I drove through the Ferrier Estate yesterday - or what's left of it. Large amounts have now been pulled down and the remaining blocks have huge notices on announcing their imminent destruction (presumably to discourage squatters). There are vast heaps of rubble everywhere. It's all very strange. After all, I watched them build the thing - you could ( Read more... )

Again to Islington, for Fanciulla del West, or West End Girl - Puccini/Belasco transplanted to a seedy internet café populated by East European immigrants. I thought it worked really well - verismo, after all, should be set in the world we know, and as someone most of whose friends are immigrants, it got it pretty well. Our illustrious maestro ( Read more... )

segh: You look nice in V-necked jumpers.
G.: And they conceal the fact that my ironing skills leave something to be desired.

1. Wear a skirt. Or leggings, or trousers you can roll up ( Read more... )

( If it weren't for Virginia Woolf I'd call this To The Lighthouse. )

It's a curious thing that while I'm happy to share jokes and observations and stuff on LJ, when something serious happens it isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, for the record, and for the benefit of the few people that read my LJ and not my FB, I should mention that on Saturday 17th December my daughter-in-law Yuki gave birth to a ( Read more... )

I witnessed a domestic on the train today. I really didn't want to, but the man was shouting so loudly into his phone that the only way I could have avoided it was by going into another carriage. His vocabulary of vituperation was exceedingly limited, and after twenty minutes we had all heard every one of his insults many times. (Although I was ( Read more... )

In the course of reading obituaries of Ken Russell I came on a link to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au24RVeQcE0&feature=related which I absolutely loved - it brought back the London of my childhood. (And isn't it nice to see children running around the city on their own!)

Your job is now your Time Lord name. The last digit of your phone number is the current regeneration you are in. The nearest clothing item to your right is now the most notable item in your current wardrobe. The last person you texted is your current companion. Your favorite word is now your catchphrase.

I am the eighth Harper. I am known for the ( Read more... )

My birthday was on Saturday and began with driving to Finsbury Park, which is never a good idea. On the other hand, the purpose of the drive was to pick up a chamber organ for our concert, and the owner of the chamber organ turned out to know the awesome Andrew Lawrence King, so that was good. After that it was all fun. We rehearsed in the ( Read more... )