Another Cracking CheltLitFest

Caught the likes of ...

David Suchet, a great raconteur, have you heard the one about the penny clenched between the buttocks? He was hot foot from recording the very last of Poirot, soon to be televised. There were only a few words for Poirot left unspoken so Suchet read them on an earlier stage to be able to claim thet he had spoken every word the Agatha Christie ever wrote for her famous detective. Question of the session “did you ever have any amorous feelings toward Miss Lemon ?” :)

There followed Jon Ronson and Peter Serafinowicz

SebastianFaulks

and PhilipPullman – another good raconteur!

Had to slip away after Phillip to go to friends joint 60^th in Market Drayton. John,Sue and I met up whilst at Poly in Birmingham many moons ago and ended up sharing a room in a house in Rotton Park. A great musical and artistic family the night was everything you would expect. Met some people I hadn’t seen for many years.

Back to the Fest Sunday lunch for the amazingly talented Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett. 

then JennyAgguter (been a big fan from the Railway Children days thru Logans Run, Equus, Walkabout, Sweet William et al)

Finishing on Sue Townsend, Rachel Joyce and Ian McEwan.

Roll on 2013!

Vaux sur Mer

A wonderful finale to Summer with our good friends Dave n Sue on the French Atlantic Coast.

Saintes and Port D’Envaux Sculptures

Saintes is a traditional French town with a long history.

In the chalk like surface of this unique landscape artists have come over time and left their work in the rock for all to look and marvel. 

Then down to the river for a traditional picnic.

Rastrelli Cello Quartet

Caught these guys at Eglise St-Pierre in Chaillevette and were completely blown away. Went from clasics thru Hogey Carmichael to Brubeck. Energetic, enthusiastic, versatile they rightfully were called back for encore upon encore. If you ever get a chance go see them!

 Mornac where the food is simply marvellous with crepes to die for.

Le Tremblade is one of many oyster fisheries of the Gironde with all the sights, sounds and smells of a working river. The flat bottom barges transport the oysters.

The grand finale was Marilyn’s birthday. Had a birthday meal on the sea front in Naussica at St Palais. Beautiful pink lingering sunset over the sea. After the main course sweets arrived, ice cream to die for in tall glasses n Ms had sparklers in it as all the waiting staff at the restaurant came over singing happy birthday in French to the accompaniment of wooden spoons on trays :)) Then the proprietor, a friend of Dave n Sues, came over with complimentary Champaign :-p

Mikron 2 - sits among the carrots and peas :)

To complete the double caught Lost the Plot at the amazing Rodborough Community Hall. Theater in the open with wide open vistas across the Stroud valleys. Mikron, always excellent, have excelled themselves this year!

And what better to accompany this performance than a stall of fresh produce from the local allotment society - we're just about to tuck in :-p  

Mikron

It must be Autumn and therefore Mikron time. First time at Bishampton village hall to see one of their best plays yet about the Luddites. If you haven’t seen the talented people from Mikron yet its worth making a special effort. Nothing nicer than an evening at a canal side pub, real ale and real theatre. Those miserly people at the Arts Council withdrew their funding last year, part of the gvt cuts, so Mikron now has to be self funding. It’s important to keep this part of our heritage alive and ensure live theatre gets to those places other theatre companies fail to venture.

Roaring 20’s

August Bank arrives again so Rascal got another outing to Tara. Amidst the frequent downpours there were some opportunities to recline outdoors whilst the sun loungers sank slowly into the ground :(

Great time spent at the ‘Speakeasy’ at a 20’s theme night.

Swans of Wells

Some of you might have read about, or even visited, the famous painted pigs of Bath. The tiny City of Wells, with its majestic Cathedral, has struck back with painted swans. They were dotted around town and scattered around the bishops palace grounds.

Bournmouth and Studland

Picked the only two good days of summer to have a long weekend on the south coast. Sunbathing, swimming in the sea and balmy nights spent in a beer garden – just like summers used to be!

The amazing Bournemouth entry to the RHS show at Hampton Court was being painstakingly recreated in the sunken garden outside the Pavilion.