FAIRLIGHT PLAYERS

'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens

How we got involved in this play, is a long story. Let's just say we were involved, as the words of encouragement from one of the Directors says "on our debut as actors, dancers plus stage hand and wardrobe mistress" - "Break a leg".

Margie being more careful than me in the 'leg break' department, as she had to scale the steps to the stage, while I remained back stage !

So we were leaping around dressed as Party people, while City folk (Margie) and the Ghost of Christmas Future (Bill) had a less energetic stage presence. (This explains last Friday's Music Spot [link] from the band Ghost for those of you wondering what that was about.) 

It was a large cast, with a lot going on. So how did it go ?  In a word: Logistics ! Everything in its place and a place for everything... scenery, costumes even the actors. Knowing our cues, lines (not in my case) and helping with props were necessary. It was great fun. The audience reaction and the joyful singing at the end summed it up. 

My favourite scene was the Pawnbroker one. While Scrooge was excellent, remembering all his lines and young James playing five characters (especially the Urchin), memories I will never forget.  

Some PICTURES as captioned

THE DANCE - was 'Sir Roger de Coverley'
Sir Roger de Coverley was a model of Christmas benevolence and charity and by association this dance became a typical Christmas dance.  (Below: 10 of us performing this Country dance). 

Ghost of Christmas Future and Scrooge

Big finish: "Deck the halls with boughs of holly"

I will leave you with more dancing. And some music ♫♫♫

- We were at the Fezziwigs' Party and so a bit merry. It wasn't supposed to look professional - and I'm sure it didn't... but it was great fun and a lot of laughs !

This is is how it might have looked in Dickens Day

M o r e   p h o t o s   f r o m 

-  A U G U S T   1 s t   2 0 2 4  -

K I M  &  M A X  -  W E D D I N G  D A Y

-  Y O R K   H O U S E   :   T W I C K E N H A M  -

As promised some additional photos from the Wedding -
these taken by the official photographer.

I've not captioned the pictures as it seemed unnecessary. 

But I will apologise for looking like an extra from 'Men in Black' - because it was such a lovely sunny day I didn't realise my reactor light glasses had gone totally dark on me... ! 

 

 -  A U G U S T   1 s t   2 0 2 4  -

K I M  &  M A X  -  W E D D I N G  D A Y

Just a small selection of photos from a wonderful day.

More to follow...  

2023 - Holiday Review

This is really just a links post. Looking back over last year. Click beside the name to see the blog in question. 

June: SCOTLAND trip > Just click here 

September: ROME - this was actually only a few days and was historic in more way than planned because the airline went and cancelled our flight back and we had to reschedule. Consequently we lost our final morning in Roma and had to take a flight via Stockholm to get back to Gatwick that same evening !

December: CRUISE holiday > Click this 

 A GRAND DAY OUT (actually four days) 

A Yorkshire Wedding ― In a Heartbeat ― Looking for Greengrass ― Uphill, down dale, across moors ― Ruswarp Hall ― Larpool Viaduct ― Scarborough Beach ― Seal beach ― Seabird City ― Humber Bridge ― Lincoln Cathedral

Photo Captions tell the tale :

(Left to Right): Couple leaving the church; Steve with the happy couple Alexander and Mary Rose: Aerial group shot, lining up for the drone. 

Marquee in the grounds - outside / inside

Dalesend: The House and guests and a big bonfire (fireworks too).  

DAYS OUT - AFTERWARDS

Just next door to our overnight stay - says 'The most interesting store in the North!' - no idle boast, it was most interesting !
Simply Dutch, Northallerton.

After driving through TV series 'Heartbeat' country, our following night's stay was at Ruswarp Hall near Whitby and the 120 feet high Larpool Viaduct: ©1885

The beach in sunny Scarborough 

(Clockwise): Seal beach at Flamborough Head; Bempton Cliffs and Seabird City - kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and gannets by the hundreds but only one puffin !

The enormous Lincoln Cathedral (4th largest in the UK)

- outside and in. 

As soon as I walked into the cloisters I could see this album cover !

US !

Trick of the light, Margaret's outfit isn't white, it's dark cream 😉

That was the year that was 2021.

Not too much to tell from 2021.
There was a two-day cycle along the Kennet & Avon canal on the hottest two days for the year, that went to plan on day one, but day two it didn't! (Long story - for another time).
We had some nice 'pet-minding' breaks away. One being a lovely week in Burwash in East Sussex. The remainder of the year was spent down in Hurley at our van. 

And FINALLY in November we escaped for some much appreciated sunshine and warmth on the island of Tenerife. Click this LINK for more on that.

2021: thank you and goodnight. Here's wishing and hoping the New Year is more like how we want it to be.

A brief review of some 2021 photos  > 

Kennet & Avon Cycle

(Above) Canal boat and path on route to Pewsey.

(Left) In the Staple Hill tunnel between Bristol and Bath.

(Below) The cycle path gallery near Bristol.

(Below that) The Caen Hill lock flight, Devizes. Margaret is just starting up the hill. 

The view from Burwash. Looking after James the cat at our friends' lovely cottage. 

A perfect field near Hurley

A clearly enlightened Buddha at the van.

GOING NOWHERE - TRIP 

Having not gone too far from anywhere since earlier this year (like most of you) we have fewer tales to tell. So we thought you might enjoy a trip around our fridge, via the many magnets we have collected over the years.

Positioned vaguely geographically - in as much as the world usually appears as landscape while our fridge is decidedly upright and portrait in format. 

Therefore Iceland is top left and New Zealand bottom right. See how many other countries you can spot: There are 21 different countries in total to visit - though actually 35 magnets, not all of them are countries. (Not easy to photograph, so apologies for the picture quality, but you get the idea) 😀  

And wishing you a Happy New Year

with a photo from snowy Iceland, taken in 2009.

Lockdown in South Africa

This is the second half of our trip to Cape Town (see link to holiday). It begins in March 2020 BC (before coronavirus) and involves 'elbow-bumping', social distancing, cancelled flights and a strict lockdown that would probably have been a far more difficult isolation if it wasn't for such beautiful scenery and sunny days with wonderful friends.

March 21st -
the first sign of things to come

TIMELINE
Best I start with some sort of guide for you. The virus was declared a pandemic on March 11th. Our British Airways flight home was cancelled on 18th March and we arrived in Pringle Bay on March 20th.
There were already signs of restrictions coming into place amid rumours of a lockdown being imposed.
March 23rd - UK goes into lockdown. The same evening President Ramaphosa announces South Africa will lockdown at midnight on March 27th, for 21 days. We have a few days to organise ourselves and stock up, though food shopping is allowed, very little else is. We are going nowhere !
March 25th our re-booked flight home is cancelled.
April 2nd our newly re-booked flight home is cancelled.
April 9th our 4th re-booked flight home is cancelled, hours before South Africa announces a lockdown extension of 14 extra days, taking us to the end of April.

Our lockdown rules

We had been getting messages from the Foreign Office, recommending we fly home immediately. After registering our presence with them in South Africa they offer us a repatriation flight home. Not with British Airways, as you'd expect, but through a contract awarded to Virgin Atlantic. The cost of this was extreme and initially we felt disgusted and let down by the British government. Once the SA extension was announced we had to make a decision, which was to book this flight and pay the money.
We flew home on April 16th (with permission to break lockdown in SA). Congregating at the Cape Town stadium, where we filed through a temperature check point and handed in our health form we'd been asked to complete. Bussed back to the airport under strict distancing rules and checked in for our 12 hour flight with the other 200 + (I'm guessing) passengers for the impossible to socially distance flight back to London. Where we arrived - no checks, no questions, no problem ! Back in the UK.
April 16th. UK extends their lockdown to May 7th.
April 17th. Having keep our British Airways flight booked for May 3rd just in case and as a back up option, that flight also got cancelled. We'd made the right decision to fly home when we did.

We had been in Pringle Bay for 4 weeks. We had managed to retrieve our left luggage from Margaret's brother's place. We had not gone anywhere near Hout Bay and our flat. We'd not seen other friends there or any of the family again. But we had not got the virus and were glad of that. Here then are some categorised photos that document our time in lockdown.

▶ DAYS BEFORE ...

It was not ALL lockdown in Pringle Bay. We had some days leading up, that allowed us to enjoy the area. On a sunny Saturday these guys were 'jamming' outside The Anchor Doggy Bar, playing 'Wish You Were Here'.
Click a link here: to Margaret's video posted on YouTube. Sing along if you know the words.

The Harold Porter Botanic Reserve at nearby Betty's Bay.

(Left): Margaret (who is affectionately called 'Tree' by these friends), Bill and Anthony at Harold Porter. (Right): Practising social distancing in the house by Bill & Yvonne.

The beautiful Pringle beach, looking North

And looking the other way back towards the homes and Hangklip mountain left.

And Pringle Bay from a pathway leading down from Hangklip.

▶ VIEWS ...

Some of the views from the deck of the house were stunning and ever changing. Turning in a clockwise direction, we had Cape Point 30km West. Table Mountain 60kms, North-West. False Bay stretching out before us in waves with the mountains completing the scene from Klein Hangklip to Voorberg running North to the East.
➤ See this short video, taken from the deck - 180˚ pan left to right: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPcnFy0tNOE

A rather cobbled together panorama of the entire cape peninsula as visible from Pringle.

'Rugare' retreat - home from home - for 4 weeks

▶ FLORA & FAUNA ...

The world famous Cape Flora kingdom was on our doorstep along with animals of all shapes and sizes.
From the 'Francolin Family' with their babies, running through the garden and other birds feeding on the sugar water to whale sightings in the bay, there was never a dull moment.

Blombos - blooming everywhere

(Right) Proteas - The Floral Emblem with its showy pincushion flowers

(Below) Blombos - a honey scented shrub, part of the coastal fynbos

A regular visitor - Monty the mongoose

Tortoise crossing the road

Sunbird at the feeder

▶ SKIES & SUNSETS (just a selection)

Clouds often looked like they were sending us smoke messages in the sky

Table mountain centre stage

▶ PASTIMES & ACTIVITIES
There were plenty of jobs to be done. We helped out - hacking back the garden. Sanding the decking. Exercising within the confines of the property - included online 'Zoom' pilates. Plus lots of books and videos to watch, while John was a real wifi whiz. And painting too ...

Self explanatory exercise

Definitely needs explaining - 'Zoom' pilates in the comfort of your home, for all those game

▶ US ...

What can I say - the drinks store, appropriately under the table. 

Left: The expected 'dodgy' selfie - M (Tree), Yvonne, Anthony, Bill & (half of) John - definitely post drinks!

▶ BUMP ... 'Hello, Goodbye' - from Mr President.

THE END of the beginning.