Pastitsio and Politics: An Evening at the Apollo Theatre

The audience were clearly full of Yes, Minister fans – lots of knowing laughs throughout, especially at the classic Sir Humphrey-style exchanges. Plenty of people the same side of 40 years of age as I am – it wasn’t all people old enough to have watched the originals on TV! Continue reading

Folk Songs and Dances – Saturday at the BBC Proms

This year we had booked to see a performance of Folk Songs & Dances. I picked it because the programme included a local composer – Ralph Vaughan Williams, who came from Down Ampney, just a short drive from home. Plus Percy Grainger’s arrangement of Country Gardens. Continue reading

VE Day – 80th Anniversary Concert

Taking place on Wednesday evening in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, the event was scheduled to take place at about the time when, on the evening of 7th May 1945, news was announced to the public that the following day would be Victory In Europe Day. Continue reading

Down House: The Home of Charles Darwin

I was very impressed with both the house and the gardens, managed by English Heritage (meaning I, as an EH member, got free entry) – With social distancing measures still in place I essentially had most of the rooms to myself. There aren’t many opportunities to stand alone in the study where Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species. Continue reading