Breakfast at Tiffanys

"They let me in on the agnostic ticket"

Everyday Eavesdropper (EE) dropped into the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse (CAP) Bar for lunch on Saturday. This is the place where the artsy Cambridge middle class hang out in force; some think it is scarier than the binge drinking which goes on at the establishment below: a huge drinking emporium – which typically chucks out its customers at just the point the main feature is finishing.

I love the way these two different sets are frequently thrown together onto the pavement (sidewalk) at the same time. Once you’ve enjoyed your wonderful Scandinavian three hour epic about the difficulties of love in the fjords you come tumbling out to catch the difficulties of love on a Saturday night in Cambridge: ‘stoppit, he’s not worth it’ being the sort of phrase which accompanies a little rough and tumble on the street.

Anyway, the CAP bar sells crepes at lunchtime (crepes are, of course, exactly the same as pancakes but that's another story) and the fillings are named after films. For example, 'A Bout de Souffle' has garlic in it or something. My favourite is 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' which is mostly bacon and egg. The only problem is that it is probably the slowest service in the entire world - as each one is made with the most incredible attention to detail (by a chef with an impressive set of dreadlocks). There is absolutely nothing that will put this man off his stride. If the building was burning I'm sure he would carry on with his cooking, applying exactly the right amount of pepper and salt. EE orders with the expectation that it will take three quarters of an hour to arrive and then is pleasantly surprised when it turns up after 40 minutes - a good perspective for life I feel.

More importantly, EE found himself seated between two wonderful conversations. On one side was a young woman reading The Independent (there are free copies available) and tearing out interesting excerpts to take home for later analysis and on the other were two young men who seemed to be discussing the link between religion and politics."... it was a debate about European neo-liberalism ... some kind of Jewish Christian forum which x told me about."

"but you're neither Jewish nor Christian are you?"

"I got in on the agnostic ticket"

"So it was a Jewish Christian Agnostic forum then really?"

"Something like that"

What followed was one of the most involved discussions about the connections between religion and politics I have heard for some time. I found it hard to follow to be honest, because it required real concentration and I was attempting to read the paper myself. And I was further distracted because my other neighbour was now on the mobile (cell) phone.

"It really is absolutely outrageous .. I've torn it out for you."

She was evidently on the phone to a loved one / partner and I had missed what it was she was outraged about (so damned inconsiderate of her not to make that clear!). Interestingly, this is a very good example of the 'datada effect' which I shall elaborate on in future blogs. It is partly this which makes eavesdropping so much fun.

What was it she was outraged about? Well, about 95% of the time you can be sure it is Tony Blair that has upset the Cambridge middle class, and there's a possibility that it could have been his support for nuclear power that was the problem. EE's impression however, was that it wasn't the Prime Minister this time. The other candidates were articles on laughing gas, sweat shops in China or an article on 'Gorgeous George'.

George Galloway's (GG) appearance on Celebrity Big Brother (CBB) has been one of the most bizarre political stories of recent times. I don't want to go over the debate again here. However, EE has been most shocked, not by the 'feline antics' of GG, but that there are evidently so many people who have absolutely no idea who he is (including about half of his fellow 'celebrities' on CBB itself). Perhaps this shows that EE has lived in Cambridge too long and has cut himself off from the rest of the population. Maybe we have believed GG's own publicity or could it be that we all only know our own little corner of interest (one of my colleagues was disgusted that I had never heard of the basketball player that is in the CBB house for example).

GG is not a wise or nice man in my view, but perhaps there's something to be said for the idea that his involvement in CBB can bring politics into the living rooms of Britain.

With this important business out of the way, woman on mobile phone went on to debate how they were going to transport their son to swimming lessons as well as get to the film they were so desperate to see that afternoon. Over on the other table, we had reached the Polish government and its links to the Roman Catholic Church - and all this before my pancake had arrived.

Sometimes, when EE goes home to South Derbyshire or to watch Derby play he indulges in thoughts of 'oh, how refreshing that everyone here's so down-to-earth - not like in Cambridge where everyone's so up-themselves', but after a while, EE finds himself wondering whether there are any good French films coming up at the CAP and even starts hankering after that forty minute crepe.

The thing is, EE feels so at home there.