Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

17 minutes ago, TheQ said:

One other problem with school dissection of the upstart crow's works, is that they never tell you the jokes, many of which are exceedingly rude.

The head of English at the school I went to certainly revealed the rude bits. He particularly liked pointing out the bits that Thomas Bowdler had missed. 

[Coombe Barton]

... Coventry Cathedral for some photographic experiments. Image is the Chapel of Unity looking up via a fisheye lens ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/04/08/zoe-blip-direction-uncertain-and-vaccine-development-enablement/

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Coombe Barton
Added image

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Ostentation!  Pure ostentation!!!  🤭

 

One of the best performances I have seen at the Sydney Opera House wasn't even inside; it was the Midnight Oil gig outside.  Who needs sails and a roof?  OK, Red Sail in the Sunset maybe.

I actually attended a free gig in the Opera House.  However it was the televised Easter morning service. Totally missable as worshipbutthe sunrise through the back wall was worth the effort.  We even got coffee and hot cross

Buns as we came out. 

Jamie

[New Haven Neil]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

“rude, mechanicals“

 

I can do that.....

 

In other news, the trains were absolutely rammed - both ways.  Good for the service.

 

Gardening did clear the railway for use, but go no further than that do to still feeling a bit dodgy, I totally ran out of energy.

 

Yesterdays Old Farts resulted in a photo of the bikes, we were musing the fact that only one was Japanese.  Also not all of the farts are so old.

 

 

[The Lurker]

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Some things shouldn't be translated but. I remember a telly version of some Italian or whatever opera and the words had been translated into  English. Beauty, I thought,  I'll be able to understand what's going on for a change.

 

Turns out it's mainly stuff like "Theres a knock on the door!".  " Well, go open the door!" " I'll go open the door!" "Yes go open the door!" and so on, like the Monty Python Gumbys or something but for 2 bloody hours.

 

Spoiled the magic, 2 stars.

A friend who is a committed operaphile arranged a trip to the ENO for those of a more cynical bent. One person had to go to the back as he couldn’t stop laughing- the lyrics went “I’ve got a hunch, he’s got a hunch” but actually the actor was limping and they were lost!

[NGT6 1315]

In today’s news, a gang of armed private security staff equipped with bulletproof vests and an armoured car attempted to confront and forcibly remove a group of about fifty truck drivers on behalf of their Polish haulier on Friday because they have been on strike at a motorway service area near Darmstadt over several months of withheld pay for a fortnight. The thugs also brought a number of strikebreakers to replace the striking crews. Police intervened and temporarily arrested 19 persons, including the company boss. The strike continues with police in attendance to prevent further assaults, and union workers and local initiatives supplying the drivers with food and other necessities.

 

It boggles the mind what 19th century methods some corporate crooks seem to believe they can get away with.

[polybear]

5 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

Oh Flavio!      You couldn't of picked a better piece of music whether in its original or later vocal form.        As you say, Nimrod never fails to move me.    

 

Puppers never struck Bear as being the sophisticated type.  I had you down as more of a Chas n' Dave kinda guy.

 

5 hours ago, PupCam said:

Oh yes and on this occasion some short bloke turned up with his trumpet and bluffed his way through the Last Post 😀

 

We need a Youtube video of this....

[Ian Abel]

Ahhh, resting after a frantic cleaning/preparations for the family gathering today. Amazing what can be done when "invited" to make the place look presentable (standard set by the CEO!!) for family company.

Then went and collected the Easter dinner order - saved having to shop for it ourselves, rather enjoyed just showing up and having everythin already bagged and ready.

 

We're having Easter dinner/gathering today as it's best since I'll be occupied until at least half past noon tomorrow with choir. 

 

On that note, my oft repeated favourite for this time of year, "Look mate, I don't care who you are, you're not dragging that cross over MY lawn"

 

+1c first thing, and sunny, snow rapidly disappearing, and it'll be a high of 16c today, so we MAY - I said MAY - have seen the last of it this season...

 

Enjoy the weekend.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. A quiet day today, spent the morning soaking in the bath and the afternoon doing SFA. A busy day tomorrow with a toy fair in the morning and the young fellow coming round to cut my lawn in the afternoon.

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

We need a Youtube video of this....

 

Fortunately there isn't one!

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each.

Shakespeare:  Liked it at school thanks to a very enthusiastic English master and often went to see plays at the Aldwych Theatre in the early sixties. It helped that a very attractive young lady liked Shakespeare as well.. This was in the years before I met The Boss.

Music: I like all sorts from folk to country to blues, soul, rock, some musical theatre and some classical.  

 

Confession time:  Today there has been an "incident" at GDB Towers.  The Boss aka Herself, SWMBO, Mrs GDB etc was assaulted earlier by a metal framed bench seat.  It may possibly have been the fault of yours truly as I'd moved it from the conservatory whilst assisting with domestic engineering and stood it on end next to where she was sitting.  It fell over and the frame struck her shin resulting in some very loud shouting, blood letting and bruising.  Needless to say I rapidly put my first aid hat on and cleaned and dressed the wound and have spent the rest of the day being very contrite.  She does realise it was an accident and I have been forgiven. 

 

Three rugby matches watched and only one English team (Exeter) but they had a great win.

 

 

 

[Hroth]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Hey no need to teach us down here a thing or two about fancy singing,  I mean....

 

Check out our  Opera house!

 

Aren't they just ventilators, positioned to catch the prevailing breezes during the warmer seasons?  They remind me of the lower deck ventilator funnels on steamships, rather like these on HMS Warrior...

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warrior_(1860)

 

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Aren't they just ventilators, positioned to catch the prevailing breezes during the warmer seasons?  They remind me of the lower deck ventilator funnels on steamships, rather like these on HMS Warrior...

Sydney Opera House’s little sibling (Labworth Cafe) on Canvey Island doesn’t have the ventilators. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Tony_S

[PeterBB]

21 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I don't recall ever seeing a "White Easter"* though I have seen too many damp grey Easters to count. Sunday is forecast to be another one.

 

* actually that sounds quite scary to me - not in a snowfall sense

 

Thanks for the trigger.  One Easter while camping in the Peak District woke up to find 5" of snow on the tent - probably early 80s, Mike Bellamy might remember the actual year.  

I might add that I am one of those who hates the cold and is really really glad to be retired when there is snow on the road and no need to 'brave it' for work.

 

 ID That Nimrod performance was fantastic and very moving as it is/was also as part of a band playing it.

Edited April 8, 2023 by PeterBB
Additional inoformation read.

[Ozexpatriate]

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I don't see why Shakespeare could not be 'translated' into modern English, much in the same way as the contemporary King James bible was.

Or, 'contemporary' stories in iambic pentameter?

 

This series is really excellent:

 

"William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope" (Ian Doescher)

 

Quote

It is a period of civil war.

The spaceships of the rebels, striking swift

From base unseen, have gain'd a vict'ry o'er

The cruel Galactic Empire, now adrift.

Amidst the battle, rebel spies prevail'd

And stole the plans to a space station vast, ...

Lots of stage directions like "Exeunt droids".

[PeterBB]

13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Following on to the above post, I can’t help but noticing how many have posted that they don’t like classical music, they don’t like opera, they don’t like Shakespeare et cetera.

 

Since food and what I will euphemistically call 'pop' music not been to my taste although the 60s was ghenerally OK - but I do appreciate classical music and particularly pre-Russian revolution composers, did visit the Old Vic fairly frequently when is was Shakespeare, can take the odd opera but much prefer the light-hearted e.g Gilbert and Sullivan variety, the latter especially when playing the redundant G-trombone in the school,orchestra. 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Many, many years ago when I was, shall we say, far more active in the model flying camp I happened to be alone at the field ... sat down for some "moments of reflection" and listened to ...     The sound of Nimrod

For a moment, (thinking airfield) I thought you might have been talking about one of these (full throttle) and not Sir Edward Elgar.

[grandadbob]

Yep, I like all sorts of music:

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Today I had intended to watch* either WTA semifinal tennis from Charleston or the Masters golf. These are (relatively speaking) close to each other (around 130 miles as the crow flies) and are both affected by the same heavy rainfall.

 

* Mostly meaning have on in the background

 

The golf (having had to complete the second round this morning) is cancelled for the remainder of the day and play on the green clay continues to be delayed - not having finished the first set of two semifinal matches.

 

Forecast for today here is dry, but looking outside it is dreadfully dreary. Tomorrow afternoon is supposed to be (very) wet.

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[New Haven Neil]

Music - anything bar opera, and not too much C&W either please.

 

GDB, as for ukulele, Victoria Vox (I have a signed album) and Taimane Gardner are the gurls for me - two very different approaches to the instrument.

[New Haven Neil]

Oh and James Hill esp doing Billie Jean.

[polybear]

Bear here....

Yet another day of danglin' completed - only one narrow (10") wide strip of paper to do, after which all the scary bits + upstairs (landing) danglin' will be complete - I could've done that last strip today but Bear had an urgent appointment with the Chip Shop.....

I briefly had a couple of Visitors earlier this morning - a Hubby & Wife on the doorstep in their twilight years who were keen to share "today's glorious news" contained in a certain Book; Bear politely declined and they were happy to leave it at that.  At least their timing was ok and I wasn't standing on the steps clutching a sticky lump of wallpaper.

And that concludes Bear's excitement for the day......

BG

[NGT6 1315]

https://www.hessenschau.de/panorama/eskalation-auf-raststaette-graefenhausen-privat-miliz-aus-polen-bedraengt-streikende-lkw-fahrer-v6,eskalation-lkw-streik-100.html

 

The images might just suffice, even if you cannot read German. The fella behind the incident is promoting himself as a kind of private investigator, and seems to be, shall we say, shady. According to a string of earlier reports, he has had run-ins with the law himself over illegal activities in relation to his business.

 

In addition, it would seem some of his goons were observed to have far-right tattoos, so they seem to have been, uh, recruited with greatest care and diligence. 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Or, 'contemporary' stories in iambic pentameter?

 

This series is really excellent:

 

"William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope" (Ian Doescher)

 

Lots of stage directions like "Exeunt droids".

 

And, I hope, "Exunt Stormtroopers, pursued by a Wookie"?

 

 

42 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Yep, I like all sorts of music:

 

 

 

Their Proms appearance was epic, particularly their performance of The Dambusters March!

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Hroth
Caps! And a duff link, now erased...

[PupCam]

25 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

For a moment, (thinking airfield) I thought you might have been talking about one of these (full throttle) and not Sir Edward Elgar.

 

And what a splendid aeroplane it was too!    

 

A Comet derivative, which of course hailed from jolly old Hatfield which will please a certain @polybear.    Returning to the Coltishall topic briefly, there's some nice clips of another Hatfield product, Firestreak in this video.   Which is perhaps closer to both Bear and my own activitiesalthough that was completely done and dusted by the time we turned up!   

 

I hope the bit of the video of the Landies towing out trailer loads of Firestreaks was speeded up otherwise the drivers should of been on a charge for recklessly endangering people and property 🤣.     There's also a bit on some waggling dishes that @TheQ might find interesting although they are very small by his standards.  Our resident Jet Jockey @Dave Huntmight appreciate some of the classic fighters featured too.

 

Night All!