cambridge mint vs oxford blue: what a row

We're having such an English Sunday: an AMAZING Easter Service at our beautiful St. Marys in the Boltons church, then we thought we'd do what other people do. Make a roast lunch. But Sainsbury's was closed for Easter, so was Waitrose, so we got two skinless chicken breasts at Tescos and a ton of potatoes (sweet and regular) onions, carrots, bacon, created the most magic lunch.

Then the Oxford Cambridge (or is it Cambridge Oxford) boat race on TV.

And while both teams are Blue teams (I love blue teams), Oxford is the dark blue, Cambridge light. But I noticed, the light blue (as in the caps) has over the years morphed into what Brit-Stitch call grayed jade, or Celedon, or mint. And I've just spent half an hour trying to find images of the Wellies they wore. After a lot of searching to find you a photo, I found that Hunter does make a colour they call mint, but it looks totally aqua on their site.


And then I found a shot of the boots they wore. And something more (scroll to the bottom).

Thank you to the HuffPost for these shots -and for putting together such a great piece on today's race. It was moving, personally, to watch it: my good friend, Major Bobby Collins, who died 31st January 2012, rowed for Oxford, and was in the Olympics. As well as many wars. He was in his late 80s, and I wondered how he felt last year, when there was all that drama: the swimmer, and then, because of the swimmer, the conditions meant one of the team mates nearly died. But this year, they won.

I'm sorry Cambridge lost - Cambridge is where our other dear friend, Dr. Dennis McMullan, who co-invented the electron microscope, studied and worked, and the lovely Barbara Clapham, who created our garden square, is in hospital, aged 98. She's also from Cambridge and has had the most incredible life. Thinking of all these three dear friends and neighbours, one not with us, but very much in spirit. What a laugh.

He'd be the first to say, it's definitely not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.