Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
I was just driving home with my friend Sophie after a lovely night out in Kingston (Gourmet Burger Kitchen followed by Carluccio's for after-dinner teas) and as we were travelling down Queen's Road from Hersham towards the roundabout by Sir Richard's Bridge (for those of you who know the area), we saw a baby deer leaping off the road and into some bushes. We think it might have been a monkjack deer, though heaven knows what it was doing there...
Inevitably, we went all gooey.
Inevitably, we went all gooey.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Jet setter
My lovely Italian friend Linda - formerly my student and subsequently my client when she had her daughter Chiara last year (homebirth in the bath) - called me last week and mentioned that she was off home to Lake Como, as Chiara's christening is being held on May 1st. She said that she realised that it was unlikely that I would be able to come but that I was invited if I fancied it. Yeah, cheers.
A couple of days later, my friend Suzie called me on the way home from work and asked why we weren't going to the christening. 'Errrm, because it's in Italy?' I ventured forth. 'And...?' she replied. 'Well....but....errrr....' 'Sod it, let's go' she said.
So, a bit of internet booking later, we have two flights to Milan on Sunday 30th, twin beds in a hotel in Como and a hire car. Cool! Just to top it off, Linda called me on Sunday to make sure we brought our summer wardrobes, since it was currently 30 degrees in Como... Hurrah!
A couple of days later, my friend Suzie called me on the way home from work and asked why we weren't going to the christening. 'Errrm, because it's in Italy?' I ventured forth. 'And...?' she replied. 'Well....but....errrr....' 'Sod it, let's go' she said.
So, a bit of internet booking later, we have two flights to Milan on Sunday 30th, twin beds in a hotel in Como and a hire car. Cool! Just to top it off, Linda called me on Sunday to make sure we brought our summer wardrobes, since it was currently 30 degrees in Como... Hurrah!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Oh What a Wonderful War of the Worlds!
I've just returned from the Albert Hall, which tonight saw the rather extraordinary spectacle of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds. It was great. Firstly, the ticket I bought from eBay, which, as I mentioned below, arrived by the skin of its teeth this morning, was the perfect seat. I was sat directly opposite the stage, on the back row of the stalls (which are...I'm not sure of the correct term actually - you know where each row is slightly higher than the one in front? I want to say variegated but this is clearly wrong). Thanks goes to Mick, the nice guy I bought the ticket from, who is currently in Algeria.
The show was a strange mix of concert, stage show and film. To the right of the stage was a full string orchestra, to the left was a 'band', for want of a better phrase, consisting of four keyboard players, each with a bank of keyboards, several guitarists as well as percussionists. In the middle was Jeff Wayne himself, conducting. To the top left of the stage was a giant head, which was - through use of clever technology which I last saw being pioneered at the Elan Valley visitor's centre in Wales - a giant Richard Burton's (well, someone who looked like him) face, lip synching to Richard Burton's original voiceover. Hmmm. Bit hard to describe that one...
Various performers, including the legendary Justin Heyward - who sang in the original as you may remember - and Russell Watson (he of opera-for-football-fans fame) came on and sang the various song bits, doing a bit of 'performing' whilst they were about it (Russell was particularly good at the 'falling over repeatedly in a demonstration of how close to death he was' acting).
Behind the orchestra was a huge screen which showed a CGI film complementing the action as described by the music, so lots of martians, red weed and people running away and being blown up and the like. About halfway throughout the first act, a huge model martian (at least, I assume it was a model) descended from the ceiling and landed on the stage in a pure Spinal Tap-type moment, which remained there for the duration of the show. Impressive though it was, the slight disadvantage of this was that it blocked the centre of the screen. Doh!
Anyway, though it all sounds a little odd, I will admit, it was actually a brilliant and triumphant show, which captured the spirit of the original soundtrack beautifully.
Tudor was also at the concert, sat up in one of the boxes; bit of a long story but basically his ticket was his last birthday present from me. We are clearly the only two people we know sad enough to want to go... It was really nice to see him and, at the interval, he told me all about the sound desk and the speaker system. I told him I'd missed sound talk! He said thank goodness, because the person in front of him didn't seem that bothered when he'd tried to explain it to him. Apparently it was when he began drawing diagrams that the guy really lost interest... Anyway, he filled me in on all the latest gossip (and how!) and he absolutely loved the show, so that was good. I had so wanted to get him something I knew he'd really love so nice to see I'd hit the mark.
The show was a strange mix of concert, stage show and film. To the right of the stage was a full string orchestra, to the left was a 'band', for want of a better phrase, consisting of four keyboard players, each with a bank of keyboards, several guitarists as well as percussionists. In the middle was Jeff Wayne himself, conducting. To the top left of the stage was a giant head, which was - through use of clever technology which I last saw being pioneered at the Elan Valley visitor's centre in Wales - a giant Richard Burton's (well, someone who looked like him) face, lip synching to Richard Burton's original voiceover. Hmmm. Bit hard to describe that one...
Various performers, including the legendary Justin Heyward - who sang in the original as you may remember - and Russell Watson (he of opera-for-football-fans fame) came on and sang the various song bits, doing a bit of 'performing' whilst they were about it (Russell was particularly good at the 'falling over repeatedly in a demonstration of how close to death he was' acting).
Behind the orchestra was a huge screen which showed a CGI film complementing the action as described by the music, so lots of martians, red weed and people running away and being blown up and the like. About halfway throughout the first act, a huge model martian (at least, I assume it was a model) descended from the ceiling and landed on the stage in a pure Spinal Tap-type moment, which remained there for the duration of the show. Impressive though it was, the slight disadvantage of this was that it blocked the centre of the screen. Doh!
Anyway, though it all sounds a little odd, I will admit, it was actually a brilliant and triumphant show, which captured the spirit of the original soundtrack beautifully.
Tudor was also at the concert, sat up in one of the boxes; bit of a long story but basically his ticket was his last birthday present from me. We are clearly the only two people we know sad enough to want to go... It was really nice to see him and, at the interval, he told me all about the sound desk and the speaker system. I told him I'd missed sound talk! He said thank goodness, because the person in front of him didn't seem that bothered when he'd tried to explain it to him. Apparently it was when he began drawing diagrams that the guy really lost interest... Anyway, he filled me in on all the latest gossip (and how!) and he absolutely loved the show, so that was good. I had so wanted to get him something I knew he'd really love so nice to see I'd hit the mark.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
PHEW!
Post has just come and my War of the Worlds ticket came with it. I've never been more relieved...be still my beating heart...
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Fingers crossed please...
I bought a ticket for War of the Worlds at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 18th April on ebay last week - am desperate to see it so very excited and it involved some down-to-the-wire bidding - but have discovered that it was sent out to me on Thursday morning via First Class post. Didn't arrive this morning so next post is Tuesday, i.e. the day of the gig. If it doesn't arrive then...well I'm buggered I suppose. The guy I bought it from apologised for having forgotten about the Easter weekend and has assured me he'll refund my money if it doesn't arrive in time but now I'm so worried...
Have just worked through the night with a particularly challenging client - well three clients in total but the first was a terribly lovely and obliging 16yr old who had a lovely birth and the second I (shamefully) barely saw because I was prioritising the first girl while she had her baby and then, just as I finished with her, the third - a known crack-user who was having her fourth baby, having had the other three fostered, (as was the plan for this baby) - was admitted in labour by ambulance at 35 weeks pregnant. So, my night was not exactly a quiet one and I had to literally BEG for help from my 'colleagues' on the labour ward. Why are they so deliberately obstructive? By the time I managed to hand over to my team mate, for whom I'd tried to field calls all night so I had someone fresh to hand over to in the morning, it was already 9.30am and I was beyond tired... So no Easter weekend for me, as I'm back on call at 8am tomorrow morning and will undoubtedly have more challenges ahead. As I've just taken over as the co-ordinator of my team (yes, a promotion, yes, more responsibility, no, no financial recompense. Dontcha just love the NHS?) it's all ultimately my problem nowadays.
I must love my job, me.
Have just worked through the night with a particularly challenging client - well three clients in total but the first was a terribly lovely and obliging 16yr old who had a lovely birth and the second I (shamefully) barely saw because I was prioritising the first girl while she had her baby and then, just as I finished with her, the third - a known crack-user who was having her fourth baby, having had the other three fostered, (as was the plan for this baby) - was admitted in labour by ambulance at 35 weeks pregnant. So, my night was not exactly a quiet one and I had to literally BEG for help from my 'colleagues' on the labour ward. Why are they so deliberately obstructive? By the time I managed to hand over to my team mate, for whom I'd tried to field calls all night so I had someone fresh to hand over to in the morning, it was already 9.30am and I was beyond tired... So no Easter weekend for me, as I'm back on call at 8am tomorrow morning and will undoubtedly have more challenges ahead. As I've just taken over as the co-ordinator of my team (yes, a promotion, yes, more responsibility, no, no financial recompense. Dontcha just love the NHS?) it's all ultimately my problem nowadays.
I must love my job, me.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Asteroid Shower
Last night I went for dinner with my friend Guy in Kent for his birthday. As we were preparing to leave, it started snowing - big fat wet snowflakes that even began to settle - not actually because it was cold enough but because they seemed to be so bloody-minded that the formerly wet conditions didn't dare argue. When the two friends I was giving a lift home to and I got in the car to drive home, we found that as you drove towards this snow (and wherever you went, it seemed you were driving right into it), the effect was similar to suddenly going Warp Speed - big white streaks stretching from us to infinity, that were strangely hypnotic. Rather like driving into a huge white hedgehog. We crawled along at 20mph, with me gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles and trying desperately to stay within the confines of a road that I couldn't actually see the boundaries of. We stopped at one point to get petrol and a guy in the queue behind me said 'Bloody hell, eh? It's like being on the Millennium Falcon, isn't it?!'
Hans Solo eat your heart out.
Hans Solo eat your heart out.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Hurray!
Just had to share my joy at the magnolia trees coming into bloom today - they're so beautiful and they make me very happy indeed. Sad that it's so short-lived...
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