No Weddings & Three Funerals

I went to see a kids' drama club's annual showcase. The senior group wrote and performed a modern snippet of a Shakespeare play.

Juliet, an actor, is betrothed to Paris, a director, but tells him that she wants to call off the wedding because she and the light-and-sound technician, Romeo, have fallen in love.

Romeo is responsible for an accidental death and runs off. Meanwhile, Juliet plots to escape from clingy Paris by pretending to be dead. Paris is angry and, blaming Romeo for Juliet's death, Paris shoots and kills Romeo. Juliet, not really dead, awakes to discover the murder weapon next to Romeo's body and uses it to kill herself.

New setting, same tragic result. Adapted and performed by Brodie (Romeo), Chris (Paris), Katy (Juliet) and support cast from Market Theatre, Hitchin. Performed at the Queen Mother Theatre,  Summer 2012.

 

This balcony in Verona, Italy, is known as Juliet's balcony.

♫ Born to Run / Born to be Wild / Born Free / Born too late

Hard to believe that there is only a year between Born Free and Born to be Wild but this was the nineteen-sixties when there was a distinct line between middle-aged convention and an acceptance of youth culture, starting in the '50s with Teddy-boys and Rock-and-Roll and, by the mid-'60s, Mods, Rockers and Flower-Power!

Born to Run Bruce Springsteen 1975

Born to be Wild Steppenwolf 1967/68 (Easy Rider 1969)

Born Free (award winning soundtrack 1966) covers with lyrics

Born too late 1958

Personally, I can't decide whether my favourite is Born to Run or Born to be Wild. Both So Good!

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

beebopalula

Remembering Every Other Word

I was travelling into London, following verbal instructions. I'm not very good at remembering things I hear so I should have written them down...

(something) Line (something) Circus (something) Street

From Kings Cross I got on the Piccadilly Line (should have been the Victoria Line) to Piccadilly Circus (should have been Oxford Circus); I began walking along Regent Street (should have been Oxford Street) until I realised that Hamleys hadn't moved, to my knowledge, so I was in the wrong place yet again.

Arrived at my destination one hour late.

French Kissing

Today I met up with another cousin (brother of the Joan Armatrading's New Guitar cousin) fresh from playing bass guitar in the Pop'pea gig in Paris and, hence, he gave me a kiss on both cheeks.

He related that, on being introduced to a friend's girl-friend last week, he went to double-kiss her but she was not expecting the second kiss and, as he moved from one side of her face to the other, he accidentally brushed his lips on hers. He blurted out an apology, "Oh sorry, I was trying to give you a French kiss."

(Oops! A bit difficult with foot-in-mouth.)

Stupid Hats and the cost of being entertained

I've been invited to Ladies Day at Royal Ascot, to accompany my husband who is more-or-less-obliged to attend as a guest in connection with his work. There are many things I'd rather be doing than dressing up and being polite all day but I have a strong sense of duty and I also realise that I'm very lucky to have this opportunity so I'm trying to be positive. (I'm really not as horrible as this makes me sound!)

Anyway, I couldn't help but add up the cost of the extras related to this little treat, even though our generous hosts are paying for the whole day out and an overnight stay in a fabulous 5-star resort. The cost of our new clothes doesn't count as we'll wear them again because, thankfully, we are not entering the Royal Enclosure so he didn't need a morning suit and I didn't have to go over top and buy a dress!

However, I'm very negative about the stupid rule about stupid hats. Hats hate me and the feeling is mutual. There is also no point to the fashionable fascinators, etc. Men wouldn't wear them (admittedly, many men don't have enough hair to put them on but that's not the point either). I managed to buy a not-quite-so-stupid-hat in a sale for only £5 so I'm OK with the cost - just not the stupid rule.

No, the real cost is as follows:

Oh, I wish!

• three hours wandering around a department store, finding nothing suitable
• several hours surfing the internet, getting more despondent
• two and a half hours traipsing around the local boutiques (bought an expensive outfit in a sale even though the trousers were a size too big)
• three hours slogging round an outlet centre trying on shoes (bought a pair) and hats (no luck)
• two hours in a shopping mall, looking at hats (got one) and bags (will now go without)
  

I have to say that my husband was brilliantly patient throughout these shopping trips and even managed to be 'nice' about my hair. Ah yes, another story...

I normally colour my hair every few weeks to lighten it a few shades from 'mousy brown' to dark blonde. I didn't notice that the colour I used yesterday contained peroxide until it was too late - I am now a shocking golden blonde with a ginge tinge so perhaps I should have bought a balaclava. The hair colour doesn't suit me at all but, rather than risk my hair falling out by colouring over it, I'm hoping to minimise the effect by having it cut fairly short later this week!

Update after Ladies Day
Mum died the day before Ladies Day so it was good to have the distraction and most of the people I met were very nice to chat to. I looked awful, of course; very drab in an oversized khaki trouser suit and tweed trilby - what was I thinking? I also lost weight soon afterwards so I've never worn the trousers since that day - obviously I've not worn the hat - and the shoes were so uncomfortable that I wore them only once more, for less than 15 minutes - ouch! Charity shop patrons have had a great bargain!

Joan Armatrading's New Guitar

I found the following exchange quite funny!

Conversation highlights:

My cousin: "Sold a guitar to a bona fide music legend today. Ladies and gentlemen... Miss Joan Armatrading"

Friend 1: "V cool - what did she buy?"

My cousin: "It was a James Tyler Variax in Lake Placid Blue"

Friend 2: "[name of mutual friend} is impressed ...he can't even think about selling any of his guitars, it causes him too much pain. He has been coveting the one you sold for a while; apparently it's quite good for switching to altered tunings when gigging without having to swap guitars? Did you sell because you weren't impressed with it?"

My cousin: "No, I sold it 'cos I work in a guitar shop"

Friend 3: "Very cool customer..... Did she do you a few verses of "What if god was one of us" while she was there?"

My cousin: "Er no, Joan Osborne might do it if she came in."

Friend 3: "Ahhhhh in that case I've no idea if your customer was cool.... If Ms Osborne ever calls in let me know and I'll have a healthy dose of awe and wonder ready prepared."

My "Not Going Out" Moment

When I was chatting with someone earlier today (might as well call him Tim) who was telling me about meeting his wife almost 30 years ago, I had my Lee Mack moment.

     Tim: I met her on a Monday

     Me: And your heart stood still?

It fell flat so I needed to share... Where's the canned laughter when you need it?