Wind in the Willows

Well, me and Walt an Tara and Stella and Daisy and Lola and Joe and Ben and JJ went to the Playhouse to see Alan Bennett's Wind in the Willows. Excellently amusing, great staging - the train, the boat, great acting, great rabbits and hedgehogs, great pace, probably best if you were ten or over.



Thought it was a shame that the audience in droves left the Playhouse when the play finished. But the drinks are expensive, and I know that it meant to be a place for the People, it doesn't feel like it. What's to be done?

Earlier in the day Maya, JJ and I went to feed the ducks in the top lake in Roundhay Park. Came back and made buns.

Russian and Russia

Well, I come from an era when you just got a degree, any degree, not with a view to a career, but with a view to having a degree. So, having given up my plans to the first female Cliff Richard on account of the fact that Mrs Kidger [Silver Street Primary, Drake's Cross, Birmingham] told me that I [age 7] couldn't sing in tune, I decided [age 10], added and abetted by Mr Parker [also of Silver Street] [who thought I could be the next George Elliot] to be a successful writer.

Later on I completely screwed up A levels [taken some time later at Allerton Grange Compehensive, Leeds]; Miss Buck [my English teacher] took me by neck and shook me [it wouldn't be allowed now]. She said - What are you doing with your life? You could get an A or you could fail. I got an E in English, so I might as well have failed. However, to everyone's surprise [Mr Bush's, mine] I got a D in Russian.

Next thing I know I'm at Liverpool Uni with a 2:2 in Russian [whereas my then life plan was to have a 1st in English]. I was so angry that I vowed to forget every single Russian word that I had ever learnt.

The only good thing that I could see about doing a degree in Russian was that the State paid me to read Anna Karenina and  Crime and Punishment and for the second time, and Fathers and Sons for the fifth.

After some decades I decided that forgetting all the Russian words was stupid, and now I am at Beckett Park, Leeds doing Russian lessons. And in preparation for going on the Trans-Siberian Express next year, I decide to slip in a quick trip to Moscow and co. I met Walt's friend, Lisa who helped me through the complications of the Russian visa world [here's a picture of her posing for wifi outside the ex-Starbucks], and several trips to Gee Street later finally get the stamp in the passport that says yes, you may slip slop around on the black ice that is the Moscow winter street. [And here's some random pics of London].

I Guess it's Christmas Next

Well Debs, I am a woman on a mission, so Christmas is just the interlude between visa trips to London.   I totally blame Galina and the gang for discussing travel in Russia, and in particular the website "Man in Seat 61".






I was hooked. The plan formulated in my head as the week wore on, and idea that I could be in Moscow at New Year just wouldn't go away.

Meantime there was the small matter of a present exchange and creamed leeks. Here is Morgan the Elf and Mig, Gig and Rick and the Creamed Leeks.

On Christmas Eve morning I was handing my visa application to the Russian Visa Office in London.

On Christmas Eve, me and the Not-So-Smalls took Penny [my ma] to the Brudenell Social.

And later on Christmas Day it was a present orgy for JJ and Maya. Pass me the port.

Last Lap at Tropical World

Foxwood

Debs, I spent last night/the night before refiling all the Christmas Songsheets, determined to move less stressfully from on tune to the next. Three hours well worth it, I'd say.





First, middle and last: Foxwood: you, me, Sarah,  Bex, Natalie, Sophie,  and Ashley and Karen [guests]

Foxwood with Sparrows

Next up: Sparrows: Claudia, Ashley, Ciara

Foxwood

Foxwood again

with John the Drummer

Really nice - John [always known as John the Drummer] turned up. We made him pose for  photo with us.


Steel Rising Foxwood Doves: really just all the same players in reverse order.


Went for a walk round Tropical World and pursued this lovely little bird until she agreed to pose for me.

It's not all steel bands. Here's some Spanish . .

Dear Debs,

I finally managed to fit Spanish lessons into my life this term. Blessed already with French and Latin, am finding it reasonably easy.

Teacher great; rest of class great; we had a little party at the end of term, and we were each given a recipe in Spanish to follow a make a dish for said. Eventually Rick took pity on me, and "my" Russian salad was a success.



Here we are in December at Beckett Park Leeds Met in Whichever Building, celebrating a term well spent.

Thursday at Tropical World - Foxwood Steel, East Steel, South Steel

East Steel

Gig, JJ, Diz, Goddess

If it's Thursday we're still here: tonight we are Foxwood Steel [me, Bex, Gig, Katie, Debs, Vicky, then Charlotte], then East Steel [Cathy, Joyce, Wendy, Jeanette, Adele, Trish, Anne, Lynn, Becky, Cheryl]. After that it's South Steel [Charlotte, Debs, Caroline, Neil, Holly], and then we let them play on till the end. On account of the fact that we had run out of reperoire, dry songsheets and energy.

South Steel

East Steel

Foxwood Steel, Allerton Grangettes, Sparrows and Steel Risingat Tropical World Wednesday

It's that time of year again: standing on an artifiical beach on the other side of the wall from the meerkats, and just along from the crocs at Tropical World Roundhay park [Leeds, of course].

As we play each evening for three hours, and we are the same band, and the Tropical World staff are the same staff, it's my mission that we vary the repertoire and the style of play and the visuals as much as possible.

So this evening it's Foxwood [me, Bex, Sarah, Katie, Gig. Sophie, Tim, Vicky],

Foxwood Steel

 then the wonderful Allerton Grangettes [Sophie, Leila, Josie, Claudia, Ciara,  then it's Foxwood again, then Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows [Claudia, Ciara, Georgia E, Peter, Millie], then Foxwood again, then after I left early to go to City of Leeds School for the City Vibe Show, it was Steel Rising [Alli, Karen, Vicky plus].

Me, Gig and Maya got to City; Rick took them [G and M] off in the car, but the bit where I would have played for City Vibe hadn't happened before I had to leave . . .  Such is life. Thankfully Sophie was able to stand in.

Foxwood and Sparrows

Foxwood n Sparrows

Grangettes and some Foxwood