After finally getting up and faffing about a bit, I made my way to the river, being stuck in traffic due to stupid tourist coaches along the Backs halfway. Cunningly parked in Grantchester Road, bought a small bottle of water at the CoOp and walked across the park. As I still had a few minutes before I was supposed to meet deborah_c and the_lady_lily, I took a few shots at the bowling green and then from the bridge. Here are the results:

 
 

( More and bigger )

Then deborah_c and the_lady_lily turned up and we tried to find the secret location we were looking for. After a few detours we did but it was marred by a bunch of idiotic chav youths who decided it was cool to be swimming in the Cam there and, even worse, jumping off the footbridge so we decided to go on a bit along the river. A bit further on, the path was almost blocked by an enormous (willow?) tree which must have crashed very recently indeed as the wounds were very fresh. It looked rather healthy so we assume it grew across too far and the extending branches were too heavy for the trunk base to hold any longer. Let's hope nobody was injured when it crashed... Pictures:

 

( Bigger )

After not really finding anything appropriate, we went back to the crashed/trashed willow and took some shots there, then walked back and took a few shots at our originally planned location as the "bathers" had moved on. We ended our "date" with a drink and a chat at The Granta's patio.
There will be a portrait preview tomorrow. I have a headache and need to go to bed. :o(