Visiting Friends

Before I went away last week, I sent off all the work that was due before I came home again. It hadn’t been too difficult to get ahead because I had drastically cut down the monthly workload when I resumed working after my bereavement. However, because there are likely to be big changes to my domestic circumstances next year, I have a great deal to do in the house to get ready for that. I decided that, on the same email, I would warn my client that the start of 1915 would be time for me to take more time off and perhaps retire. I came back to a heart-warming reply wishing me well and saying that the door would always be open if I wanted assignments. I do feel loved and lucky.

My first destination last Wednesday was the home of some old friends who had invited me to stay with them. My old school friend’s house is a real oasis of peace, despite the fact that she and her husband are busy pensioners heavily into village community life. The first morning they went off to volunteer activities at a popular lunch club. Early afternoons were taken up by dog walks as they have a rescued dog called Ginger, who gets on well with Jade. 

 One evening I was treated to a complete run through rehearsal of Jack and the Beanstalk as my friend is in the chorus of the village panto. She also showed me a number of costumes she had been making for it. Great fun was had by all.

Unfortunately almost as soon as I came home I went down with an unpleasant bug that is wearing me out. I’ll tell you about the rest of my travels in another post.

The Peter Pan Pantomime

My train journey on Friday morning seemed horrendous at the time, but in fact it only took an hour longer than it should have. The worst bit was when the first train terminated unexpectedly at Basingstoke and the one on from there kept being put back and back. I was anxious though, that I might miss my lunch at the pub, or even the pantomime I was looking forward to with Eryn and her friends.

I needn't have worried though. Althugh we had to eat rather fast, Eryn and I were in our panto seats before the curtain went up. Her mum and friend had dropped us off before trying to find a parking space and they came in about 10 minutes late, missing the bit with the nanny dog at the beginning.

In case you don't know the Peter Pan panto story, the Darling children had a dog who looked after them. Not a lot was made of it in this version but the dog did appear in the first scene before the chidren flew off to Never Land with Peter and Tink, the fairy.

We were at the Epsom Playhouse where I believe the players are made up from an amdram society and children from a local stage school. Many of them had to double up on the characters they played and I guess that's why we didn't see the dog again at the end. we only saw the crocodile that was chasing Captain Hook a couple of times as it dashed from one side of the stage to the other on a skateboard.

But it was all brilliant and really good, clean fun. We did a lot of shouting and even had to stand up and do a little dance a few times. Some Australian teenagers were sittng behind us and had never been to a panto before. They were screaming with laughter and I don't think they stopped from beginning to end. we were actually sorry it did have to come to an end, but after the drive to my daughter's, I was really glad to have some chilling out  time.

(You can book tickets at http://www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk, from where I took the photo so I could give them some free PR. The run closes on Sunday though, so you'll have to hurry.)