England Swings

England swings like a pendulum do,
Bobbies on bicycles two by two,
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben,
The rosy red cheeks of the little children

In case you think that England Swings is some kind of reference to adventurous sexual behaviour involving car keys, well it isn't. It's a song about the Swinging Sixties - not, perhaps with the most profound lyrics, but I thought of it today when I saw this shop window in Cambridge:

Clearly, if you're a foreign tourist, this is what we think England means to you: at a glance here I can see the tower of Big Ben - in several sizes - a red post box, a London bus and several important-looking crests. Oh, and poor Princess Diana lurking at the back, her memory to be exploited as long as tills go ker-ching.

Cambridge is a city of great beauty and an equally great desire to separate tourists from their money as fast as possible. I had, however, a lovely time, and I'll tell you more about it very soon.