A glass and a half

Yesterday, after a heavy day of work at my Grandad's house, CBC and I set off to see the Great Gatsby at the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch.  This is a local theatre in Havering which is apparently the only theatre in the UK with its own resident repertory company of musician/actors.  I've been there surprisingly only a few times in my life despite used to living close.  They are a pretty talented crew as they play the instruments for the production as well as acting and they are good musicians as well, some of them playing multi-instruments.  This was a pretty gritty production of Scott L Fitzgerald's iconic story - they made good use of projected images onto the white brick wall set (they used this as their setting and the play began with actors and musicians as themselves reading through the production which I did think was a bit of a cop-out for not using lots of scenery at first. CBC suspected it was white for easy projection of images however, it was very well done and I forgot about my first thoughts of the set being a disappointment as we watched. The characters were well played, particularly Daisy, and they made clever use of minimal props (which they move themselves between scenes) to sustain the scenes- the death scene at the end was clever as they used a white circular sheet that filled the spot light for the swimming pool with swimming pool reflections cast onto it with the other character's approach projected onto the wall at the back.  I did end up feeling highly depressed by the whole story at the end, but I don't think this was too much to do with the acting but rather the story line.   There was some rather too blatant nakidity and er- scenes that were slightly cringy to watch especially since many of the audience were much older than us.  I heard an audible sigh of contempt at one moment from the lady next to CBC!  But it was an enjoyable experience and I'd quite like to go back next week to watch Godspell which is their next production (this was the last night of Gatsby). I'd quite like to reread the book as I read it a while back and had forgotten virtually all the characters and the plot!

I decided I wanted to dress up and wore a pretty much second hand outfit consisting of this bright purple maxi dress I'd found in a charity shop before Easter with a black Primark shrug and handmade thrifted/chazzered goldleaf-covered oak leaf earrings.  CBC disliked it and called me 'Cadbury's girl' because it was too bright but I enjoyed wearing this bright dress amidst a sea of black and beige. I'm not sure as to its age or origin as it appears handmade (the seams aren't overlocked) and has no labels.  Any ideas anyone (Vix, I'm looking at you in particular!!!?!x)?



Saw these lovely purple flowers poking out of someone's garden as I walked home from church and snapped a shot! Not quite Cadbury's but still very purple!


Linking to Visible Mondays with Patti who is showing how glam a short black dress can be (with amazing blue tights)

 and also linking up to Second hand first with Bella at Citizen Rosebud too who is wearing the most amazing hat!!!



 

Hadleigh Castle and country park

Last Saturday, CBC and I set out towards Leigh-on-Sea with a desire to walk, enjoy the countryside and enjoy freedom!  Serendipitously, as we picked up CBC's car from the repair-place, we passed signs for Hadleigh country-park where the Olympic Mountain Biking was held.  We decided to go for an explore.  We parked by the rangers hut.  I donned my unflattering crocs which were still in CBC's car since camping as I was just wearing a pair of ballet pumps that wouldn't enjoy mudtracks etc.

At first, it felt very 'domesticated' and a bit like Labyrinth with windy paths though there were some very pleasant sights including butterflies and blackberries.

Pretty soon, the bush-flanked paths led to a gate and views over the river Thames as it headed towards the sea at Southend with views across to Canvey island.  The sun started to shine beautifully and it felt less autumnal.

We met a few fellow walkers along the way.

CBC spied a path to the left which led with a very steep slope towards the actual mountain-baking course itself.

It was extremely hard to climb such a steep and bumpy slope in Crocs! We met a mountain-biker- goodness knows how they go down such steep slopes- I'd be terrified!

We received further evidence of the Olympic site...

We climbed over a gate into the Olympic course whcih will be open to the public in February I believe.

The sun shone and we walked down the path which gave us sight of Hadleigh castle.

CBC made us go down a terribly brambly, overgrown path in a bid to get to the castle.  We discovered, as he forced his way through a big bush, that there was a perfectly lovely path the other side of the fence!

Hadleigh castle was getting closer...

Eventually, we reached the entrance to the site for Hadleigh, 1200 ruins.

The castle must have been quite extensive!

Some pigeons had made their home there

There were some curious initials and names carved onto the window arches at quite a high height!

As we left, we walked to the Salvation Army training centre for a very pleasant spot of lunch as recommended by my mother!  I ate a large amount of goats cheese!

Later, we headed into Leigh-on-Sea where I visited the charity shops whilst CBC waited for a hair-cut and we ate in a lovely bakery and then later a Thai restaurant.  A delightfully packed day was completed by a visit to the Palace Theatre in Southend to see Three Men in a boat, which was witty and delightful!

Have any of you visited Hadleigh or indeed were you there for the Olympics?

Art deco

 Hello! 

I've been procrastinating in a bad way when I have French to mark (yawn!)   How is it that my kids have been learning French for a year and a half and have had to write, read, say the word "C'est"a million times and I STILL find work in which it is spelt "Ce!!!!!!"

(especially when it was up on the board, has been up on the board every week and there's even a laminated "c'est" on the wall!!!!)

I went out for a glorious meal on Friday night with CBC, WKWTTG and his friends to Bohobo (or something like that) in Covent garden, a Japanese place.  It was wonderful- they bring you skewers of different orders at different times.  My ultimate order was a plate of crispy tofu and Klimchi.  Missy Miller has converted me- it's amazing!!!!!!!!

I dressed up thus.

 The difficulty of this Miss Selfridge dress has always been, it's too cold to just wear on its own.  It's very very thin and has silly floppy chiffon shoulders.  I do love it though.  I've tended to wear with a polo neck under neath (Primark)

I was wearing about 2 pairs of leggings and tights here, together with my lovely new handbag (won in the kind and delightful Hazel's giveaway!), fingerless mittens (some shop in Mumbles, Swansea) and Bunny necklace plus my newish Sheepskin boots. 
Wretched things keep shedding pile onto my feet and my tights got attached at the toe in one foot!  EEEEEEEP!!!!!!


They all went to see the Mousetrap before.  Have you seen it? I was sad not to be able to make it earlier but I know WHO DUNNIT!!!!! I accidently read the playscript of it when I lived in Indonesia and was starved of English fictional reading material!  I guessed right!!!

How do you solve a problem like a Kezzie?

Hello!  Disaster- I've lost my camera lead in the big tidy up (strange, I can find it when house is a tip.  When tidied up, everything is unfindable!)  I spend soooo much of my life searching for things I have mislaid, how on EARTH will I cope when I am old!!!!!!  Anyway, I was in The sound of Music a long time ago and I wrote this post absolutely ages ago but forgot about it.  Long overdue but needing to clear up the drafts folder!

Anyway, I am a bad blog host! I think gratefully of all the lovely comments you leave me and then never actually voice my thanks which is shamefully remiss of me- so I am sorry but thank you for the loveliness you leave. It really does make my day to see another friendly comment and I hope that is reciprocated when I visit back.

Anyway, ages ago, I bemoaned to all of you about the dress I wanted to wear for my 'party' outfit for the Sound of Music- the fact I had found the perfect dress in the Sunday times magazine from Asos's salon range and it was sold out. What I shamefully didn't tell you was that it then came back into stock and I bought it. You will also remember my sharing the vintage dirndl skirt and 1920's shift night dress I bought for it.

Well, here are just a few photos of my time playing Maria Von Trapp during the Royal Wedding weekend for you to laugh at! Here is the first moment of meeting Captain Von Trapp- here the dirndl skirt made it's first outfit- hideosly paired with high-necked black blouse bought vintage some years ago which I wear when I have to dress up as a Victorian school marm. Notice hat in hand- the outfit looked even more hideous with the hat on!

Here is the ASOS salon dress in action- so floaty. Dancing the laendler- I cannot tell you how long we had to rehearse this because I could NOT stand close to Nick, staring into his eyes under his arm in the moment we were supposed to realise we loved each other, without giggling. Mother Superior who taught us the dance got really cross with me. Somehow I managed it in performance! I look really awfully serious here! Sans makeup!
Lonely goat herd shot- the 1920's night shift made its appearance. It was soooo stiff and uncomfortable!!!!

Singing Edelweis.

;
Curtain call at the end- the relief but sadness of it being over (that's me on the right)

Lonely goat-herd- my favourite song! I was told I had a great yodel! Ooops, I can see my dress poking out underneath it- I had to wear it thus as I had a quick change for the next scene!
Looking very holy, this IS indeed my Victorian School marm outfit!

Don't you love the curtain dresses!!!!? Saddo that I am, getting into the role, I found myself crying in between the leaving scene and this one!

So, tell me- do you frequently lose things?