love those cupcakes

A night at the opera

My first. 

At the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. 

Courtesy of one of the Husband's Christmas presents.

We started with an early doors supper, pasta arrabiata and courgette fritters with basil mayonnaise for me, pizza and chips (predictably) for him.

It bugs me that we have to travel to visit a decent theatre (there is a tiny one locally with limited performances) as this town was once overrun with them. 

Newcastle's Theatre Royal is about an hour's drive away and a wonderful venue.  It's about to undergo extensive renovation which will include new seating, much needed for those of us with long legs!   

As for the opera itself, this was a first and I wasn't sure what to expect though, obviously, some of the music was very familiar (the overture, habanera, the toreador song and the bit they used for the Esso television advert years ago).  I loved it (the performance was in French with helpful sub titles on small screens at the sides of the stage) though it's probably fair to say that the baring of breasts, mooning and a dog in a muzzle were a bit of a surprise.  

Now I'm wondering how I can get Boo an Equity card.

 

"When the red, red, robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along"***

The Husband took this photograph of our favourite garden visitor enjoying a snack this morning.

We also noticed some damage in the garden caused by the weight of the snow.  Spot the gap near the pond where a mature vibernum used to be (and which is now laid forlornly on the table). The same happened last winter when we lost a well established and rather gorgeous ceanothus.

As for the Christmas cake, I took the advice offered and went ahead without currants.  It's baking right now.

***This song, which I vaguely remember Doris Day singing, will be forever associated with early days at dancing class.  It's the ideal tempo for mastering basic tap steps (hop shuffle down, hop shuffle down, kick out, bang bang, kick out, bang bang) but it was also one of the few tunes my first dance teacher, Miss Hardy, could bash out on the old studio piano.  Without the sheet music.  And always with a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth.  Happy days.

 

It's only rock and roll (but I like it)

                                                                  Keith Richards, 1967

This will most definitely be on my Christmas list, not least because, like most people, I never really thought Keith would be around long enough to write an autobiography of a life lived for sixty-odd years.  (And even if he was, what on earth would he remember?).  I watched the Culture Show Special interview last night which clearly was mostly about plugging the book but, even if it wasn't as probing as it might have been, the programme included some classic Stones clips and news footage.  As for the man himself, the bandana, gnarled fingers, kohl rimmed eyes and deepset wrinkles were no surprise, even if a far cry from the 1967 version which could set many a pulse racing.  But I can even forgive him his monstrous new gnashers when I listen to this.  (Bear with the 20 second or so delay at the start).

Another blast from the past

Listen to this in its entirety and at full volume. 

Bet you get goosebumps.

Dear Father Christmas

I'm assuming most people have one thing they always asked for in their letters to Father Christmas but which never actually materialised on Christmas Day.  For many of my friends this was a dog.  Or a cat.  Or in one case a pony.  The Husband said he'd always wanted a toy fort with soldiers but the Man in the Red Suit delivered a medieval castle. (Of course, not full size).

So, what's been (and still is) at the top of my Christmas list since I was a little girl?  One of these.....

 .... a zither.  It all started when I was very young and wanted to be like Shirley Abicair, a singer and zither player who was on the telly at the time.  Much later I fancied having a go at playing the theme from that classic film The Third Man.  I was given a brand spanking new  piano when I was 7 and I loved it, still do.  But it didn't stop me wanting a zither.  One year when I was about 14 my dad took me into town to point out what I wanted as my main Christmas present and we did get as far as the entrance to the music store. (Yes, they did sell zithers).  But for some reason I ended up with a wristwatch that year.  Then when I was a social worker, after hearing the story, a colleague made me a zither from a piece of cardboard.  Which was a nice gesture but obviously I couldn't actually play it.

I'm not sure why I was never given the present of my dreams and my dad often referred to it over the years as Christmas approached.  But, who knows, maybe Father Christmas will read this.

So tell me, which present was (or is) always at the top of your Christmas list?

Listening to....

....... an old favourite.

Shiny, happy people

It started with this

                                         

which contained these

                                     

and it ended here

in the company of the Guillemots, Editors and .....

  REM. 

To Michael, Peter and Mike:  just keep doing what you do.

Something kinda ooh!

 The Gorgeous Girlie was home for the weekend.  One of her Christmas presents was a couple of tickets for a concert on Saturday night at Newcastle Arena and she asked me to go with her.  So, I went to see

Not that I'm a fan, particularly.  But it was live music, a great atmosphere and I got to spend the evening with GG. 

                                   

                                    

                                                

                                                              

                                   

We managed to resist buying flashing bunny ears.  But not these.

                      

 

                                                                             

A jellicle evening

 

We went to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle last night to see the musical Cats.  I do enjoy musicals and this was the first time I'd seen this particular one.  (Yes, I know it's been around for a long long time).  It wouldn't rank in my top 5 but it's always good to see live theatre.  We don't go often enough I would have to say, and that may be something to do with our home town not having a proper theatre.  It used to.  I can remember my parents going regularly when I was little.  (And I made my debut there at the age of 3 when I was in a "baby troupe"!)  The building has been a club for many years and there has been an attempt by the local council recently to buy it back and return it to its former glory. Sadly, it didn't come to anything.

 

I had planned to make raspberry and white chocolate muffins this morning but I didn't have any raspberries or white chocolate.  So I made wholemeal cheese scones instead.