A bit of culture for Easter Saturday as we headed to The Citadel in town for this year’s Salvation Army Easter Concert. It was all part of their fundraising to refurbish the facilities here.

Tonight, for our listening pleasure, we had ‘Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem’, ‘John Rutter’s Gloria’ and Kettering SA’s very own Richard Phillips’ composition: ‘Jesus Victorious’. The local Salvation Army here in Kettering has a great track record with their musical presentations, and last year’s performance of part of Handel’s Messiah here was fantastic! . We weren’t familiar with the majority of the content on offer tonight (well, Ann certainly knew more than me!), but it was all in a good cause, and for many, it was good to be reminded of the significance of Easter.

Supported by a small orchestra (trumpets, violins, violas, cellos, double bass, trombones (including a BASS trombone), tuba, timpani, percussion, keyboard, harp – and a gong, they provided a big sound to accompany the Choristers. All-in-all, this was serious stuff to befit the Easter occasion. Fellow audience members would have been pleased delighted that unlike last year, I didn’t hum my way through it all (mainly down to my unfamiliarity with the ‘tunes’).

It was a full house for this, ‘tonight only’ performance, with close to 140 240 (Thanks, David, for spotting that. I did get A-Level Maths, honest!! ) of us in the audience! – including the Kettering Mayor, Cllr Ben James (at what must be one of his final official duties before he steps down after the usual year in the role). Meanwhile, ‘behind’ the orchestra, I’d never seen so many Choristers, aka Kettering Community Choir – I counted close on 70. No wonder Kettering Town seemed deserted! .

Strangely though, no-one was taking photographs, and even though I planned to, I followed their lead.

Holding it all together in his role as Conductor was the very talented Richard Phillips, who, as I mentioned earlier, was responsible for the third piece tonight. Richard has been an integral part of the music output here for as long as we’ve been coming to these kinds of events, including over 20 years leading the Kettering Citadel Band.

Completing the musical talents tonight was Mark Norwood – from my old stomping ground of Bromley – a baritone with a voice so deep, dark and thick, you could have probably made gravy from it – the Bisto of Baritones! Superb!!!

6.58pm: At just before 7pm, to enthusiastic applause, the evening officially began. The first piece, Requiem, was in four parts – and sung in Latin! Yikes! Not exactly one you could (thankfully) sing along to! Whatever the Choir was on, can I have some, please? . They were thoroughly enjoying themselves and giving it any mathematician’s nightmare of 110%! For me? Not so much. The combination of unfamiliarity with the tune and the revisiting of Latin (last ‘enjoyed’ by me at school in around 1970!) made it a difficult listen, but you couldn’t fault the performance itself, being demonstrated here tonight. Extra brownie points for soloist Cheryl Stone, who lit up the room during the final part Pie Jesu – what a voice! Angels beware!!. By the time Requiem came to the end, some of the singers looked exhausted, but we weren’t surprised, given the amount of energy that had been on show.

A short interlude followed, where the Choir and the Orchestra, together with Richard, all left the stage for presumably some more of the magic potion that had served them so well for their first piece – or maybe even an Easter Egg? Almost certainly, the queue for the ladies’ loos was going to be a long one!

The potion/the chocolate/the loo break had clearly done the trick, and some 20 minutes later, the dream team were back on stage for their second piece – Gloria. Shorter in length, but still on a mission to test my Latin, the performance also included some stunning solo work from Cheryl Stone, Ruth Humphrey and Alison Chapman. I enjoyed Gloria more, in spite of the lashings of Latin.

For many, I’m sure Richard‘s piece – the final part of tonight’s performance – Jesus Victorious – was eagerly awaited – simply because it was all his own musical work using the words of Stephen Pearson (no, not the former Scottish professional footballer, but the Managing Editor of the Salvation Army). And what a collaboration! . I don’t think ANYONE saw that coming, and those hoping to ‘rest their eyelids’ during this one were going to be very disappointed. As the title suggests, this was very upbeat with plenty of orchestral surprises. The official Programme described it as ‘raw, turbulent and emotionally charged’ and we wouldn’t argue with that! Sleeping is for wimps anyway!! Best news of all? It was in English. If the Choristers had given ‘110%’ up until now, then by this point, their enthusiasm was off the scale.

8.25pm: Almost 90-minutes later, it was all over. It had been a great evening (even if the unfamiliarity of the music took the shine off it for me, a little). If there are marks for enthusiasm and professionalism, though, tonight was unbeatable. Well done, Salvation Army, Kettering!

Quam praeclara vespera! (It’s OK, I looked it up!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Easter Concert (2026) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was off to nearby Northampton to see another in the series of Concerts by Candlelight that are all the rage at the moment. Last time for us was in September, 2023 at Peterborough Cathedral to hear the music of The Eagles. This time it was ‘two for the price of one’ with the sound of Coldplay and Ed Sheeran for one night only at (of all places) Northampton Museum & Art Gallery (famous, of course, for its shoe collection).

I was designated driver, and we picked up Jo and Janet just before 6.30 on a strangely warm evening (for September) – a whopping 19°C! A trouble-free journey meant we were soon in the cultural quarter. We haven’t been to this part of Northampton (just up the road from the Derngate) for a good few years, and we anticipated parking being a challenge. We left in good time assuming we’d need to ‘circle the wagons’ a few times.

What a pleasant surprise! . Actually, for once, parking was easy, and after just a single lap of the area, we managed to grab a spot that was less than two minutes’ walk from the venue.

We were soon sipping drinks and testing our strength, undoing the caps on their bottled water in the Museum’s Café, but still leaving us plenty of time to spare and admire the interior! .

Back to the music! As things would turn out, the Concert was to be nothing like the candle-lit Concerts we’d previously experienced – in a good way!

Brought to us by ‘Fever‘ (nope, me neither!) the whole marketing effort relating to this event had been somewhat lacking in detail. The result? I’d assumed that it was going to be a similar format to The Eagles by Candlelight event we’d been to, around two years ago – band/vocalists/big event and, of course, candles!

Well, I got the last bit right!

Oh yes, there were plenty of candles! It looked like a power cut from the 70s. Janet and I did a rough count and made it over 600 – mostly at the front, but to the sides, at the back and under the seats too! And, just before we checked that we had the number of the local fire service, we realised they were all LED versions! . I wonder who got the job of switching all those on!!??

So far, so normal then! The performance space was fairly dark – and that’s how it stayed – just dark enough to show off the lighting, but light enough so it was fairly easy to locate our seats, although we were shown to our seats (just three rows from the front) by a very polite, well-dressed young man (there, that’s it, I’ turned into my Grandfather!). Whereas The Eagles event was a large performance space (Peterborough Cathedral), this was almost an intimate arrangement, seating only around 150 people. It was a full house, but ‘intimate’ did feel like the correct description, especially with the subdued lighting

As we settled down, we immediately spotted that there were only four chairs for the musicians and no signs of ANY electricification. To our right was a space for MORE candles with a curious ‘u-shape’ cut out of the middle. Maybe a space for the drummer???

Nothing quite so musical, as it turned out – more about maximising their profit from the evening! The space was for photographs taken by the support staff of anyone who wanted a memento of the event.

At just after 8pm, the performance began, but not before we were reminded that no photography was allowed until the final tune. It was, therefore, especially irritating to see that one individual to our left, in front of us in the second row, (and thankfully for him, he was too far away for a poke), who felt it was OK to film the event at regular intervals on his phone. Come the revolution, brothers and sisters, he’s in the first group against the wall! .

As the stage seating dictated, there were just FOUR performers. Sporting two violins, a viola and a cello as their instruments of choice, this was to be a ‘stripped back’ musical evening. But would it work as I’m not sure the music of Coldplay lends itself to string instruments, but maybe Ed Sheeran, more so?

Wow! We needn’t have worried. The sound they produced was sublime. The smallish room probably helped the acoustics, but with no amplification, it was just the pure sound of traditional instruments played by an extremely talented group. They covered about a dozen numbers, equally split between Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. All the hits and a single encore piece. They played with confidence and enthusiasm and punctuated each batch of 2/3 songs with a short commentary in turn from each of the group to explain what they were about to play, including a little history of the songs themselves.

All in all, a very polished performance where they didn’t just regurgitate the tunes, they had all been re-orchestrated to bring out the best in the instruments and the players’ musical talents! ‘Candlelight’ titled concerts are a bit over-used (and popular) at the moment when looking online, and I think we’d all assumed they were all ‘the same’. Thankfully, this one was a very different style. Together with the lighting, the performance space, the small(ish) numbers and the choice of music, it all came together perfectly to create a very chilled-out experience

Any downsides? Well, apart from our film-making friend from the row in front needing a good kicking, the marketing of this was somewhat lacking. I think it would have been helpful if somewhere in all the communication, they’d mentioned it being a string quartet rather than a ‘Band’. OK, it was a pleasant surprise, but it wasn’t what we thought it was going to be. Ultimately though, we were impressed with tonight and quite taken with the talent on display! However, looking online afterwards, there wasn’t much at all about ‘Ensemble M’ apart from their YouTube Channel HERE – and I’m not sure that was even the same group! Based on tonight, they deserve to be better known!

Collectively and individually, they’re sure to do well if this is their chosen career – a fantastically talented bunch of young players who played like they’d been doing it for years, giving us a ‘big sound’ that betrayed their group size!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Candlelight Concert: Coldplay and Ed Sheeran appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s Easter Saturday, and we’re off to the Salvation Army’s Citadel in Kettering to see the 7pm performance of Handel’s Messiah.

Composed in 1741, there had also been a TV programme on recently featuring Gareth Malone coaching eight amateur singers to take on this monumental piece. Yes, it’s definitely Easter, and the TV programme reminded us both of what a memorable piece of music this is! .

Tickets for tonight were a very reasonable tenner each, and maybe not surprisingly, the Citadel was packed!

Yes, it was easily a sell-out, with 240 tickets taken. A sixty-plus strong Kettering Community Choir (drawn from 21 individual choirs), plus a very talented thirteen-piece Orchestra, together with four soloists were all perfectly co-ordinated with musical direction by Richard Phillips. As an added treat, our good friends and neighbours, David and Valerie were part of the Choir! The soloists: Gemma Hinchliffe (soprano), Sue Blyth (alto), Andy Ward (tenor) and Mark Norwood (bass) all excelled and together created a big and beautiful sound! The acoustics of the Citadel also helped to make this, in every way, an unforgettable performance.

The music took me back, instantly, some 50+ years to 1973 when I sang this as a member of the school choir performing at the iconic Fairfield Halls in Croydon. More recently, the last time we saw this was back in 2018 in Durham – it has clearly become a firm favourite for us two over the years!

The performance tonight covered around 80% of the complete Messiah suite. ‘Baton up’ was just before 7pm, and there he final applause came at just before 9.20pm. I was slightly surprised at how many of the tunes I knew. I read that everyone knows at least ONE track from this, Handel’s most popular piece (probably the Hallelujah Chorus!), but we chalked up at least half a dozen! Fans or what!!!!

Sadly, for the guy next to me, his enjoyment of the evening was somewhat ruined! Apparently by ME!

My gentle (and assumed QUIET) humming and occasional sing-alongs didn’t impress him – obviously I wasn’t quiet enough – where towards the end of the evening he expressed his displeasure in no uncertain terms by giving me a severe talking-to! . Even my apology (twice!) didn’t ease the situation, and so I guess I’m off his Easter Card list! . Note to self: If you want to sing in public, Steve – even quietly – join a choir!

All-in-all then (apart from the obvious), this had been a great evening! A really polished performance with everyone playing their part with enthusiasm and professionalism.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Handel’s Messiah at the Citadel appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was early evening, as we headed in the direction of Northampton and the town’s Cathedral – aka The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate & St Thomas of Canterbury to listen to the London Film Music Orchestra.

Jo and Janet arrived at ours just before 4.30 and with Janet acting as chauffeur, we began our journey. Waze took us on an interesting route that seemed to avoid the A43 (no doubt it knew something we didn’t) and where we seemed to zigzag along all the minor roads between us and our destination!

In spite of the ‘scenic route’, we arrived in good time and where Janet bagged a parking space in the Cathedral’s car-park itself – just a few paces from the entrance. We then stood and queued for about ten minutes before being ushered in, heading for our VIP seats. It was an unusually early start for an evening performance – 6pm – with another immediately following it, so the Orchestra was clearly making the most of their visit to these parts!

Outside, the exterior wasn’t the prettiest scenes of worship, but just like us humans, it was INSIDE that mattered!

Actually, the inside was much prettier, just a little chilly!!

The event was very well-supported, and already half-full when we arrived. And they kept coming. Soon, all the pews were occupied and at that point, I wasn’t sure whether the comfort levels of the typical church seating were going to affect my appreciation of the event, but I needn’t have worried – they were uncomfortable, but the music was about to distract us, in a good way!

And if listening to the music of famous contemporary German composer, Hans Zimmer wasn’t enough, the evening included music by John Williams too AND it was illuminated as well . The lighting was very subtle (this was no ELO/Wembley/1978!) and so, perfectly suited the mood and the music – and the environment.

Complementing and contributing to the themes was Jasmine Faulkner who introduced the tunes and provided vocal support on many of the tracks. She had a fantastic soprano range, although, between tunes, the frequent encouragement for us to celebrate individual musicians from the orchestra between tracks became a little irritating! . Yes, it’s official, I’m a grump!

The ‘London Film Music Orchestra’ was founded ten year’s ago in 2014. They’ve played alongside Stormzy at the Wireless Festival and are well connected
with many contemporary Film and TV composers. At the time of writing they are performing across 60 venues across the UK.

Any good?

It was a great mix of music with eight scores by John Williams and six from Hans Zimmer. These included:-

E.T.
Jurassic Park
Jaws
Sherlock Holmes
Schindler’s list
Gladiator
Harry Potter
Inception
Interstellar
Man of Steel
Star Wars
Superman Returns
Indiana Jones
Pirates of the Caribbean

(It seems they dropped ‘Da Vinci Code‘ from the Programme).

And it was worth every penny. The sixteen-piece orchestra performed flawlessly, producing a really ‘big’ sound (more akin to 50 musicians!) augmented by the Cathedral’s acoustics. Everyone in the audience had a great view of the performance thanks to the two additional big-screen TVs flanking the pews. The only obstruction to ours was the occasional ‘yoof’ insisting on videoing the performance, with their hands fully stretched above them to get the best view (rather than to get closer to the ‘Owner’! )

The evening finished with the obligatory encore, where the Orchestra performed the ‘Cantina Song’ from Star Wars.

What a fantastic evening! The musicians were at the top of their game and the sound mix (fiendishly difficult to perfect in a Church or Cathedral) was outstanding and brought out the best in these iconic anthems. The performers also appeared to be enjoying the event as much as we were. Wow! Go see!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Zimmer Fame appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I took the train over to Birmingham tonight to see Rick Wakeman in concert. I met up ex-business partner, good mate – and fellow prog-rocker, Ian, and we headed for the venue – Symphony Hall – for what is rumoured to be RW’s last batch of live tours!

Well, I’ve heard that one before with mega rock stars like Rick, but he is now in his 70s and probably deserves to call it a day!

From experience, if he ever gives up the keyboard, he’d (still) make an excellent living as a raconteur (having seen him quite a few times, in his ‘one-man shows’, reflecting on his ‘colourful’ life ). The last time Ian and I saw him in ‘talk mode’ and without a Band was back in December 2019 at Warwick Arts Centre!

Journey to…

First things first – I had to get to Birmingham. With driving still off the menu because of my hand injury, it was down to the trains to help me out. Ann dropped me at Kettering Station and then it was a short hop to Leicester and then onto Birmingham New Street. However, what would make things more challenging would be the return journey to the centre of the earth once the Concert was over. Connections were sparse at that time of night – actually for both of us – and so we planned to stay over for a night in Brum instead and booked ahead.

So far, so good. Ian met me at New Street just after 4pm and we took a cab to the Premiere Inn in Broad Street. After checking-in, we then enjoyed a quick bite, courtesy of nearby Zizzi’s, (great food, shame about the service!) before heading to Symphony Hall. Actually, it was a much shorter walk than we thought – Ten minutes later, we were in our seats.

The Concert

7.31pm: We’re off!

Entitled ‘The Return of the Caped Crusader’, the performance was in two parts. The first set consisted of classic ‘Yes’ tracks…

…whilst after the interval, we were treated to ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ in its entirety. And, if you think you know Journey… (based on the 1974 original) tonight included the extra tracks from the later version re-recorded in 2012. Great stuff! – and a real treat for fans like us!

Was it any good, or was this another faded mega-star desperate to relive his golden years?

Oh yes! This was Rick at his very best, musically, with the Band having the time of their lives too! In recognition, there were not one, but two, well-deserved standing ovations plus a genuine ‘thank-you’ from Rick to us, the fans, that brought the evening to a close.

9.55pm: We both agreed that it had been a fantastic concert – let’s hope he’s not really retiring! And if he is, we’ll be first in the queue for his ‘comeback tour’!!

10.15pm: A brisk walk in the cold night air of Brum and we were back at the Hotel. As a couple of retirees, we’re living the dream, ehh!?!?

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Concert: Rick Wakeman (2024) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Here we are with David & Valerie having taken the thirty-mile drive to the iconic Peterborough Cathedral.

No, not for a spot of spiritual guidance, nor a choral recital – instead, it was (almost) The Eagles in Concert – but with a twist! Tonight was a performance of their music by West End singers and a live band – and all by candlelight.

The Backstory

The event was all part of the – yes, you’ve probably guessed it by now – the imaginatively titled…

Concerts by Candlelight

…where on this occasion, we’re promised around 20 of the Band’s greatest hits.

I’d not heard of Concerts by Candlelight before writing this, but judging by the amount of information online, they’ve been busy… and very well received too! Other similar performances elsewhere this year, included recreating the musical talents of: Adele, Bowie, Bublé, Elton John, Elvis, Fleetwood Mac, George Michael, Queen, Rod Stewart, Abba and the Rolling Stones. And if you have an aversion to candles, they’ve extended some of the series to Afternoon Teas in Manchester! I initially thought that it must all be a franchise, but I was wrong! It seems this group perform all of the aforementioned shows!

Based on their backstory, we learned that they began in Manchester and they’ve been on an upward trajectory ever since, travelling to Sydney, Dubai and playing Carnegie Hall too! At this rate, I guess it won’t be long before it’s Beatles at breakfast! . In the meantime, they have some UK Christmas Specials lined up too.

Food…

It was a relatively early performance (there is a second, and final gig, tomorrow) and we headed over to the city in plenty of time to grab a bite at nearby Côte before the show began.

Yum Yum! That was all very nice indeed! , but we felt a tad hurried as the service was slow (mainly down to how busy the place was – full of like-minded Eagles fans!). It was then just a (really) short walk to the venue that took us all of 5 minutes!

By the time we arrived, it was almost full so it was lucky we had numbered seats. I assumed no photography during the performance! (although that didn’t stop some people!) ruining the view for those behind them! The performers totalled eight, with three vocalists, sometimes singing together and sometimes solo. They all had great voices supported by their five bandmates who played a range of instruments including Bass, two Rhythm and an acoustic guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Steel Guitar and Vocoder.

The Cathedral seating was pretty much ‘at capacity’ with extra TV screens dotted around the side for those who didn’t have a direct view of the Stage. We calculated (roughly) there must have been close to 1000 people there and at an average price of around £30 a ticket, it felt like a good night already before the first note was sung!

At just before 7.35, the concert began!

OK, here we go..!

Playlist…

Set 1

• Life In The Fast Lane
• How Long?
• Lyin’ Eyes
• Peaceful Easy Feeling
• Tequila Sunrise
• Witchy Woman
• The Last Resort
• In The City
• Take It To The Limit

A short interval of around 20 minutes followed.

Set 2

• Take It Easy
• Rocky Mountain High
• Life’s Been Good to Me
• New Kid In Town
• Love Will Keep Us Alive
• Desperado
• One Of Those Nights
• Already Gone
• The Boys of Summer
• Heartache Tonight

…and just when we thought they might not perform the Eagles’ most iconic track, with us all screaming ‘more’… they did!

• Hotel California

Verdict…

Wow! What a great evening! The Group easily won the audience over, with enthusiastic applause and dancing in the aisles (literally!) towards the end. They didn’t dress or look like the Eagles, but they knew their songs well. We’d experienced a really talented bunch who worked well together and looked like they were having as much fun as we were! I’m pretty sure the Cathedral hasn’t seen that much visible energy for a while, and, based on tonight’s performance, we’d wholeheartedly recommend grabbing tickets. We almost certainly plan to see them again, performing one of their other sets.

9.50pm: We checked-out, but we didn’t want to leave!

Go see!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Concert: The Eagles by Candlelight appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We went to see Coldplay in Concert from Buenos Aires – and it only took us 20 minutes to get there!

How so? Well, on the 29th, their performance was being beamed to a range of UK cinemas!

So, together with Jo and Janet we headed for the local Odeon for the 7pm performance. It wasn’t quite live – they replayed the 7pm concert from the previous night – which was a mild disappointment, but whatever! The performance came from the gigantic River Plate Stadium in Argentina – and it was absolutely packed! We reckon pretty much ALL of the 67,432 seats were taken.

And that was in complete contrast to here in Screen 3 where there were just 37 of us!!

A little bit of background first! Coldplay have championed sustainability for quite a while now, and where this, their 2022 Global ‘tour’ Music of the Spheres reflected that. Rather than embark on an actual tour, this performance was being beamed around the world over two days – The list of countries is HERE – and it’s impressive. Continuing the sustaiability theme, there were fans on special bicycles at the venue helping to top-up the rechargeable batteries being used to power the concert. Most of the audience were wearing special wristbands that were biodegradable and DHL, who managed the logistics, wherever possible used electric vehicles to transport everything.

I wouldn’t say I’m a proper Coldplay fan, but tonight might just have changed all that! Masterminded by creative director Phil Harvey, the Band: vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion performed their socks off at this truly global event.

Chris Martin as Coldplay’s frontman came across as a thoroughly decent bloke and IMO, redefined showman. He engaged with the massive audience from the word go, regularly conversing in both Spanish and English and created mass sing-alongs at every opportunity. If someone had told me beforehand, I’d be watching him duetting with a Muppet, I might have found a reason not to go, but do you know what? It worked really well!

Chris was an energetic soul and bounced (and ran) around the stage, never missing a beat for the whole of his performance. His voice too, held for the whole of the show – not easy with some of Coldplay’s top notes! Brilliant! It was just great to see a Band performing for the love of the music and the love of their fans – rather than attempting to satisfy some over-inflated egos!

Powering through pretty much EVERY hit from Coldplay’s back catalogue, they were supported by an incredible light show (mainly from the aforementioned wristbands that pulsated and changed colour throughout) together with some amazing – if sometimes dizzying – camerawork. Their whole performance lasted just under two-hours where, towards the end, they introduced their special guests: H.E.R., BTS’ Jin (his final performance before taking up his conscription in the South Korean Army!).

Finally, following a politically-charged statement about the unrest in Iran, they performed with actress Golshifteh Farahani, and sang Baraye, a Farsi song by Iranian pop singer Shervin Hajipour. Finally, they emotionally (re)performed one of their first hits: Don’t Panic from back in 2000.

With global energy in a mess, is this the future of ‘big’ concerts? Quite possibly! It certainly ticked our boxes – at least, we only had a ten-minute journey home! OK, it wasn’t quite as good as actually being there, but it was pretty close. Just one minor criticism! Given that the Screen we were in had a serious amount of loudspeakers, it was a shame that the sound only came from the front. Having said that, we had a great time! A highly polished performance with the Band enjoying every second and the audience too!

Catch it online!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Coldplay in Concert from Buenos Aires (2022) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Entitled Rick’s Grumpy Old Christmas Show, we joined our friends, Ian and Ann, for an evening of superb piano playing punctuated by Rick’s unique sense of humour. This was the last of his twelve-date tour around the UK.

The venue wasn’t one we’ve it visited before — Warwick Arts Centre — and the surrounding University Campus area is undergoing some significant rebuilding. It was therefore a slightly convoluted route to the car-park (we met Ian and Ann who arrived about the same time) and once parked, the four of us took the equally meandering walking-route to our destination!

Arriving just before 7pm, we had time for a good natter beforehand and to order some interval drinks. When we arrived at our seats, it was clear that tonight was pretty-much a sell-out, with extra seats added in front of us and to the side — we were about five rows from the front, with an excellent view.

Rick’s Latest Album

Rick is still ‘old school’ and uses his tours, in part, to promote his latest music. This year was no different, as a few weeks back, he released ‘Christmas Portraits‘. It features pretty much all those Christmas Carols we learned as kids, played on the piano, in Rick’s unique and talented style. Listen to this Album from start to finish (we have!) and it’ll put you in the mood for Christmas for sure! You can listen to samples courtesy of Amazon HERE.

Rick at his best…

Back to tonight’s event! Rick was on stage at just after 7.30pm to a very appreciative audience (judging by the welcoming applause). After a quick ‘true story’ (ahem!), he was at the piano, giving the keys a serious workout.

In addition to promoting his latest Album, he played a wide range of his back-catalogue including excerpts from Six Wives, White Rock, King Arthur as well as some more recent non-prog-rock piano-based compositions, including Morning has Broken. Nerd Alert! Across the whole evening, there were only two tunes I wasn’t familiar with. In fact, in all the years we’ve been coming to see Rick play (we last saw him in October last year when he was at the Derngate, as part of his 2018 Tour) I think tonight, he played more music than ever before (although I might have imagined that!).

And he was in top form! — both musically and (surely his second profession) as a raconteur — I don’t think I’ve heard him play better! And his humour was spot-on too!

What could possibly top last year’s ‘Black Testicles‘ joke? Well, this year for me, it was the one about the old lady breaking wind in Church! closely followed by the (very timely) story of the Elf, Pixie and a Fairy!

At just after 9.45pm, he played his final piece, and in return, received a standing ovation (well-deserved!). We got just a single encore, where Rick performed Life on Mars.

All-in-all, it had been a great evening — Rick’s musical talents IMHO deserve to be more widely heard!

Leaving the Art’s Centre proved to be the most difficult part of the evening, as it seemed that most of the audience had parked in the same car-park as us! The congestion meant that we didn’t actually leave the multi-storey until 25 minutes after we got in the car. It was a very wet journey home, but luckily the traffic was very light. We were home just after 11.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Rick Wakeman on Tour (2019) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We drove down to Roger, Jane and Oliver’s this afternoon. The weather was horrendous, but it was well worth it as we were going to see Oliver playing flute in the East Herts Concert Band at their Christmas Concert.

The venue was the delightful St Mary’s Church in the village of Standon, a Grade 1 listed place of worship near Puckeridge.

But before the entertainment, we needed to eat, and Roger had helpfully booked us in at The Star Pub. Even more helpfully, it was exactly opposite! Parking though, was challenging to say the least. We could have used the Pub car-park but due to some excessive faffing around by another motorist, we had to drive past the pub and eventually left Robert, with two wheels on the pavement in the street just up the road. Standon is only a tiny village, and the Concert tonight was therefore going to test everyone’s parking skills!

The Pub’s food turned out to be excellent, and they coped really well with the increase in trade generated by those heading for the same destination as us!

At 7pm, we retrieved the cushions that Roger had helpfully packed in readiness for the pews, and we headed inside the Church.

Unusually, the ticket price was based on ‘what you thought of it’ AFTER the event. I’ve not experienced this arrangement before!

By 7.30, the Band was assembled, but wait a mo’, there was no sign of Oliver! ‘The Devil’s in the Detail’ as they say, and a closer inspection of the programme’s cover explained it all! There were actually TWO groups of musicians — The Youth Orchestra and Concert Band — the former were on first and Oliver was performing later.

All-in-all, it looked like a great selection of Christmassy tunes — and at least the carols were ones that everyone knew!

Oliver was soon on stage! He played with confidence and the overall sound from the Band was impressive!

The final piece — Sleighride — was where both groups of musicians joined forces. It didn’t disappoint (given there were only about 40 players) and they produced an impressive full orchestra sound — it was the perfect way to end the performance.

The Concert finished just after 9.15, and we were soon on our way back to our premium B & B for the night! After breakfast tomorrow, we’re heading home to finish preparing the garden for the Winter!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Oliver – Live in Concert appeared first on Steve's Blog.

A short drive to Rushden tonight with David, Valerie, Jo and Janet for the Rushden & District RAFA’s “Swing’s the Thing” Concert.

We’d been invited to this fund-raising event by good friends Richard and Pauline, and being local, it didn’t take us long to get there. However, our unfamiliarity with the immediate area meant that even armed with the post-code, it still took us a while to zero-in on our destination – Park Road Baptist Church. The cramped streets of the older part of Rushden also meant that parking was a tad challenging!

We found a space for Robert and on arrival at the Church, it was clear to see that it was a well-supported event. So-much-so, that most of the seats ‘downstairs’ were pretty much occupied. We headed up the stairs and actually ended up with the perfect view!

And although the view was pretty much spot-on, it was a shame about the sound (for the first half anyway). For whatever reason, the Band were far too loud – and we were furthest away! The drums, in particular, must have threatened the very foundations of the building! After a slightly confusing introduction to the evening where, after the fire exits were announced, the visiting local Mayors found themselves on the receiving end of a roll-call – there was some embarrassment all round as more than one was absent!

The sound problems were to continue when Katherine Mclean, the first vocalist of the evening, was drowned-out by the poor sound balance. With a 20-piece Band and a single vocalist, it was pretty clear who would win! I felt sorry not only for her, but also the local Mayors, who, because of their status, were seated right at the front – they must have been deafened! Perhaps the mayoral-absentees knew something we didn’t! In fact, I think pretty much ALL those in the first six rows will have suffered. On the positive side of things though, I could see many in the audience were wearing hearing-aids, so at least they could turn the volume down! Not so, us poor youngsters though!

All-in-all, the first set featured a good blend of tunes – including some Basie and some Bond! But the event was running late, and by the time we got to the ‘8.15 interval’, it was closer to 8.35. With David and I still on our £1-a-day Challenge, at least we didn’t need to queue with the masses for refreshments!

Happily, the sound balance during the second-half was a lot better. Local legend Mel Peake belted out his set with professionalism and punch. Last time we saw Mel, it was for Ann’s 50th Birthday party at the ‘ill-fated’ local attraction ‘Club Diana’ back in 2011. He didn’t disappoint as he effortlessly delivered numbers from Elvis Presley and Tom Jones wowing the audience with every note. A true showman! To see the local Mayors waving their arms about in unison in time with the music, gave us all hope that even politics can achieve harmony when there’s a good tune about!

Bar the sound issues, we enjoyed the evening. Given the good attendance, it was clearly going to raise a lot of money tonight (we reckon £2500 just on ticket sales) and we were pleased to be part of it. With Mel still ringing in our ears, it must have close to 10.30pm when we left, but at least that meant the roads were quiet!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Six Go Swinging! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Palmers Reunited

A scorcher of a day, as we headed down to Bromley to catch up with Neil, Debbie, Alfie and Frankie.

Just to make a change, rather than our normal haunt of ASK, at the top of the high-street, we chose The Bricklayers Arms, just a five-minute walk from Bromley South station. Last time we all got together was back in August last year, and it was great to catch-up with everyone’s news.

Food-wise, in my case, it was a bit under-par. Clearly the regular Chef was off today, and in his place, they’d recruited someone who works at the local Crematorium! Let’s just say my chicken-burger was very north of ‘well-done’ and if they cooked enough of them, it would have solved the local pot-hole problem!

Luckily, the Dessert was kinder on my teeth!

2.15pm: Time for goodbyes as we returned to the baking heat outside. A short walk later we were on the platform. Some unlucky timing and picking the wrong platform for the ‘fast’ to Victoria meant we didn’t board until around 3pm.

5.20pm: After a very sweaty journey home on the Train, we eventually arrived through the door! But perspiration waits for no-one and by 5.55pm, we were ready for our next jaunt – The Salvation Army’s ‘Concert for Ethiopia’ supporting their work there. We picked-up David and were soon parked, heading for the Kettering Citadel. It was already very busy when we arrived, and initially it was tricky finding three vacant seats – a nice problem to have though!

Concert for Ethiopia

The lack of seats meant tonight was a really well-supported affair – and the two-hour concert didn’t disappoint! For our entertainment: A Junior Brass Band (obviously), a Young Choir, a solo singer – Charlie Green and Kettering’s very own Thomas Fountain on the Cornet. It was all MCed by the Salvation Army’s ever-humourous-and-engaging Jack.

We know Thomas quite well – he played at our Wedding – and we’ve seen him in concert a few times since. With four separate musical pieces, he really made his instrument sing, and is clearly at the ‘top of his game’! In fact, everyone was simply superb in their own way tonight – and the applause confirmed it!

And so did people’s generosity! We’re happy to report that they raised over £1000 – and that was in addition to the ticket sales.

8.25pm: It all came to an end after the final upbeat number from the Band. As good as it was though, it had been very warm in there and we were glad to get out into the fresh air. We popped into nearby JS to pick up a few bits-and-pieces for tomorrow’s visit to Denis’s (first time EVER that I didn’t complain that the Store was too cold!) – and then headed home.

9.00pm: We sat outside, where the thermometer in the garden was still reading in excess of 30 degrees!

Phew! What a scorcher today!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Palmers and Bricklayers appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday, 14th (Our Anniversary)
It’s our 7th Anniversary (or 34th in ‘old money’) and we’ve a busy few days ahead. There was just enough time to open our cards and presents before we left, heading north. Thanks for your kind words everyone!
  

  
Ann bought we a very classy watch!

These days, we normally go away to celebrate – and today was no exception. Ultimately, we’re heading for Pink Panther’s favourite town – Durham (groan!), and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford. But first, as part of the celebration, we’re taking a slight detour to Beamish. If you’ve not visited (and we haven’t, for over 30 years) Beamish is a world famous open-air museum, telling the story of life in Northeast England during the 1820s, 1900s & 1940s.

9.10am:  We left home after the main nine-to-five rush, and enjoyed a jam-free journey. This was helped by a newish part on the A1 from Wetherby to Scotch Corner. Wetherby Services saw us take our first pit-stop where we tucked into a bucket of homemade sandwiches and some piping-hot coffee.

11.30am: After a fifteen-minute pitstop, we’re almost halfway to Beamish.

13.05pm: We arrived in good time. Wow! This place now seemed so unfamiliar (it was over 30 years ago, so that’s my excuse!). The first thing we noticed was how larger it had become – and consequently, there was so much more to see. Additionally, the (very) cold day added some extra character to the place and together with the period-dressed staff interacting with visitors, this made the whole thing feel very alive and authentic.


  







It was all excellent.. and that was just the Town/High Street part.
We took a walk to the nearby Railway Station…



I definitely don’t recall this last time!
It was now turning colder, so our pace was quickening. Next stop was was the Home Farm set in the 1940s.





Last stop for us was the School. This was rescued from demolition in the late 1980s, and had been tastefully restored to whisk us back to a bygone era of 30s schooling, Apparently some class sizes were in the nineties!


Good job OFSTED wasn’t around then!
3.15pm: By late afternoon, it was turning even colder, and so we decided to call it a day. A quick check of the sat-nav put us one junction (and just 20 minutes) away from our final destination – The Victoria Inn – and after some faffing-about finding a parking space, we were soon fighting our way to the Bar to check-in. This was the local’s local and it was packed! A traditional ‘old-style’ Pub… no food… no satellite TV – just half the population of Durham in the Saloon Bar quaffing ale!
4.05pm: Our four-poster bed for the night (two nights actually) is the attached B&B with just SIX rooms – and the building is Grade II 2 listed. The reason we chose it was that it put us within easy walking distance of the City centre… and the parking (as challenging as it was) was completely free (pretty rare round these parts!).. and the room itself was a steal at just £87 per night!

4.45pm: Our Anniversary meal was booked at Zen, a Thai Restaurant. Being the penultimate Friday before Christmas, booking a table (as we did a few week’s back) at a time to suit, was impossible. We were offered 5pm or 8.30pm – so we settled for the former. Luckily the Restaurant was just a short walk from the Pub – in fact, we were there in less than 10 minutes. Initially it was fairly quiet, but 5 minutes after being shown our table, it started to fill-up. And that continued all the time we were there. By the time we left, it was heaving!


Service was pretty swift given how busy they were – and it all turned out to be delicious. Ann loved her peanut sauce with her Lamb and my Red Thai Curry was probably the best I’ve tasted in a long, long while.

6.35pm: 90 minutes and £55 later, we were done. We’d skipped Desserts and minimised the alcohol, so we considered it all good value. As we left,  it was now even colder than when we arrived (and that had been really cold!) Still, it didn’t stop us taking the short walk over the Elvet footbridge and up to the Cathedral.

A beautiful building, even in the darkness! As we shivered our way back and passed the gazillion of Eateries beginning one of their busiest Fridays of the year, it looked like they’d got off to a good start! Every one was really busy – and just like Zen, some were already full…
…and it was only 7pm!
Back to our Room, Ann had put-by a small bottle of Champers and a box of chocolates – what an excellent way to continue our Anniversary celebrations!

10.15pm: zzzzzzzzzzz!

Saturday, 15th
8.15am: Our day began with a rather superb full English Breakfast, courtesy of the Pub/B&B.
Suitably stuffed, we were ready to take on the day (and the freezing weather). The highlight of the weekend was our planned visit to Durham Cathedral this evening to see the performance of The Messiah by the Durham Cathedral Choir helped along on period instruments by The Avison Ensemble. Ann was even able to get us a couple of seats in the Cathedral’s Restaurant – The Undercroft – for the pre-event meal. Perfect!
But first, we wanted to look round this rather wonderful construction during the day, before the really bad weather arrived.

10.15am: We took the short walk back into the City heading for one of Durham’s main attractions. As per the weather forecast, it was cold… very cold – or, as we overheard one local describe it: “Colder than a frozen pizza…”. Apparently, it’s all down to Storm Deirdre and even the hardy locals were wearing hats and gloves – it made these two southern-softies feel less, err, soft!


On arrival at the Cathedral, the first thing we noticed was the splendid Norman Arches (conveniently NOT shown in the photo above! Doh!)

…And as we wandered into the main part of the Cathedral, we were reminded that no photography was allowed. A real shame, because the interior was beautiful!

So beautiful in fact, I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures on my phone!

Yep! Very impressive! Next, we booked some tickets for other main attraction – Durham Castle for the 12.15 Tour. To to kill a bit of time before our slot, we headed into the City to have a look round. There are lots of small shops here, and it didn’t take long to get a sense of the shopping scene. The famous Market Square was buzzing and freezing in equal measure!

11.25am: It was getting even colder (if that were possible!) and so we probably didn’t spend as long looking in the shop windows as we planned – there’s a shopping centre here somewhere, but we didn’t get round to finding it! In fact, after almost 5 miles of walking, we took refuge from the biting wind in the Palace Green Study Library, whilst we waited for our Tour Guide.

11.45am: The Library also had some free exhibitions to wander around and (because it was the nearest) we chose Catch your Breath that outlined the ‘life of breath’ (yes, really!). It wasn’t really our sort of thing, but it gave us an opportunity to improve our daily step-count (slightly) – and it was warm too!

12.15am: Our Tour Guide arrived and introduced himself as Rupert, who had been in residence at the Castle as a Student the previous year. He was a confident and competent speaker and we learned a lot about Durham Castle (including the fact that it’s now owned by Durham University).

Rupert kept us interested for the whole of the Tour, but unfortunately, just like the Cathedral, no photography was allowed inside…
  
But unlike the Cathedral, it wasn’t possible to sneakily snap any photos, without being spotted. Just take our word for it then; if you like castles with very interesting histories, if you’re this way, then this is is a must-see!

We really enjoyed the Tour, and as we finished in the Dining Room, Rupert wished us well and we headed back to base-camp…

..and the warmth of room 6! It was time for ‘feet-up’ for a few hours before heading out, back the Cathedral, for the Dinner and evening Concert. A quick re-check of the weather forecast for later showed: freezing rain forecast from 3pm onwards running into the evening.
4.15pm: A ‘quick lick’ and we’re ready for all that the weather can throw at us! (Actually, NO, not really, as it could have been very tempting to stay in the company of the piping hot radiators helped along by the electric fire we found in the wardrobe). The sound of splattering on the window ledge outside meant that the weather forecast had (unfortunately) delivered on its promise. As a result, not only were coats, hats and scarves the order of the day, but the addition of an umbrella too!

5.30pm: After a battle with the elements as part of the walk back into town, we were now safely seated at our table for the evening meal at the Cathedral.



We joined a Table of around a dozen and were soon chatting. The Meal turned out to be absolutely delicious, and after a quick trip to the loo, we headed back to the Cathedral to get our Pew (A poet and I didn’t know it!)

It was well supported and we were around 25 rows from the front (with another 20 rows behind us, and another group to the side) – all in all, we reckoned it was a congregation of around 600+.
7.35pm: The Concert began five-minutes late, but they were soon into full swing. I’d quite forgotten how long The Messiah piece was and although the top-half of me was enjoying it, my bottom-half was suffering – specifically, my TWO bottom halves! Those wooden pews were a real pain in the a** literally! Thanks goodness for the interval at around 8.35.
For me, Part two dragged a bit, but my bottom had helpfully switched into auto-numb mode – and that helped the time pass more quickly. The part that most people know – Hallelujah Chorus – was delivered with energy and enthusiasm. Everyone stood as per protocol (my bottom thanked King George 2nd for establishing this tradition!)

10.05pm: Part 3 followed and 35 minutes later, it was all over, to hearty (and well-deserved) applause from the appreciative audience. It was time to leave – and as we headed outside, we could see, and feel, the weather had now deteriorated to snow-turning-to-slush-with-a-strong-wind. It made our short walk back to the Pub more than a little treacherous, but we arrived back without injury or embarrassment!

10.30pm: With every radiator taking on two roles: heating and drying clothes, we reflected on the recent performance (the music not our walk back!). We concluded that it was excellent, but the acoustics were variable. Many of the solo-males’ voices hardly made it back to row 25, and that, together with a slightly dominant orchestra, robbed us of some of the male vocal qualities of the choir.
All that was left now was to heat the room to a satisfactory temperature and then call it a night.

Sunday, 16th
8.20am: The day began as yesterday, with a full-English – Yummy!
9.30am: As we left Durham (and Storm Deirdre) behind, we headed south for the final part of our anniversary celebration – the quaint town of Stamford and The George Hotel. We haven’t stayed here for many years and it’ll good to experience the oldey-worldly charm of this fine establishment again.
But first a 45-minute diversion to visit Boyes Museum was in order. Ann had visited over 30 years ago, but I’d never been before… or even heard of it. Plenty of information on their website, but here’s a potted history…
It’s located in Barnard Castle, a town in County Durham, and looks like it’s landed from the Loire Valley in France. The building was never designed as a house, the philanthropist John Bowes and his wife Josephine, decided they wanted to build a museum, stuff it full of pictures and art, and then give it to the people of the North East. Very generous, even by Victorian standards. They clearly had deep pockets and enjoyed shopping on a monumental scale.

Its most famous piece though, is probably the mechanical swan… (see video at the end)

10.15am: As we arrived, with the weather improving, it made the Museum look even more stunning in the morning light…

With the building built specifically to house Bowes’ collection, this was an impressive sight. And once inside, it didn’t disappoint! Today, it also housed their Christmas Market – and that added to the vibrant feel of the place, as carol singers were chirruping away up on the second floor..





  



First impressions were excellent. A wide range of collectables from paintings to pottery, carved altar panels to catwalk creations through the ages – there was something for everyone! Add to that, a choir singing live, a Santa’s Grotto and a Merry-Go-Round in full-flow – and there was even more for everyone!
An excellent experience and I’m sure we’ll be back again before too long!

11.30am: As we left, the weather improved further and it was now a blistering 5 degrees! Next stop was Downtown, on the A1, for a quick pitstop and a look round the shop. Then it was off to our final destination.
2.55pm: We arrived at The George Hotel with perfect timing! Check-in was from 3pm and we parked in the car-park at 2.55! We were soon shown to our room, which being an old building and full of old staircases, needed Sat-Nav to find your room!


This is our home for just tonight and we’re taking advantage of the great food here and eating in the Garden Room later.
7.00pm: Garden Room here we come for our final celebratory meal…

Blade of Beef for me…

…followed by Peanut Parfait


8.55pm: We staggered back to the room having eaten and drunk too much – in other words: An evening of perfection!
As we attempted to find our room along the identical corridors and staircases, we reflected on the past few days.
It’s been a varied, busy and very enjoyable celebration, but because of the way the dates fell this year, if there is a downside, it’s that it stopped us catching up with some close friends and also to attend the local annual Salvation Army Carol Concert. However, we’ve got plans to put that right next year.
We’re home tomorrow, after another big Hotel breakfast.

Some more photos and none of the chatter HERE

Previous Anniversaries
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary Weekend 2018 (34/7) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

What a treat! I haven’t seen these guys in concert for quite a few years – and tonight was the final gig in their 2018 World Tour. I’ve seen only them twice before, live – once in the late 70s at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and more recently, at some point in the 90s (where I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t recall the venue nor who I was with!).

If you don’t know Camel, their genre is very much prog-rock – think Pink Floyd with a bit of Jethro Tull thrown in! They did their fair share of concept Albums, with their most notable being The Snow Goose, released in 1975. Camel have always focussed on melody, rather than perhaps the more experimental nature of their peers – just how I like it!

They began life on the MCA label back in the early 7Os, moved to Decca not long after, and then, in the early 90s, formed their own label – Camel Productions. In truth, they probably deserve to be better known than they are – especially in the UK!

Band members come and go – and Camel was no different, enjoying fresh talent on almost every Album.

The original lineup in 1971 consisted of Andrew Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums) and Doug Ferguson (bass) and they later recruited Peter Bardens (keyboards). Their first claim to fame was supporting (the better known) Wishbone Ash Tour in December of that same year.

Andy Latimer is the only member of the original band left, and his talent on the keyboard, flute and (especially the guitar) is the consistency that’s clear in all of their back-catalogue.

For me, they were never great vocalists, but actually (and perhaps ironically) with the changing personalities over the years, behind the mike, they’ve got better. In their defence, they were always musicians first and vocalists second fifth.

However, all of this Camel-ness nearly ended a few years back when Andy was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Thankfully, after a major op involving a bone-marrow transfer, he recovered, and surprisingly to fans (me included) a number of Tours followed.

The original lineup in 1971 consisted of Andrew Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums) and Doug Ferguson (bass) and they later recruited Peter Bardens (keyboards). Their first claim to fame was supporting (the better known) Wishbone Ash Tour in December of that same year.

Andy Latimer is the only member of the original band left, and his talent on the keyboard, flute and (especially the guitar) is the consistency that’s clear in all of their back-catalogue.

For me, they were never great vocalists, but actually (and perhaps ironically) with the changing personalities over the years, behind the mike, they’ve got better. In their defence, they were always musicians first and vocalists second fifth.

However, all of this Camel-ness nearly ended a few years back when Andy was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Thankfully, after a major op involving a bone-marrow transfer, he recovered, and surprisingly to fans (me included) a number of Tours followed.

So, back to 2018, and where better, than The Royal Albert Hall, to finish their 31-World-tour-date affair! Their most ambitious ever!

John my good mate and neighbour is also a fan (although I didn’t discover that until recently) and so we decided to make a night of it (well, an afternoon and evening at our age!!!) and caught the 12.51 train out of Kettering. After arriving at St Pancras, we took the Tube to South Kensington and took a quick trip around The Natural History Museum.

and then The V and A.

All cultured out, it was back to ‘gig-mode’ and after a quick bite at a local Pub and we headed for the venue. As expected, it was (almost) a sell-out affair. We arrived in good time and we were soon sampling some Ales (or three!)min the Hall’s Bar!

Doors opened at 6.45 for a planned 7.30 kick-off. The first half (expectedly, given the name of the tour), featured Camel’s 1976 Moonmadness Album in its 39 minutes 15 second entirety and was slightly late in starting. However, this made us fans even more appreciative when Andy Latimer (Lead Guitar, Flute and Vocals), Denis Clement (Drums), Colin Bass (Bass and Vocals) and newcomer, Pete Jones (Keyboards, Vocals, Saxophone) took to the Stage.

Tonight’s Playlist

• 1. “Aristillus”(Audio only – Band not on stage yet!)
• 2. “Song Within a Song”
• 3. “Chord Change”
• 4. “Spirit of the Water”
• 5. “Another Night”
• 6. “Air Born”
• 7. “Lunar Sea”

The interval followed – and twenty-five minutes later we took our positions for the second half. This set was longer and featured some of their classics, indispersed with some of their more recent stuff…

• 8. “Uneven Song”
• 9. “Hymn to Her”
• 10. “End of the Line”
• 11. “Coming of Age”
• 12. “Rajaz” (with a surprise Sax solo by newcomer Pete Jones – a standing ovation followed!)
• 13. “Ice”
• 14. “Mother Road”
• 15. “Hopeless Anger”
• 16. “Long Goodbyes”

In order to miss the rush at the end, we decided to leave before the encore where they played their old staple…

• “Lady Fantasy”

Events apparently came to an end around 10.15.

All-in-all this had been a superb Concert. Our seat positions meant we got a front-on view of things and were sufficiently up in the Gods not to be deafened. The sound mix was perfect, and Andy Latimer’s guitar work has never sounded better. The vocals (always Camel’s ‘Achilles Heel’) were taken to new levels by Pete Jones – and as a result, this was possibly their finest hour (135 minutes actually!).

As an extra bonus for us fans, it looked like the whole thing was being filmed – so maybe a DVD in time for Christmas?

We managed to grab a black-cab right outside (a shiny new electric one) and were back at St Pancras, £21 lighter, but in good time. A slow torturous journey followed with our almost deserted ‘timed train’ at 23.08 taking almost twice as long to cover the journey home!

I dropped John back at his and was indoors myself, just after 1am. Wow! What a Concert!!! I shan’t forget this one in a hurry!

Update: December 2nd, 2019

It was a long time coming, but the Blu-ray DVD of the actual concert we attended, (that I ordered ages ago) finally arrived in the post. I even got my name in the sleeve notes (for a small extra fee) and best of all, it was autographed by Andy himself!

A great production, superbly filmed with great audio too. Definitely worth the wait!

Update: August 10th, 2021

And being a bit of a completist, I also purchased the double-CD of the Concert – and later, the DVD!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Camel: Moonmadness Tour 2018 (Royal Albert Hall) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, it wasn’t quite all of the them (see the photo below) and luckily, we didn’t have to go to ‘the top of the hill’ to see them.

What we did see (and hear) was 7 (of the 15) guys who are Choral Scholars from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, performing in a close-harmony group, as part of their annual Tour. And, in short, they were just fantastic! As a bonus, if they ever decide to give up singing, their future as Raconteurs is also assured as they had us in stitches between the songs.

The Church was packed, and although the ticket sales were driven (slightly unusually) by Coleman’s the Stationers, it was a sell-out!

As you can see, it was a varied programme (our fave being Part 1), where they performed a very wide range of tunes – ‘Prayer of King Henry VI’ through to ‘Postman Pat’ by way of ‘In the Bath’! There was also some limited audience participation for the final track – ‘Minnie the Moocher’ (where I think some of the congregation got a bit carried away).

The Organ Interludes was just as spectacular with one of the ‘Men’ playing as if his life depended on it (and it may well have done, as we learned it was to be his final performance with the ‘Men’). He really made the organ come alive!

For many there, tonight was probably the best fun you can have on a Saturday night – and keep your clothes on! (well, maybe!?)

The Church had also laid-on some quality nibbles during the interval too! It all finished just before 10, and as David and Valerie were good enough to act as chauffeurs, we were soon home.

All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The King’s Men appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Cranford Hall

It was a beautiful Summer’s evening (rare this year, so far), and we took the short drive to Cranford Hall – about 10 minutes away – to see Fiori Musicali perform their evening of Bach pieces. Tonight there was just four in the ‘Band’ – playing harpsichord, cello, recorder and violin. The event was very well-supported with about 100 people in the audience (although, we did appear to be the youngest by quite some margin: note to self “die hair white for next time, in order to fit in”!)

The Concert started at 7.30, and after a 20-minute interval (where we  got to look round the grounds) it was just before 9.30 when they finished their final piece. All-in-all, it was a very enjoyable event and good to see musicians so passionate about their craft – and you can’t NOT fail to be impressed by their leader and Creative Director, Penelope Rapson whose enthusiasm is infectious!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bach in Cranford appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We started the afternoon with something  much quieter – a visit to the National Portrait Gallery. I can’t recall the last time I visited, but it’s got to be well over 15 years ago.

A return to the NPG

After our cultural afternoon, it was a short walk to nearby Prezzo’s for a bite before grabbling the Tube and heading for the venue.

The venue wasn’t a sell-out – but nearly – where the enthusiastic support by the fans more than made up for any (slight) lack of numbers.

The evening started on time with the Swedish support Band: Moon Safari performing three of their own compositions. They gave us a very big sound and to me, they sounded like a cross between an early-Yes and Queen. They certainly gave it their all, and the assembled masses took to them immediately, especially their final number where they ‘acapella-ed’ their own short piece as a tribute to the ex-Yes band member Chris Squire.

Moon Safari (proving that not every singing group from Sweden sounds like Abba!)

Talking of Band Members, YES, like many others of this vintage, are showing a very different line-up these days. I wouldn’t say I was a super-fan, so I don’t follow them daily and I immediately spotted that there had been some major changes. Steve Howe – in his 69th year – is still there, showing us all how to squeeze every last rift from his range of guitars. Alan White was ever-present on drums whilst lead vocalist, Jon Davison worked his lungs off with Geoff Downes  looking after the nine (yes NINE, count ‘em!) keyboards and Billy Sherwood completing the lineup on backing vocals – but in 2016 there’s no Jon Anderson nor Rick Wakeman. What was a (very welcome) surprise though, was the  guest appearance from the former band member Trevor Horn who sang like his life depended on it – and where the audience responded in kind with a standing ovation.

Yes’s playlist was massive! They performed two of their iconic albums, Fragile (1971) and, for the first time ever, Drama (1980) both in their entirety, in addition to dozens of their classic tracks including my fave: ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’.

They were still rocking the aisles when Ian and I left at 10.15 to get our train connection. All-in-all they would have been on stage for a crowd-pleasing two-hours plus (and no doubt a encore-or-three).

It was a fantastic evening and a a great day with fellow prog-rocker, Ian – my cultural brain has been fed and watered and my ears are ringing, so that’s a good sign!

We shared a cab and I arrived at St Pancras just before 11. The train was on time but clearly it clearly got bored by the time we arrived at Bedford as it slumbered into Kettering a full fifteen minutes late – at just after midnight-thirty. Having taught my computer-class in the morning, my day was now catching-up with me and I was glad that the roads were deserted (one of the benefits of travelling at that time!) and I could get home in record time!

Yes might now be heading for their next gig in Paris, but I needed my bed!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Yes, Yes! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We popped over to the Holy Trinity Church in Rothwell tonight to see the Kettering Citadel Band (supported by the Kettering Citadel Songsters) in concert. It was in aid of the Rothwell Corps and Community Project and there were over 100 people there.

Typically for Rothwell, parking was a ‘challenge’ with the main car-park in Bridge Street bursting at the seams (with other motorists circling). We headed back into Bridge Street and eventually found a space round the back streets.

We haven’t been to this Church for years – we reckon nearly 20 – and I’d forgotten how large it felt inside. It’s pretty old too, with the current building dating back to 1130.  Just like the car-park, it was packed inside, but helpfully, Keith who helps out at the SA in Rothwell pointed out the two types of seats – ‘church-like’ and those with a cushioned seat – I think we got the last two! A couple of Southern Softies us!!!!

It was good to see Richard and Pauline at the helm doing what they do best – and Jack was in top form compering the evening including some humorous and reflective messages – for obvious reasons, I won’t say his performance was EPIC though! (you had to be there!!!)

It was a varied evening of music, from the traditional to the modern, with the acoustics of the Church helping the Band and the Choir to sound even bigger and better – and grander – than normal.

All-in-all a great evening – all for a worthy cause too!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Kettering Citadel Band – In Concert appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I learned today that John Barry, the famous composer of all the memorable James Bond themes, died on Sunday. We saw him performing in Birmingham many years ago and the whole event was just fantastic! He’ll be sadly missed as the man who made beautiful and memorable music!

Click on the link below and listen to a sample of his work, then let me know the name of the famous TV advert it was associated with. A can of hairspray for the winner (That’s a clue!)!

Click HERE for the music.

Related Articles

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post R.I.P. John Barry appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Click on the Programme for a larger version

We’ve been going to this concert in Leicester for a few years now  and it really gets us in the ‘christmassy mood’. It was being held at the rather splendid Church – St Philip’s, in Evington Road/Evington Lane in Leicester.

I left around 5.30 and picked-up Val and Joan and then went onto the station for Ann who’d just got back from Nottingham. It was a hassle-free journey there apart from a bit of congestion on the A14 because of a broken-down car. On arrival, as always, parking was a nightmare and we ended up dropping the car in a side street in more-or-less the same place as last year.

The surprise when we got inside, was that the area where the choir sang last year was now being refurbished with a new heating system  and so it couldn’t be used for part one of the event. It was apparently a surprise to the choir too!

So, we all assembled in the ‘other half’ of the Church and Jeremy Jackman and his choir did what they do best and took us through a very varied musical journey. For us, the outstanding piece was the flower song sung by Caroline Essex and Lynne Holland – oooh, my eyes started to leak during their singing!

The food was pretty good too, and all-in-all, it was a great event, but I can’t help think that Jeremy and the choir must have been a little frustrated at the last-minute venue switch.

It finished at around 10.30 and we were back indoors by 11.20 – hmmm, why was the A14 so empty tonight?

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The Cecilian Singers’ Carol Concert 2010 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Ann left at the crack-of-dawn to scoop up Lee from Avondale Mews and then onwards to Mum’s in Biggin Hill. We’re all off to an outdoor concert tonight with David and Val and Mum is staying for the week.

Skyforce. a TV installation company I found in Yellow Pages arrived just before lunch to give the existing TV circuitry the once-over. I seem to have lost Freeview completely (but I think that one was down to me as I snapped the cable) and to wire-in Freesat to the existing network.

When I called them on Thursday to make the booking, first impressions of the company were pretty good – instant answering of the phone and a very friendly voice at the other end. 

From then on, the service got really lousy. They promised a visit on Thursday and a text-message confirmation – neither! They then said they’d call on Friday…but they didn’t do that either. I rang first thing this morning and was told I’m ‘second on their list today’. I’ve reminded them I need to be out by 4.30, so let’s see what happens!

Amazingly, I then had two phone-calls within the space of 15 minutes to confirm that the engineer was on his way.

The engineer arrived around 10.15 and quickly put the right the problem with Freeview (yes, I had ruined the cable!), but the signal amplifier had also had a nervous breakdown. 

11.00 Next job was the Freesat installation. A challenge because we’ve got Sky multi-room (that uses – all – four ‘feeds’ from the dish), so that meant that there was no ‘space’ left on the existing dish to wire in any additional feeds. The solution was to add a new LNB that catered for up to EIGHT (that should be enough, even for me!) and hey, let’s replace the dish too…it is 10 years old!

It’s looking like a complicated and long job – Rory, the installer looks a bit stressed out – remember when TVs just had a mains lead and an aerial socket!!!! – so much easier.

12.30 The dish has been re-sited to make future access easier (not sure how the original installer managed to position it where he did!). The holes have been drilled into the house to accept the two Freesat feeds (I went for an extra feed to save all this hassle in the future if I ever connected another Freesat device). 

2.15 Job done. Everything is working as it should – Freeview, Freesat, Freesat HD, Sky…ooo and ‘iPlayer Beta’ (almost). Yippee!

 
The job took most of the day, so I felt a bit rushed, but at least the Concert tonight was localish (off the A6 towards Leicester) – Wistow Hall. The event was organised by Wigston Rotary Club for LOROS, a local hospice. David had gone on ahead whilst we prepared the picnic – During the day, the weather had been another gorgeous one, but rain was forecast for the evening – Bah!!

Ann, Mum, Lee and Val squeezed into the car and we left just before 5, heading off towards the A6. It was a pretty straightforward journey there, and thirty minutes later and with the help of Lee’s disabled badge, we were a few metres away from where we ‘pitched-our-squat’.

It was a good job we got there early (the music didn’t start until 7.30), as the place just got busier and busier…and busier! By the time the music was due to start, the place was heaving!! and now, armed with our miniature union-flags we were ready to rock!! We felt a few spots of rain in the air, but nothing to worry about.

Val and Ann had collated a great picnic menu and we did it justice throughout the evening! 

The evening got off to to a noisy-but-nice start with the swing band Junction 21 who performed a variety of numbers from the swing-era..but surprisingly finished off about an hour later doing a Madness number: One Step Beyond – talented indeed!

Next-up, was the highlight of the evening – The Kettering Citadel Brass Band, made up from the members of the local Salvation Army – they were absolutely brilliant – good sound, good musicians and a repertoire that included music you don’t necessary associate with brass bands!

As the evening drew to a close (with the staple hymn: Land of Hope and Glory), Mum was feeling the cold and retired to the car. Sixth sense or what, as a few minutes later, we had lightning and the threat of a downpour. Time for the rest of us to pack-up and make a swift exit.

Leaving Wistow Hall was a real challenge – no lighting (we’d parked in a field), no Marshalls, and no signage (well, not much anyway). After a bit of a tour round the car-park, we spotted the exit and and left. Our guess was that with the deteriorating weather and the hundreds of cars leaving after us, it would be a nightmare to get back onto the main road. Phew! In a way, I’m glad we left we left when we did.

We had a good journey home. Mum was tired, so was Lee…so were we! I just remember looking at the clock in the bedroom at 11.29 and then I must have dropped off to sleep almost immediately.

A rushed day, but a great evening!

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Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Dish Dilemma and Cracking Concert appeared first on Steve's Blog.