Cinderella, the Halle and E1 Rock climbing in the same weekend.

Friday November 28^th

When I was a wee lassie, in Norwich, my Mum took me to see a version of Cinderella [The Ballet] at the local theatre. I remembered the Cinderella story from having seen it as a pantomime a few years earlier so I knew what to expect but for a time afterwards being a Prima Ballerina was my heartfelt ambition.

Today we saw the Northern Ballet’s version of the same story at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. It was so different from the version I had stored in the back of my mind but equally as enthralling and I wouldn’t mind betting there were plenty of little girls who went home afterwards also wishing to be Prima Ballerinas.

My Mum, Mrs Briggs, Laura and I rendez-voused in the bar before the show and I imparted what may have been unwelcome news, the music for tonight’s show wouldn’t be the Prokofiev we all knew and loved but a new score written by a chap called Feeney. Apparently he is a ‘go to’ writer of scores for ballet and dance companies so we sort of knew it wouldn’t be avant garde or left field music. The pair of us (Laura and me, that is) had been to a concert of the Prokofiev in September at the City Hall, so the ‘old’ music was fresh in our minds.  

Once again the old theatre was heaving, and there were a fair few children (mainly girls) in the audience. We needn’t have been concerned about the new tunes, the score was lyrical and empathetic and a bit old fashioned in places. The set was brilliant, simple and very effective – especially Cinderella’s kitchen with its huge range and stack of pans over it.

Some liberties were taken with the story. Cindy’s Dad is killed near the start as a result of her actions. Why? Was my thought, couldn’t it have been enough that the step-mum was wicked? In this scene Cindy actually meets the Prince for the first time, although she is meant to be a child.

There was a lot of magic and sparkle in the show. (No I don’t mean a Marks and Spencer’s advert). There was one scene where Cindy goes to the town and encounters a circus. There were tumblers and stilt walkers and a magician doing tricks. In a clever twist the magician turns up later to send Cindy to the ball. The transformation is very clever and eschews the pumpkin and mice scenario altogether. The sleigh, not carriage, is pulled by huge dogs. I suppose they were meant to be huskies.

The rest of the story unfolds as normal until almost near the end when the Prince, having discovered that Cindy is the owner of the slipper, rejects her as she seems to be a scullery maid. I was really disappointed by this idea as it seemed to suggest that the Prince didn’t really love Cindy for herself but was just as shallow and superficial as most men. The reconciliation had to happen, obviously, or the story would have been ruined but for me that silly extra twist ruined it anyway. In my mind the couple weren’t going to live a happy ever after fairy tale life. Impending divorce was already hanging over them.

My Mum said I was just being a cynic. But she, too, found the rejection idea a bad one. I tried to ask myself why did the choreographer do it? However, rack my brains as I might, I cannot see any sensible narrative reason for them to have that scene at all. Was the dance run-time too short and they needed an extra five minutes?

Despite this terrible flaw in the story, the overall impression was of inventive choreography (the ice skating scene, for example was really really clever), beautiful (if safe) music and excellent dancing from all the cast. I think it was the excellent dancing which ultimately lets you overlook the flaws.

In comparison to the two versions of La Fille Mal Gardee we have seen this year, Cinderella didn’t come close to knocking them off their pedestal but I think all the girls in the audience tonight would have been truly enchanted by the whole show. If the Northern Ballet visit again, with anything, I am certainly getting tickets to see them.

Saturday 29^th November.

Out of deference to my Gallic, Giggly, colleague I spent an hour going through all of my folders, box files and crates of junk which I have in my study, to see if our missing papers are anywhere at home. I know they are not because I am obsessive about stuff anyway. So I make absolutely sure I have filed things away in their proper places before doing anything else. Laura is convinced that Felice has lost them a she is such a scatterbrain, but having witnessed her real panic I am not so sure. Maybe we have to think outside the box on this one.

We did some retail therapy in town today. Catching the tram in seemed a good idea, avoid traffic and parking problems. Heading back to the Middlewood Tram terminus loaded down with about six carrier bags each and a full rucksack too, wasn’t such a good idea. However, with the exception of two presents, I have now bought something for everyone. Rah rah rah. I posted the bulky Australian ones in October, to make sure they got there in time for Christmas. It is a pity we don’t have their “surface/air” option of postal delivery which I used to send stuff home whenI was out there in the noughties. I have got Dad to put some smaller, light things in his luggage so there will be even more than they expect out in Warnbro.

The present shopping has meant we haven’t done a grocery shop for a while. Our fridge is getting a bit Mother Hubbardy, but we have enough for tomorrow and Monday, so we’ll get some ‘fud’ then. Unless I decide to shop tomorrow instead; I am not keen on grocery shopping on a Sunday, it seems to spoil your day.

We spent the rest of the day just loafing about really. I wrapped up some of the presents until we ran out of sticky tape (what an oversight). I then sewed some more of my embroidery and Laura had a go at her cross stick piece. We must have looked like a pair of old spinsters busy at our needlework in a painting by Vermeer or someone of that ilk. I said Laura ‘had a go’ at her cross stitch, she keeps getting stuck and tangled up, so I do spend a fair amount of time having to untangle her work. I have started to refuse to do anything unless I receive a large bribe first.

The bribe for the first time she got stuck was a fresh cuppa and a slice of chocolate cake, warmed up and served with ice cream. Yummy in my tummy. The second time she got into a mess, I said the bribe needed to exceed the chocolate cake one of earlier. She assured me it would, and proceeded to sit between my legs and gently caress my magic triangle with her fingers. Very delicately at first so their touch was so light I could hardly feel it. This got steadily more intense and when she started to unzip my chinos I simply had to put my embroidery down and help her out too.

I didn’t get her cross stitch problem sorted out for at least two hours after that!

Sunday November 30th

The weather looked decidedly promising this morning so after a huge breakfast, we sallied forth and drove out to Burbage to park up for Stanage Edge. We didn't get there until about 10.30 and there were already plenty of parked vehicles. The owners of them had probably decided to 'get some in' as the day looked fair. We trooped off to the egde with Callie dancing about as though she was going on a long walk. We had to disappoint her as we had decided to do some sticking to rock instead.

Despite being sunny, the rock was a bit wet in place and quite greasy on some of the pitches. I have discovered it can do this for no immediately obvious reason. No doubt a meteorologist would be able to explain the phenomenon we just consider it a bloody nuisance. 

We pottered about on a couple of HVSs for a while until some of the surfaces had dried out. This also involved walking Callie out along the edge until it dropped away towards the Snake Road, so she didn't feel too left out. As it was Sunday I had brought her dog spike and bit of old rope so she wasn't going to present a hazard to fellow rock monkeys. On a week day we just let her wander to her heart's content.

After a lunch of ham salad sandwiches and hot, sweet tea (that was the reason we were delayed in getting here) we did a couple more pitches.

Laura has been itching to lead climb for a while now. I have been a bit reluctant to let her, which is stupid of me as she is technically quite proficient now, but I agreed. She wanted to do On a Wing and a Prayer. So off we toddled to the foot of this wall.

It has a tricky first section but then is pretty straight forward after that. Until you reach the overhang near the top. This was still a bit greasy, according to Laura, and she talced up a bit more before shooting over it to the wobbly stone at the top. It is only about 12 metres but is a good test for a newer climber. 

She was right about the greasiness, what I also found a problem was my fingers were getting cold. We walked back along towards the car and climbed Niche Wall Direct before calling it a day. The sun was still out but the temperature had dropped and I wasn't a happy bunny with cold fingers.

Callie wasn't bothered by the cold, though and ploughed straight into one of the pools in the stream at Burbage. Mad bloody dog. Luckily I had two dog towels stuffed under my seat of she'd have to drive back home in the boot soaking wet. I made a mental note to wash up all the dirty dog towels. I don't like doing it as I am sure it isn't good for our clothes to follow a dog towel wash. I am thinking of buying a really cheap washing machine just for dog towels and beds and the like.

We were home by three. Washed, showered, spruced and fed by 6.30 just in time to head into town for tonight's concert. The Halle (again) performing Kodaly "Dances of Galanta", Prokofiev "3rd Piano Concerto" and Dvorak "New World Symphony". We had not heard the Kodaly before and the pieces were very good, one to look out for in the future when shopping at Amazon. The pianist for the Prokofiev was excellent, Sunwook Kim, I assume is Korean, he won the Leeds Piano Compy in 2009. 

The New World was played much in the way of my own recording, that is; hell for leather on the final movement. Some conductors try to slow it down, but I much prefer it this way. It left us with a warm glow afterwards and a reflection that this is our last event of the year (apart from seeing Deacon Blue with Dad and Louisa, which doesn't count as left to our own devices we wouldn't have gone). 

Our next event is more ballet. We are going to have to drive down from Dad's to see Swan Lake by the Moscow City Ballet on January 6th. Dad isn't back from Australia until about the 26th of Jan. This is another group visit, with Mum, Mrs Briggs and Felice joining us for this one.

We sometimes have a lull in the proceedings, when life can seem quite empty! LOL