Yvonne
I can’t believe that October is almost over, where has the time gone to this year?
The shops are filling up with Christmas wares and I can’t even bring myself to contemplate the prospect of Christmas, let alone start preparing for it!
This week has been so unseasonably warm, that I can’t believe that Autumn is well under way. It seems so strange to see the leaves turning and falling from the trees, when the sun is out and I have yet to venture outdoors wearing a coat.
This has all been good for our ‘Treasure Trails’ Somerset sales, which have been higher than average, although with the second most visited City in the UK, Bath, in our territory, weather doesn’t play too much of a part in the equation, as you can see most of this beautiful place on foot, enjoyable and fun for all the family, whatever the elements throw at you.
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It doesn’t seem possible that it is a year ago since I sat and wrote a post about our annual visit to The Wyvern Theatre, in Swindon, Wiltshire, to see the latest production by local organisation SALOS (Swindon Area Light Operatic Society).
This year is the society’s Diamond anniversary and to celebrate, they chose for their production an extravaganza called ‘Crazy For You‘, which was a celebration of songs and music by the great George Gershwin.
The show, as usual, was superbly choreographed, produced and edited and the volunteer cast were supremely professional in their execution of this adapted version of the musical.
Several of the memebers reminisce on the SALOS site, about their time spent with the company, among them my niece’s new mother-in-law, Mary, who has been with them since her youth, for some 40 years. The tradition is well and truly being carried on by the younger members of her family, with her daughter, son and his new wife (my niece), all working as behind the scenes crew, to ensure the success of every performance.
Combined with a very hospitable welcome and pre-show supper at my brother and sister-in-law’s house, with my younger niece obligingly clearing the dinner things whilst we were at the show, altogether a very civilised evening.
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We ordered and received photographs of aforementioned niece’s wedding this week, which brought back some lovely memories of a very special day. Now I need to purchase a couple of frames to do them justice, as they take their pride of place.
Hubbie is busy at present, setting up his new desktop PC, after the previous one breathed its last, earlier in the week. All is quiet from the office, apart from the odd expletive, when plug and play, doesn’t quite live up to his expectations!
I finished The Children of Men by P.D. James, about which I am still busily compiling my thoughts, however I can say that it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. To read a small taster from the first chapter of this engrossing story, click here
My next book is Eulogy’s Secret (The Huntley Trilogy), the latest Georgian historical romance from UK author, Grace Elliot. Although this book is part of a trilogy, Grace reliably informs me that it works as a stand alone story. I had the pleasure of reviewing Grace’s first historical romance novel last year. ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ was a great triumph for her and my review can be found here.
Here’s to another, not too eventful week!
Happy reading everyone
The year is just flying by, isn’t it? I enjoy P. D. James’ work, but haven’t read The Children of Men, because I’ve heard it’s so different from her other work.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the visit, good to speak with you.
I can’t believe where the time has gone to this year. I was talking with one of the assistants in a local card shop and she was saying that they had received their order of Valentines Day cards and had been instructed by head office to start displaying them from 1st December!! The whole world has gone crazy, don’t you think?
The Children Of Men was totally different from any of P.D. James other books, but I think was a much more thought provoking storyline, with the characterisation and descriptive qualities both excellent .. a much more serious storyline, which may not be a million miles from the truth of things to come.
Glad to hear you’re keeping busy with such nice events. The weather is very odd isn’t it? We’ve got colds so haven’t felt as warm as we might but appreciate how pretty the trees are looking in the mild temps.
Happy reading to you too! I read several short stories this weekend and then started the second Flavia de Luce book by Alan Bradley. Great fun so far. Not able to concentrate on anything too deep at the moment.
Hi Cath,
Sorry to hear that you are suffering with colds and here’s hoping that you feel better very soon. Touch wood, neither of us have caught colds yet, but I’m sure that won’t last forever.
It looks as though we are in for another very mild week weather wise, even if a little wet and windy, it just doesn’t seem right to be going into November and to have hardly needed the central heating.
It’s amazing how just a silly cold can really drag you down and make you feel so washed out. A fellow blogger who has also been suffering commented that, she knows when she really isn’t well, because she just doesn’t feel like even picking up a book, let alone reading it.
I have never read any of the ‘Flavia de Luce’ books, although many rave over them. I actually checked them out only yesterday, as some bloggers have been reviewing ARC copies of the fourth book in the series, ‘I Am Half Sick Of Shadows’. As you say, they don’t appear to have a lot of depth to the stories and wouldn’t need too much concentration, but do sound like good, fun reads, so I have now added them to my reading list.
I have never really given short stories much of a fair go, I have to say. Thinking about it though, I guess that is one of the most difficult genres to succeed in. Having such a limited space to formulate a good story, with a beginning, middle and end, must be quite difficult, if it is to be an engaging read.
Hope you are back on form very soon.