A Wedding, a play, a room finished, a ballet, another play and Bean update

As you can see from the title it's been a busy month since we met our boy Bean... yes mum I know they sometimes get the sex wrong but I'm just going to go with the boy thing for now ok? It's been a busy month since that scan; so busy and fulfilling and exciting. So here we go with a catch up of all that the Harris-Richards family have been up to!


The scan was on the 23 May and the following saturday was the last of 3 spring-summer weddings; Dawn and Ash's big day. It was a truly wonderful day with a pretty english church, brass band procession, cricket green and aussie bbq - the bride is from England and the groom from Australia... It was also a wonderful chance to catch up with a great many old uni friends; Pete and Vicky who'd recently got married themselves, Kate and John, Michelle and Nick, and Steve, gorgeous Steve, who kept pointing at my belly and saying "You're pregnant... I mean... pregnant!!!" and many friends besides.

The happy couple Dawn and Ash

The gang, new and old

We then had a week's grace in which to finish off the spare room - Emily see the finished picture - we love it! The cat, Pads, has certainly settled in and now finally we have a proper computer desk to update the blog from - the first time in months it's all been plugged in and working properly.

Our beautiful guest room

The next week the Billesley Players moved into the Old Rep theatre on the 6th June to prepare for the biggest event of the group's calendar: the summer play. Because I was pregnant and a bit useless they told me (in the nices possible way) not to move my costumes in til the 7th and having not been able to attend set building I had no idea what it would all look like or how finished it'd be. I walked onto the stage to find, gasp, a fully finished set. It was beautiful!

My name in lights! (sort of)

Doug putting finishing touches 

Pat, backstage

Sam strike a pose!

Jo - or Mickey the cop

Leon - got you!

Spanish Leon

1st night - all the cast

Parents and Auntie Shelagh are excited about the poster too!

The girls onstage

1st night celebrating with the folks

The team in various states of hun-overedness
breaking down the set on Sunday morning...

The play got 4 stars! The review can be found online by clicking here but here is a major part:

Florence – or Flo – is the hygienic, fussy fanatic, though no one seeing her pick up those littering crisps on the first night, not on the same day that they had been dropped because the curtain had also dropped in the meantime, would have had cause to suspect this, had the unscripted tidying been seen in isolation.

But this account by Sheila Parkes is a delight of disciplined orderliness – spiced at one point by her extraordinary attempt to unblock Flo’s ears and only straining her throat for her trouble.

INNOCENT IMPISHNESS

Gemma Harris, as Olive, is a joy of innocent impishness beneath a wondrously curly wig which at times she did not seem to trust to remain in place. Not that this was allowed to get in the way of a lovely performance as the woman required against her will to keep her hormones in check in the absence of any male company.  

She has a way of puffing her cheeks as part of a wild, wide-eyed grin that is irresistibly infectious.

This is a splendid pairing and it thrives on its responsibilities as the centrepiece of the plot – but it does have amusing support all round, particularly from Leon Salter and Edward Fellows in their version of two amiable Spaniards who are inadvertently at war with the English language.

Then there are Claire Davies (Silvie), Patricia Hands (Renée), Samantha Broome (Vera, the blonde who has been known to spend 20 minutes talking to a security guard before discovering he was a statue) and Jo Wall (Mickey, the New York cop who appears to spend her off-duty life in uniform as she joins the others in an eternal board game). All make a pleasing contribution, with Claire Davies having a particularly joyful exit line.

This is a happy production by a talented group. It is a shame that its two-day run is over before the world at large realises it has started, but those patrons alert to its circumscribing are very well rewarded, To 11.06.11.

Here is my chance to say two things. I think it's the proudest I've ever felt about a single achievement in my entire life. And I'd like to also give my most profound thanks to all our friends who gave up their time to come along, in some cases travelling half way across the country. You are truly appreciated. Finally to the family generally and in particular to Alex, because without him I'd never have been able to do it. I was so big and pregnant and tired for the last 8 weeks that I was increasingly then utterly useless around the house and Alex really looked after me and the cat, kept the housework going, cooked, cleaned... everything so I could get my cat naps in. Alex - you're the best husband ever and I love you lots.

Ok so enough about the play. Afterwards there was a bit of a vacuum, mentally, with my life having been so consumed by it for so long that I didn't know what to do with myself. But I didn't have long to wallow. One week after our goddaughter Emma came to see me in the play with her mum and Alex she came with me and my mum to see the ballet Copellia. We had a great afternoon; Emma enjoyed the ballet a lot and got to see the theatre pit and was totally engaged and a dream of well-behavedness. Bless her. The ballet was super and engaging and fun and Emma wants to go back. This was her birthday treat from me and Al and it also involved a sleepover at ours, a film (Kung Foo Panda - funny) and her favourite meal cooked by uncle Alex; Shepherds-Cottage pie followed by Simpsons Monopoly. We had a lovely time then spent the next day with our respective dads for fathers day. And so another weekend flew by!

Dr Coppellius and the doll

Outside the theatre

I have begun maternity yoga; it's very relaxing and make you feel less like a rolly poly cause we're all in the same boat. That was on the Monday and the weekend afterward, the 25th June, me and Danielle went to London to watch Much Ado About Nothing starring the beautiful David Tennant (or my Scottish Rat according to Al) and funny funny Catherine Tate. It was Shakespeare as I'd never seen it before...

It was absolutely brilliant. I mean truly. Not just David, who was exceptionally funny and clever but Catherine too. Everyone must get a ticket and go. I mean it. The whole concept was brilliant, setting it on 1980's Gibraltar. It included a golf buggy, cross dressing and some hilarious wire work and was brilliant from the get go. The only slight mis-hit was the bad buy character, Don John, who in the end is just a short man with a chip on his shoulder and not nearly threatning enough.

Me in London

Danielle in front of the theatre

Not only did we stay in a great little hotel, the Megaro is right next to Kings Cross, very nicely done out and with a decent bar/restaurant of its own, but we also managed to fit in lunch on the Sunday with my friends Sam and Sarah in a fabulously sunny and hot Covent Garden. I had Gazpacho... mmmm.

Which finally brings us up to date. Phew! I'm going to be a hermit for at least a fortnight.

As for Bean, he's kicking away and getting stronger too. We're both well and happy (obviously I'm speaking for him at the moment but I imagine he is..!) The next job is putting finishing touches to what will be his nursery. I'm 26 weeks now and following the best book ever, called The Rough Guide to Pregnancy & Birth, lent to me by Laura and it's properly sensible stuff - very grounding. We have exciting things to look forward to, among them a blood test, more midwife sessions, a Parenting Class and a breast feeding workshop! But all that's weeks away. Meanwhile I have compiled a list of what I think we're going to have to buy that we haven't already got or are borrowing. If anyone has any advice on brands or anything useful to say on the below list I'd be most grateful:

• Moses Basket and stand
• Cot
• Baby monitor
• Travel cot
• Changing mat
• Night light
• Baby bath
• Electric breast pump
• Nappy bucket

Gosh, think that's it. Well that's me done... I'll try not to leave it so long til the next post... speak to you all soon!

Back to... reality

I'm back at Ernst & Young and pretty much over my cold. Alex has had a course of antibiotics and thankfully is back on top again. We are starting a new shift pattern however of two weeks starting at 8am followed by 1 week starting at 9.30. I thought I'd die when they announced it! Mosely Town FC have even won the last few games so we're full of new year cheer!

Work's going well; it's busy season for us and for Alex too. But we've booked off a few days in April so we have something to aim for - no actual plans yet. We wondered about going awy, maybe abroad, maybe Britain... we'll see.

We've started back at theatre too, which is great cause I was very keen to get going with again. Having had 6 months off I'd really misssed the intereaction, having a project, developing new skills and the weekly fun of being in the group.  Thanks to a combination of factors (in particular a certain A.D.) the last show had been particularly stressful. But I've got gret feelings about the new show. Everyone is gelling and there is a fabulous atmosphere; a real team spirit.

I'll let the poster do the talking:


Odd Couple poster 2011

 That's right - I'm joint lead and thrilled!
Thrilled because my friends have all got parts, but mainly cause I'll learn so much from Sheila. Sheila's brilliant and very experienced and she's going to be hilarious; so wish me luck!

The original Odd Couple film poster is below for you to compare

Original poster

Our photo was shot on Thursday night, thanks to Graham's talents at getting and organising favours. He is 'the man who can' in the group! We went to a photographers' studio in the council house and changed. I had been asked to get a beer and a burger which I'd bought at lunchtime, so by this time it was warm beer and cold burger! We must've had 50 shots taken some were of me eating the burger and drinking the beer; yuuuk! Every so often I'd burst out laughing or Sheila would smile. But in the end they got enough shots that they thought they could do something with them! It was a fun experience. All those times that Uncle David got me to pose when I was growing up might have actually paid off! Wouldn't like to do it for a living though...

Now all I have to do is learn my lines and get the New York accent straight...

The Play - for real now

Ok, so you've had birds eye view, now here it was from ground level. The play that last week took on a life of it's own. We rehearsed every night in the theatre. I loved walking from Colmore Row to the Theatre District (all of 10 minutes) after work every day and mooching about in the theatre. It's one of life's great pleasures. There is a green room and dressing rooms and toilets upstairs. The green room has a kitchenette area and it started to feel like home after a week as we were generally there from 6-11pm each night. I got home and saw Alex in bed, usually half asleep, we'd exchange some tiny bit of information and then be fast asleep.
It was marred fundamentally by the ongoing nonsense of a major member of the cast and while there is expected to be a certain amount of last minute panicking the stress she gave us all on Tuesday night was entirely un-called for. But hey, we carried on through and did ourselves proud, even without her there on the one night. People were still learning their lines and there was a lot of nervousness back stage. But also a growing excitement that we might actually pull it off!
There are at least 2 floors above the stage and one below as well as the wings for people to get lost in and lose track of time. You have to be on the ball not to miss an entrance and there was one occasion when I had to go scurrying off to find Mike and grab him from under the stage with only mili-second to spare before we were on. My costume changes were pretty fast so behind the scenes I was throwing clothes on and off with no dignity intact whatsoever. I suppose it's a relief to many actresses that many actors are gay... The first time I changed I made a vague effort to hide behind some thing but pretty soon I was stood in my bra for all the world to see without a second thought! Fortunately everyone else was so busy there was no time for embarrassment. In the dress rehearsal I missed an entrance because I was desperately trying to get Sam's zip up and failing. Also mine and Anna's nurse's dresses were altered wrongly and we had a bit of a time working out how we were going to wear them. In the end I wore Anna's and she wore mine. Mine was too big for her but it at least covered her bum when she danced and was picked up by Iain. Anna is a size 10, I am a 14 - so to say her dress was tight on me was an understatement! I had to wear leggings otherwise I wasn't going on stage - but in the end it only managed to make more of a comedy of the situation...
On the Friday night we took our bows after the first performance and Leon and I gave each other the most squeezable hug ever. So very proud of us all. That night we went for a quick drink with Lisa and Danielle for some self congratulating and I felt great. On a huge high. By Saturday night my pervading emotion was of being exhausted.  But looking back at it now I can really enjoy the memory.
Girls from work came to see it and said it was really good, as did all my friends and family, but I can quite understand why some actors are a bit needy or get insecure. It makes you insecure; you feel very exposed. You know in your head how you want it to look, how you think you look and sound, but there's no way of knowing. You end up asking everyone if it was ok and then 'was it really?' and again...
On the Saturday night Al, me, Sam, Claire, Iain, Amanda and Jo and Carl and Catherine all went to the Victoria and ended up staying until 2.30. Al's opinion is one I value very highly because he's the least likely to say it was good when it wasn't. So the fact he said 'It was the best of the three I'd seen, and you did very well... that Mike was excellent' was high praise indeed! We broke down the set at 10am the next morning and quite frankly I was a little tired... but we chilled that evening and fortunately it was a bank holiday so I had an extra day to get myself together again for work that week. All that week I was so tired that the soles of my feet hurt - as though I'd gone on a hike - I think I need some time off!

The limelight

Our dressing room's really did have those bulbs around the mirrors

Where I spent the majority of the play - centre stage

Mike coming out from hiding - at the last minute

The view from the stage at dress rehearsal

bloody relief

We survived!

Lord above, there was a split second there when I doubted but for all the drama of the week before the performance we survived, the show went on and it was a good one! It's not printable, most of it, so ask me in person and I'll give you all the gossip. Only know this; we were magnificent! Here is the review and some of my photos - they're not very good but as soon as I get my hands on some official ones I'll post them. Read it carefully - I did get a mention!

Potential for laughs realised ***

Comic Potential - Billesley Players - Old Rep. Birmingham 

UNLESS you can’t manage it in the half-light, read the programme note before curtain-up. I omitted to do so, with the result that for the first few minutes of my first sighting of this Alan Ayckbourn comedy I was thinking that the acting around the hospital bed was a bit on the slow side.

I did work it out for myself before too long, but a few words here may help anyone planning to see the show on Saturday, its second – and last – night.

The point is, the action is in the future and actors are androids – or, indeed actoids, as became apparent from the terminology surrounding them. They are creatures of wire circuits, nano-serbas –  or something like that – and bits, and those involved in a daytime soap now being shot are worth £1.7 million.

These nuggets of understanding, plus the fact that the nephew of the owner of the television station falls in love with an actoid, are sufficient to provide a basis for enjoying the action.

Apart from one unplanned extended first-night hiatus, Iain Neville’s production coped well with the three scenes before the interval and the ten that followed it. When furniture and props had to be shifted, they were shifted swiftly. Efficiency was in the air.

INNOCENT AND IRRESISTIBLE

Efficiency was treading the boards, too. Michael Nile came lugubriously but alertly to his duties as Chandler Tate, director of the epic that was unfolding before our eyes, and Leigh McCarroll scored as Adam, nephew of the owner of the TV station and would-be author of his own drama.

This was centred around Jacie Triplethree, the innocent and irresistible actoid with an unpredictable tendency to shriek without warning, to speak intermittently at a rate of knots and to switch accents between Brummie, Yorkshire and the Deep South without pausing for breath.

Jacie is delightful. In her bleaker moments, she manages to tug the heartstrings. She is played by Anna Downes, who has fashioned for her a piping voice, a walk of tiny steps and a wide-eyed matter-of-factness in the face of life’s little problems. One of these inconveniences is that she needs to be emptied every so often.

She is very amusing when she performs Here Comes the Hot-Stepper, and hilarity peaks again in the restaurant scene which finds her anxiety about being emptied being met by Mr McCarroll by dint of diving under the table and following her instructions to turn something one way or the other, while fellow-diners look on with ill-concealed interest, compounded when he eventually emerges with a half-filled plastic container.

CUSTARD PIE MOMENT

Interestingly, the actoid innocence is set in a play in which Ayckbourn abandons his customary high standards of language a couple of times. This is another surprise in an evening that is not exactly short of them. There is even a good old-fashioned custard pie moment, superbly executed by everybody’s favourite actoid and received nobly and with the requisite consternation by Patricia Hands in the guise of Carla Pepperbloom, regional TV director.

Gemma Harris and Samantha Broome are a good pairing as the television show’s backroom girls, Leon Salter is Marmion, who acts as the larynx of Lester Trainsmith (Tony Nock), the station owner who eventually finds his voice to deliver a substantial speech from his wheelchair.

There are vigorous cameos from Tracey Bolt, as a prostitute, and Iain Neville, as the man who discovers an actoid in the seedy hotel which he regards as his own for his girls’ purposes. There are lively lines: “What do you know about anything at all? You’re an accountant.” There is laughter galore, particularly in the second act. There is an abundance of honest endeavour. It’s fun. To 29.5.10.

John Slim

 BOX OFFICE: officeboxoffice@birmingham.gov.uk  0121 303 2323 

The Theatre

Trudi & Prim (aka Sam and Gemma)

Breaking down the set - the old troopers - hung over

Comic Potential @ the Old Rep

We (the Billesley Players) are rehearsing our new play Comic Potential by Alan Ayckbourn. Iain is directing this one again (his debut was our last play, the Small Hours) and the added confidence means the whole process is a few notches up the fun scales. Everyone's very much more chilled out in fact - we still take it seriously because it's a very complex play in some ways but I'm having a ball. I'm really looking forward to the curtain going up already. Our friend Leon who came to see two plays has joined the group to have a go himself and it's so cool to hang out with him everyweek. Plus Sam who joined for the last play but didn't get a part is acting opposite me and that's really cool cause she is lovely. We've also had at least 4 new members join, 2 of whom have parts, Lee and Roshan and 2/3 girls who joined too late for parts but who are enjoying watching, chilling and getting involved. In the year since I joined the Billesley Players has changed loads and it's attracting new members and growing; it's a really nice way to spend a Thursday.
So, the play - here's the synopsis:
Billesley Players bring to life ‘Comic Potential’ by Alan Ayckbourn. A lively, comic masterpiece, a satire on human folly with a touch of Pygmalion and androids... Set in the forseeable future, everything has changed except human nature. Ayckbourn’s hilarious and heartbreaking play charts what happens when a relationship begins to form between a young scriptwriter and Jacie Triplethree; an android with a sense of humour.

It's a really funny script and I'm looking forward to being on stage again. We're putting the play on at the Old Rep, which is just beautiful, on May 28 and 29 2010. We got the leaflets on Thursday - I was so nervous to give them out at work but there were a few people who had been so genuinely supportive of it from the start that I think they might actually buy tickets!
I have such fond memories of running around backstage. It's a real proper backstage area. There's a whole floor above and below the stage as well as the space directly behind the stage so everyone's creeping around all over the place to make sure they walk on from the right side. It's a mini version of the hippodrome and it's spellbinding. Last year was when I took hundreds of photos of it all then we lost the camera - this year I'm sorting out a new camera and keeping hold of it come what may!!! Learning lines seems to get easier as well, which is a good job too cause I've got tonnes of them this time.
Still, ahead of the play I'm looking forward to lots of things; Al's 30th birthday and my own; mum's birthday, and a few other thing that I have up my sleeve. And in July we've got Gemma and Hannah's weddings- what an amazing year!

The review of the play

Here's what John Slim (until recently the Amateur Drama reporter for the Birmingham Mail) had to say about our play on his website, Behind the Arras

Fast moving thriller does not disappoint

The Small Hours

Billesley Players

Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull

***

A NEW-LOOK company has no fewer than four players in the cast making their first appearance - and the result is undeniably satisfying.

This is a Francis Durbridge story that was written as a radio play, which is probably why its ten scenes give it an episodic flavour, but Iain Neville's production moves slickly between them and never gives its audience time to become restless.

At its heart is a toy koala bear - and the fact that Carl Houston just happened to mention koalas on his flight home from Australia is enough to put his life in danger and cause his wife nearly to lose hers.

It seems a tenuous link between koalas and crises, as he was speaking only to his passenger neighbour. It leaves us to suppose that his neighbour must have decided to relay the conversation later to somebody who turns out to be a Mr Big in the world of fencing stolen valuables.

WELL ENGINEERED

Not that it matters. The tension builds. There are some well-engineered confrontations between anxious people. And we go on guessing at the secret of the unseen koala.

Graham Mason is Houston, a clean-cut British hero type, delivered in a performance of confidence opposite Anna Downes, in fine form as his feisty wife Vanessa.

There is confidence, too, in the quick, high-heeled strut of Claire Davies as his PA, and in the probing questioning of Sheila Parkes, as the representative of the law.

Michael Nile gives us a pleasingly unusual character in Bernard Decker, the chef with quiet little expressions, an amusing snigger and an optimistic line in blackmail. Gemma Harris pleases as his wife and Edward Fellows is another strong performer as the shady Oliver Radford.

BLOWN THE GAFF

Nick Storr is the aeroplane passenger we suspect of having inadvertently blown the gaff on a stranger's casual mention of koala bears. He and Graham Mason set the production rolling on their borrowed aircraft seats - thank you, Flybe - with a conversation that rolls with satisfying unstoppability.

It's an excellent all-round effort. What a shame it was all for the sake of a production lasting only two nights. The only cavvil is that several players could do with a bit more push and projecion on a stage that is apparently without microphones.

To 14.11.09.

John Slim

http://www.billesleyplayers.co.uk/

The Play's progress

Well we're now on 2 rehearsals a week and it's stepping up from dull and repetitive to having some soul and spirit. I was getting a bit bored but now I'm really getting into it again.

I've got a new phone that's a bit swankier than before so I'm taking photos and filming snippets of films during rehearsal. Tracey's back in rehearsals as she's props mistress and she's a real hoot, makes everything fun and a real motivator. As a result we're all having the odd giggle which makes rehearsing a serious play a lot more fun and manageable. We're rehearsing 8-10.30pm twice a week so it needs to be fun or we'd go starck staring bonkers.

There are so few weeks left and so few rehearsals left and it's getting very real now. I still have to finally decide what I'm wearing and how to do my hair... But my lines are starting to feel like my own at last. My character, Millie, is making sense to me and we're getting into a flow, me and Graham. Graham's great. One of the nicest chaps around. He's also got one of the most expressive faces I've ever known so I used to get so drawn into his lines that I'd forget to say my own! I've never known anything like it... listen to me going on!

If you want to see an excerpt of one of our rehearsals a few weeks ago then watch the clips below. I think we all breathed in giggle gas just prior to this rehearsal...

Clip #1 and Clip #2

Finally a photo of Ed who normally doesn't look anything like this... and it wasn't even Halloween!

My job, The Small Hours and a surprise

A month ago I took the momentous decision to throw myself onto the winds of fate and hand in my resignation at Leukaemia CARE. My problem was that I couldn't be anything but 100% committed to keep up with the work that was needed in my role and that didn't allow me the energy to look for another job... it was catch 22 for quite a few reasons. Anyway, I made my decision and the last month was hard because I don't like feeling as though I'm letting people down and there were quite a few disappointed people when I made my decision. But it was the right thing to do for me and I'm sure they'll get someone to replace me who does a bang up job. 

When I think of what I've achieved there it's a marvel, actually, some things I'm really proud of...

Anyway, it's my first official day without a job or a plan and when I look at the list of things I have to do before we go on holiday on sunday I'm actually quite glad to have the next few days off.

One thing I'm looking for is the opportunity to be an extra and I have signed up to an extra's site where hopefully I'll hear of something useful. Fingers crossed!

Then out of the blue a girl from Billesley Players informed the director that she will be unable to see the play through because of all her other commitments and he offered me the part!!! So on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th November 2009, I will be performing as Millie in The Small Hours by Francis Durbridge at the Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull. Tickets are a mere £8. You can pre book from 0121 743 4402 Or download the booking form from the website which is www.billesleyplayers.co.uk/

Yey!

So, on holiday I will be reading the play to learn my part in and amongst my summer reading...

Summer, lakes and babies

I started writing this post on the first of august; I can't believe it!

We had the readings for the next Billesley Players play and over a few weeks we all had a go. I thought I stood a good chance but the group had a huge influx of new members (I say huge, actually it was more like 4 or 5 but that is huge for BP) Anyway I didn't get a part in the end but my friend Claire joined and got a part so I was dead chuffed for her. Now I'm getting involved in different ways so it's ok. I was sad at first, but even though I'm missing rehearsing there's plenty to do. Meantime we're preparing The Small Hours by Francis Durbridge. Fingers crossed for the next one!

I did miss a week last thursday's rehearsal because it was little Emma's 4th birthday, then it was her official party last weekend which was, as ever, fab! She's like the queen, she celebrates her big day across a couple of occasions! All our friends from brum were there, well everyone from Al's school/college days, and for once it didn't rain! Emma has some really good luck; even the year of the floods it didn't get rained out and her birthdays are always bbq's and garden parties.

Wet weather didn't get in the way either of my trip to Lake Windermere to visit my school friend Dan his wife rachel and their baby Finley. The lake district was gorgeous! I'd never been that far north west but it was exactly like all the Romantic novels and poetry had in my head; I felt that I should be reading Wuthering Heights, not a Poirot novel..! The Agatha Christie I had received when I joined a book club a few months ago whereby friends sent each other books in a chain mail system. I now want to read more AC books as she has been on my ever expanding 'list of authors to read'...

Anyway we all stayed in a cottage and it was a lovely break from the madness of work. The cottage was nearish to Kendal. We saw plenty of sight in my 2 days, I could have stayed much longer and I'd recommend it as a destination to anyone...

The view over lake Windermere from Fin's pushchair

Happy gang

 Fin gets top marks on the boat for top cutie

 Boat trip fun

 Wow otters!

On my way back down south I stopped off at a Tudor house called Rufford Old Hall, near Ormskirk in Lancashire. It was a beautiful day and it was a fab way to make the most of a few hours and have a rest and a trillion times nicer than stopping at a service station. I had a guided tour of the house which dates back to the 1490's and apparently a very young as yet not famous Shakespeare performed in its great hall. I had a quick walk around the gardens and a lancashire tea... it was great!

Finding Rufford I drove past a natural look out point that made me think for some reason of my favourite book that I read at school, Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. In it the main character, the butler, stops during his drive at a phenomenally beautiful look out point. I can still remember the notes I made in the margins of the book and the feelings it engendered so on my way back towards the motorway for just one last bit of indulgence I stopped to look at the panorama.

 

Busy times

Since the specials we've been as busy as ever, both of us. The next week I went to see Hannah's new house and me and the boys got to play, especially with Jack cause he's growing up so fast, then we went to see the Star Trek film. Lots of fun and it was good to go for a drink afterwards and catch up. That sunday I had the final set build before the play so I was in my paint spattered gear getting more paint spattered.

The next week on the sunday the family all got together for a rare family celebration. I'd been ages since I'd seen Shelagh David Graham Paul Cath and my folks all in one room - not since the wedding most likely. We went for a curry in Leamington; good choice as it turned out. Although historically my parents don't tend to choose indian food everyone seemed to enjoy what they had chosen and we all got to catch up. It was to say happy birthday, happy anniversary, happy engagement; happy everything and it was fun!

In those weeks in May and June we actually saw some great summery weather, so among other things we did a fair bit of gardening and pottering. In and amongst working and engagements there is nothing me and al like so much as a potter. The garden's loads tidyer and with the sun things have actually grown. We've finally acquired some strawberry plants from Laura's mum; I've dreamed of growing berries for years and I'm pretty happy to finally have some. Hopefully they'll get nice and tall and we'll have plenty of strawberries to pick in a year's time. This year they're only small but we've still got a few berries reddening. yey!

The week after we all met for a curry the theatre group I joined in January, the Billesley Players, was getting ready for its production of Nude with Violine. The 2 performances were less than a week away so every night that week I went straight from work to the Old Rep to build the set and rehearse. It all went really quite well and I was dead excited and slightly nervous... The dress rehearsal was on the thursday with the performances on the following 2 days. Here's a photo I took with my mobile during an early rehearsal from the audience.

I really loved being in the theatre. Looking up and around at the lighting rigs, the scenery, sorting out the props with Sheila, watching rehearsals, practicing my lines, watching as things developed over a couple of days to doing our lines and moves in our civies to a full blown performance with lighting and sound effects and music; then finally feeling the reactions of the audience, different each night. Loved it! I took tons of photos, needless to say, backstage, in the green room, putting on make up and of the night out on the saturday, but the camera was stolen in Island bar so the only ones we have left were taken on Al's mobile phone

On the up side it's probably the nicest photo we have of Leon and Teresa though..!