It was an odd feeling waking up in a caravan again, this time, just the two of us. Hangovers were at the ready, and we got up to help tidy up from the night before. It was a pleasure to be able to help,. and I hope that lots of money was raised. I think that this will become a regular fixture in the Barton calendar. We got home, and despite the mountain of washing, and the mountain of costumes that need sorting out, we just collapsed for a while. We then hopped in the car to Luton. We went to Nandos for a late lunch early dinner, and then went to see Bridesmaids, which was funny, but not perhaps as good as I was expecting. All of the acting performances were fine, I just felt that it lost its way a little bit from time to time. Still, bearing in mind the weekend we had, I think it is admirable that I managed to stay awake.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Saturday 25th June
We awoke in the caravan with headaches befitting those who had been quaffing real ale all evening. We then held six hours of rehearsals at the new building for the first time, and it was an enjoyable experience all round. We had roughly half the cast turn up and despite the tiredness, we were really pleased with them all. In the afternoon we whipped home quickly to get changed for the second night of the beer festival, only to find another dead guinea pig...Bad Hair Day was the latest to go...youngest was very sad. I had to dig a little piggy grave....we spent the evening doing folk dancing and drinking more beer. Loads of money looks to have been raised, and what a lovely dedicated bunch of people they are to have achieved all they have. We had a hog roast which was fun, and I helped to carry in the pig. We slept over again.
Friday 24th June
Plans still going well for next week, and I hope to see ticket sales looking a little more buoyant after much nagging and letter writing. I am encouraged that we seem to have secured another summer workshop, this time over three days. If we sell it well, it will also be financially worthwhile as well. It will be a busy holiday period as usual, but I must sit and plan out my writing over the holidays too. I have lots of projects on the go, and some of them need to be written and ready to go for September. That seems a long way away, but time flies. Hopefully I can get a bit of it done before the Summer Holidays start and after the big shows. In the evening we went to the Barton beer festival held in aid of the Scout and Guides new HQ building. Much real ale was sunk, and even a little dancing. We slept over in our friend caravan for the night...all four of us snuggled in together. It was an interesting night.
Thursday 23rd June
A quiet day of work really. Feeling a little jaded after yesterday, and as a result, just kept my head down and got on with life. I think it will be interesting to see what life is like now Mrs Plug is home more often than not. She is just finishing up at Uni now, and after the exhibition is tidied away, that will be that. It will be nice to have her home, but I wonder if we might need a period of adjustment.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Wednesday 22nd June
A heavily scheduled day. Firstly, we have the garage being readied for the kiln which is an exciting development for Mrs Plug, and I hope we can start a production line of more beauteousness. In the afternoon , I needed to do some banking, and then pick up youngest, hop on the train to Harpenden, where we would liaise with eldest, get picked up by Mrs Plug, and then arrive at her end of course exhibition. This was all smoothly done, and was not hampered by crappy train services and overpriced taxis (the previous sentence was brought to you by the word sarcasm). We then sat at the uni coffee bar whilst waiting for the exhibition to open. The coffee bar is somewhat bizarrely situated next to the swimming pool. I was forced to watch all these healthy fit bodies leaping in and out of the pool, which made me aware of my galloping age and the need to ensure I keep on top of my fitness. The exhibition was delightful, and I think we all felt so proud of her. It's been a hell of a year. The whole family should be proud of themselves for the year, and I think the girls picked up on that last night. It was interesting to see the faces of all these people that Mrs Plug has been talking about for the last year, and good to meet them. Her lecturer expressed surprise as to my appearance. It is the second time in a matter of weeks that someone has expressed surprise as to my appearance on meeting me. I am not sure how to take this really. Mrs Plug thought it was meant as a compliment, but I think she was being polite. In the evening, we had the drama group AGM, and once more I was allowed to continue as Chairman. It was very quick and painless, and nice to see everyone. I slept rather heavily after that day
Tuesday 21st June
My descent into pre show insanity continues. However, a visit and a meeting with someone who has been very generous with their time and their advice was most welcome and it gave me a new lease of life. As we are nearing our five years of the business, I find myself in philosophical mood...again, this is probably prompted by the lack of sleep and the worry about the show. Anyway, the advice I received was great, and the offer of help both short and long term was quite remarkable, and really rather touching. I then went off to the second of my after school clubs, and was delighted with the fact that they all came back and with an extra one in tow. A nice bunch they are too, and the fact that we are all disappointed when the time is up is a good sign.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Poorly Person
So without regurgitating every word of my MPs latest blog, I have watched with interest the storm that has happened on Twitter. Ian Montgomerie and Sally Bercow both retweeted or made reference to her latest blog post in what would appear to be a supportive way. Sally Bercow even mentioned that she had received abuse for doing so, though her twitter timeline would suggest otherwise. Are we living in a country where criticism is now described as abuse. I know Mrs Dorries has a tendency to scream "Abuse" at everything, but then if I am being honest, there IS a degree of abuse on Twitter about her, which I think weakens the argument. I myself must hold my hand up and admit that my less than favourable comments have at time bordered on abusive, and I genuinely regret being reduced to that. However, I must also say, that behind all of the comments and attention and in a few rare cases abuse, is a real heartfelt worry about her conduct as an MP. I follow Tim Ireland on Twitter. I have met him once, at the famous Flitwick hustings event, and I have exchanged the occasional tweet and email. I am happy to report, that he is never abusive, or threatening or aggressive. There are many of us on Twitter who are deeply angry and frustrated at Mrs Dorries conduct, and we do not feel that there is any way in which we can be heard. She does not allow comments on her blog, she has left twitter, she has refused to accept email correspondence, and letters are not replied to. If you do as much as follow someone she dislikes on twitter, like Tim for example, you are smeared. The majority of us who follow Tim are either "Disturbed" or "Not very bright". I strongly object to this sweeping generalisation, and I would love the opportunity to debate this with Mrs Dorries. However, I cannot get access to her. She is my representative in Parliament, I am a tax payer, and I have no access to her. This is not democracy. The local newspapers continue their love in, and refuse to print letters that are critical of her. I know of several letters that were sent after the Flitwick hustings meeting to complain about her behaviour, but they did not print one letter, and on phoning their office I was told that none where received. It makes it impossible to hold her in anything other than very low regard. I get sick and tired of hearing about MPs private lives and their affairs. It has no interest for me, and should have no impact on their ability to do the job. However, Mrs Dorries chose to highlight her affair, and all the tabloid details of it. She spends so much time on her blog attacking constituents, smearing opponents and crusading for one or two causes, that I wonder why so little mention is given to her actual constituency business. I am afraid that the occasional picture with someone with SEN does not go far enough to convince me that she has anyone other than herself at the heart of everything she does.
The problem I have, and this is difficult to describe adequately, is that she displays the behaviour of someone who is genuinely unwell. I want to hold her to account, and criticise where I think it is appropriate, but I am beginning to wonder whether this criticism could be construed as unfair given her unusual and erratic behaviour. Perhaps I am concerned over nothing, and her behaviour is simply indicative of someone who is genuinley not very nice and not very good at her job. I like to see the good in everyone though, so I will be very careful in how I talk about her in the future, in case my suspicions are correct.
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Friday 17th June
I have been so pleased with my purchase of an iPad. Now that I have used it for a while I think it is probably the perfect device for me. It is providing me with hours of entertainment, the ability to record and edit music for work, and the ability to do accounts, invoices and all sorts of other business related things. I know that many will think that this is geeky beyond all levels of geekdom, but I care not a jot. I think that it is pretty much the perfect device for me. I think that I might be a user for some years to come. Even the keyboard is getting easier to use, although I am not sure it does much for my posture. I received my PA system today, and it is excellent. Of course, buying it from Germany had it's limitations and I had dash round the corner to the hardware shop to buy some adapters. The volume is amazing and the quality of sound surprisingly good. I shall look forward to testing it on Saturday night at our friends party. Romeo rehearsals went well, and flyers have now arrived so I hope that the ticket sales get a big boost. I need to focus on costume for the next week now.
Thursday 16th June
One of the parents of one of our kids has been in touch and offered his help. He advises small businesses for a living and has offered to help in getting sponsorship and creating a programme. It is really very touching, especially when I consider he has suffered from some family tragedy recently. Again I realise that doing what I do is a fortunate thing....to be able to witness and experience things like this is quite unique. The evening rehearsal went well, and lots of nagging about tickets was done. I hope they take heed!
Wednesday 15th June
I spent the day catching up with admin, banking and general publicity. Flyers for the showcased ordered, and all in all a productive day. I then went to the school that I did the recent project with for an end of project meeting. What a fantastic and positive meeting it was. The feedback I got was rather humbling, and the reaction from seeing the kids again was delightful.....I had a bit of a tear in my eye when I got hugged! It was a tonic that I think I needed, and all in all, the perfect way to close the project off. The charity that paid for the project has lost it's funding, and that is heartbreaking on so many levels. Just looking at their website and seeing the amount of amazing and inspiring projects that have been created is quite awesome. The experience I had was a significant one, and I just weep at the thought of how many projects will now not happen as a result. The tiny amount of money that these cuts will save just beggars belief when you consider the work that they do. The children I worked with will not get a chance to work on projects like this without the funding, and I think that is a crime. They have learnt about teamwork, confidence building, communication, history, theatre, lighting, literature and language as a result of this project...all for the sake of a few thousand pounds. When I see the waste in other areas that is not being touched, it makes me so angry.
Tuesday 14th June
Today saw the second of the after school clubs starting. Because of the short notice, it was impossible to get a clear indication of how many attendees we might have. By the time I had paid for trains and cabs, I knew that I had a fixed number that I would need to make it worthwhile. In the event it was all good and although I will not be able to retire on it, the attendance at both clubs was really healthy. I hope we can continue with it. I have another one starting in September and the possibility of another one as well. It really has been an exciting development for us. I am feeling really anxious about the shows in July as there is still so much to do. I hope I can pull them off, and with ticket sales being sluggish at best there is also the worry of financial issues as well. I have to remain positive if I can, because it is also important to get the kids performing to the best of their ability too.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Monday 13th June
Quite a nervous start today as I begin my after school clubs. I needn't have worried as the first one went really well and was better attended than I expected. Whilst I was prepared to run at a small loss to start with to get it established it has turned out that I start with a small profit. Some nice kids in this group, and I think I will enjoy working with them. This is, I hope, the start of a long relationship.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Dorries and her Banana Karma
Yes, I know, my blog is beginning to be taken over by that woman again, but there is just SO much material. Her latest assertion that she witnessed 7 year olds being instructed how to put a condom on a banana is even more astonishing than some of her previous claims. We have not been told which school it was, or anything approaching a fact, but she does state that it was when her daughter was seven. My daughter is 12. She attends a middle school in Mrs Dorries constituency. She has just started her sex education. I repeat, she is 12, not 7. I asked her to explain the lessons to me, and she quite rightly pointed out that I should know about all of that stuff by now....she is right of course. She also asked my if this was about that "MP woman". You see....even the schoolchildren have heard about it. My daughter laughed loud and hard at the suggestion that the condom instruction might have happened at the age of 7. She happily explained that they were still at the stage of labeling body parts. I asked her if she felt like they had been in any way encouraged to go out an have sex. Her answer really summed up the whole debate for me....."Well let's put it this way Dad...We learnt about the second world war the other day, and at no point have I wanted to go out and invade Poland"
I await further developments with interest
Monday, 13 June 2011
Sunday 12th June
It's difficult to write too much about a day where I achieved so very little. The morning was spent in bed, with coffee, the Sunday Times and Miles Davis....I felt entirely relaxed on re-entry to the real world. In the afternoon, I managed to cook a roast dinner and watch the rain hit Canadian Grand Prix, which was thrilling. I love days like today....they are all too rare, and rather precious.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Saturday 11th June
I started the day with a near miss on the oversleeping front, which is something I've not done for a while. The Robin Hood session went well, but there is still some work to do, and I think in particular, the last couple of scenes. It is very difficult to get across to young people that there is a degree of importance in ensuring that they take pride in what they are trying to achieve, and I suppose it's what makes the job a challenging one as well as a rewarding one. We mucked in when we got home and got some housework done, and then relaxed for the rest of the day, awaiting that slightly alcohol induced haze, and any news from Welwyn in terms of any awards. We were not disappointed, in that the Pear Magners led me to snoozing, and that the group had won yet another award, this time once more, for audience appreciation. That makes seven awards in all, and ends a very satisfying year for the adults. I hope that everyone shares the satisfaction at the AGM in a couple of weeks!
I was able to spend a while musing about plans for next years productions and writing projects. Despite my earlier misgivings, It looks like I will be returning to the stage in the festivals again as myself and Mrs Plug will be performing a two handed that was specifically written for us quite a while back. It is a serious play, with occasional comic elements, that should give us the chance to show off any skills and talents we might have! The plan at the moment is to enter it into all the festivals we can next year. I have also come up with another idea for a musical, which is both exciting and wildly self indulgent. This means I will be able to work on a project that tackles my very favourite subject.....me! One of the tools that I have been using on and off for the last year or so is an app called Evernote. It is basically a way to organise thoughts, writing and web links and media, in one place, and be able to sync it between the various weapons of geekdom that I like to call devices. The iPad keyboard is not as frustrating as it first seemed and I am now able to type fairly well on it. The Evernote iPad app is pretty good , though not as good as the one on my pc. I have created folders for all of my current projects, an I am feeling slightly kore virtuous about life. I have also just quoted on a new project, and was fascinated to realise that for once I did not apologise for asking for money. It is a bit of a family failing that I would like to rid us of so this was a refreshing change for me. Those that know us in passing think that we are a confident family, but the truth is a long distance from that. I am becoming more confident in what I do, but self doubt is always there. Sometimes it is a help, sometimes a hinderance. I think that the next year might be a good one for us in terms of personal development.
I was able to spend a while musing about plans for next years productions and writing projects. Despite my earlier misgivings, It looks like I will be returning to the stage in the festivals again as myself and Mrs Plug will be performing a two handed that was specifically written for us quite a while back. It is a serious play, with occasional comic elements, that should give us the chance to show off any skills and talents we might have! The plan at the moment is to enter it into all the festivals we can next year. I have also come up with another idea for a musical, which is both exciting and wildly self indulgent. This means I will be able to work on a project that tackles my very favourite subject.....me! One of the tools that I have been using on and off for the last year or so is an app called Evernote. It is basically a way to organise thoughts, writing and web links and media, in one place, and be able to sync it between the various weapons of geekdom that I like to call devices. The iPad keyboard is not as frustrating as it first seemed and I am now able to type fairly well on it. The Evernote iPad app is pretty good , though not as good as the one on my pc. I have created folders for all of my current projects, an I am feeling slightly kore virtuous about life. I have also just quoted on a new project, and was fascinated to realise that for once I did not apologise for asking for money. It is a bit of a family failing that I would like to rid us of so this was a refreshing change for me. Those that know us in passing think that we are a confident family, but the truth is a long distance from that. I am becoming more confident in what I do, but self doubt is always there. Sometimes it is a help, sometimes a hinderance. I think that the next year might be a good one for us in terms of personal development.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Friday 10th June
I managed to get out of bed before lunchtime for the first time in a while, and after a phone call or two was able to continue with the general business of having a life. A very old friend got in touch on Facebook, and it was good to see him looking relatively happy and healthy. I think the last time I saw him was at our wedding. I understand that he's had a bit of a tough time of life, so I hope that things are going well for him now. In the afternoon I bought a PA system. I feel rather grown up now. I'm not sure why, as it is not the sort of thing usually associated with being a grown up. I think it may be related to my years in a crap band, and craving the things that the other bands had....like beautiful guitars, expensive equipment, looks, talent....you know the kind of thing. We start some new business ventures with schools next week, so I am now in a position to be able to put on small scale productions with my own equipment. The next thing is the lighting equipment, and I think we will be there for a while. It's all rather exciting for me at the moment. I must keep focussed on the real business, which is ensuring we earn enough for me to continue doing this! Romeo and Juliet rehearsals in the evening went well, and all in all, bearing in mind my lack of health it was a good day. We rushed down to Welwyn in the evening to watch the Adults in their festival play, and they were outstanding. It was a real privilege to watch it, and to hear such a good adjudication. I hope they are as proud as they deserve to be.
Thursday 9th June
Another day spent largely in bed recovering, although I was mindful of the fact that I needed to get up and run a session in the evening. I spent the afternoon on paperwork, all of which seems to be getting more and more tiresome, and then onwards with music recording for the evening, and general preparation. Mrs Plug would appear to have passed her 2nd placement with flying colours, so there is a sense of relief....in fact it is greater than that. We sat and had a long chat about the past year, and how we were now feeling, and there is a definite sense of the sun coming out after a storm. I hope it is a long summer :-)
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Wednesday 8th June
Delightfully for the rest of the human race, I appear to have lost my voice again. It seems that I am suffering from a few illnesses lately, perhaps as a result of working with so many young people? I wonder if teachers build up an immunity to all of these coughs and colds and bugs? Anyway, what I suspected was just a cold has turned into something rather worse, and I have a ridiculous changing temperature. I managed little else other than to sit playing with the iPad all day really. I caught up on the Apprentice, which is my guilty pleasure I suppose. I then tidied up my app collection, and researched a few more. The new British Library app looks fantastic...I think my Lake dwelling friends will like that one, and its free. There is also an excellent phot editing and manipulation app called Snapseed, which is £2.99 but well worth it. I ought to put up an example or two really. I was also able to catch up with the goings on of my MP, who it would appear, is able to irritate me on several levels with stunning regularity. As my previous posts make clear, she just seems the antithesis of all that I believe is what is required as an mp, but I would love the opportunity to meet her and see if she is as far removed from suitability as I think she is. Her actions just seem to to be self serving all of the time, and I would love to believe that underneath all the public bluster and apparent ignorance, that there is a good person trying to do the right thing....I just cannot see it. I suspect that this meeting will never happen. She seems to be paranoid to the extreme, and as I have reported previously, fears that people who question her are all stalkers....it's a shame.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Tuesday 7th June
Woke up with the definite signs of a bug on the way. Youngest off sick, me feeling rough, and eldest left to be nursemaid. The workshops were excellent, and I am really excited about the new ventures that start next week. There are some really excellent schools out there, and it will be a pleasure to work with them all. There is a real sense that things are beginning to take off for us at the moment, and despite the fact that I had to drink lucosade all day to keep me going, it felt like the day couldn't have gone any better. I have a bit of wind in my sails at the moment with these projects, and I hope that we can make them work, and perhaps more importantly make them pay. I have a bit of a pipe dream project with regard to setting up a charity, which has been at the back of my mind for some time, but this seems to be the right time to do it. Lots to do, and not enough time really, but it's all good.
Monday 6th June
A busy day preparing for the four workshops that I am doing in a number of schools across the county. Lots of paperwork to do, as well as preparing for the actual sessions. It was back to the school run as well, which my feet have not missed. It was a beautiful morning though, as it had rained quite heavily and the smell in the woods was delightful. We were just discussing the fact that we were not seeing the deer because the bushes and undergrowth had sprung up, when we saw one out in the open. I think it was a doe, but whatever it was, we experienced the barking for the first time. It was quite a sound for such a sweet looking creature! A good session in the evening in Ampthill, followed by lots of flyer printing in the evening. It's been a long but fruitful day. I am feeling slightly under the weather though.
For the attention of Mrs Dorries staff
As it would seem that Mrs Dorries staff are trawling the Internet and dismissing criticism as the work of "haters" I thought it might be good to reiterate the point. Fellows script extract that was published by the Sunday Times was written BEFORE the actress was cast. Mrs Dorries seems to be able to accurately predict the content of a film before it has actually been made! Please could you get Mrs Dorries to mention that, as at best, it seems like an unpleasant smear campaign by a desperate publicity seeking MP, which I assume is not the case? I am also worried that Mrs Dorries is quite happy for a 15 year old girls breasts to be stroked by a 17 year old in a film.....it hardly fits in with the puritanical campaign does it? I assume that the people of Mid Bedfordshire who voted for Mrs Dorries did so because they wanted her to represent them, rather than misrepresent speculation as fact. Please would you pass this on to her, as my emails and letters seem to be ignored now?
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Dear Mrs Dorries
I read with interest your blog on the forthcoming Julian Fellowes film version of Romeo and Juliet. Your worry about a fourteen year old girl being allowed to film a "Graphic sex scene" is touching. However....there is a slight problem. She moaned and whined about wikileaks recently....however....the extract from the script that she is referring to was leaked itself. It was also an extract from a script that was stolen BEFORE a fourteen year old girl was cast in the lead role. Shakespeare did not SEE Juliet as fourteen Mrs Dorries....he wrote her as a fourteen year old. It is specifically written within the text. You moan that you want to see Shakespeare as he meant it, well, again I might point out that he probably didn't see either the advent of film, the moral compass of a nation four hundred years or so later or the ridiculous posturing of a desperate politician who wants to go on a moral crusade despite being overdrawn in the Royal Bank of Morality herself. There WERE laws regarding underage sex.....the definition of underage was different back then to now. Are you really worried that impressionable young girls will go rushing from the cinema, and immediately rip their clothes from their bodies in an effort to have sex? Do you really give such little credit to young people? If we are to believe that this behaviour can be taught, and that the media can have such a huge influence, then surely your public affair with a married man sends a terrible message out? I should ban my children from your blog henceforth.... Do you really genuinely believe that Mr Fellowes will create a morally repugnant film when you consider his history? Do you not think that the authorities in charge will not take a considered and reasoned approach to the film? Do you really think that Shakespeare should only be performed traditionally? I have always held your opinions in very low regard, but ignorant bandwagon jumping attempt has really shown you in your true colours....and by the way....the Zeffirelli version is widely derided as a weak interpretation amongst those that understand such things. By the way....Olivia Hussey was 15 at the time of filming the version you love.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Sunday 5th June
A Long overdue lie in seemed to do nothing for my general apathy towards any form of movement or lucid thought, but after replenishing my caffeine levels I was able to drag my beautiful body downstairs. I spent a happy half an hour with the iPad version of the Sunday Times, which makes me feel dreadfully middle classed and Conservative. I then watched the documentary and gig by the Foo Fighters from the night before, and fell rather dreadfully in love with Dave Grohl. Whilst I have always quite liked their music, they have never featured highly on my "Must listen to" list. However, as the documentary went on, I realised how much of their stuff I enjoyed. I was happily flopping my hair along in time, when the realization struck me that I had agreed to a haircut. This is always a painful experience for me. I think that my long hair has in some way been an attempt to make myself appear more interesting than I actually am. Clinging desperately to the chair I felt myself becoming more dull and tedious with every snip of the scissors. Still, looking on the bright side, people will be more polite towards me again for a while. We went to the local antiques fair in the afternoon, and once again I found myself buying books. Four theatrical books, that should have cost a lot more than they did. I am filled with a little bit of teenage excitement for tomorrow, as the Arctic Monkeys new album is released, and this always makes me happy. Alex's voice always makes me smile, and his lyrics are wonderfully astute and funny. It also takes me back to the time I leapt from the Rat Race, and took up this rather ill advised career of mine. I listened to the arctic Monkeys a lot at that time of my life, and there is a quality to his voice that feels like a comfortable old armchair. Having said all of this, I fully expect the album to be crap, just to spite me. I have also started to use Blip Photo like my good friend Mr Pops. I suspect that my entries may be slightly less beautiful than Pop's. He lives in the Lake District, whereas my current residence is not quite as pretty. I shall see if I manage to keep it up.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Saturday 4th June
Mrs Plug has battled through the whole shingles episode, and despite feeling rough, took her numeracy exam today. All newly qualified teachers need to pass a numeracy test, a literacy test and an ICT test to prove their competence. Whilst I am not against the general principle of this, the tests themselves are ridiculous. Why on earth an art teacher needs to be able to effectively demonstrate the ability to work out a fairly complex mathematical problem in their head within 18 seconds is beyond me. However, this is what she must do. She had already passed the other two, and missed out on the numeracy by one mark. With a little bit of hard work, and some assistance from a friend, she went off and stormed it, so much relief at Plug Towers. It looks like she is well on course for qualifying. Now all she needs is a job.....and they are are rare as hen's teeth or intelligent ideas from Michael Gove. We are also looking at the business and the other opportunities that are on the table at the moment. We have just got permission to put in the electrics required into the garage to get the pottery empire back up and running. This is very exciting for Mrs Plug. We are also looking at expanding the business significantly now, and I hope to have more news on that soon. I know the economy is Ina Keres at the moment, but now is the time to be working harder and trying out more and more things. I do not want to look back and think we didn't really give it a proper go.
Friday 3rd June
Excellent day today, which was better than I expected. I spent the day with R at a local theatre doing a workshop. I have done a couple up there now and I have found them to be quite long days. This time I requested that we could use the stage, and that the parents came back early to watch a performance. The recent project at the lower school has awakened a beast in me I think. The idea of devising theatre with young people has really got my creative blood up, and I decided to take on a five and a half hour workshop with a concept in mind and no real session plan. You will imagine, that this did add a frision of nervousness to the proceedings. In the event I needn't have worried. They were superb. We had eighteen kids, most of which were eight and nine year olds. I have been asked to do some transition work at some after school clubs soon on the subject of bullying. I decided to use this workshop as a dry run in effect. I did take along a poem on the subject and some pre prepared music, and this acted as a stimulus for the whole session. Some of the work they produced was stunning, mature and very moving. I think they were surprised with the standard they were able to produce. It has given me the courage to continue more down this path, and I really hope I can keep it going. In many ways it is harder to do, but the rewards are much higher I think.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Thursday 2nd June
Feeling flat as a pancake all day, perhaps because of the lack of sleep thinking about all the things I need to do. I knuckled down today and got a bit of progress, and feel a little better about life, but I think I need a few more days like that. I have an all day workshop tomorrow, which is a long day, but usually pretty good. I am trying something a little different in this none, so feeling a bit edgy about it.
Wednesday 1st June
A whole day of hard work, briefly interspersed with a visit to Emaus. This is a charity organisation that houses homeless people and gives them work by working at what is essentially a big charity shop. They sell furniture and electrical goods, clothes ornaments, plates and perhaps most excitingly for me...books. We have previously made a few discoveries in the art department as I have blogged before, but I get most excited by my book purchases. I really don't have the time to read as much as I like, but I love to be surrounded by good books. Today I purchased an excellent pictorial history of the second world war, several David Attenborough books, and a book of prehistoric and ancient art. Mrs Plug also bought some art books, and I found a small table come magazine rack. I can't help but loving shopping here more than anywhere else. In the evening I enrolled on a diploma course on Drama in Education, the plan being to finish it before my new module in my degree starts. I do wonder about my sanity at times.
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Tuesday 31st May
This year seems to be flying by at an incredible rate of knots. I have managed to blog every day so far, which I think beats last year. Most of them have been rather tedious I suspect, but I continue out of duty to my own resolution. I got the results of one of my assignments today, and was rather pleased with it considering how little I worked on it. I wonder what grades I could be expecting had I enough hours in the day to properly study? However, I also have to bear in mind that what I do for a living probably helps. Mrs Plug has shingles, which is all rather irritating for her. She is a stoical old fruit though, so I suspect she will just soldier on. I wish she would collapse into a heap a bit more often.
Monday 30th May
A bit of a dreary bank holiday Monday today. Mrs Plug has a really sore patch below her eye which has been worrying her so it's off to the doctors for her tomorrow. I have started to tidy up the office which has got into a bit of a tip since the recent activity on the project. Lots of recycling and shredding dine, and already I feel a little better. Youngest seems to have returned from France with both lurgy and attitude. I shall have to ensure that at least one of those peculiar ailments is sent back
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