You're playing all the wrong notes!

Could we  get in touch with Grieg?

working holiday

Just home from a semi working week in Venice. We had a lovely apartment through friends, so could shop in the Rialto market (a vaporetto or gondola trip depending on where we ended up on foot) and cook up all the local produce from pumpkin and ceps to razor clams and brill. Each morning we rose at 7 ish, walked hours over canals and round the streets before they began to fill with tourists yelping 'IS this the RYALTOHHH?', took it all in, photographed; then we returned to our temporary home on the giudecca where we cooked and lunched, and Julian painted. Unfortunately the sweet little internet caff down the road had problems as of day 3 so Julian, mac under mac, had to go back to the mainland and brave the masses in St Mark's square to find another wifi joint. From there he posted and waited (with some help from Steve back home) and sometimes left the 'window' open hoping the sending process would continue for a few minutes or hours before the next user took over. It could be frustrating but we reminded ourselves that the view from the vaporetto was pretty spectacular on the way over at sunset, even more so on the way back by starlight, and that life was pretty good.

We are so looking forward to having Hugh and Margaret here for three weeks. I am taking a short trip to see my old mates and colleagues of 12 years at Glyndbourne (I am on tour at the same time next year and the year after that, presumably, we will have a little one so this is my last chance) just after they get here, but will be back in no time.

Yesterday...

Bog Latin by David Martin

what a fun day. After celebrating Dad's birthday Friday night with Will and plenty of champers and music, Dad went off to Ascot and Clive and I caught the train to Pangbourne. Clive's friend David (Martin) had invited us to a private view (with champagne!) at the Modern Artists Gallery in Whitchurch. It was great to see David's work. He and Clive often discuss art and David is particular a fan of Julian's daily postings that the OED team have signed up for. We then met Cara and her fella Andy and we went for a lovely long afternoon at the 'The Swan' pub on the Thames near the weir (I know G & G know this pub as they took me and Will here years ago for lunch). It was so warm and mild we sat outside all afternoon taking in the changing autumnal scenery. The plan was to find a pub showing the football on but this being Pangbourne they were only interested in showing the rugby later on. Ah well it gave a good chance to catch up and we all got home in time to watch England and sock it to the French and especially disrupt Chabal tee hee - how does he play with that long flowing hair? And is it me or does our Johnny looking like a young Ryan O'Neal with his longer hair...anyways

Salutations Provençal

Birthday reciprocals

plus-

what a match.. what a result!

No one is about around here or on the roads,

clearly toute le monde is hiding under the bedclothes.

Happy Birthday Steve!

I couldn't make the blogger work for me yesterday(or any other computer related comunications) so the birthday greetings are a day late. I hope you had a wonderful day, enjoy your cat sitting. Watch out that you aren't attacked by disgruntled, Nay! heart broken Frenches after last nights nail biting match. Can't help thinking of your birthday two years ago in the Manoir oh happy days! Happy Birthday from all of us here in West Wales and much love Cathy

CAT SITTING

Steve has gone over to cat sit for Julian, while J&R are having a short break in Venice. Should be back about Thursday.
I hope you were glad you got up to watch the incredible Rugby game. I expect Steve took his laptop so he will no doubt answer your good wishes. Have a good day! love from DAD Julian's tel no. is 0033496127940

Yet Another Birthday For Steve

Dear Steve, I'll give you a call later but fot now, wishing you a very happy birthday when you wake up. I'm going to try to get up a 3 am Sunday morning to watch the Rugby. We all have rugby feaver here after witnessing the quarter final upsets.

Anything interesting happening on your birthday?

Love Nic, Jen, Claire & Daniel.

ESTY BIRDIE 13th OCTOBER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR STEPHEN,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
GOOD RACING AT ASCOT TOMORROW, GOOD FERRY CROSSING AND GIVE OUR LOVE TO JULIAN AND ROOF
LOVE FROM MUM AND DAD

Shower cubicle is finished

Installer Dave arrived here this morning about 11.30 and I reminded him that we were expecting visitors, but luckily our visitors rang up from near Windsor to say that there was a holdup on the M25 and would be late. Expect us about 1.30pm. , so I warned the White Horse that we would be late -- "no problem" came the answer, but it was 1.35 when they arrived and we were not all finished, so I said to Mum, go up to the White Horse and book 6 lunches and I will get there as soon as I can. As it happened everything was fine and the work was finished in time and we all had a good lunch. The afternoon was spent just hanging out and our guests left at about 6.30. It was nice to see my cousin Ray from Sydney and thanks to Alan and Rebecca for bringing him and June to see us. The shower unit looks very good and I can't wait to get my feet wet.

Panic Over

Dave and his Thai assistant turned up at Noon having spent four hours on motorways M32 M25 and M40 because of some accident holdups. It took him 6 hours to get home last night and he is "up to here" with motorways.
He has told me that there is a small crack in the new basin, but this will be exchanged when his inspector comes in a week or two. It is all beginning to look very nice and he said that had he been on his own, he would have stayed here to finish it tonight, but he did not want to keep his assistant away from her home. He may have to come back again tomorrow to fettle things off, so we will have to wait for our "shower party". I told him we were expecting June and cousin Ray for lunch, with Rebecca nd Alan to do the driving. DAD

New shower Unit

9 am on 8th and I am worried. Did I pt the right day on our calendar, when the phone rang and Dave (our shower unit installer) was stuck on the M23 as he was coming from Haywards Heath. He is sorry but he will be late. He eventually turned up at 11.30 with his assistant (a trainee girl from Thailand) and at 6pm he was still here with half the work, but the worst part, done, and said he would have to go home and return on Tuesday.
7.45am so here I am waiting. At least all the banging and drilling is over and we can begin to see what it will look like. Anyone want the old shower??

On a school night...

Last Wednesday Clive and I went to a performance organised by Oxford Contemporary Music. It was a performance by Harold Budd who is an ambient composer (bit like Brian Eno). It was at the Holywell Music Room in Oxford where we'd never been before and it is a lovely space. After consulting the t'internet it is said to be the oldest, purpose built music room in Europe, and hence England's first concert hall. Many musicians, including Handel, have performed here. He played for an hour (Harold not Handel) and as the seating is U-shaped, you face the other side of the audience, where at one point I counted 10 people (all men) who had drifted off with their eyes closed and you could feel the collective heart rate of the room lowering as Harold played. Fantastic evening but probably helped by the fact that it was lovely and cosy out of the cold October wind, and most of the audience had a cheeky pint in the Kings Arms next door. I love autumn.