites of delicious apple cake.

The time passed too quickly and we still had more to say, but the important things had been said without words.

We are friends.

And always will be.

And we will both always love The Fitz.