Lockdown day #34

So quite a short night's sleep last night.  I woke up firstly around 4am with a noise, sounded like a book dropping, unsure of the cause.  The alarm then woke me at 6.30am, and I drifted back to sleep, only to awake around 10am.

I tuned into Zoom (perhaps I zoomed in?) and "attended" Sunday morning worship.  It was good to seem some other members of my meeting and listen to the ministry.

I also "attended" a bus rally.  Billed as the "Great Virtual Bus Rally" which took place on a facebook group called "Preserved and Classic Buses UK Group".  The group has over 5,000 members and the rally consisted of a number of them posting pictures taken at bus rallies in happier times.

I took some exercise in the local cemetery and looked at some of the names on the graves ....  I only saw two others - and we exercised good social distancing.

One of the things I am determined to do during this lockdown is to have a proper meal every Sunday - I may eat less healthily through the week, but not on Sundays.  Today I had pork loin, carrots, sweetcorn and mashed potatoes.  It was really lovely.

I have also read a book ... a virtual book online from MDS Publications - today's was "Eastern National & Thamesway Fleet Record Vol 2: The Badgerline Years 1990-1996" ... it was interesting!

Lockdown day #33

The birds woke me up again with a sweet song, and with discordant honks from the geese.  I decided, however, to have a lie in, and did not get up until after 10 ... what decadence!

After having my breakfast, and wishing birthday wishes to my friend Richard, I watched a few films.  There seems to have been a theme today (it is not St Sebastian's day, that was 20 January), but hey ho!

The first film, set in Toronto in Canada, was called "Sebastian".  Alex and Sebastian meet one fateful evening and it's love at first sight. However, Alex has a boyfriend and Sebastian is only visiting Toronto for one week until he has to return home to Argentina. To complicate matters further, Alex's boyfriend is Sebastian's cousin. Sebastian chronicles their week-long romance as both men learn to accept each other's differences, overcome their pasts, and let love into their hearts. As the week comes to an and Sebastian's time in Toronto comes to a close, can the two of them take a chance on love or will they lose each other forever?  It was a lovely film - and a lovely ending.

The second film I have seen before, and it is a delight.  "Belle et Sébastien" is set high up in the Alps and far away from the fighting of the Second World War, a small, peaceful village is home to a young boy named Sébastien. Sébastien is an orphan and life on the mountains is dangerous for a young boy. But he soon meets Belle, a wild dog who has a heart of gold. Sébastien tames Belle and they form an unshakable friendship. However, Belle and Sébastien's peaceful mountain village is soon under threat. Their village is close to the border of Switzerland, and the Germans occupy the area to prevent Jews from escaping. It’s up to young Sébastien and his trusty friend to foil the Germans' plans.

I have seen the Derek Jarman film “Sebastiane”, the only film I ever seen entirely in Latin (and no desire to see it again), but came across a very weird Czech film called “Utrpení sv.Šebestiána” (The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian) … interposing modern images with the tale from Roman times.     I am not sure if a Czech film is more approachable than a Latin film …

After having a quick visit to the shops for essentials (I got cheese .... hallelujah!) ... I had a nice conversation with a friend, and settled down for the evening continuing the Sebastian theme.  Helping me to do this was the "Air" by Johann Sebastian Bach from the 3rd orchestral suite (D minor; BWV 1068), 2nd movement.  A really lovely piece of music.

Lockdown day #32

Woke 6-ish with the birds making a racket outside of my window ... still they seem to be having a good time.   The day was nice and bright.

I went to an art gallery - the David Kordansky Gallery (well online - the gallery itself is in New York) ... and looked at an exhibition on Tom of Finland - apparently he was born in 1920. 

It was a good exhibition.  I had a book of his work once, but I don't know what happened to it.  Incidentally, the Finnish post office issued some postage stamps in 2014 showing his work, which I do have in my collection. 

Later, I watched a dance online written by my friend Zsofia - called Flowers of Ildikó (apparently Ildikó is a girl's name in Hungary).  It is certainly different, and looks fun.  When the dancers form that tight circle with their hands in the air they are meant to shout out "Ildikó".

As the day was still sunny, I went for a walk with a friend (socially distancing as we are meant to do) to Moston Vale.  That was lovely.  Afterwards he gave me some home-made soup and apple crumble for me to heat up in the microwave for my tea.  A very nice thing to do.

When I got home I rang round some of my friends, and had some nice conversations, and in the evening watched a trashy movie on Amazon Prime - they have some good stuff, and some dreadful stuff too.  

Lockdown Day #31

Perhaps I should go back to my blog - perhaps that will keep me sane.

Today was a lovely hot day.  I work up around 7.30am and lay in for a couple of hours.  After having breakfast (toast and coffee) I took my reading book and a deck chair and went to the local cemetery.  There is a little meadow area between the graves finishing and the back fence, and I sat there in the sun, reading my book. In hindsight I should have taken some water, as it was quite warm - but very pleasant feeling the sun of my legs.  I could hear the birds singing, and the occasional woodpecker.

The book I finished off today was Douglas Reeman's Torpedo Run, the story of a Royal Navy MTB group serving in the Black Sea during the second world war.

Today is the 274th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden.  I visited Culloden Battlefield during my Scottish holiday in 2016.  It is a bleak moor, and very eerie.  I went in, perhaps, the wrong end - most visitors arrive at the visitor centre and then explore the battlefield - I arrived at the back gate and explored the battlefield before the visitor centre.  I think that is probably better.

After speaking to Jackie today I watched on the ITV Hub the mini-series "Quiz" about the Army Major who cheated his way to winning "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" ... I got to see all three episodes in one evening.

I also got a lovely postcard from my friend Alan ... from one end of Manchester to the other.  I have some really lovely friends; it certainly gave me something to smile about.

I ended the day with some online training from a Meetup group - Grindr and the Gay Culture.  The things we do during lockdown!

Christmas 2017 part 3 - 6-10 December 2017

So continuing my blog of my Christmas celebrations in 2017 - on 6 December I went to a concert in Sale.  On the way to the concert I had a meal at the Greek restaurant near to Sale Metrolink station - Sokrates Taverna - and ordered keftedes (Greek meat balls) as a starter and moussaka as the main course - £12 for two courses was a very reasonable price.  The starter came quickly, and the moussaka took a long time to come.  The reason was that everything is cooked from fresh, none of the food is pre-prepared.  Unfortunately I had to eat the moussaka very quickly, but it was really delicious.

The reason I was in Sale was that I went to the Sale Gilbert & Sullivan Society Christmas Concert.  It was not what I expected, and there was not enough Gilbert & Sullivan for my taste, but it was, nonetheless, an enjoyable evening.

The next day, 7th December, I caught some of the Manchester Civil Service Choir performing Christmas Carols at the People's History Museum (and I sang a few carols to myself as I was listening to them sing) and viewed the extent of the Cîroc around the Christmas Tree event at New Bailey (which was not very inspiring).

In the evening I met up with a friend and we sent to the Houghton Weavers Christmas Concert, in Prestwich, which was fun!

On Friday 8th December I went to Liverpool.  Liverpool Philharmonic Hall sent me an email close to my birthday offering me a free concert, and one of the options was A Russian Christmas on the afternoon of the 8th.  It was very good, and a very pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon.

In the evening I watched another Christmas film on YouTube, this time it was "A Royal Christmas" - with the compulsory happy ending.

On Saturday 9th December we had snow!  I had planned to visit the Christmas Tree Festival at Oldham Parish Church and thought should I, or shouldn't I?  In the end I did go, and was pleased that I had ventured out.  It was, as always, a lovely event to do, and is now a firm fixture in my Christmas calendar.   In the evening I went to Didsbury to hear the Manchester Bach Choir sing Bush's Christmas Cantata.  That was pleasant, but it was a bitterly cold night and perhaps I might have wiser to stay at home.

On the 10th December I didn't do anything particularly festive, but did go to my choir practice which is always good fun.

Christmas 2017 part 2 - 1-5 December 2017

This post covers the first 5 days of December.

On 1st December I went to the theatre to see "Nativity: The Musical".  I did not know what to expect, and clearly expected something else.  I had thought the 'children's parts' would be played by adults - they were played by children.  The audience whooped and applauded everything the children did.  Obviously a large number of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc were in the audience that evening.   There were a lot of 'in' jokes - which sent the audience into laughter many times, and I did not get many of the jokes.  Presumably they alluded to X-factor, or I'm a Celebrity, or Big Brother, or other shows of that ilk.  I got the impression that this audience would be on its feet immediately the curtain came down at the end of the show (which devalues standing ovations).  Since I was not enjoying it, I fled at half-time.

I went home an watched another Christmas movie - this time "A Hobo's Christmas" which was all about reconciliation.  A lovely film.

On 2nd December I went to the Manchester Museum of Transport for their event "A Christmas Cracker" which basically has stalls selling timetables, bus memorabilia, tickets, books, model buses and anything else to do with buses and transport.  This was my second annual visit, and I came away with some bus photographs and some timetables from Cheshire.  

In the evening there was the RSCDS Manchester Christmas Dance.  Numbers were disappointing, but there was a nice atmosphere, and we had a number of new dancers, who seemed keen.  It was a lovely evening.

3rd December was Advent Sunday.  I visited the Christmas Model Railway Show in the Barnes Wallis Building, and in the evening went to the Advent Carol Service at St Ann's Church.  When I got home I watched the film "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story" on YouTube.

On 4th December I watch another film on YouTube: "The Gathering" (from 1977).  I really loved this film.

On 5th December I had plans to watch the Nutcracker (a live streaming from the Royal Opera House in London), but the price of cinema tickets to watch this was exorbitant.  Instead I watched another lovely film on YouTube "The Christmas Tree".

Christmas 2017 part 1 - November 2017

My Christmas celebrations for 2017 started early.

On 11 November I went to the Manchester Craft & Design Centre for their Christmas launch event "Christmas Starts Here".  The Centre was busy and there was some seasonal music, but it didn't really feel like Christmas ... perhaps it was too early.

My choir, the Sunday Boys, visited Birmingham the week later for a concert in the foyer of the Birmingham Rep Theatre.  I got a glimpse of the Christmas lights which was really nice.

I next went to an organ recital at St Ann's Church on November 21 - and a number of the pieces were dealing with Advent.  Pieces included “Choral Preludes for Advent” (JS Bach), “Choral Prelude on Veni Emanuel” (Flor Peeters) and “Fantasia on Veni Emanuel” (Heathcote Statham)

It was starting to begin to look like Christmas.  On the following Friday I attended the Anthems for Advent at Cross Street Chapel.  I have done this now for a few years.

Next was a visit to the Garrick Playhouse Theatre for Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons Greetings" which was very funny.

Christmas felt like it was getting closer.  There was a Christmas bake sale at work in aid of the Encephalitis Society, and I decided I would try and watch a Christmas movie on YouTube each day in the run up to Christmas.  The film I watched on St Andrew's Day was "A Princess for Christmas" - which of course has a happy ending.