Cor Meibion Trelawnyd (aka the Village Choir )

The annual Trelawnyd male Voice Choir concert took place this evening at the village hall. ( see pic before the refurbishment) The majority of the village had turned up as there must have been 350 people crammed in to every spare space. The standard of the singing,as usual was excellent, and the hair on the the back of your neck raised noticeably with some of the more traditional Welsh belters! The concert was supported by two local "guest stars", a tenor and Baritone who won the blue riband at the National Eisteddford. The younger Man, Aeron Gwyn Jones (pic) was excellent; it was strange but when he spoke he had a tiny Welsh voice which was rather diffident, but when he sang, he boomed!...quite amazing.

Chris is off to Boston tomorrow, but took this picture before going to bed early, dog sofa!! Meg still not showing too much.....perhaps she is not pregnant!

Betwitched ,Bothered and bewildered

I love the internet. Obviously after watching The History Boys last night, I looked up the Rodgers and Hart song and read the lyrics for the first time. It is so melancholy and moving, and sums up unrequited love perfectly! Alan Bennett's use of the song was genius.


After one whole quart of brandy
Like a daisy I awake
With no Bromo Seltzer handy,
I don't even shake.
Men are not a new sensation;
I've done pretty well, I think.
But this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

REFRAIN
I'm wild again
Beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
Couldn't sleep
And wouldn't sleep
Until I could sleep where I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
Lost my heart but what of it?
My mistake I agree.
he's a laugh, but I like it
because the laugh's on me.
A pill he is
But still he is
All mine and I'll keep him until he is
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
Like me.
Seen a lot
I mean I lot
But now I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
I'll sing to him
Each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
When he talks he is seeking
Words to get off his chest.
Horizontally speaking
He's at his very best.
Vexed again
Perplexed again
Thank God I can't be over-sexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
(Reprise at the end of the show)
Wise at last
My eyes at last
Are cutting you down to your size at last
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered no more
Burned a lot
But learned a lot
And now you are broke, though you earned a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered no more
Couldn't eat
Was dyspeptic
Life was so hard to bear;
Now my heart's antiseptic
Since you moved out of there
Romance-Finis
Your chance-finis
Those ants that invaded my pants-finis
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered no more.

Pass it on boys....

I think I am the last person to see the theatrical version of Alan Bennett's The History Boys , and I was impressed with most of what I saw. The story is set in 1980s Sheffield and centres upon a bunch of bright, funny sixth-formboys in pusuit of sex, sport and a place at university.Also in the story is a maverick English teacher at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher, and a headmaster obsessed with results . The actors who play the boys, steal the show, as they often have the best one liners, and the pathos that goes with unrequited love. The actor who plays Posner, "I am homosexual,Jewish and I am from Sheffield...Boy am..I fucked!!!!" (First on left) was excellent in a difficult and painfull role . I wondered if the character was based on Bennett's own experiences and life? ....out of all the characters Posner seemed the most unhappy, troubled and unfullfilled. I must admit his rendition of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Rodgers and Hart, is gut wrenching..

"I'll sing to him
Each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I"

Christmas shopping, dog barber and going out three times in one week!!!

Took the dogs for their haircut to "Top Dogs", in a small village outside Chester. The dog salon is nothing more than a grotty back street shop, but they do a good job!! (even if Finlay (left) does not look too happy)..Meg seems to be a lot happier


Completed most of the Christmas shopping in Chester, and wrapped it listening to the soundtrack music from Pride and Prejudice by
Dario Marianelli which is a wonderfull soundtrack, quite beautifull.

Cannot believe this week as I am off out THREE times!!! in the evenings : Tonight Chris and I are off out to dinner, tomorrow I am off the see the theatre production of The History Boys in LLandudno and Saturday is the annual concert of the Trelawnyd Male voice choir, which is a sell out as usual.

Patricia Cornwell, Kay Scarpetta and a certain Lee Remick

Have been re-reading Patricia Cornwell's second book Body of Evidence (1991), and am totally engrossed with her way of storytelling. Her lead character is Kay Scarpetta, a flawed but brilliant ( aren't they all?) forensic pathologist, who seems always to be battling not only serial killers and psychopaths, but the whole American political and secret service systems. Later novels seem to move away from "catching the bad guys" to more bizarre and convoluted plotlines which all disappointed me, but her early stuff is sharp, clever and very enjoyable. Scarpetta is a career woman, who through self discipline and sacrifice ( single, no kids, few friends) has made it to the top of her field. She has a dysfunctional brother/sister relationship with a police partner Marino ( who in my mind's eye looks like the captain out of Cagney and Lacey) , a niece Lucy (who grew from precocious geek teen to lesbian police officer in the novel series) and a loyal old lady secretary Rose. In Cornwell's writing ,Scarpetta becomes a well defined and multi-layered character with depth. Cornwell describes often in minute detail, Scarpetta's routine and decision making; drawing from her "history" of Italian/Miami upbringing, quite simply , as a reader , you feel as though you KNOW, the character, for bad and for good. In my minds eye I envisioned Scarpetta as looking like Lee Remick (Right). Isn't it strange that Cornwell (Left) actually resembles Remick!!! du-du. du-du ( X files music)

Welsh words...&.....Llandudno walk

Beautifull day today, so after a few hours getting the gardens "up to scratch", took the dogs for a walk around Llandudno great Orme (see pic). Got to thinking about how hard the Welsh language is to learn and definitely how difficult it is to pronounce . I do have a favourite Welsh word and that is ymholiadau (pronounced um-holly-add-eye); it only means "enquiries", but I love the way it trips over the tongue.

Dog fight at the Gop Hill corral.

Didn't go to the Welsh Mountain Zoo, as time was not on our side after two night shifts. We did however had a scenic drive up to Henllan ( See Pic of Henllan Church which is all tower and no Church), for a cup of tea and biccies with my brother and his wife. It has started to get very cold at night so was glad to get home and bank up the fire and forify the Chicken coop against firework noise!!!

Went for a walk to Llanasa with the dogs which was nice, however the afternoon was marred slightly by a very bad tempered Boarder terrier which lives on a farm just under the Gop. Now I have met this little thug before when out walking, and what he lacks in size he definitely makes up with aggression and bad humour; so I was hoping that we all could walk past the farm without his usual peformance. How wrong I was!!!!, out he came like a small hairy bullet, eyes bright yellow! coat bristling! Finlay as usual bounced forward in his happy- go -lucky way, and all hell let loose. The terrier went for him, and still on the lead he fought back. Meg (hysterical by this time) jumped in and Immediately we all got tied up in a knot of fur, legs leads and barking. Free of a lead the little bastard got in several bites, and was not put off in his attack ,even though I managed to kick him twice; he only backed off when Maddie steam rollered in and did what I could only describe as a "chest butt". Sticking out her chest like Barbara Winsor she bounced forward and just ran into him. If I wasnt so angry I would have laughed as it looked so funny. The terrier seemed to bounce backwards down the lane! and seemed so surprised by this unusual behaviour he backed off .

Reality tv........the better side

Saturday again and I am hooked on proper relality Tv. Strictly Come Dancing, is back for a third season, and like grannies all over the nation I have my favourites !, which I secretly cheer for from the advantage of the dog sofa. Mark Ramprakash is top of my list , Sexy, talented and a quiet gentleman, he has the "X" factor, and will capture the public vote as we all love an unassuming hero. Bottom of the list is Claire King, who is cultivating the persona of a real old slaggy slapper. (Hummm trying to pull my punches there!) True she is playing a role akin to Jodie Foster's character in The Accused (1988). But that strutting hooker tough girl is really irritating!. Another fav of mine is Jan Ravens ; who looks like someone's mum! She and campy partner Anton du Beke ( if that is not a movie character name, then nothing is), spend the programme giggling and having fun, which of course is what the whole thing is all about.

The whole programme is wonderfull....