Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Buxton 2011: Days 7 - 13
Wow, I hadn't realised that it has been that long since I updated this blog! Mummy and Daddy and I have just been so busy that we haven't seen each other for long to catch up and get this written! Now the show's over though I hope to be blogging more regularly. Anyway, let's see what I remember............
Day 7 I went to Tittesworth Water with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna and had lots of fun blowing bubbles and running around trying to catch them. I must have worn them all out so we then went back to their cottage to have a play before they dropped me back off at our flat so that Grandma and Grandad could look after me while they went with Mummy and Daddy to see the G&S Opera Company's Ruddigore.
They thought that the show was very good, although there were a few problems with the set not being ready in time and then the pull out bits for the finale act 1 not staying in place properly! There were also a few fluffed lines in places but those were covered well. They particularly liked the act 2 ghost scene where the ghosts turned around the tabs to reveal the blank frames and then moved a bit like Zombies. (Mummy says it was reassuring to see that even the pros seemed to struggle at being Zombies!)
After the show they went to the festival club (in the octagon for once) and joined in the Pot Luck Mikado. When it got to the Mikado's entrance the person who was down to sing the role wasn't there so everyone sang in for him, but they were going to cut his solo! Luckily Daddy [literally] jumped in to sing the role and did a really good job! Mummy was so proud.
Day 8 was a really fun day as I got to go to a little bit of Mummy and Daddy's rehearsals! We all got there nice and early and I met a few people before everyone had to go and do their warm ups. Mummy and Daddy took me with them to the centre of the room and I was allowed to join in! (Thanks Matt!) I really enjoyed doing all the stretches, making all the silly noises and singing scales to different sounds - and everyone said I was really good at it which made me really pleased! :) I then watched a bit of the women's rehearsal before going out to the play area and doing a few other things around Buxton with Grandma. Mummy and Daddy had the afternoon off so I sent some time with them before getting ready to go to the savoynet meal.
All the savoynetters met outside the opera house at 7.00 for a chat and then at just gone 7.30 when everyone else had gone in to see the show, we posed on the steps for our traditional photo, before making our way to the Kwei Lin Chinese restaurant for the meal. The meal was really delicious and I tried loads of new food and really enjoyed myself. There was even sweeties for afters!! I joined in the toasts and the traditional singing of 'Hail Poetry' at the end of the night and then, because I had behaved so well, Mummy and Daddy let me go to the festival club for a little while afterwards! I thought it was great fun and the entertainment was really good, but I was so tired that I couldn't stay for the whole thing.
Day 9 was quite a restful day with no G&S!! We started by going on a walk up to Solomons Temple which was great fun. When I got there I climbed up to the top and looked at the view which was wonderful! It was really windy up there though so I didn't want to stay there for long! We then went for a little play on the play area near Pooles Cavern before joining the rest of the family for dinner at Weatherspoons which was really really yummy!! After dinner I went on the play area nearby and had loads of fun climbing the ropes, going on the slide and twirling around on various twirly things! This tired me out so much that I then went home to have a nap and slept for AGES! When I got up it was nearly tea time so we had a bit of a lay with my toys at the flat, watched cbeebies, and then went for a walk on the slopes. We also got some food from one of the takeaways and had a sort of picnic on the slopes which was great fun. Mummy and Daddy didn't go to the show as they had already seen it, so spent the evening relaxing in the flat.
Day 10 I went to Gullivers theme park with Auntie Roxanne! We had loads and loads of fun going on all the rides and I really couldn't pick a favourite one, although I did enjoy dressing up as a Knight and completing my Knight's training course. I was so proud when they said I had passed and knighted me 'Knight Sir Robert' and gave me a special sticker - I couldn't stop talking about it to Mummy and Daddy!
The Show tonight was the Nomads Sorcerer. Mummy and Daddy said it was really good and thought the Smiths were really funny as the band. the only thing they didn't like so much was that they didn't feel that there was enough distinction in the costumes to make sufficiently mismatched pairings in the chorus and wished that they could have found a jacket for Alexis that actually fit him! They thought the principal line was really strong with particular mention to be given to Sir Marmaduke who they thought had a great voice and acted the art extremely well, especially as he was a young man. There were also some of our friends in the cast. Their friend Alex played Constance, she looked perfect for the part and sang it really well, Our friend Simon played John Wellington-Wells, brilliant as ever, and our friend Ian played Doctor Daily. Mummy and Daddy thought he did really well in this role and loved his 'may fortune bless you' speech which they thought was excellently done - just funny enough without the physical comedy being distracting. All in all a good show.
Day 11 I went with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna to see some otters at the otter sanctuary. I thought they were really cute and also liked the owls there too, but found them a bit less interesting as they didn't move as much! Unfortunately I was feeling a bit out of sorts so we didn't spend too long there but went back for the rest of the day to play in their cottage.
The evening's show was Cambridge University's production of Iolanthe. Mummy and Daddy really enjoyed the show and thought everyone did really well. However, although they thought the principals all had good voices they found that they needed to project more as they were quite quiet. They were also distracted by the fairies' feet as most of them had pink ballet shoes but one had black ones and one had no shoes at all! They did love that Fold Your Flapping wings was put back in and loved the fauns in the opening scene. They also went to the cabaret as their friend Laurie had organised it. They thought that it was really entertaining, well sung (and spoken) and really funny in places - well done! :)
Day 12 was the day of the Savoynet show so while I was having fun in Matlock with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna going on the play area and the trains, Mummy and Daddy were busy in the theatre getting ready for the evening's performance. I can't really write much about the performance as it is hard to do when you are involved in it (or your parents are in my case) but the audience certainly seemed to enjoy it as there was loads of laughter and applause! There were a few slip ups and mistakes, but nothing that couldn't be covered (even one bit that I'm sure many would not be able to get through so well!) and things like Mummy's belt flapping up in her face when she was waving her ribbon stick, but all in all Mummy and Daddy said it went very well and they were pleased with the performance. They were also pleased with the after show cabaret which they said was great fun and just about the right length. :)
Well done all Savoynet cast and crew and especially Stuart and Matt on a superb production!
At last I am u to day 13 which was today! In the morning we went to collect the DVDs of the savoynet show and I saw some of our friends before Grandma took me swimming for a little while and I had great fun splashing about! In the afternoon Mummy and Daddy took me to Speedwell Cavern which I really enjoyed! We had to go down loads of steps (105!) before getting onto a boat and then going down a really low and narrow passage while a guide told us about the lead mining they did there and then stopped for a while in a chamber where we could get off the boat and stretch our legs before boarding a boat again for our return trip. I found the boat ride really fascinating and kept staring all around me and taking pictures - it really was like nothing I had seen before and I couldn't really believe it when Mummy and Daddy said the tour had lasted an hour as it didn't seem that long as it was so good! (I made sure I thanked the tour guide afterwards!) We then stopped off at the fudge shop in Castleton before getting dinner and making our way back so Mummy and Daddy could see Derby's performance of Princess Ida.
They thought the production was very good but didn't really think the concept worked as there was no word changes, which caused some of the text to jarr with the modern setting. However they thought it was very well sung and staged and Mummy would like to know if she could lease have Ida's costumes as she really loved them! (They were gothic dresses!)
Well I'm up to date now and promise to blog more often for the rest of the festival!
Robert
x
Day 7 I went to Tittesworth Water with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna and had lots of fun blowing bubbles and running around trying to catch them. I must have worn them all out so we then went back to their cottage to have a play before they dropped me back off at our flat so that Grandma and Grandad could look after me while they went with Mummy and Daddy to see the G&S Opera Company's Ruddigore.
They thought that the show was very good, although there were a few problems with the set not being ready in time and then the pull out bits for the finale act 1 not staying in place properly! There were also a few fluffed lines in places but those were covered well. They particularly liked the act 2 ghost scene where the ghosts turned around the tabs to reveal the blank frames and then moved a bit like Zombies. (Mummy says it was reassuring to see that even the pros seemed to struggle at being Zombies!)
After the show they went to the festival club (in the octagon for once) and joined in the Pot Luck Mikado. When it got to the Mikado's entrance the person who was down to sing the role wasn't there so everyone sang in for him, but they were going to cut his solo! Luckily Daddy [literally] jumped in to sing the role and did a really good job! Mummy was so proud.
Day 8 was a really fun day as I got to go to a little bit of Mummy and Daddy's rehearsals! We all got there nice and early and I met a few people before everyone had to go and do their warm ups. Mummy and Daddy took me with them to the centre of the room and I was allowed to join in! (Thanks Matt!) I really enjoyed doing all the stretches, making all the silly noises and singing scales to different sounds - and everyone said I was really good at it which made me really pleased! :) I then watched a bit of the women's rehearsal before going out to the play area and doing a few other things around Buxton with Grandma. Mummy and Daddy had the afternoon off so I sent some time with them before getting ready to go to the savoynet meal.
All the savoynetters met outside the opera house at 7.00 for a chat and then at just gone 7.30 when everyone else had gone in to see the show, we posed on the steps for our traditional photo, before making our way to the Kwei Lin Chinese restaurant for the meal. The meal was really delicious and I tried loads of new food and really enjoyed myself. There was even sweeties for afters!! I joined in the toasts and the traditional singing of 'Hail Poetry' at the end of the night and then, because I had behaved so well, Mummy and Daddy let me go to the festival club for a little while afterwards! I thought it was great fun and the entertainment was really good, but I was so tired that I couldn't stay for the whole thing.
Day 9 was quite a restful day with no G&S!! We started by going on a walk up to Solomons Temple which was great fun. When I got there I climbed up to the top and looked at the view which was wonderful! It was really windy up there though so I didn't want to stay there for long! We then went for a little play on the play area near Pooles Cavern before joining the rest of the family for dinner at Weatherspoons which was really really yummy!! After dinner I went on the play area nearby and had loads of fun climbing the ropes, going on the slide and twirling around on various twirly things! This tired me out so much that I then went home to have a nap and slept for AGES! When I got up it was nearly tea time so we had a bit of a lay with my toys at the flat, watched cbeebies, and then went for a walk on the slopes. We also got some food from one of the takeaways and had a sort of picnic on the slopes which was great fun. Mummy and Daddy didn't go to the show as they had already seen it, so spent the evening relaxing in the flat.
Day 10 I went to Gullivers theme park with Auntie Roxanne! We had loads and loads of fun going on all the rides and I really couldn't pick a favourite one, although I did enjoy dressing up as a Knight and completing my Knight's training course. I was so proud when they said I had passed and knighted me 'Knight Sir Robert' and gave me a special sticker - I couldn't stop talking about it to Mummy and Daddy!
The Show tonight was the Nomads Sorcerer. Mummy and Daddy said it was really good and thought the Smiths were really funny as the band. the only thing they didn't like so much was that they didn't feel that there was enough distinction in the costumes to make sufficiently mismatched pairings in the chorus and wished that they could have found a jacket for Alexis that actually fit him! They thought the principal line was really strong with particular mention to be given to Sir Marmaduke who they thought had a great voice and acted the art extremely well, especially as he was a young man. There were also some of our friends in the cast. Their friend Alex played Constance, she looked perfect for the part and sang it really well, Our friend Simon played John Wellington-Wells, brilliant as ever, and our friend Ian played Doctor Daily. Mummy and Daddy thought he did really well in this role and loved his 'may fortune bless you' speech which they thought was excellently done - just funny enough without the physical comedy being distracting. All in all a good show.
Day 11 I went with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna to see some otters at the otter sanctuary. I thought they were really cute and also liked the owls there too, but found them a bit less interesting as they didn't move as much! Unfortunately I was feeling a bit out of sorts so we didn't spend too long there but went back for the rest of the day to play in their cottage.
The evening's show was Cambridge University's production of Iolanthe. Mummy and Daddy really enjoyed the show and thought everyone did really well. However, although they thought the principals all had good voices they found that they needed to project more as they were quite quiet. They were also distracted by the fairies' feet as most of them had pink ballet shoes but one had black ones and one had no shoes at all! They did love that Fold Your Flapping wings was put back in and loved the fauns in the opening scene. They also went to the cabaret as their friend Laurie had organised it. They thought that it was really entertaining, well sung (and spoken) and really funny in places - well done! :)
Day 12 was the day of the Savoynet show so while I was having fun in Matlock with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna going on the play area and the trains, Mummy and Daddy were busy in the theatre getting ready for the evening's performance. I can't really write much about the performance as it is hard to do when you are involved in it (or your parents are in my case) but the audience certainly seemed to enjoy it as there was loads of laughter and applause! There were a few slip ups and mistakes, but nothing that couldn't be covered (even one bit that I'm sure many would not be able to get through so well!) and things like Mummy's belt flapping up in her face when she was waving her ribbon stick, but all in all Mummy and Daddy said it went very well and they were pleased with the performance. They were also pleased with the after show cabaret which they said was great fun and just about the right length. :)
Well done all Savoynet cast and crew and especially Stuart and Matt on a superb production!
At last I am u to day 13 which was today! In the morning we went to collect the DVDs of the savoynet show and I saw some of our friends before Grandma took me swimming for a little while and I had great fun splashing about! In the afternoon Mummy and Daddy took me to Speedwell Cavern which I really enjoyed! We had to go down loads of steps (105!) before getting onto a boat and then going down a really low and narrow passage while a guide told us about the lead mining they did there and then stopped for a while in a chamber where we could get off the boat and stretch our legs before boarding a boat again for our return trip. I found the boat ride really fascinating and kept staring all around me and taking pictures - it really was like nothing I had seen before and I couldn't really believe it when Mummy and Daddy said the tour had lasted an hour as it didn't seem that long as it was so good! (I made sure I thanked the tour guide afterwards!) We then stopped off at the fudge shop in Castleton before getting dinner and making our way back so Mummy and Daddy could see Derby's performance of Princess Ida.
They thought the production was very good but didn't really think the concept worked as there was no word changes, which caused some of the text to jarr with the modern setting. However they thought it was very well sung and staged and Mummy would like to know if she could lease have Ida's costumes as she really loved them! (They were gothic dresses!)
Well I'm up to date now and promise to blog more often for the rest of the festival!
Robert
x
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Buxton 2011: Days 3,4 and 5
First, sorry for not updating this every day - I have just been so busy!
Day 3 started with Mummy and Daddy telling me that they were going to take me out to somewhere called Drayton Manor. They told me that they thought I would really love it, but would not tell me anything about it! (To be honest it sounded to me just like an old house or something and quite boring, but I didn't say anything!) On the way there I was so tired that I fell asleep and woke up just a little while before we reached our destination. When we got to Drayton Manor and I noticed the sign, I realised that it must be some sort of theme park and then I noticed.........."TOOT TOOT! TOOT TOOT!" I shouted excitedly when I noticed the big picture of
Thomas The Tank Engine on the sign! It turns out that Drayton Manor actually has a whole section that is Thomas The Tank Engine themed! Of course that was the first bit we went to, and we saw Thomas, Percy, James, Henry, Cranky, Gordon, Edward, Rosie, Toby, Harold and loads of the other Characters. I thought I would start by gong on the troublesome trucks ride, I thought it was very scary as it is a rollercoaster and I'm not sure if I liked it, but I was glad I was brave and went on it. While at the park I also went on loads of other 'Toot Toot' rides (Including a ride on Thomas!) and some of the other rides, including a really fun, but a bit scary rapids ride. I also went for a little look around the Zoo area where I met a coule of Parrots who said "Hello" to me - They actually said Hello! I thought that was very funny and very clever of them.
When it was time to leave Mummy and Daddy let me buy some things from the Toot Toot shop and also let me get a Magic Photo taken with him which they bought for me!
In the evening Nanna, Grumps and great nanna looked after me while Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad went to see edinborough's Mikado in the opera house. Mummy and Daddy thought the show was really good, although some of the voices didn't carry as well as they might have done. Mummy said that she really loved Katisha's costumes and that if she ever plays Katisha then she wants the same costumes (All three of them!). They liked the fact that the order of songs was changed back to how it originally was and thought it actually worked better like that and that the updated little list and Mikado's song worked really well. Mummy also said that there were a couple of Dragons on the stage with Katisha that I would have liked. They thought the show on the whole was wonderful and that the cabaret afterwards was excellent too.
Day 4 Was the last day I had with Mummy and Daddy before their rehearsals started and it was
spent around Buxton going shopping and playing in the play area in the Pavilion gardens. In the
evening before the show we had a meet up with loads of Savoynetters. I really loved meeting everyone and being made a fuss of and I made some new friends as well as seeing soem peole who I met last year. I was really pleased when Daddy went to get the Mikado t-shirts and I found out that I had two of my own. Just before it was time for Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad to go and see the show and for me to go to Nanna, Grumps and Great Nanna's flat to stay for the night, there was a fanfare played outside the opera house which I thought was really great. I had lots of fun at the flat meeting the farm cats who all came to see me and let me stroke them.
The show was Trent's Yeomen which had Mummy's friend Jess playing Phoebe. Mummy and Daddy thought that the show was very good, although Daddy said that he found it somewhat static in places. The principals were all really good and acted and sang well, with a few slightly different takes on the caracters. The adjudicator seemed to like the show too! :)
Day 5 was Mummy and Daddy's first day of Mikado rehearsals so while they were busy rehearsing their music I went with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna to Crich tramway museum where I had a great time. There were loads of differnt trams to look at and ride on, and a brilliant play area too! I really loved going on the trams and made everyone go on them again and again, although I didn't quite feel like venturing upstairs in them so stayed downstairs. I also loved changing the direction of the seats when we got to the end of the line and often did my own seat and the one in front of me as well! When I got back to our flat I had great fun telling Mummy and Daddy all about what I had done and showing them what I had bought, including some biscuits for them and a book that had pictures of the trams on the back. I pointed out all the trams I had been on and also the picture of the green man and the really big model ant! When it was time for everyone to go the show I was a bit surprised to be taken down to the opera house with them, but I didn't complain! (While waiting for them to go in I sang Happy Birthday to Mummy and Daddy's friend Rachel who's birthday it was!) I soon found out why I had been taken out though, as when Mummy, Daddy, Grandad, Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna had gone in, Grandma took me over to the bus station to see a bus. I had no real idea why she had done this, so imagine my surprise when I noticed Auntie Roxanne step off it! :D
The show was Peak Opera's HMS pinafore which was directed by my honourary Aunty, Ian Henderson. (He also played Dick Deadeye as a last minute substitute.) Mummy and Daddy said that the show was really good, although there were some forgotten/paraphrased lines and a few problems between the orcestra and singers, but they recovered well so it was never much of a problem. All in all they loved the show and the cabaret aftrewards was also extreamly good and very funny at times! :)
Day 6 (Today) was another day of rehearsals for Mummy and Daddy, so I went with Grandma, Grandad and Auntie Roxanne to the Bakewell Show for the day. I had loads of fun listening to music, going on the bouncy castle, running around and loads of other things. I even won an inflatable hammer on a game where you have to catch coloured balls in a net!
I went to stay at Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna's flat again tonight to give Auntie Roxanne a
break and so Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad could go and see South Anglia's Patience.
They thought the production was very good and polished, especially the drilling of the dragoons.
Mummy and Daddy thought that Patience's accent was quite annoying but that she acted the part well as did all the principals. ALthough patience is not their favourite show they thoroughly
enjoyed it and loved the energy onstage.
Day 3 started with Mummy and Daddy telling me that they were going to take me out to somewhere called Drayton Manor. They told me that they thought I would really love it, but would not tell me anything about it! (To be honest it sounded to me just like an old house or something and quite boring, but I didn't say anything!) On the way there I was so tired that I fell asleep and woke up just a little while before we reached our destination. When we got to Drayton Manor and I noticed the sign, I realised that it must be some sort of theme park and then I noticed.........."TOOT TOOT! TOOT TOOT!" I shouted excitedly when I noticed the big picture of
Thomas The Tank Engine on the sign! It turns out that Drayton Manor actually has a whole section that is Thomas The Tank Engine themed! Of course that was the first bit we went to, and we saw Thomas, Percy, James, Henry, Cranky, Gordon, Edward, Rosie, Toby, Harold and loads of the other Characters. I thought I would start by gong on the troublesome trucks ride, I thought it was very scary as it is a rollercoaster and I'm not sure if I liked it, but I was glad I was brave and went on it. While at the park I also went on loads of other 'Toot Toot' rides (Including a ride on Thomas!) and some of the other rides, including a really fun, but a bit scary rapids ride. I also went for a little look around the Zoo area where I met a coule of Parrots who said "Hello" to me - They actually said Hello! I thought that was very funny and very clever of them.
When it was time to leave Mummy and Daddy let me buy some things from the Toot Toot shop and also let me get a Magic Photo taken with him which they bought for me!
In the evening Nanna, Grumps and great nanna looked after me while Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad went to see edinborough's Mikado in the opera house. Mummy and Daddy thought the show was really good, although some of the voices didn't carry as well as they might have done. Mummy said that she really loved Katisha's costumes and that if she ever plays Katisha then she wants the same costumes (All three of them!). They liked the fact that the order of songs was changed back to how it originally was and thought it actually worked better like that and that the updated little list and Mikado's song worked really well. Mummy also said that there were a couple of Dragons on the stage with Katisha that I would have liked. They thought the show on the whole was wonderful and that the cabaret afterwards was excellent too.
Day 4 Was the last day I had with Mummy and Daddy before their rehearsals started and it was
spent around Buxton going shopping and playing in the play area in the Pavilion gardens. In the
evening before the show we had a meet up with loads of Savoynetters. I really loved meeting everyone and being made a fuss of and I made some new friends as well as seeing soem peole who I met last year. I was really pleased when Daddy went to get the Mikado t-shirts and I found out that I had two of my own. Just before it was time for Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad to go and see the show and for me to go to Nanna, Grumps and Great Nanna's flat to stay for the night, there was a fanfare played outside the opera house which I thought was really great. I had lots of fun at the flat meeting the farm cats who all came to see me and let me stroke them.
The show was Trent's Yeomen which had Mummy's friend Jess playing Phoebe. Mummy and Daddy thought that the show was very good, although Daddy said that he found it somewhat static in places. The principals were all really good and acted and sang well, with a few slightly different takes on the caracters. The adjudicator seemed to like the show too! :)
Day 5 was Mummy and Daddy's first day of Mikado rehearsals so while they were busy rehearsing their music I went with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna to Crich tramway museum where I had a great time. There were loads of differnt trams to look at and ride on, and a brilliant play area too! I really loved going on the trams and made everyone go on them again and again, although I didn't quite feel like venturing upstairs in them so stayed downstairs. I also loved changing the direction of the seats when we got to the end of the line and often did my own seat and the one in front of me as well! When I got back to our flat I had great fun telling Mummy and Daddy all about what I had done and showing them what I had bought, including some biscuits for them and a book that had pictures of the trams on the back. I pointed out all the trams I had been on and also the picture of the green man and the really big model ant! When it was time for everyone to go the show I was a bit surprised to be taken down to the opera house with them, but I didn't complain! (While waiting for them to go in I sang Happy Birthday to Mummy and Daddy's friend Rachel who's birthday it was!) I soon found out why I had been taken out though, as when Mummy, Daddy, Grandad, Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna had gone in, Grandma took me over to the bus station to see a bus. I had no real idea why she had done this, so imagine my surprise when I noticed Auntie Roxanne step off it! :D
The show was Peak Opera's HMS pinafore which was directed by my honourary Aunty, Ian Henderson. (He also played Dick Deadeye as a last minute substitute.) Mummy and Daddy said that the show was really good, although there were some forgotten/paraphrased lines and a few problems between the orcestra and singers, but they recovered well so it was never much of a problem. All in all they loved the show and the cabaret aftrewards was also extreamly good and very funny at times! :)
Day 6 (Today) was another day of rehearsals for Mummy and Daddy, so I went with Grandma, Grandad and Auntie Roxanne to the Bakewell Show for the day. I had loads of fun listening to music, going on the bouncy castle, running around and loads of other things. I even won an inflatable hammer on a game where you have to catch coloured balls in a net!
I went to stay at Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna's flat again tonight to give Auntie Roxanne a
break and so Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad could go and see South Anglia's Patience.
They thought the production was very good and polished, especially the drilling of the dragoons.
Mummy and Daddy thought that Patience's accent was quite annoying but that she acted the part well as did all the principals. ALthough patience is not their favourite show they thoroughly
enjoyed it and loved the energy onstage.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Buxton 2011: Days 1 and 2.
Here we are again back in Buxton! :)
I have been looking forward to this holiday for ages and kept asking Mummy and Daddy when we would be going, so I was so excited yesterday when they said that it was time to travel here.
After packing the last of our stuff including my toys (which took AGES as Mummy and Daddy were both very tired. Mummy had no excuse really though as she spent most of yesterday being a zombie!) we got in the car and set off!
The journey was pretty good thanks to Daddy's satnav (voiced by Brian Blessed) directing us around all the traffic jams and we got here in less than 3 1/2 hours! The flat we are staying in is HUGE - it has four bedrooms three of which are bigger than our living room at home!
I spent most of yesterday afternoon running around and exploring the flat with Mummy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandad who are staying with us. Mummy, Daddy and I also had a walk to the Pavillion gardens and I had a play in the play areas!
In the evening Grandma and Grandad looked after me while Mummy and Daddy went to see the G&S Opera Compamy perform Pirates, which was directed by their friend Gary. They thought the show was a very good mix of the traditional with nice new and funny touches - certainly a lot of 'inner bugs bunny' going on! The whole cast did very well, especially Mabel, who had taken on the part at the last minute, though Mummy did notice one unfortunate late entrance by Fredrick! After the show Mummy and Daddy went to the festival club to sing the pot luck Iolanthe and meet u with some of their friends.
Today I woke up really early so went out with Grandma and Grandad for a while in the morning while Mummy and Daddy went back to sleep! When they finally woke up we watched some CBeebies at the flat for a while untill Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna Harrowven came to see us. We all went to the pavillion gardens and I had another long play on the play areas, fed the ducks, went on the train, went on a trampoline, went on a ride and made a new friend when we shared a few rides in a 'jeep' while everyone finished off their icecreams! :) When we went back to the cottage we had a lay for a bit before Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad went to see Charles Court Opera's Cox and Box, Zoo and Trial.
Mummy and Daddy had seen their Cox and Box and Zoo before and thought they were just as good and funny as last time but the trial..............well the trial..........Mummy thought it was one of the weirdest and yet best trials she had ever seen and reckons that if she could persuade some of the kids at school to watch it then they would probably enjoy it a lot. I don't really want to give away too much here as it would spoil it for people who have not seen it, but Mummy says I can give hints, so I will just say Jerry Springerish, zany and Chav Angelina and leave it at that!
Can't wait to see what we do tomorrow! :)
I have been looking forward to this holiday for ages and kept asking Mummy and Daddy when we would be going, so I was so excited yesterday when they said that it was time to travel here.
After packing the last of our stuff including my toys (which took AGES as Mummy and Daddy were both very tired. Mummy had no excuse really though as she spent most of yesterday being a zombie!) we got in the car and set off!
The journey was pretty good thanks to Daddy's satnav (voiced by Brian Blessed) directing us around all the traffic jams and we got here in less than 3 1/2 hours! The flat we are staying in is HUGE - it has four bedrooms three of which are bigger than our living room at home!
I spent most of yesterday afternoon running around and exploring the flat with Mummy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandad who are staying with us. Mummy, Daddy and I also had a walk to the Pavillion gardens and I had a play in the play areas!
In the evening Grandma and Grandad looked after me while Mummy and Daddy went to see the G&S Opera Compamy perform Pirates, which was directed by their friend Gary. They thought the show was a very good mix of the traditional with nice new and funny touches - certainly a lot of 'inner bugs bunny' going on! The whole cast did very well, especially Mabel, who had taken on the part at the last minute, though Mummy did notice one unfortunate late entrance by Fredrick! After the show Mummy and Daddy went to the festival club to sing the pot luck Iolanthe and meet u with some of their friends.
Today I woke up really early so went out with Grandma and Grandad for a while in the morning while Mummy and Daddy went back to sleep! When they finally woke up we watched some CBeebies at the flat for a while untill Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna Harrowven came to see us. We all went to the pavillion gardens and I had another long play on the play areas, fed the ducks, went on the train, went on a trampoline, went on a ride and made a new friend when we shared a few rides in a 'jeep' while everyone finished off their icecreams! :) When we went back to the cottage we had a lay for a bit before Mummy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandad went to see Charles Court Opera's Cox and Box, Zoo and Trial.
Mummy and Daddy had seen their Cox and Box and Zoo before and thought they were just as good and funny as last time but the trial..............well the trial..........Mummy thought it was one of the weirdest and yet best trials she had ever seen and reckons that if she could persuade some of the kids at school to watch it then they would probably enjoy it a lot. I don't really want to give away too much here as it would spoil it for people who have not seen it, but Mummy says I can give hints, so I will just say Jerry Springerish, zany and Chav Angelina and leave it at that!
Can't wait to see what we do tomorrow! :)
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Day 22 - the last whole day
Today was our last whole Day in Buxton so we decided to stay in Buxton for the day. We started by going into town and having a look in the lovely little toy shop. Mummy and Daddy said that they would buy me a toy for being such a good boy during the holiday. There were so many great toys to choose from that it took me ages to decide which one I wanted, but I finally settled on a wooden 'construction truck' set that had various pieces that could be slotted onto a base to make 3 (or more than 3 if you have an imagination like mine!) different construction vehicles. After that we had an ice-cream in the gardens before going for a little walk by peak cavern which was was fun but tiring.
After my nap we went back into Buxton in time to go to the awards ceremony which was broadcast live on the radio. Savoynet and Peak did quite well with a few nominations and awards. On the wholewe agreed with some of the awards that companies got and thought they were all deservedly got even when they were not given to the companies/performers that we personally thought they should go to - at the end of the day it's mostly a matter of one person's (the adjudicator David Turner's) opinion anyway! After the awards Mummy, Daddy and I went out for dinner before heading to the festval club for one last time. The entertainment tonight was another pot-luck Trial which was great fun - even if I did sleep through most of it!
After my nap we went back into Buxton in time to go to the awards ceremony which was broadcast live on the radio. Savoynet and Peak did quite well with a few nominations and awards. On the wholewe agreed with some of the awards that companies got and thought they were all deservedly got even when they were not given to the companies/performers that we personally thought they should go to - at the end of the day it's mostly a matter of one person's (the adjudicator David Turner's) opinion anyway! After the awards Mummy, Daddy and I went out for dinner before heading to the festval club for one last time. The entertainment tonight was another pot-luck Trial which was great fun - even if I did sleep through most of it!
Day 21 - Alton Towers
Yep Today Mummy, Daddy and I went to Alton Towers for the day. Mummy and Daddy had origionally planned to go on their own one day while I was with my grandparents, but as they didn't get a chance to do that they took me along too and I (and them I think) was glad they did! :) We started off by going to get a 'parent queue share' pass so that Mummy and Daddy could go on the rollercoasters without all three of us having to queue up. Next we went on a few rides in 'Storybook land' - The squirrel nutty ride, doodle doo derby, and old MacDonalds singing barn. Mummy then spotted that one of the 'kiddie coasters' called 'the beastie' didn't have any height restrictions (other than under a certain height must be accompanied) so I WENT ON MY VERY FIRST 'PROPER' ROLLERCOASTER!!! I wasn't sure what to make of it at first as it was very fast and bumpy but I think I liked it.........yeah I really think I must have liked it as I kept saying "Wheee!" every time we went over the hills and bumps. :) Mummy and Daddy then decided that they would like to have a go on the new ride th13teen so we took the skyride cable cars to get to the right area of the park - YEY! When we got there Daddy took the pass and queued up to go on the ride while Mummy and I went on the carousel and spent some time playing in Wobble world which was like a bouncy castle / soft play area. We then went on the 2p machines in the arcade near the rides and won quite a few keyrings before Daddy came to meet us after his ride and Mummy took the pass and went on it herself. To save boredom I will now just list all the rest of the rides we went on instead of doing a propper account: We all went on/saw Furry friends, Old MacDonald's tractor ride, had a walk through the haunted hollow and saw the aquarium and Mummy and Daddy also went on Hex and Air.
This evening Mummy and Grandma and Grandad went to the opera house to see Opera Della Luna's HMS Pinafore while I stayed at Grandma and Grandad's cottage with Daddy. Mummy had seen the show loads and loads of times before but still thoroughly enjoyed it and liked some of the busisiness that had been added in / changed since last time she saw it!
After the show Grandma and Grandad came back to their cottage to look after me over night while Mummy and Daddy went to the festival club for the pot-luck Patience. Mummy wasn't going to do any roles in the pot-luck as she had only just got her voice back after the bad throat and cough she has had for the past few days, but when she heard that they still needed an Ella she decided that she would do it as she only had a couple of solo bits to sing. She said that it was a really fun pot-luck tho and she enjoyed it the most out of all the pot-lucks this festival.
This evening Mummy and Grandma and Grandad went to the opera house to see Opera Della Luna's HMS Pinafore while I stayed at Grandma and Grandad's cottage with Daddy. Mummy had seen the show loads and loads of times before but still thoroughly enjoyed it and liked some of the busisiness that had been added in / changed since last time she saw it!
After the show Grandma and Grandad came back to their cottage to look after me over night while Mummy and Daddy went to the festival club for the pot-luck Patience. Mummy wasn't going to do any roles in the pot-luck as she had only just got her voice back after the bad throat and cough she has had for the past few days, but when she heard that they still needed an Ella she decided that she would do it as she only had a couple of solo bits to sing. She said that it was a really fun pot-luck tho and she enjoyed it the most out of all the pot-lucks this festival.
Day 20 - Otters
Today we spent the morning seeing some Owls and otters at the owl and otter sanctuary. I really liked the otters as they were really cute and funny to watch as they ran round their enclosures and swam in the water, they also made funny squeeking noises which I was tempted to try and copy! We also saw some owls in their enclosures but I was not so interested in them at first as they didn't do much and they were hard to spot as they were mostly hiding high up at the back. However, later on in the morning we spotted a lady walking round holding a barn owl - I was fascinated by it, it was so beautiful and kept looking round and round at everybody. I was not allowed to touch it, but the lady did bring it a bit lower and closer to me so I could have a good look. On the way out of the 'animal trail' on our way to the cafe for lunch we also saw some deer on the sides of the grass. We didn't get too close to them, but I was still amazed at how close they did let us get - they were beautiful and one of them further back had really big antlers which were really impressive! In the cafe we saw a video of the giant otters and their new cubs - the section with the giant otters in was closed to the public as they don't like having humans around much when they have young, so it was really nice to be able to see the video/camera link.
In the afternoon I spent some time in the Pavilion gardens with Grandma and Grandad while Mummy and Daddy went to hear their friend Ian Belsey sing a concert. (I would have loved to have gone too, but I was in quite a hyper mood and so would have been very restless.) They said that the concert was really good and fun, (even if Ian didn't have any friends! ha ha! ;) ) and Mummy especially liked the fact that he did the 'Silly little Saussages' song that we liked last year - TWICE! :D They also liked a funny song that he did about a donkey and the Flanders and Swann transport songs.
Tonights show was Pirates by 'New Lyric, Belfast', which Daddy went to see with Grandma and Grandad while I stayed at the cottage with Mummy. Daddy thought it rather pretentious to play the National Anthem before the show, even though (as far as he could see) the Queen wasn't present in the audience. The clattering of seats as people sat back down nearly drowned out the start of the overture, but that paled into insignificance compared with the antics on stage which managed at times to make it completely inaudible. Apart from this, the show was lively and enthusiastically done, though it had a few too many interjections inserted into it, and didn't quite hang together as well as it initially appeared it was going to. Still worth having seen though, overall.
In the afternoon I spent some time in the Pavilion gardens with Grandma and Grandad while Mummy and Daddy went to hear their friend Ian Belsey sing a concert. (I would have loved to have gone too, but I was in quite a hyper mood and so would have been very restless.) They said that the concert was really good and fun, (even if Ian didn't have any friends! ha ha! ;) ) and Mummy especially liked the fact that he did the 'Silly little Saussages' song that we liked last year - TWICE! :D They also liked a funny song that he did about a donkey and the Flanders and Swann transport songs.
Tonights show was Pirates by 'New Lyric, Belfast', which Daddy went to see with Grandma and Grandad while I stayed at the cottage with Mummy. Daddy thought it rather pretentious to play the National Anthem before the show, even though (as far as he could see) the Queen wasn't present in the audience. The clattering of seats as people sat back down nearly drowned out the start of the overture, but that paled into insignificance compared with the antics on stage which managed at times to make it completely inaudible. Apart from this, the show was lively and enthusiastically done, though it had a few too many interjections inserted into it, and didn't quite hang together as well as it initially appeared it was going to. Still worth having seen though, overall.
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