Revisiting Les Miserables

 Les Miserables was a class act, and believe me, I’m an expert on the show having seen it a score of times in the 1980s and early 1990s

Ok there are a few changes from the original. There is no revolving stage, there is no dramatic reconstruction of the barricades and the whole thing seems paced quicker than what I remember . Interestingly there is also some omissions of language including some anti Semitic references spoken by the nasty Thenardiers in the wedding scene .but the new version is a quality piece with some beautifully performed set pieces with universally beautiful singing

We had a fantastic meal at Soho Italian Meat Restaurant Macellaio beforehand and received some lovely treats from the delightfully attractive manager there who seemed to suddenly take a liking to us. 
He was very sweet and made a lovely evening even more lovely.




Buggered

 Exhausted.
Janet’s leading the adventure as it’s her birthday treat
Spitalfields market this morning was lovely and she’s never been on the Thames , so we caught the London Clippers through London’s central zone.
It of shopping on Oxford Street then back to the hotel .
Les Miserables tonight








Don Quixote

 

I have a new favourite ballet.
The joyous, warm, beautifully danced Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House
It’s a pure delight..and the leads Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov were adorable
And I was in tears when the old knight rode off into the Spanish sunset on his donkey waved away by a score of cheerful villagers
Of course , my run of bad travel look couldn’t continue , and Janet and I arrived for supper at the Opera house dead on time. 
I adored booking the balcony restaurant as we had a place to go back to during intervals to sip a cocktail and to drink coffee.
It was lovely and the perfect backdrop, dinner and ballet for Janet to experience on her first visit.





Sod’s Law

 


The only straight through train to London was cancelled at the last minute.
Fuck
We were on it. 
Managed to get to Crewe where we didn’t follow the crowds battling for the Euston trains and jumped on an empty delayed train which means we should get to the Opera house in time for supper
Hey fucking ho

Check in on those around you | #WorldMentalHealthDay 💛💚 #youarenotalone

Morning

 Reflective post yesterday 
Today it’s purely practical stuff at University
I’m off early to have some library time
Thank you all for your comments 
The validation was appreciated xx

The Andre Rieu of Blogging

Me and Nu in Kenmare 2018 my lowest ebb


Sometimes I wonder just what people get from Going Gently?
Some, I feel,  like it’s humour, and I get that, totally! 
For the most part, on line blogs can be generally dry and somewhat serious affairs .( with the exception of the gays and fag hag blogs who generally produce snatches of delightful bitchiness and entertaining asides) …you KNOW who you are !!!
For others, it’s the glimpse into the view, I delight to be a part of , and that is a positive, healthy, romanticised and generally honest view of a Welsh Village and it’s struggles to keep some sort of community identity in a world who seems intent of changing it into a housing estate in the country.
Of course we have the village characters ( all based on real people) and the animals which provide the anchor and the grounding of the blog.
Animals are the heart of a home
They, like children are honest and pure and real
And they alongside my village friends have seen me through some very dark days .
As you have , my readers and followers.
Going Gently has never changed in that respect for since 2006 it is my diary, my comfort and my old friend who has housed my thoughts and daily journal for seventeen years now.
Of happy days 
And sad ones
And of mundane ones too, devoid of political debate and world news and of highbrow thought and debate….I’m not an overly educated man. 
I’m a bright one, for sure, but I’m not an intellectual
I married one and even though I still love the man deeply, he wasn’t always a bag of laughs in real life. 
So Going Gently doesn’t discuss serious politics and the like
It remains touchy feely with a sense of arch.
And the trolls will always remind me of the arch.

I will never apologise for my occasional waspishness
For these are occasional and in my mind warranted and unlike some of my fellow bloggers I am not really quick to judge despite my words.
I am flawed , and emotive, and shallow at times.
But I’m emotionally intelligent too
And I know, despite my troll input , I will make a credible counsellor 
I know myself warts and all that’s how I know.

And so I will continue to blog
Sometimes about nothing….the sushi I made for tea  because it felt good
And then about the lonely day I spent not talking to anyone.
Of the bulldog Dorothy’s diva antics 
And the moment at work I felt like child in need of a hug when things went wrong 
Of the films I watched which allayed my loneliness 
And the friends I have that make life worthwhile again 

If you read Going Gently You read it for a reason 

And I’m grateful most of you seem to enjoy it
I am everyone here…..flawed and hopeful ….

Yes……and even hopeful





Roses

 Islwyn has opened the field gate for the undertaker to bring his digger around.
I suspect the funeral is tomorrow. 
I don’t know who has died.
It’s warm and slightly humid today, and a third late bloom of ice cream roses have flowered in the front garden which looks neat after my sister went to town on it yesterday 


This morning I drove to Llandrillo College to,use the library and managed to find some research papers to critique for tomorrow’s lesson. The promenade in nearby Llandudno was busy, and I sat there for a while, drinking coffee and people watching. I couldn’t stay that long as the dogs needed another walk but they were all asleep when I got home.
This afternoon I washed and ironed ( !) some clothes for London