Page 498 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK
P. 498
18 June 2022
The Aldeburgh Vibe
“Where are you off to?” asks the cab driver en-route to London Liverpool
Street Station.
“Aldeburgh. East Suffolk, ” I confidently reply. “For the weekend.”
Recognising the implicit permission granted, the cab driver proceeds to tell
me about his recent experiences in the area.
These recollections turn out to be rooted deeper in Essex than East Suffolk,
but one short anecdote about a café on the Essex coast not accepting credit or
debit cards grabs my attention.
“I didn’t have any way to pay the bill. There weren’t any signs, ” protested the
cab driver. “But the owner was really helpful. Told me how to find the nearest
cash machine and said he was quite happy to wait for me to return with the
money.”
The apparent trustworthiness of the café owner surprised the cab driver.
“That wouldn’t happen in London.”
The anecdote prepared me well for my second trip to East Suffolk for this
year’s Aldeburgh Festival: things are different in East Anglia. Adjust.
