And no, I don't mean my parents! (Though of course they were there too!)
This morning Mummy, Daddy and I went to Matlock Farm Park. I loved seeing all the animals, especially feeding the sheep and goats. I thought it was so funny when they stuck out their toungues to get at the food pellets that I had in my hand, I had fits of the giggles and couldn't stop smiling - Even Mummy seemed to enjoy watching me feed them more than feeding them herself! At one point while I was feeding the sheep a wasp came up and stung me on the side of the nose when I tried to swat it away. It really hurt and I was a bit scared for a little while, but I was a very brave boy and soon calmed down, especially when Mummy and Daddy took me over to the play area. The play area was great with good slides (even if they were a bit high off the ground at the end,) a sand pit,a bouncy castle, a massive wendy house, a see-saw, swings and an old tractor that I could climb on. There were also some pedal carts and tricycles in another bit of the farm which I spent ages playing on, giving Mummy and Daddy achy backs from having to push me around! As well as the Goats and Sheep that I mentioned earlier, there were also pigs, chickens, ducks, donkeys, horses, cows, peacocks, alpacas, ferrets, chincillas, Rabbits and Guinea-pigs. I was really lucky as Mummy went to get one of the ladys who works at the farm and she got one of the guinnea-pigs out for me to cuddle which was brilliant!
After the farm park we went back to the cottage for a bit and then went for another little walk around Buxton. We met Grandma and Grandad in the Pavilion gardens and they took me for a little while and we had a play while Mummy and Daddy went for a quick look around Scriveners bookshop which is a second hand bookshop that they really like.
Tonights show was The festival production of The Sorceror which Mummy went to see with Grandma and Grandad while I stayed at the cottage with Daddy and had some fun before going to bed.
Mummy said that the show was quite good, and while maybe not quite up to the standard of many of the productions at the festival this year, was in her opinion one of the best festival productions for the past few years. She liked the fact that there were a few different interpritations of some of the lines and liked some of the charecterisation in it. She also like how the very small chorus was used to great effect, though would have liked a few more stranger pairings in act 2.
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Day 18 - Another Gullivers!
Yes you did read the title correctly! Today, as I had enjoyed my time at Gullivers so much on the previous visits, Mummy, Daddy and I went, not to the Gullivers in Matlock where I have been before, but to the Gullivers in Warrington. It was a much longer drive (1 hour 20mins instead of 1/2 hour) but it was much bigger! It would be really boring if I wrote about all the rides I went on because I went on so many, but my favourites were the aeroplanes, the car rides, the carosels, the train and the tractor rides. I particularly liked on of the car/tractor rides which I was alowed to go on all by myself as it made me feel so grown up! (Usually I have to have either Mummy or Daddy on the rides with me because I am so little so it was great to be indipendant!) I also like seeing all the dinosaurs in the walkthrough bit and going 'RRRRAAAHHH' at them! :)
Because Grandma and Grandad were also going to the show tonight, only Daddy went and I stayed at home with Mummy. We had loads of fun playing 'Wiggles Singstar', watching Tv and 'dancing The Cachucha' before winding down by reading a book before I went to bed.
Daddy says that the show, Derby's 'Mikado', was really good and very polished, but seemed, to him, to be 'too polished' as, although it was tecnically very good and interesting, it just seemed to have hardly any life in it at all - almost as if it had been rehearsed too much to the the point where the cast were no longer really enjoying it and had got tired and bored of the show, which was a shame. In many ways, a less polished but more 'full of life' show would have been much better from the audience point of view as the lack of life 'took the shine off' an an otherwise excellent production.
Because Grandma and Grandad were also going to the show tonight, only Daddy went and I stayed at home with Mummy. We had loads of fun playing 'Wiggles Singstar', watching Tv and 'dancing The Cachucha' before winding down by reading a book before I went to bed.
Daddy says that the show, Derby's 'Mikado', was really good and very polished, but seemed, to him, to be 'too polished' as, although it was tecnically very good and interesting, it just seemed to have hardly any life in it at all - almost as if it had been rehearsed too much to the the point where the cast were no longer really enjoying it and had got tired and bored of the show, which was a shame. In many ways, a less polished but more 'full of life' show would have been much better from the audience point of view as the lack of life 'took the shine off' an an otherwise excellent production.
Day 17 - A busy but fun day!
Today was a really fun day as we did loads of different and exciting things! Mummy and Daddy met Grandma, Grandad and I in the Pavillion gardens play area where I had a run around and a play for a little while which was great. Mummy, Daddy and I then went into the town centre for a look around some of the shops as they needed to go into Boots to get some throat sweets for them and some more wipes for me. As we were passing one of the cafes Mummy suddenly exclaimed something and took me over to where a lady was standing talking to some people at a table. I was a bit confused at first until I looked up at the lady and saw what she was holding - a tiny fluffy grey kitten that was so so cute! The lady saw me looking at her kitten and asked if I would like to/was allowed to hold it and give it a fuss. When Mummy and Daddy said yes I was deligted as the lady placed the kitten on my lap and I spent a few minutes stroking it's soft fur and giving it a little cuddle. I was very proud when I was told how good and gentle I was with the kitten and could of kept hold of it for ages, but it started to get a bit restless so the lady gently took it off my lap and smiled when I said 'Thankyou' to her and we went on our way. Mummy decided that she would like to go into 'potters' as she had never been in there before and had heard so much about it. She bought a bag from there and said that she thought the shop was great as it was so old fashioned, with members of staff ready to give you personal service when you walked in the door, draws full of 'surpluss stock', more draws of various things behind the counter, and barely a till in sight (Mummy said she spotted one old looking one tucked away in the corner at the back of the store) and the payment for items instead added up on paper and written down in a ledger book and the customer being given a handwritten receipt! Mummy said she is going to 'cherish' her receipt as a souveneir! (Daddy says that apparently Potters do take credit cards, though the machine must be hidden well away out of sight as Mummy couldn't see any evidence of it!) On the way back to the car we went on another ride on the train in the gardens, as I spotted it running and asked so nicely for a go that Mummy and Daddy couldn't resist. :)
Our next activity was a visit to Fairfields Donkey sanctuary which is a place that rescues/takes in donkeys who have been mistreated. It was only a little place so we only stayed for about an hour, (though Mummy says she could have spent all day there,) but I loved seeing and stroking all the donkeys. I made friends with one donkey in particular who came over to see me and then nuzzled up next to me so I gave it lots of big cuddles which both of us loved - donkeys are very cudddly animals! At one point however, one of the donkeys took a fancy to the books that were hanging on my pushchair and started to eat them! When I tried to pull the books away from it, it acidentally got my hand in it's mouth instead of the book! Mummy and Daddy managed to get my hand out of it's mouth quite easily and it didn't really hurt me, though I was a bit shocked and upset for a while once I realised what had and could of happened! I soon calmed down though and made friends with the donkey again as I knew it wasn't it's fault and it didn't mean to upset me! I gave it a big hug and then spent a while with the other donkeys before heading off on the next part of our trip which was to Bakewell.
Needless to say that one of the first things we did when we got there (after finally managing to find a parking space!) was to go to a cafe and have some bakewell tart and bakewell pudding! Yummy yummy yum! As well as that we popped in to have a look at a small craft fair, saw some ducks and went to see a display of old/classic motorbikes which was really interesting! (Daddy wasn't too sure about going to see the bikes at first and nor was Mummy, though she was less unsure as she loves motorbikes herself, but I kept insisting by saying 'bike', 'bike' over and over again and pointing through to the yard that they eventually gave in!) Before we left we went to a bakery and got some cakes to eat in the car and a lemon bakewell tart to eat later!
The show tonight was 'Princess Ida' by Oxford University G&S Society. Mummy and Daddy said that they enjoyed the show, despite the fact that it was by 'the other place' (Daddy went to Cambridge!) and thought that Ida and Gamma were the particular strong points. They said that there were a few bits that were not so good, but over all they enjoyed it and thought it was a good show. (Mummy also commented that one of 'the three brothers' was 'the spit' of Russel Howard! he he!) They also enjoyed the cabaret afterwards.
Our next activity was a visit to Fairfields Donkey sanctuary which is a place that rescues/takes in donkeys who have been mistreated. It was only a little place so we only stayed for about an hour, (though Mummy says she could have spent all day there,) but I loved seeing and stroking all the donkeys. I made friends with one donkey in particular who came over to see me and then nuzzled up next to me so I gave it lots of big cuddles which both of us loved - donkeys are very cudddly animals! At one point however, one of the donkeys took a fancy to the books that were hanging on my pushchair and started to eat them! When I tried to pull the books away from it, it acidentally got my hand in it's mouth instead of the book! Mummy and Daddy managed to get my hand out of it's mouth quite easily and it didn't really hurt me, though I was a bit shocked and upset for a while once I realised what had and could of happened! I soon calmed down though and made friends with the donkey again as I knew it wasn't it's fault and it didn't mean to upset me! I gave it a big hug and then spent a while with the other donkeys before heading off on the next part of our trip which was to Bakewell.
Needless to say that one of the first things we did when we got there (after finally managing to find a parking space!) was to go to a cafe and have some bakewell tart and bakewell pudding! Yummy yummy yum! As well as that we popped in to have a look at a small craft fair, saw some ducks and went to see a display of old/classic motorbikes which was really interesting! (Daddy wasn't too sure about going to see the bikes at first and nor was Mummy, though she was less unsure as she loves motorbikes herself, but I kept insisting by saying 'bike', 'bike' over and over again and pointing through to the yard that they eventually gave in!) Before we left we went to a bakery and got some cakes to eat in the car and a lemon bakewell tart to eat later!
The show tonight was 'Princess Ida' by Oxford University G&S Society. Mummy and Daddy said that they enjoyed the show, despite the fact that it was by 'the other place' (Daddy went to Cambridge!) and thought that Ida and Gamma were the particular strong points. They said that there were a few bits that were not so good, but over all they enjoyed it and thought it was a good show. (Mummy also commented that one of 'the three brothers' was 'the spit' of Russel Howard! he he!) They also enjoyed the cabaret afterwards.
Day 16 - The heights of Abraham
Today Mummy, Daddy and I visited the Heights of Abraham.
When we got to Matlock we parked in the carpark and then Mummy and Daddy took me across the railway line and up to some things called 'cable cars'. They didn't look much like cars to me as they had no wheels and flew through the air on wires, but as Mummy and Daddy said they were 'cars' I believed them and called them cars too. :) I was wheeled into one of these funny cars and we 'took off' into the air. I really loved looking out of the windows at all the houses, trees, people, cars, busses and bikes that we passed as we made our way up the hill and pointed them all out to Mummy and Daddy.
While at 'the heights' we did loads of exciting things, so many infact that this would be very long and boring if I put all of them so I will just put the best bits. First we went and looked at a display about the changing countryside around the heights and about it becoming a tourist attraction. We then went upstairs in there and looked at some fossils and watched a video about how they were formed - my favourite bit of the video was when there was a big dinosaur - RRRAAAAHHHHH!! After that we went to the lookout tower and I climbed all the way to the top by myself! (ok, with a little help from daddy as he held my hands, but I did all the walking!) I then had a go on the adventure playground which was great fun, even if I was tecnically a bit to little to go on it properly! :) Mummy and Daddy decided after dinner that they would like to go on one of the cave tours so we waited for one of them, only to be told that they could not take me in there in my pushchair as there were loads of steps, so, as they didn't really want me running around the cave they decided not to go on that tour so we went to the other cave which they could take my pushchair in. (Mummy later went in the first cave on her own and enjoyed it, though said that it definatly would have been difficult with the pushchair and that I would probably have got a bit bored during the talks.) The cave we went in was really good and I loved looking around in it and listening to the guide, although my fave bit was when all the lights went out making it really dark. Suddenly I saw a light come on and looked up to see a model of a miner who was talking and telling a tale about life working in the mines. I found this really interesting and was fascinated for most of it, although as the model didn't do anything I did get a bit restless near the end.
On our way back from the cave we stopped at the children's play area and I had loads of fun on all the stuff, though I think Mummy and Daddy particularly like the really big slide that went all the way down a hill. I loved it too as I have never even seen, let alone been on a slide as big as that - I was a bit nervous at first but it was great fun, and I even went down all by myself! (Though Mummy/Daddy were at the bottom waiting for me just incase!) Another of my favourite things was listening to the Ceilidh band that were playing by the resturant. I had a great time dancing to them, and one of them even commented in the microphone how well I was dancing and keeping in time with the music! :)
All to soon it was time to head back to Buxton, though it was not the show we were going back for, as Mummy and Daddy had seen it earlier in the week, but instead we met Grandma, Grandad and Auntie Roxanne for dinner at 'The Old Clubhouse' pub/resturant next to the opera house. I got a bit restless waiting for the food as it took quite a while, so I took Mummy, then Daddy, then Grandma and then Grandad on a 'tour' to see the fish in the pavillion. Dinner was yummy though so it was worth waiting for, I had my own portion of chicken goujons (which was actually an adult starter on the menu but was just right for me though I could only manage half,) a few of Mummy's chips and peas and a bit of Grandad's saussage. For afters I had some of Mummy and Daddy's icecream! Yummy yum!
When dinner was over I had a little run around the Pavilion gardens and the bandstand before going back with the Grandparents to sleep the night while Mummy and Daddy went nto the festival club for the 'Pot-luck Ruddigore.' They said that it was great fun, though as they both had sore throats and coughs they couldn't sing as well or as much as usual and Mummy even sang alto for a lot of it! They were glad they went though.
When we got to Matlock we parked in the carpark and then Mummy and Daddy took me across the railway line and up to some things called 'cable cars'. They didn't look much like cars to me as they had no wheels and flew through the air on wires, but as Mummy and Daddy said they were 'cars' I believed them and called them cars too. :) I was wheeled into one of these funny cars and we 'took off' into the air. I really loved looking out of the windows at all the houses, trees, people, cars, busses and bikes that we passed as we made our way up the hill and pointed them all out to Mummy and Daddy.
While at 'the heights' we did loads of exciting things, so many infact that this would be very long and boring if I put all of them so I will just put the best bits. First we went and looked at a display about the changing countryside around the heights and about it becoming a tourist attraction. We then went upstairs in there and looked at some fossils and watched a video about how they were formed - my favourite bit of the video was when there was a big dinosaur - RRRAAAAHHHHH!! After that we went to the lookout tower and I climbed all the way to the top by myself! (ok, with a little help from daddy as he held my hands, but I did all the walking!) I then had a go on the adventure playground which was great fun, even if I was tecnically a bit to little to go on it properly! :) Mummy and Daddy decided after dinner that they would like to go on one of the cave tours so we waited for one of them, only to be told that they could not take me in there in my pushchair as there were loads of steps, so, as they didn't really want me running around the cave they decided not to go on that tour so we went to the other cave which they could take my pushchair in. (Mummy later went in the first cave on her own and enjoyed it, though said that it definatly would have been difficult with the pushchair and that I would probably have got a bit bored during the talks.) The cave we went in was really good and I loved looking around in it and listening to the guide, although my fave bit was when all the lights went out making it really dark. Suddenly I saw a light come on and looked up to see a model of a miner who was talking and telling a tale about life working in the mines. I found this really interesting and was fascinated for most of it, although as the model didn't do anything I did get a bit restless near the end.
On our way back from the cave we stopped at the children's play area and I had loads of fun on all the stuff, though I think Mummy and Daddy particularly like the really big slide that went all the way down a hill. I loved it too as I have never even seen, let alone been on a slide as big as that - I was a bit nervous at first but it was great fun, and I even went down all by myself! (Though Mummy/Daddy were at the bottom waiting for me just incase!) Another of my favourite things was listening to the Ceilidh band that were playing by the resturant. I had a great time dancing to them, and one of them even commented in the microphone how well I was dancing and keeping in time with the music! :)
All to soon it was time to head back to Buxton, though it was not the show we were going back for, as Mummy and Daddy had seen it earlier in the week, but instead we met Grandma, Grandad and Auntie Roxanne for dinner at 'The Old Clubhouse' pub/resturant next to the opera house. I got a bit restless waiting for the food as it took quite a while, so I took Mummy, then Daddy, then Grandma and then Grandad on a 'tour' to see the fish in the pavillion. Dinner was yummy though so it was worth waiting for, I had my own portion of chicken goujons (which was actually an adult starter on the menu but was just right for me though I could only manage half,) a few of Mummy's chips and peas and a bit of Grandad's saussage. For afters I had some of Mummy and Daddy's icecream! Yummy yum!
When dinner was over I had a little run around the Pavilion gardens and the bandstand before going back with the Grandparents to sleep the night while Mummy and Daddy went nto the festival club for the 'Pot-luck Ruddigore.' They said that it was great fun, though as they both had sore throats and coughs they couldn't sing as well or as much as usual and Mummy even sang alto for a lot of it! They were glad they went though.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Day 15 - A day with little G&S
(Appologies for the lateness of the last few posts, we have had no internet connection at the cottage so have been connecting at the festival club, though now Mummy has connected via her phone.)
Today after a while at Grandma and Grandads cottage playing and saying goodbye to Nanna and Great-Nanna who were leaving Buxton today (Grumps left really early in the morning as he had to get back for football,) we went in to Buxton for a bit of shopping and a snack. We went into a sweet show and Mummy and Daddy bought me some lovely banana flavour sweets as a treat for being so good - they were yummy! We also went to the Sky Arts 'toy theatre' to have our photo taken in G&S costumes. Mummy dressed up as a sailor from HMS Pinafore, Daddy dressed up as a geisha from Mikado and I was given a Pirate sword and Hat so I could be from Pirates Of Penzance. (I didn't want to wear the hat, but I held it as an extra prop to go with the sword.) The photos were really funny! :)
In the afternoon we went for a look around Castleton shops and visitors centre and got some really yummy fudge from the fudge shop there. It was DELICIOUS and as we saw it being made I got to try a bit of 3 of the flavours for free. :)
We didn't go to the opera house tonight as it was a repeat of last nights show so we stayed in the cottage instead and watched a bit of the Gondoliers dvd, which was great before I had a bath and went to bed!
Today after a while at Grandma and Grandads cottage playing and saying goodbye to Nanna and Great-Nanna who were leaving Buxton today (Grumps left really early in the morning as he had to get back for football,) we went in to Buxton for a bit of shopping and a snack. We went into a sweet show and Mummy and Daddy bought me some lovely banana flavour sweets as a treat for being so good - they were yummy! We also went to the Sky Arts 'toy theatre' to have our photo taken in G&S costumes. Mummy dressed up as a sailor from HMS Pinafore, Daddy dressed up as a geisha from Mikado and I was given a Pirate sword and Hat so I could be from Pirates Of Penzance. (I didn't want to wear the hat, but I held it as an extra prop to go with the sword.) The photos were really funny! :)
In the afternoon we went for a look around Castleton shops and visitors centre and got some really yummy fudge from the fudge shop there. It was DELICIOUS and as we saw it being made I got to try a bit of 3 of the flavours for free. :)
We didn't go to the opera house tonight as it was a repeat of last nights show so we stayed in the cottage instead and watched a bit of the Gondoliers dvd, which was great before I had a bath and went to bed!
Day 14 - Gullivers again! :)
Today, Mummy, Daddy, Nanna, Great-Nanna, Grumps and I went to Gullivers in Matlock Bath. I had already been there with Grandma and Grandad, but I didn't mind going again as it is such fun! While we were there we did loads of fun things, I had 2 goes on the 'lilliput loco' train ride, 3 goes on the 'dino cars', a ride on the 'lazy river', a play in the ball pit, panned for gold, went on the 'gullivers travels' ride and loads more things besides! We also had a lovely dinner in one of the resturants that had loads of models up around the walls that moved, told a story and sang songs - I was really fascinated by them which was good, though did distract me from my dinner a little bit! When we were about to leave the park at about closing time, we saw the 'Gully mice' doing some dancing which we watched and I joined in a bit, and so did Mummy! (Though she may not admit to doing so herself!)
After Gullivers, Mummy and Daddy droped me off at Grandma and Grandad's for the night as they were going to see the show which was the G&S Opera company's 'Yeomen' directed by Jeff Clarke who also directs one of Mummy's favourite companys, Opera Della Luna.
Mummy and Daddy said that they really enjoyed the show and that they are tempted to buy the DVD as they would love to see it again as there were so many little touches that they are sure they missed some of them! They thought the set was very different but liked it, especially the use of the red curtain coming down to create the Lieutenant's quarters/another room. They also thought that Colonel Fairfax reminded them a bit of 'Blackadder' and Wilfred reminded them a bit of 'Baldrick'! :) Another comment that Mummy gave was that she really did enjoy it and get into it and was in tears at the end when Jack point 'falls insensible', but then found the spell broken when she realised, (as he was falling) that he was going to fall in the path of the curtain, and she couldn't help but have a slight snigger at that despite herself! (She was proved right as it did hit his leg, and she hopes he wasn't hurt as that curtain is very heavy!)
All in all a great day and a Fantastic show, which Nanna, Great-Nanna and Grumps said was a perfect end to their time in Buxton.
After Gullivers, Mummy and Daddy droped me off at Grandma and Grandad's for the night as they were going to see the show which was the G&S Opera company's 'Yeomen' directed by Jeff Clarke who also directs one of Mummy's favourite companys, Opera Della Luna.
Mummy and Daddy said that they really enjoyed the show and that they are tempted to buy the DVD as they would love to see it again as there were so many little touches that they are sure they missed some of them! They thought the set was very different but liked it, especially the use of the red curtain coming down to create the Lieutenant's quarters/another room. They also thought that Colonel Fairfax reminded them a bit of 'Blackadder' and Wilfred reminded them a bit of 'Baldrick'! :) Another comment that Mummy gave was that she really did enjoy it and get into it and was in tears at the end when Jack point 'falls insensible', but then found the spell broken when she realised, (as he was falling) that he was going to fall in the path of the curtain, and she couldn't help but have a slight snigger at that despite herself! (She was proved right as it did hit his leg, and she hopes he wasn't hurt as that curtain is very heavy!)
All in all a great day and a Fantastic show, which Nanna, Great-Nanna and Grumps said was a perfect end to their time in Buxton.
Day 13 - Tiredness!
After all the excitement last night I was not in Mummy and Daddy's good books today when I woke them up at 6am! (Sorry!)
When they finally came round, we spent the first bit of the morning relaxing in the cottage before going into Buxton to see the ducks, look at the fish and have lunch, before returning to the cottage for a nap! (All 3 of us had a nap!)
When we had all woken up, we went over to Nanna, Great-Nanna and Grump's cottage to see them and had lots of fun seeing the cats, sheep and tractors. Mummy and Daddy then left me there to sleep the night while they went to see Southampton's 'Utopia' in the opera house.
Of the show they said that they felt that there was no need to change most of the recits into straight dialogue, or to cut one of the best songs in the show (first you're born) out compleatly. They also said that some of the extra 'quotes' and allusions to other operas were not nessasary. They did like the Morris dancing for 'society has quite forsaken' though wished that the main dancing had been reserved for when there was no singing as it had a tendancy to be a bit distracting! Overall however, they felt that the concept worked pretty well and thoroughly enjoyed the show!
When they finally came round, we spent the first bit of the morning relaxing in the cottage before going into Buxton to see the ducks, look at the fish and have lunch, before returning to the cottage for a nap! (All 3 of us had a nap!)
When we had all woken up, we went over to Nanna, Great-Nanna and Grump's cottage to see them and had lots of fun seeing the cats, sheep and tractors. Mummy and Daddy then left me there to sleep the night while they went to see Southampton's 'Utopia' in the opera house.
Of the show they said that they felt that there was no need to change most of the recits into straight dialogue, or to cut one of the best songs in the show (first you're born) out compleatly. They also said that some of the extra 'quotes' and allusions to other operas were not nessasary. They did like the Morris dancing for 'society has quite forsaken' though wished that the main dancing had been reserved for when there was no singing as it had a tendancy to be a bit distracting! Overall however, they felt that the concept worked pretty well and thoroughly enjoyed the show!
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