A leisurely start to the day, but then the four of us went to Airia force which is a large waterfall. The journey there through Kirkstone pass was stunning, and I wish I had taken some photos along the way....it was stunning weather until we came back when everything disappeared behind cloud. The waterfalls were beautiful, and the girls all managed to get their feet wet with a series of I'll advised attempts to paddle across rivers. I find myself being the grumpy old curmudgeon on such trips, and I think this may be because of my own families reluctance to allow me to do anything as a child. I must try to loosen up a bit. An evening spent watching our version of Earnest, and celebrating eldest's exam results....an A in Drama and Art and. D in English (which she is dropping anyway) made us all very happy and proud.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Friday 19th August
Today we went for a five mile walk around Eltewater. It was a beautiful day again, and we were able to take a leisurely stroll for the more delicate amongst our party. We visited a cave and a waterfall, and also stopped for tea and cake. A perfect Lake District day. We were all quite tired in the evening!
Thursday 18th August
We woke up in the beautiful Lake District and a sense of calm has descended already. I suspect that this is not the case for our hosts Mr and Mrs Pops! We did not do a great deal during the day as we were preparing for the evenings entertainment. We went to see the Globe theatre's touring production of As you like it which was fantastic. This was I think, my first experience of outdoor theatre which amazed me. It was all lit by four LED profiles, and had a real amateur feel to the set up, however, that is where the amateur bit finished. The company had only 8 members, all of whom seemed to be able to sing act dance and play instruments. It was quite humbling to be in such excellent company. As night fell, the audience were all cold, but the performance kept us all enthralled. Even the rain held off We still do not know eldest's exam results, which is a little frustrating, but she didn't organise for anyone to collect them, so we have to wait for the postman
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Wednesday 17th August
We celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary today. What better way to celebrate it than a visit to Mr and Mrs pops house? We set ourselves a target of being out of the house by eight, and to my shock we achieved this with time to spare. A really good run up the motorway meant our arrival at 11.30 and we were out on a walk within about an hour. We went to the river near the old gunpowder factory and to the disused canal. We arrived back had a quick cuppa, and then visited the Strickland Arms, for a couple of swift sherries (Langdale Tup) before going back home for food and a game. Went to bed exhausted, but apparently kept the family awake all night with my snoring. Good work. Off to watch some Shakespeare by the Lake tomorrow :-)
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Tuesday 16th August
Up early to go shopping for the final few bits and pieces. Birthday cards are sent for tomorrow, and I am trying not to think of another birthday that would have been. I enjoy shopping for bots and pieces, and found a new gadget that included a compass, and various other bits and pieces from a shop in Luton called Tiger. I think we have everything now. In the evening we went to a council run workshop that was supposed to discuss the arts and the council's part in it. I found myself so deeply frustrated at the selfish attitude shown by so many attendees. It seems that they are more interested in moping about the obvious lack of money, than actually going out and trying to create a bot of work. I know I am sounding a little Norman Tebbit when I say that, but I do despair at the "Lets give up" attitude. The people at the council are really good people, so there is always hope
Monday 15th August
And so we turn our attention to our impending visit to the Lakes. We have a couple of days to sort everything out and make sure we are proper;y equipped. I personally can't wait for the next two days to go so that we can get on the road! First though, we need to tidy the house, and shop and clean and all the usual kind of thing. I have started a new book...JG Ballard's Crash. It's not the easiest of reads, and I am not sure that I will make it all the way through, but it's been on the list for some time now! I shall report on further progress!
Monday, 15 August 2011
Sunday 14th August
Awoke to find our last guest asleep under the Dining room table....but house in pretty good state all things considered. Did very little today, other than fall asleep in front of the football. The new season started yesterday, but no Spurs due to the riots. I managed to finish the "Keef" book, and thoroughly enjoyed it.....What to read next though? So many to choose from! Watched a programme about Wales in the evening and we were all entranced at the size of the Whale penis...not sure what we were all expecting.
Saturday 13th August
Down to the hall early to get everything prepared, the second show went really well, but I suspect it was a slightly more tired performance that last nights. Very well received and got some nice feedback from the local paper....so I keep my fingers crossed for a good review! Worked really hard in the afternoon to get all cleared up, then dashed home....changed my shirt and off we went to the theatre. Another fabulous performance from eldest and then all back to our for lots of beer and gossip! Many of the young helpers came back and we had a good night! To bed at silly o clock...tired but happy
Friday 12th August
Photos this morning, and a full run through, and it went incredibly well. We then set the bows, had our final game of football and then did a dress run. The whole week has flown by. We then stayed at the hall and crew ate together, which was very pleasant. On with the show, which had probably the best audience for a Summer Show, and they absolutely stormed it! Was very proud, very tired and a bit emotional by the end. By the end of the evening, my voice has pretty much disappeared, which is perhaps a blessed relief for all the kids! Very proud of them all and the team that worked on it. Busy day tomorrow with the final performance, the BBQ, the de rig, and then off to see eldest on her closing night
Thursday 11th August
We are really motoring now, and just about everything is set....the stage looks fabulous, and we now have a giant Cat's head made from lots of smaller ones....We still haven't run the whole show, but everything has been blocked other than the bows. At the end of the day we dash off to get ready and then off to see eldest on her opening performance. She was stunning! It was so good to see so many people from the adult group to see her there, and I think she deservedly got the best reception at the end. It's a strange show, but enjoyable nonetheless. I am going again on Saturday, so looking forward to it! Off to bed as it's our opening night tomorrow!
Wednesday 10th August
This time last year we were running the show for the first time in the afternoon, but we have been a little more relaxed this time round. I need to persuade myself not to panic about this! All is going well I think, and I am enjoying the relatively spontaneous approach this year. When you have this many kids, there has to be a large degree of it. In the past, I think this approach has driven people mad, but it is the best way and it works. We are still thinking about writing a book on how to run these weeks....A Ken Robinson Esque volume I think is in order. With all the spare time I have I am sure I can write it! I am very excited about tomorrow as we see eldest in her opening night at her summer performance. I have not seen the show before (The Likes of Us), so it will be intriguing. She has been quiet about it this year, and I never know if that is a good thing or not
Tuesday 9th August
We have now set all the big routines, and worked about a third of the show. and the costumes are beginning to appear. The giant Cat backdrop has now been designed, and all in all I'm really excited by it all. We have ended up with a cast of 64 this year, and it's a full stage at times!! In the evening I sit down and cannot work out why I am aching so much, when it strikes me that it's the traditional lunchtime football session. How much I used to love playing football like this, and if the truth be known, I think there is an element of me trying to regain my youth by joining in again. Pathetically I still get a buzz from scoring a goal!! Perhaps I need to continue doing some more physical work...the competitive element is good for me!
Monday 8th August
All family now present and correct, and we are starting to get into the swing of things. Dance routines are coming together nicely, and I'm delighted with the cast that we have been given. One or two behaviour issues to deal with, but I have a great team this year, and all is dealt with correctly. In the evening we have a long chat about Mrs Plug's future, and I duck out of the conversation early....maybe I'm just getting old, but I do think it best to keep your thoughts to yourself at times. We slept well, although I needed to update the Summer School Blog with the piccies from the day and the software was a little flaky!
Sunday 7th August
Up early and off to start the week properly. We have 65 kids this year, a record, and all but three of them were here for the auditions. It is always a stuttering start whilst we try to decide who does what part, and in previous years I have stepped away from the decision making process. This works well, so my three ladies have to sit through 60 odd auditions, whilst I play games with everyone out in the main hall....A few tired hours later and we have an exhausted group who have been cast! The real work starts tomorrow! In the evening I sit to try and finish the Keith Richards book, but fail to anything other than sink a few glasses of wine and nod off!
Saturday 6th August
The day was spent clearing out the garage ready to put everything back safely at the end of the week. We then got the flats up, and generally prepared the building for the onslaught tomorrow. I got stung in the armpit last night, and we have noticed a few wasps floating around the building, so we got our friend in who works for pest control to have a look. There was nothing obvious, so he squirted a bit and left. We need to keep pour eyes open for the week. I also found a rat in the garage today, and introduced him to my friend Mr lump of Wood. They got on very well! Home in the evening and the first rellies arrived. Tonight we sleep in eldest's room as she is at a friends house, but the inflatable fun starts properly tomorrow.
Friday 5th August
Finally the week begins. We have been doing these for many years now, and I still get stupidly excited. Our lives tend to go on hold for the week. My major concern is that I do not continue to write throughout the week, so I will be taking a few notes here and there, and updating when it is all over. We got all the staging and lighting installed this evening, which helped a great deal. The new caretaker is a star, and has given us far more freedom for the week. I suspect it will be a good one! Family starts to arrive tomorrow, and then I can look forward to a week of blow up beds!
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Thursday 4th August
With all the excitement of next week I could be forgiven for forgetting that we are running a business and we are also in preparation for a big show in Winter. We had the last rehearsal for a couple of weeks for that production tonight, and it was SO much fun. We used some of the methods that we picked up on the recent RSC workshop, and it was a really fun rehearsal. Stage Building tomorrow!
Wednesday 3rd August
Much of today has been spent trying to ensure that I have everything in place for next week. We are also doing lots of stuff to ensure that we are getting everything that we are entitled to financially. That has been a struggle over the last week. Pride is something that bothers me a lot less than other within my family and friends, but I totally understand.
Tuesday 2nd August
The Blogs will be short and sweet for a few days with the up and coming Summer School. I love this time of year, but there are times when I wonder whether we ought to be aiming at actually having a holiday for a few weeks! I am still reading at a ridiculous rate, and I wonder whether this will continue. As a result of reading Keith Richards book, I am revisiting the Rolling Stones Back Catalogue. The book has reawakened me on several levels!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Monday 1st August
Ooohh scary...August already. With eldest off galavanting around a stage, the remaining three Plugs decided to have a picnic. We went to Wrest Park and rather than pay to go in, we sat under the tress opposite, and enjoyed the weather and the view. What we didn't realise was that the place has undergone a massive refurbishment, and was about to be featured heavily all of the media. The interesting thing was that they said it was all unseen for about 25 years, which is nonsense. We've been there for Art Fairs and been able to wander freely. It's beautiful, and has it's own amphitheatre....Mmmm tempting! We relaxed for the rest of the day, and read more. I am now reading Keith Richard's Autobiography, and loving it. I've always liked the Stones, and this book has made me love them even more.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Sunday 31st July
I have been feeling a little reflective today. A good friend of ours recently told of the lack of creativity in his life, and the need for order. We replied that we were perhaps too far the other way. I do wonder sometimes if I need to just stop everything for a week and have a damn good tidy up. I have, as is regularly referred to in this blog, been a little more organised this past year, but there are still mountains of paperwork to organise/shred/file, and things to tidy. When I know that I have writing to do, I prevaricate, and leave it till the last minute. Sometimes I wonder what people see from the outside? Do we look as though we have the perfect artistic life, leaping from our beds in the morning to create more and more beautiful things? I wish it were like that of course, but real life has a habit of getting in the way. I had plans to have got half of my writing done by this stage in the Summer Holiday. I have written down a brief outline of some ideas, and had a brief chat with Mrs Plug about the plot outlines for the two plays. This is all good, but I really would like to have got it all done by now. We have lots of admin to do as well this week, and I realise that save for a couple of days after the summer workshop, we are really booked up until the end of August already. Not much time! So here I am again, thinking how hard life is, and realising how weak and pathetic that sounds when you consider all those around you and their issues and concerns. The other man's grass is always greener. Mrs Plug has been prolific in the Studio for the last few weeks, and this is fantastic for all of us. She seems to have relaxed for the first time in about five years, and looks younger! She used to come up with a list of reasons why she was unable to "Create". Money worries, Stress, Time management, Motherhood, childcare, housework etc etc. The list was endless, and it used to irritate me. I now find that I am using many of the same reasons as to why I am not getting things done. I think I am looking for the perfect scenario in which to create. A place of peace and tranquility, and a mind bursting forth with wonderful, beautiful and creative thoughts. Of course this will never happen, and I shall remain slightly frustrated that I have not yet written my first novel or finished the latest play. I think that basically we are all a little creatively blocked, and perhaps we look to make excuses for it. I am not suggesting for a moment that our friend is in this situation where he is making excuses. Far from it. I think that we are all conditioned to tuck creativity away, and not to put any importance on it. I can understand why. A nation could not survive with a population largely made up of poets and painters, but I do think that creativity is deliberately blocked. I see my job as trying to right that in a small way. If I can just get some young people to think in a more creative way, who knows what benefits that might bring in later life? I shall look forward to our friend's "Unblocking"...I have always felt my creative life has been less rich for his absence.
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