h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello H,

Sorry not to have given you a proper welcome back before now - A has been visiting his brother over in Gloucester and has taken my laptop and I can't use his computer while he's away, so I have to resort to using one of the kids' whenever I've got a spare moment and one of theirs is free. But it's half-term ... yippee ... so I'm grabbing my chance while daughter is out with her friends.

I have another reason to celebrate, too - have stood down as Chair of the Parents Association - this has already had quite an impact on my life (a big patch of eczema on the back of my neck which appeared at the start of the school year has vanished!).

Texas sounds ... er, intriguing! What, no Southfork replica to go and visit? Did you come back with a 10-gallon hat?

I'm now hopping over to WoM to send you another message....it's SO good to have you back there (especially on threads about lyrics!!)

Love,
Mimi
xxxx

Hi Mimi

It's good to hear from you. I'm glad things are getting a bit easier for you. I have the same problem here with our Residents' Association but I've set strict limits to how much of my spare time I'll devote to volunteer work; experience has told me that the demands are unlimited unless you do that.

How's your mum? I trust no news is good news. Have you been to see her recently?

There is a Southfork Ranch and mansion in the Dallas area but, as you might guess, I wasn't interested. I've never even seen a full episode of that TV programme. I didn't come back with a hat - I never wear them - but I did manage to get some Levis & Chinos far cheaper than you'd get them here. That was one of the few bargains, though. In general prices were on a par with those in the UK. It must be hellishly expensive when the dollar is strong.

must dash now

back later

H

Hi Mimi and H,

Nice to see you both back again. I'm still teaching this week - half-term next week. Glad you're feeling more relaxed now Mimi. Voluntary work's great so long as you can give it up when you've had enough! Douglas of WoM fame volunteered to be in charge of his local Poppy selling over 20 years ago and he's been trying unsuccessfully to pass on this responsibility to someone younger (he's now 80) for many years! He's just too good at it!

H - sorry to hear that Anna Russell has just died - she was 91. Sean R played her spoof coloratura aria on In Tune this evening. Glad that R4 had just celebrated her in that recent programme - I always think it's a shame to devote a programme to someone just after he or she has died and not before. If my memory serves me right I think it was you H who pointed out this recent R4 series to me.

Must go. Goodnight. Sweet dreams.

MJ

Hi MJ

Good to hear from you even if you're bearing sad news - it's the first I've heard of Anna Russell's death. I can't see any mention of it on the R3 boards but I must confess I've only skimmed them. I managed to find the 'Telegraph' obit online - it seems she died the day I got back.

I see Miles Davis is CoTW this week. I must try to catch the midnight repeats from Sunday. The jazz-rock stuff is towards the end of the week as you might expect, Mimi - 'Bitches Brew' on Friday. And Saturday's opera is Jenufa. Rather a starry cast for the ENO, so I'll give it a go even though I don't usually like translated opera.

Let's hope I get to post this. Last night I was working late and I noticed I got logged out around midnight but was reinstated by the time I went to bed at 0130. There was a hiatus this evening, too; so it looks like they still have technical problems.

goodnight all

H

Hi H,

Just a quickie as I have to dash - I was only teasing about Southfork and the hat!!

Love,
Mimi
xxxx

Hi Mimi

just a quick reply as I'm cooking right now. Re your query on WoM about other hits in Latin, I just found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudete

according to this there are only two and both are 'Pie Jesu'.

I'm reluctant to revive the thread just for this so I thought I'd let you know here.

H

Thanks H, (funny, after I sent you the message on WoM re "Ave Maria", I had second thoughts that "Pie Jesu" may be the other one ... Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church, poptastic! (One of whom, at least, is no angel!).

Half-term has flown past - went up to London with both kids yesterday. Mum doing well and due to go back home Mon/Tues. next week. Met up with. sister M at care home, after which did a cruise along Kings Road (Chelsea) as son was looking for winter clothes (not at all successful ... not the vibrant shopping centre I remember it being when I was at my most fashion-conscious!). Parted company with M there and went on to The Ritz(outside) to meet sister E and my niece, who has a new job just off Piccadilly. We didn't quite meet The Ritz's dress code to go in there for a drink but we found a swanky bar instead. There weren't many other people when we went in but it had filled up quite a bit by the time I left with my 2 - seemed to be groups of people having after-work champagne cocktails ... and on a Thursday!!

MJ if you're looking in, hope you have a good half-term next week. I have INSET day on Mon. - all about behaviour, should be a goodie!

Back soon,

Love,
Mimi
xxxx

Hi Mimi & MJ

I'm just about to close down. I was listening to Armando Iannucci on BBC7. It was originally made for Radio One so there's quite a bit of annoying pop in it - but the guy is very funny!

I was in the Kings Road a couple of months ago killing time before my lunchtime Prom at Cadogan Hall. I never knew the place in its heyday but I must agree that it's rather boring - and expensive - now. Sloane Square is not a bad place to sit down and eat your sandwiches if the weather's fine, though. I've never been in the Ritz but in my catering days I met people who told me it's not a pleasant place to work.

I should finish now in case they're still bringing the shutters down at midnight. There seems to be a bit of spat between David Crosbie and Tafkaj on WoM. That's a pity - isn't T connected to the programme in some way?

goodnight all

H

Hi Mimi and H,

Thanks Mimi I'm enjoying relaxing now I'm on half-term but can't quite switch off - keep finding myself talking about the kids in my class - especially those with awful backgrounds and what they have to endure at home. And whilst I'm on the subject, do you have serious problems with pupil behaviour? Since my school introduced training for the staff in physical restraint (known as Care'n'Control!) the behaviour's improved dramatically as children know they won't be allowed to continue once they start throwing things around or refusing to leave a room for Time Out when they're disruptive. Since I wasn't there when the training took place I can't do it but I don't think my children realise that! We've also introduced Peer Massage which is supposed to calm them down after a rowdy lunch play - I was sceptical at first but it seems to have been quite successful (the other teacher does the afternoons so I haven't led it but I've seen it a few times).

No more about school!!! Your mention of the Ritz, H, reminds me of the year one of my cousins was working there as a trainee chef and staying with us in Wimbledon. Oh how he hated it! He stuck it out for quite a while but he was so miserable. I did feel sorry for him as he'd been so excited about starting there.

Must look in on WoM again. I have a constant battle with my (own) kids with them using the word "so" instead of "such" eg this morning Little R was telling me that some game was "so fun". (It's often "well fun" too.) It occured to me that "such" could be a contracted (is that the right word?!) form of "so much" (in which case R's "so" is an even more contracted form!) but it's not worth starting a new thread for that.

Off to play Scrabble.

MJ

Hi MJ & Mimi

I hope you're winning at scrabble MJ. I just looked in on my way to bed. Did you catch, Jenufa. I thought it was very impressive, as you'd expect from Roocroft & Malfitano. The orchestra sounded in good form too. Pity it was in English; but that didn't spoil it too much. Last time I saw it (at the ROH) there was also a very strong cast (Mattila & Silja if memory serves). I've been working all day, so listening to that and popping down the pub for an hour afterwards was a good way of winding down - though I wish the pubs weren't all so noisy these days.

Re the Ritz. When I was working in kitchens I met a lot of other very casual workers and discovered that the most prestigious places were often the worst to work in; Harrods, for example, paid very badly on the assumption that people would feel privileged to work there and wouldn't mind the low pay!

Are you back at work next week, Mimi? I've got another break from Thursday onwards. Off to Santiago de Compostela, then overland to Santander before flying home. It's my usual Christmas shopping trip to buy booze & cigs at Spanish prices so I can give them away as seasonal gifts.

bye for now

H

Hi MJ

I suppose you've noticed this but, just in case, there's Beethoven 6 & Saint-Saens 3 by the Concertgebouw Orchestra at 1400. I've seen this band a few times and it's very good. No Mariss Jansons today but you can't have everything, I suppose.

H

Evening all

Just popped in to say I'm off first thing tomorrow (back Monday/Tuesday next week) so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for a while after tonight.

H

Thanks for letting me know about the concert H but I'm afraid I missed it. So I've just put it on courtesy of Listen Again (but I'm skipping ahead to the S-S since I don't know it - sorry LvB!)

Have a good trip - not just buying booze and cigs I hope! Will you manage to see/hear/ anything architectural/musical in addition?! Enjoy yourself whatever!

MJ

One / too many!!! Enjoying this S-S 3 now. No organ yet...I may change my mind then or perhaps it will pleasantly surprise me! I'll let you know!

Having a chuckle listening to the S-S as the theme the organ plays when it comes in is that hymn-like tune which I've only ever heard on the film sound-track of Babe! Doubt you've seen it H but I bet Mimi has!

Yours amusedly,

MJ

thought it might be a bit bombastic for you, MJ, but even if you don't like the FF bits, there's plenty of material in that Symphony. I think Saint-Saens had a great gift for melody - like Mendelssohn & Dvorak. The big organ & orchestra theme is perfect for adverts & movies, as you suggest. It was used in a grotesque comedy called "How to get Ahead in Business".

Still packing, so must dash now.

back later

H

Hello H,

Just a quickie to wish you Bon Voyage. Sorry I haven't been around much the last few days. Must tell you there is a big breakthrough with my siblings - they are not just back on friendly terms, they seem to have reconciled their differences in a spirit of conviviliaty. Phew, what a relief that is ... and Mum is back at home since this afternoon.

MJ - I will be answering your messages above soon and, of course, still coming here for chats while H is away.

And this smiley's for you, H ... even though you don't like them It's name is 'magic'.

Wishing you lots!

Mimi
xxxx

Hi MJ. I hope you enjoyed the rest of Saint-Saens 3.

And good evening Mimi. I’m glad your latest family news is so positive. From what I read on WoM I got the impression you’d been lurking on the Woman Sour board. Or were you referring to ancient history in your exchanges with kleines c?

I steer well clear of that board these days – serious waste of time expecting an adult discussion (and I’m not being sexist… some of the worst offenders have male board names). I listened to the programme this morning, though, and I had to laugh. One of the guests was Katherine Jenkins – introduced as “the fastest-selling female opera singer since Maria Callas”!!! I had to laugh. Can’t argue with the ‘female’ and I’ll take their word about ‘fastest selling’: but ‘opera singer’? Has she ever been on an opera stage? MJ might not be a million-seller but at least we’ve seen photographic evidence that she’s been in an opera! The funniest thing was Jenni Murray asking KJ if she thought she could pursue a career in live opera without alienating her fan base!

Of course I won’t be going just to do my Xmas shopping, MJ. I’ll certainly be soaking up the culture in Santiago – cathedral, pilgrim trail etc – and there’s bound to be plenty of rugged scenery on the way to Santander. We haven’t planned the journey yet but the most direct way is through Navarra, home of wolves, brown bears etc. I haven’t any concerts etc planned, though, if that’s what you meant. Spain isn’t big on orchestras, opera houses and such so it might just be good meals and early nights ready for a full day of museums, walking or whatever else suggests itself in the daytime. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Bye for now

H

Loved it H! I'd Listen Again and Again to that!

Only teasing you about the architectural/musical aspects of your visit!

In middle of Scrabble game - beat my mum a couple of nights ago* so she's determined mot to let that happen again. Came here to google binca since it wasn't in the dictionary but I've embroidered on it!

Bizarrely, we each managed to gain an extra 50 points by using all our letters in one go - mine was disarray hers was suntrap. Gotta go - my turn.

Bon yoyage - or whatever it is in Spanish,

Jane

Glad you liked it MJ. Poor old Saint-Saens is regarded as a bit of a journeyman in some quarters, but I've a lot of time for him.

<>

Well, I didn't think it was the Spanish Inquisition!

Hope you won your Scrabble game.

That's it from me until next week.

Goodnight

H