Alys; quality theatre; assorted trivia

British Summer Time is here again, though I can never remember which end of the day that renders lighter – evening, I think. It also means our kitchen clock at the house is once again showing the correct time, as we never got around to adjusting it when the clocks went back last October. Have managed to adjust my car radio clock, but there’s some truth in this tweet from @innocent.

Big news since last post is the birth of Dave and Hazel’s second daughter Alys on 28 March, only a week away from Nia’s third birthday on 4 April. Visited on 3 April and had an introductory cuddle of the babe, followed by a follow up at Mum and Dad’s last Sunday. Prior to my trip on the 3rd, I had ventured into Mothercare for a gift for Alys and – never having spent much time in there – was a bit thrown to discover that clothes for newborns come in three different sizes. Which I suppose does make sense, but I’d never thought about it. As Alys was a ten-pounder I abandoned the first outfit I picked up, aimed at the ‘tiny’ category, and chose something more substantial.

Recently did my bit for keeping in touch with the youth by watching Frozen, which I’d added to my LoveFilm list in a bid to find out what all the fuss was about. We were staying over at Mum and Dad’s that night so Ruth and Mum watched it with me; Dad sidled off to his front room as strains of ‘Let it GOOOOOOO’ wafted through the house. It was enjoyable enough though I can’t say I quite get why it’s become quite such a big thing – but then I appreciate I’m not the target audience. Older sister Elsa is the more interesting character – how did she get that way? Did it run in the family? – but it’s the somewhat annoying younger sister Anna who has most of the screen time. On the plus side, it’s undoubtedly a Good Thing that a film with two female leads – albeit animated ones – has become such a phenomenon, and the ‘act of true love’ is between the sisters rather than kiss bestowed by prince, etc.

Cupcakes and Bertie

Spent last Saturday and Sunday in Abergavenny in part for a birthday lunch/tea for Hannah on Sunday. Had roast lamb - which I've not had in a long while - and then some strawberry cupcakes that Hannah had crafted and then transported on the train. Close up of cupcakes left, plus Nia's rabbit Bertie who seemed to have been left face down next to them. The one symbolic candle was duly re-lit for Nia to have a go at blowing out.

Prior to the tea party, helped Dad plant some cuttings of the black bamboo - aka phyllostachys nigra (I speak Latin) - that Ruth had dug up from our garden with some difficulty, eventually resorting to an axe, despite Dad's assurances that it would be a quick matter of just slicing a bit off with a spade. The cuttings were quite tall and didn't have all that much root attached, so I'm just hoping they stay upright throughout the next strong breeze.

Have not yet given much thought to the impending general election, but should no doubt do some research. Mark Lancaster, the incumbent MP for Milton Keynes North, appears to have made little effort on his campaign leaflet to avoid looking like the stereotypical smug Tory git, but I should of course get past that and read about policies etc. Only Conservative and Labour literature received so far, at either of my addresses. Given that the election's on a weekday, am likely to be voting in MK so should read up on Lancaster and the Labour parliamentary candidate Emily Darlington.

Day in London on 11 April to catch the last day of the play My Night with Reg. In fact we saw the matinée rather than the evening performance, but that was quite nice as we were able to go for an early dinner afterwards and get home before it got too late, don slippers and light pipes, etc. Glad Ruth persuaded me to see the play as it was one of the best things I’ve seen in a while – great cast including the v. dishy Julian Ovenden; his brief appearance nude in one scene was the icing on the cake. The audience included a larger number than I expected of straight couples of around my parents’ age, which surprised me slightly though for no good reason; the grey-haired duo next to me were laughing particularly uproariously. There's a Telegraph review of the play here.

Before the play we had lunch at itsu, followed – to counteract the healthiness – by tea and cake at Caffe Concerto on Shaftesbury Avenue. Afterwards, we wandered and into Foyles, which evidently moved premises last year though it's still on Charing Cross Road. It's now v. glam inside, with lots of pale wood and glass. When I first went there, which must have been at least 25 years ago, I seem to remember stacks of books everywhere and a peculiar system for purchasing whereby you took your chosen book to a desk on one floor, collected some sort of ticket, then had to take it to another desk on a whole other floor to actually pay for it. Needless to say that system was abandoned some time ago. We bought a few books we hadn’t planned on buying and then went, via a brief drink in the Soho Theatre bar, to have an early dinner at Cabana Brasilian Barbecue near Tottenham Court Road station, where Dave and Hazel went on a recent visit to London and which I had been keen to try after seeing the photo of a splendidly rare steak that Dave posted on Facebook. Dinner was very nice, including the cubes of Parmesan dipped in honey that we were persuaded by the comely if beardy young waiter to have as a starter.

In Caversham, the saga of where to build permanent premises for The Heights Primary School continues, with a public consultation currently open until 1 May. The whole issue is arousing strong emotions locally, to the extent that members of the Facebook group Caversham Gossip Girls, of which I am one, have been banned from discussing it on the group’s page. Have responded to the consultation giving my opinion of each of the five proposed sites - Mapledurham Playing Fields is probably my preferred option, but I'll freely admit to being influenced by the fact that I neither live near it nor use it. Classic conundrum of most people thinking the school’s a good idea, but no one wanting it on their local piece of greenery. I’m also personally a bit baffled as to where children in Caversham Heights have been going to school up until now, though given that Caversham Heights is the poshest part of Reading, I’d guess not a few of them are at independent schools.

Delighted to discover after taking the Tone Deaf Test recently that I am not tone deaf. Next step might be actually attempting some sort of singing. Although I have belonged to a couple of choirs in my lifetime, both some time ago, I've never had any faith in my ability to actually carry a tune, so, as part of something akin to a bucket list, am determined to find out whether I can.

Car failed its MOT on Tuesday, partly through my own fault in not checking the windscreen washer fluid – who knew you could fail an MOT for that? – though in this case it would have failed anyway as the two front tyres were below the minimum tread and both of the side lights were out, which I’m sure I dimly knew but had filed the thought away in the back of my head. Spent lunch hour yesterday at B and T Tyres in Bletchley, getting the tyres replaced. I may ask Halfords to do the bulbs as I don’t fancy spending a large chunk of the weekend figuring out how to do it myself.