Two Concerts; One Weekend. Plus The Scampis Hijack me for rock climbing!

Friday November 8^th.

On my walk with Callie this morning I called at Onesacre Farm and told them about the bloke in the night, we’d encountered yesterday. The woman who answered the door seemed a bit dozy and I am not sure whether what I said to her meant anything or not. Perhaps she was just really sleepy, it was 6am after all and still quite dark. I only knocked at the door because there were lights ablaze in the kitchen. You could tell it was the kitchen because of all the lights. Still I have done my civic duty by telling her. You can’t do more than that, can you?

If anything makes my heart glad [apart from looking at Laura, something which I could do forever] it is listening to beautiful music play beautifully. Anyone who was lucky, sensible or savvy enough to be at Sheffield City Hall last night heard that sublime combination in Spades! The English Chamber Orchestra has just played the most amazing programme of music which will enthral those who already know the works and inspire those who don’t to listen again.

The programme opened with Prokofiev’s Symphony Number One “The Classical”. I know it was written in ironic response to the communist authority’s strictures on what was “acceptable” music but this has to be the most wonderful irony of all, it was brilliant. It always sounds fresh and new and their interpretation just enhanced that joyous feeling.

That a piano concerto was going to be on the programme would have been a bit obvious as the orchestra had one in front of them for their first piece and sure enough the Conductor settled behind it for their second; Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto. A sureness of touch and a wonderful lyricism meant this was as good as Sergei P’s opener for the evening.

We met Mrs Briggs [again] in the interval and she commented on how we both looked stunning – Laura and I had both done “girly” tonight and wore complimentary shades of blue, an effect that I thought looked wonderful before we set off, and Mrs B’s comment showed how right I was. She is often at these concerts and will be at all the International season ones too. She thought the Mendelssohn seemed a little too technical for her taste, I am afraid I had to disagree with her as I thought the conductor brought a delicacy of feeling to the piece. She told me that Christopher wasn’t coming to this evening’s performance which was a relief, TBH. Laura thinks it is funny that I have an admirer who’s a mathematician as she is also an admirer and mathematician. She wondered if I attracted maths addicts?

The second half was just as good as the first. The Faure Pavane was very good indeed but the icing on the cake was definitely the Mozart. Leaving it until last meant everyone in the hall went home cheered and uplifted after such a rousing performance. It is probably Mozart’s best known and best loved Symphony and they played with gusto for such a small orchestra.  I honestly don’t think there was a piece to touch it until a certain Ludwig came along a few decades later. [His works have never been surpassed in my humble opinion!]

The next International event is Britten’s “War Requiem” on December 1^st but I decided not to go to that one. Britten quite often, to my ears, doesn’t sound right – so I avoid listening to him if I possibly can. Our next event is at the University this coming Sunday when we are off to hear Handel’s Music for Vespers by the English Touring Opera and the Cathedral Choir. I asked Mrs B if she was going but she didn’t even know it was on! I obviously have my ear closer to the ground than she does. I was also able to tell her about Ensemble 360 also playing at the Firth Hall on the 19^th of November. I piqued her interest with this one as they are playing the Debussy String Quartet that has the Gamelan Style passages in it. She said she might attend that one and I had to give her more information next Tuesday.

We had a very energetic evening after the concert and both of us were exhausted after taking turns with our strappy! Mmmmm……….

Saturday 9^th November.

I had a mega mega clean this morning. Laura and I went swimming as usual and then I got down to blitz the house. I started with the study this time and worked my way downstairs. I was sorely tempted to clean in the cellar, but a quick sweep round with the duster and the floor brush was my compromise.

I think Callie was looking forward to a Long Walk but the weather was excessively Grottsville. We even had our first flurry of snow overnight. [Well, OK, I concede it may have been excessive hail rather than snow, but whatever it was there was a light covering the further up the hill I went.] Callie loves snow and had a whale of a time trying to catch the ice balls I threw for her. Tricky in the dark, really, but she enjoyed it. It made my hands freezing cold though. I spent the rest of her dog walk with my hands thrust deep into my pockets trying to bring back the circulation to my fingers!

Laura still can’t quite get her head round why I have to clean so thoroughly. I have tried to explain it to her, but I suppose unless you have OCD it is difficult to comprehend the feeling of terror when things aren’t the way you want them. The only way to reduce that feeling is to make sure everything is perfect! You could eat off my kitchen floor! I know it is stupid and silly but it is something I HAVE to do.

Once I had worked out my obsession it was the time to Skype the folks in Australia. We had a long old chat about Dad and Louisa’s impending visit. I tried my best to give a frank and unbiased description of Louisa but I had to hold back on one vital piece of information. [I haven’t told her because it may freak her out, but Louisa does remind me a hell of a lot of Susannah! I don’t mean in appearance but in manner and demeanour. There have been a couple of times when I have bit my tongue in Louisa’s company as I was either about to say, “that is just like Suze” or worse, been about to call her Suze instead of Louisa. Did Dad marry a woman who reminded him of his eldest daughter?]

I actually get on very well with her, now I have got to know her a little better. She doesn’t say much about her first marriage or speak of her daughter, whom she didn’t contest custody of when the divorce was arranged but I guess that is only to be expected, isn’t it? She and I have a relationship similar to that of Suze and me. I simply can’t call her Mum so she is Lou and I am Vic. It works for us. [Vic is what Dad called me for ages and ages. So much so that when I met some of his new colleagues at Sheffield – where he worked before his current post – they were expecting a boy not a girl!]

I was hoping to have a private chat with Jill but that was not to be. I tried to give her an oblique message about contacting me with any worries but as I addressed it to all three kids she may not have sussed what I meant. Annabelle is still as delightful as ever. She has had her fringe put back in her hair, just like I did. She does look a bit like a mirror image of me [with darker hair and fewer freckles!]. She still says she misses me sooo much and why can’t I come out with Dad and Louisa? I explained about house sitting and dog sitting but she just said that Phil could do it. You can tell she hasn’t met Phil! She knows Loll and I will be out in our summer but she says she simply can’t wait that long; she’ll burst! At this point Jeff obligingly told us that she has been bursting out of her T-shirts – they then disappeared from view having a sibling fight! I did think she had developed a bit in the few weeks since I had last seen her, but it certainly wasn’t the sort of thing I would mention in front of everyone. Brothers, eh?

After our Skyping we went and caught a tram into town and had a wander round, a window shop and a cuppa in John Lewis’. We actually bumped into two of the Scampi Tails in there; Lorraine and Sue. They were doing the same as Laura and me but had actually bought some stuff as well. Sue had this gorgeous blouse which was in grey chiffon and looked really delicate. She told me where the shop was but of course when we parted we didn’t bother going in. The girls were saying they would like to go rock climbing sometime. I had mentioned that I was teaching it to some Undergraduates on Wednesday evenings during the summer and they had seemed keen to have a go too. I was a bit surprised, but what the hell, if they want to try it why not? I told them to give me a buzz on the next clear weekend day, so we could use our practice pitches on Stanage Edge.

After Lewis’ we went to Pollards and I bought another 250 grams of my tea. They have a system there where you can have your own blend made up and they write the ingredients and proportions down in a ledger, so that when you go in you simply say could I have xx grams of Miss Smith’s tea, please? They look it up in the ledger and then blend it for you there and then. It is so cool. It is mainly an Earl Grey black china tea blend but with a dash of chamomile too. That extra little dash makes all the difference to the flavour. I experimented for ages to try and match the flavour of Lipton’s Old Earl Grey Blend they used to sell in Australia. They changed their recipe in 2006 and it is nowhere near as nice as it used to be. I think I have arrived at a pretty close match by experimenting with teas from Pollards.

Laura had the first of the Christmas Parties tonight at the restaurant. Pretty early for a Christmas Party but I suppose that you have to go where the spaces are. She made over £40 again in tips. I don’t know how she does it. She then spent a few very enjoyable minutes tipping my velvet. Mmmm…

Sunday 10^th November.

I actually stuck my poppy through a button hole on my duffel coat as I walked Callie this morning. It seemed like the thing to do. I was greeted by an old duffer in Sylvia’s shop who went on and on about how many young people didn’t seem to want to wear the poppy anymore and he was incensed by white poppy wearers.

I bit my tongue as I didn’t want to let him know how I thought the whole thing was so bloody hypocritical, especially having Butcher Haig’s name on the front of the sodding thing. But I didn’t. I held my ammo in reserve. Believe me, I have enough ammo to sink both fleets at Jutland once I get going. I am a historian though, so it is only natural I should. 

Back home we’d had a phone call. Really bloody early I thought. It was Lorraine. Today looked like being a really fine day, did we want to go to Stanage Edge? Oh bugger! You make these daft promises on the understanding people don’t take them up. I checked with Laura, she was all for it, so I told Lorraine to be at the top of Burbage Brook at 10.30! I sorted out enough slings and harness etc so we didn’t have to share and piled it all on the back seat of the quokka. We almost drove off leaving all the ropes on the kitchen table though!

It was really sun and surprisingly warm in the sun, in the shadow it was a bit cooler though. There was no sign of Lorraine or Sue so we sat in the car for a while and then headed towards the pitches. I set up a belay point at the top and Loll climbed the first pitch. She is getting better and better. We swapped and I swarmed up in next to no time. We decided to see who could cover it the quickest [I know, silly and dangerous but we were bored] next. I managed four and a half minutes, Loll did it in five. We heard a “Yoo Hoo!” away towards the top of Burbage Brook and sure enough Lorraine and Sue, Rachel and Ann were heading across towards us.

I did the tutor thing while Loll belayed me then we let them loose. Well, we let L & S loose.

I took Rachel and Ann to the second pitch, set up another belay and showed them the route free climbing. I thought it would save time. They were just gobsmacked. I hadn’t really thought about it, I’d just set off; calling down to them as I went,  telling them about the tricky bits. [There aren’t any really, that’s why we use them as novice pitches.] They had a bit of trouble with the first big step – people often do on here. You have to put your foot at about waist  height and reach for a ledge with your hand which is quite a stretch. Ann couldn’t make it, so I scrambled down again and showed them the opening moves once more. This time I got them both onto the first little step and made them get off a couple of times so they felt more confident, then I climbed up the route again back to my belay position. They made it eventually but very red in the face and out of breath. They both took about fifteen minutes.

Laura came over and climbed my pitch with Lorraine and Sue while I took Rachel and Ann to Laura’s pitch. This one is easier although there is a layback up a crack for a while, which needs to be done in one go or your arms turn to jelly after a while if you stop for a rest. I did explain this to them. They both made a much better fist of this one and after about forty minutes we all met up at the foot of the third pitch we’d chosen. This one is longer and steeper but has some really good holds in the millstone grit. The tricky bit for the novice is a chimney section near the top. Laura climbed as I belayed and she called out what they needed to do at each section. She then took over the belay and I free climbed alongside each of the Scampis as they came up. This actually took far longer than I had thought it would and at the top we decided to call it a day and head for the pub in Ringinglow.

At the pub they were all excited and giggly and suddenly all experts after a few simple pitches. You are at first. I have seen it so many times. What pleased me the most was that none of them wimped out, they all had a go. Even when Ann was left dangling like a weight on a pendulum on the last pitch, she kept going once I had got her hands and feet back on the route. Naturally they all wanted to do some more, so I promised them they could come out with us again when we had another fine morning.

Lunch was a little over cooked when we got back. The pork joint just fell to pieces. It was gloriously tender though. Loll had a shower while I cooked the veggies and then after lunch I was going to have my shower but we ended up sharing and I didn’t actually wash myself, Laura made me stand there and be washed! I don’t think she did as good a job of the washing as I would have done but I suppose when the person you are washing is busy putting their fingers inside you it can be a bit distracting.

The Handel Music for Vespers was excellent. Although I must say the turn out could have been better. The Cathedral Choir were a revelation. I knew they were a professional lot but I had taken that with a pinch of salt. Just shows how wrong you can be! The whole programme was over far too quickly. We will have to see when the CC is performing again. The English Touring Opera was probably doing its token visit to the grim north for the year but the CC should have more engagements nearer Christmas [well you’d have thought they would].

All in all it turned out to be quite an unexpectedly eventful day. I imagine the girls will be full of the climbing on Wednesday when it is our next Girly Dining Club meeting at Lorraine’s house. I wonder if by then she’ll have become an expert!

Callie was absolutely pooped after her exertions on Stanage. She kept going between the foot of the climb and the belay points over and over again during the morning. Daft bugger. She was fast asleep in her crate when we went out to the Firth Hall and it didn’t look like she’d moved much when we got back. She made a half-hearted attempt to greet us when we came in and then went back to her bed in her crate. On our final walk she performed the necessary, then turned and gave me a real hang doggy look, as if to say, “Do we have to go all that way? Look, I’ve done what I was supposed to!” When I said, “All right. That’ll do then!” she was off down the lane before I could grab her to snap her lead back on!