Almost exactly four years ago, April 15th 2016, we moved into Crown Cottage, here in Winster. It was the 14th house we had viewed, and the first that we had both been completely smitten with, and possibly in many ways the least suitable for a couple approaching old age. Heart ruled the head, and how happy we are that it did…
Continue reading Coping Under Lockdown
I am sneaking away from our Christmas card list, briefly, and rather unwisely given that I have only reached the Hs, to touch on my latest Parwich book group choice, which has rather joyfully introduced into my life a little known ‘Swinging Sixties’ Pop artist called Pauline Boty. Continue reading Pauline Boty – have you heard of her?
The dumbing down of language… I read the other day that the average reading age in this country is nine! Guardian readers can be proud of their 14. Continue reading 1984 and all that
Moliere, surely? No? Well, perhaps one of Shakespeare’s less well known works…? No, The Hypocrite is a brand new play, albeit based loosely on the Civil War of the mid 17th century. Continue reading The Hypocrite
It might seem to be rather overdoing a point during the recent appalling weather to visit The Tempest, not once, but twice… Continue reading The Tempest
So dreadful has been the news recently that, since lying awake nearly all night on November 8th listening to the news as the horror unfolded, I have hidden happily away from current affairs as best I can, absorbed in another, safer, world of books.
I have been reading – with great enjoyment – two very peaceful and charming books, as far removed from Trump (and even Brexit) as is remotely possible: ‘Excellent Women’ by Barbara Pym, and ‘Terms and Conditions’ by Ysenda Maxtone Graham. Continue reading Excellent Women?
I am sure you probably all know that the Royal Ballet is producing the Nutcracker at Christmas. This is just a hasty note to let you all know that Nick has just told us that if you are interested and likely to be near a computer this evening, October 27th 2016, The Nutcracker rehearsal is being streamed live on YouTube, apparently starting at 7.20. Sam our soon-to-be daughter-in-law will be appearing, although I am not quite sure when, rehearsing her lot (the corps de ballet). Nick most certainly will not be seen on the screen, although you can see them both here.
It is also by way of an apology/explanation for another long silence. There have been serious problems with the blog which we think and hope our good friend and web guru, Jeremy Brough, has now sorted out. It was all to do with backups, backs up backing up back ups and so on, making our web hosts annoyed and rather demanding, and perhaps more importantly, seriously slowing everything down.
And the grandmother mother of the bridegroom thinks she has found a dress. Having struggled as many of you know, trawling through acts of matronly dresses modelled by preteens with hollow cheeks and trout lips I have actually chosen one that could be thought mutton dressed as lamb, notably because it is on the short side. And in the shop it was just hanging on an ageless rail, not defined by anyone young or old.
The other problem is that although the front is multi-coloured, from behind it is all black. I certainly don’t want anyone reading anything into that. We are so happy about getting Sam and Nick getting wed. However, I am assured that short is okay, and that black is the new wedding white, or something like that. Let’s hope it will pass muster. It’s beautifully comfy and unrevealing so that is all to the good.
Meanwhile, happy watching tonight!
It’s not every day of the week that a first novel hits the best-seller lists, nor that the writer is from Ashbourne… Even less likely is it that Continue reading The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
This is just an interim report to prove that we are still there, still breathing, just… Today, Friday 15th April all being well we complete the purchase of Crown Cottage, Winster.
Continue reading Tilting at Windmills?