JohnS

Not wishing to intrude but is Dave’s advice to be directed towards the neighbour or husband?

Excellent - dare we hope that Dances at a Gathering might follow in the next month or so? And perhaps the start of some cinema relays which have not yet made it to DVD?

The blackbird started the dawn chorus at 4:15 this morning, I assume from his favourite perch on the Gable end above the bedroom window where he tends to have a final sing at dusk, well after 9:30pm. The flower full moon was still shining brightly, complementing an irresistible dawn chorus. Good to take some flowers and blossom from the garden to the churchyard for Lynn, three years on but seems like yesterday. Coronavirus has meant the Church is locked; it is usually open 24 hours a day. But the churchyard is always open and idyllic, this morning celebrated by a distant call of a cuckoo.

The Radio Times says the semi finals will be held back to the Autumn when they hope to be able to stage the final. It’s good that the whole category finals performances are available on iPlayer, shortly after the BBC4 highlights are broadcast.

I think they’re hoping to hold the final in the Autumn - the semi finals were recorded in March, I assume pre lockdown.

Perhaps the ROH’s marketing was spot on? They knew you’d book again for those operas you’d previously attended without any special prompting but if they could interest you in just one or two different ones, that’s a result.

I hadn’t got round to doing anything with my tickets, in part because I was waiting to see what was going to happen to June/July performances and also I’d been rather put off doing anything because of the difficulties reported earlier. But today I went on line, simply included all my booking references, often for multiple tickets and when only some of which were cancelled, wasn’t asked to specify the dates/ticket numbers, and found I’d submitted my donation/refund request in a few minutes. I have to say it’s incredibly generous that someone is matching the donation. With gift aid as well as the matching donation, hopefully the ROH will find its ticket income holding up.

Surprised to answer my own question but I heard a cuckoo at sunset today, just a few minutes from home at Headend Quarry, North Cumbria. There were several calls so no mistake. Astonished to hear a cuckoo on 24 April, at least a week before I might expect to hear one.

St George’s Day was always the day we heard the cuckoo in Kent and we very occasionally saw the cuckoo sitting on the telegraph wires. It’s tending to be early May in Cumbria before hearing the cuckoo. But is there any cuckoo news from Forum members this year?

A good crop of damsons the last few years but it took 10 years before we had our first damson.

I’d seen signs of damson blossom the last couple of days and this morning one tree is pretty much in full bloom. It’s normally early May so a couple of weeks earlier than previous years. Fortunately there are no frosts in the forecast. The blackthorn blossom during the last two weeks has been quite the best I’ve seen, perhaps because I’ve been doing very much the same walk most days and we have fabulous mixed hawthorn/blackthorn hedgerows on the local lanes.

I’m sure I’m not the only one recognising that we may find performances beginning whilst some restrictions remain in place, for example for those in vulnerable groups. As bridiem says, dancers need to perform and I do hope that performances will resume as soon as possible. For my part I will be delighted to read of performances even if I’m not able to attend in person.

I tried Carlisle Sainsbury’s last week, first time out of lockdown, but couldn’t believe how alien the world seemed to have become and didn’t even join the queue for the reserved slot for vulnerable folk. Much better at Penrith this week and able to shop towards the end of the reserved hour without difficulty. Even better to pick up a click and collect order from the fabulous grocers/bakers who are providing wonderful service despite not being able to allow customers in the shop and delighted to pick up bread, scones and coffee beans. I quite agree there’s a real sense of satisfaction in achieving what in the past was routine. And the garden is looking a lot better for a fair amount of tending.

I rather thought BBB was quoting what the bird said about the two twitchers but had misheard ‘lovely’.

Perhaps he cleans his own floors?

Wigmore Hall today cancelled all performances to 31 July.

I rather thought treecreepers could only creep upwards and once they get to the top of the tree they fly down to the bottom of the next tree to begin another ascent. Makes life slightly easier to follow a treecreeper once spied. Woodpeckers too move up the tree using their tail for support. However, nuthatches can go up and down a tree. In the last couple of days I’ve had a pair of bullfinches and a yellowhammer in the garden.

Small hamlet of Sandale in North Cumbria certainly showed its appreciation. We’d set up a pilot meeting for Parish Councillors on Zoom and agreed on applause at 8:00 but not quite so easy to pass messages to the Chairman as when sitting alongside. Holding a full Parish Council ‘virtual’ meeting early next month and will be interested to see how many parishioners join.

Fabulous - not so much a laugh but certainly joyful with a little help from the choir: https://slippedisc.com/2020/03/believe-it-orchestra-plays-beethoven-9th-from-their-homes/

Very pleased to read Joan Hopton’s letter in Radio Times, Letter of the Week indeed!

And the ROH’s archive.

I still can’t get over how good those opening Swan Lakes were and these were at the same time as Dances/Cellist, a double bill that certainly captivated me, and straight after a compelling run of Onegins. The start of 2020 really has been fabulous with the Royal Ballet surely in a golden age. I’ll be having to self isolate for 12 weeks from the weekend, diabetes not age I should add, and I’m sure memories of those performances earlier this year will be sustaining. I’m very much hoping I might miss the next ‘curtain up’ as unless things change I won’t be able to see another live performance until mid June (last Triple Bill or Royal Ballet School Annual Performance would just about fit). But I’d take great pleasure in reading posts of performances in May/June so will look forward, albeit perhaps optimistically, to news of performances resuming.

Please don’t!

The Cojocaru/Kobborg Cinderella I think has only ever had one broadcast, many Christmases ago, and I’d love to see that again.

I may be clutching at straws but one of today’s links suggest that BBC’s Dance Season starts in May with some programmes later in the year, nothing about the season starting with tonight’s Mayerling (which I should make clear I’m delighted is being broadcast). So I think I’ll still hope to see further recorded performances from the Royal Ballet as part of the Dance Season.