Hello folks, how are you? Caprilicious wishes you a very Merry Christmas and I hope you are all having a fun time, eating and drinking and enjoying yourselves. As you know, I've been in India for the last three weeks celebrating a wedding and an engagement with my family. Once I get back I have precisely eight weeks to pack up and go back for the second family wedding, this time hopefully with hubby in tow. Poor Michael had to be left behind on this trip, and unfortunately it was my fault. In the scrum to get all my work done before I left, I didn't check his e-visa as scrupulously as I should have - how was I to know that the idiots would use his surname twice on the visa, rather than his first/last names. We got to the airport and tried to check in only to be turned away - many £'s and much agonising later, I rebooked his ticket for the second wedding in March and carried on on my own to this one. It was really sad, but there was nothing else I could do - the small print says it is our look out to check all the details are correct and I didn't - one of the priciest mistakes I have made in my life, and not one that will be repeated in a hurry. My sister, whose daughter was getting wed, is married to a retired Brigadier in the Indian Army and the events were held over four days at venues in the army cantonement in Pune. His entire unit were there for a four day celebration and those guys could sure party. They carried on drinking and dancing into the wee hours every night even after the hosts went home pleading exhaustion and the necessity to catch a few Z's so that they were ready for the next mornings events. All my cousins (and there are a lot of them) flew up from Bangalore and we had a fun time. Here are some pictures for you. The next day there was a ceremony where the bride was anointed with turmeric and sandalwood paste - a throwback to the days when tropical infections were rife and they tried to keep the happy couple safe by applying antiseptic solutions onto the body to keep them well. The bride was a good sport and allowed us all to go one by one and paint her with this thick yellow paste - and then her friends came along and covered her with marigold petals. Poor girl, she smiled bravely through it all and remained good humoured. That evening we were invited to the function where the bride and guests are painted with henna designs, or mehndi - there were two artists who sat over our hands and feet for hours, meticulously drawing away with a fine nibbed bag of henna paste- almost like icing a cake.
And then, the wedding! We insisted that my sister have her make up applied professionally and I think she looked great. Everyone said they could see the resemblance between us, although it used to be much more pronounced when we were younger and I thought we had grown out of it. The groom arrived too, and the ceremony took a couple of hours - but when they eventually walked around the ceremonial fire seven times, it was done and dusted! They were now Mr and Mrs. All the men had turbans tied by a professional - the guys from Bangalore really enjoyed that as we do not have that custom down in the South of India. There was a party that night, held on the shores of a lake in the College of Military Engineering - it was so cold, my teeth were chattering. I didn't expect that sort of weather and consequently we left early - by early, I mean around 2 am - the army folk were still dancing the night away. However, we went to our hotel and continued the party in my cousins room, till all of a sudden we realised it was 5am and we scrambled to bed so we could be ready for whatever the next day threw at us. And then it was time to pack up and go back to Bangalore. My nephew had just got engaged, and that was celebrated with yet another party. These two will be getting married in March and I plan to go back - I need an eight week break as we will have the same celebration, in a South Indian style. I will be going through Mike's Visa with a fine tooth comb and hopefully we will make it there without any problems. Have a Merry Chirstmas and a fabulous Holiday Season!
That's me for this week, folks. I'll be back home tomorrow and will catch up with you shortly. Until then xx
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Hello everyone, how are you today? We've just come back off a lovely break in Paris and I have gone back to work feeling refreshed and relaxed. I guess I really needed the time away from the day job. It was really warm and humid in Paris, and all we did was to go from cafe to cafe, drinking Aperol Spritz's, listening to the buskers, and relaxing in the sunshine. There was, I'm told a haze of fine dust from the Sahara high in the atmosphere, giving rise to some beautiful sunsets over the Parisian skyline. It was unseasonably warm and humid so we ducked into the Galeries Lafayette to take another look at their beautiful ceiling and went from floor to floor breathing in expensively perfumed cool air. Hubby checks out watches and tries on hats like most women try on shoes, so we spent a good hour or two not buying anything and then went onto the rooftop for a light lunch and to take in the views of the Paris skyline. There was the obligatory visit to the Notre Dame which looked so sad without it's beautiful spires although there was evidence of loads of work being done with scaffolding and tall cranes all around it. They had brought the statue of the Virgin Mary outside as the church itself is closed and there were a number of women kneeling around it rolling their rosary beads around in their fingers and muttering their Hail Mary's in various languages. The spire ought to be back on by the time the Olympic Games come to Paris in 2024 and I hope it will be just as beautiful as the original again. Hubby hadn't been to see either of the famous Parisian spectacular shows at the Lido or the Moulin Rouge. Unfortunately, the Lido closed it's doors in September 2022 so we ended up at the Moulin Rouge to take in the can-can dancers. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it too much, having been once before, many, many years ago. They made us queue for about 30 minutes, the food was indifferent, the chairs tiny and uncomfortably hard and cramped and the show, tired - but that's just my opinion. Mike enjoyed it, so, mission accomplished. There was a lazy afternoon spent at the Pompidou centre which houses the museum of modern art and a huge library. I wanted to go back to the most interesting building I've ever seen, with its structural system, mechanical systems, and circulation exposed on the exterior of the building. Initially, all of the functional structural elements of the building were colour-coded: green pipes are plumbing, blue ducts are for climate control, electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety (e.g., fire extinguishers) are red. I saw it when it first opened in the early eighties and fell in love with the idea of an 'inside out' building and the interesting Tinguely fountain outside. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the fountain was drained for restoration, and the works of art in the fountain looked deserted and forlorn. I'm a great fan of the art by Niki de Saint Phalle and the fountain was such fun, with the water spraying from whimsical sculptures to the sound of music by Stravinsky. Alas, there was none of that on this occasion, but the street performers and cafes were enough to make it an interesting afternoon. This is what it should have looked like - but hey, one can't have everything! Pic courtesy of Pinterest There were the obligatory walks in the Marais district, around Montmartre and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Now I'm back to work, I feel so refreshed and ready to go. One underestimates the power of a good break - the two years of Covid got us out of the regular routine of taking time off between fraught situations to release all the tension that builds up inside. I even found some time to make a piece of jewellery and photograph it for these pages. SaraThe pendant is a little slice of ametrine, topped with a faceted aquamarine. When held against the light the ametrine is pale and almost transparent, but when worn against another colour, or even the colour of skin, it seems to spring to life. I hadn't realised this, so I looked for beads in my stash to give it an injection of colour. The quartz needles pick up on the blue aquamarine and contrast well with the ametrine. As I photographed it, I realised that wearing it gives the ametrine a new life of it's own and I had worried needlessly that it was too pale. The little clasp is set with a blue topaz. That's me for this week, folks. Have a fabulous weekend and I'll catch you soon. Until then xx Hello folks, how are you this fine and sunny Easter weekend. Hubby and I got back from a trip to Amsterdam where it was constantly and consistently miserable, wet and cold. Anyway, we realised that we had a sense of humour, we got on well with each other (more or less), and that on the whole we are fairly well suited to one another. What a discovery after almost 25 years of being together! Oh well, you learn something every day. Come rain or shine, we were determined to go - the saga started a year ago when we booked the trip but only made it as far as the runway, when we were told that the plane had developed a problem and we'd have to rebook onto a flight the next day. We cancelled! KLM compensated us, but the hotel gave us a voucher. So, we tried again - I rebooked the trip in September of last year, and was horrified to see reports of the queues at Schipol, flights cancelled and luggage strewn all over the place in the airport. We cancelled again, and the hotel refunded us, but this time, KLM gave us a voucher. I was sure we'd be lucky the third time and rebooked the exact same trip at the end of March - the hope was to visit the Keukenhof Gardens which are only open for eight weeks of the year. I read that April is usually the best time to visit, but we decided to go at the very end of March (almost April, right?) so I could use up all my leftover annual leave from 2022. A late start with a delay for an hour sitting in a cramped plane waiting for a second chance at take off after we missed our original slot, and a mislaid and refound suitcase later, we were in Amsterdam. Ok, it wasn't looking good - by this time, we realised we were in for trouble! We did go to the Keukenhof and in spite of global warming, the dratted tulips hadn't bothered to come out to greet us in droves - although there were a few and the gardens were spectacular, I couldn't help feeling a bit cheated. Eventually, sodden, cold and weary, full of stodgy food we bought at the various eateries dotted around the place where we ducked in to find a bit of warmth and shelter, we made our way back to the hotel. The rest of the time in Amsterdam was spent in cafe's and bars, the Rijksmuseum and a couple of jazz clubs. We tried a bowl of Snert. That's right, it's Holland’s version of pea soup - a thick green stew of split peas, pork, celery, onions and leeks, and contrary to its name, it’s completely delicious. Apart from the Stroopwaffels and pancakes sold everywhere, we couldn't find any authentic Dutch restaurants. Perhaps because we were in Dam square which is a very touristy area, the prevalent food was international with battered fish and chips, burgers, pizza and pasta (Yawn!) ubiquitous on menus everywhere that tourists congregate. And then it was time to come back home, on a 90 minute flight which KLM somehow managed to convert to 180 minutes by stalling departure for reasons unknown - it was raining here too, but Wilfred was glad to come home, and so were we. So, I'm back to work and familiarity, a junior doctors strike when I am the consultant on call, an impending inspection, and more fun than one could shake a stick at. I think I shall just have to pick up my beads and make something to soothe my soul. Hang on, isn't a holiday supposed to do that? Not this one, I'm afraid. I shall just have to book another one pretty soon to compensate. Have a lovely Easter everyone and I'll catch you next week, same time, same place. Until then xx Hello, people, how are you today? I've been a bit late with this weeks post, but in my defence I've been a bit snowed under at work and with other things happening around me that have eaten away at my days, one bite at a time. I did have a bit of time to play with my beads, but the week was crowned by what I am going to tell you about in a minute - Sanctuary. Sanctuary is a beautiful and ornate wooden structure, 22m high, constructed by internationally-known American artist David Best, working with local communities, and is meant to be the nation's Covid memorial. The Sanctuary project was designed to mark the recovery and regeneration of the whole community, with Bedworth having been chosen for its reputation as the ‘town that never forgets.’ The project was supported by Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Culture Recovery Fund. Students from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College helped to install it - I can't imagine how exciting that must have been for the kids who took part in putting it up. I lived in Bedworth for over 5 years, and drove past Bedworth Miners Park on a number of occasions - however, I never went into it and didn't know how huge and how beautiful it was. We read about 'Sanctuary' in the local press and decided that we ought to make the effort to go and take a look at it, seeing that they were planning to burn it on Saturday. When it is burned, it is meant to release all the pent up grief and pain into the cosmos and help people to heal from the wounds Covid has inflicted on us. We strolled through the park, and walked for what seemed like ages till we came to an artifically built hillock with the most beautiful wooden pagoda built on the top. The students had cut a lacy pattern into what appeared to be MDF with a jigsaw and assembled the tower with a central stalactite/stalagmite formation inside it. Volunteers were offering felt tipped pens and people were writing the names of their loved ones with heart rending messages. I don't cry easily, but looking at the sheer numbers of messages brought a lump to my throat. As someone who works in the NHS, I think we treat people who come to us as 'patients' - and as a defence mechanism to keep ourselves sane, we have to forget that these 'patients' are actually someones parents, grandparents and children, or we wouldn't be able to do the job. I had a number of small cabochons, and with my propensity for statement pieces, thought I'd put them together in some way and convert them into one large piece. I have been beading around them, piece by piece over the last few weeks and I finally put them together, ready to finish and embellish into the beauty it will inevitably become (I hope!!). Apologies for the poor photograph - it was taken with my phone, in a hurry. I will have it finished by next week most likely, and you can see it in all it's glory. That's me for today, folks. Have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next weekend, same time, same place.
Until then, xx Hello people, how are you today? Last week we thought spring was here, the daffodils were out and life was looking rosy. Seven days later, there are flurries of snow and we are plunged into mid-winter all over again. By the way, can you see the 'holes' in the bush to the left of the photograph? We have a number of sparrows nesting in that bush and those are the windows they have made to get in and out of the greenery to be able to get in and out before the cat can get at them - I see them coming out of that bush every day to the nuts we have hung on the branches of a tree opposite. I had a week off work, and we were meant to be in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, we didn't actually leave Birmingham Airport - our flight was stood down at the very last minute, after we'd checked in and were due to board. We were then herded into the Arrivals hall, made to pick up our luggage and get back in line to book onto another flight. The flight that they offered us was the red eye to Amsterdam, the next day - this would have meant that we went home, and got back to the airport at 330 am. Having stood in queues for the best part of six hours, we declined the offer and got a taxi back home. The winner? Wilfred the cat got to come home from the cattery three days early! I was sick and tired of the whole thing by the end of the day, and it will be a cold day in hell before I venture into making plans for another holiday - I have now the unpleasant task of recovering all the money spent on the various activities I had booked in advance - jazz concert tickets, bus tickets to the Keukenhof Gardens, etc, etc. Oh well, that's that I suppose, except that the hotel insists that they will not refund us, but give us a voucher to stay with them at any time in the next six months - I guess that cold day in hell will come, after all! We licked our wounds for a couple of days and eventually ventured out into Coventry, to an exhibition we had wanted to get to for a while. Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken - Daniel LismoreDaniel Lismore is a 37 year old artist who has been dubbed the 'most eccentrically dressed man in Britain' by Vogue magazine. Brought up in Coventry, he ended up in London where he worked as a photographer and model. He is known for living his life as art by wearing elaborate and extravagant ensembles that combine haute couture with vintage fabrics, found objects, chainmail, ethnic jewellery, millinery and more, in an expression of eccentric, creative energy. Inspired by art in all its forms. We went along, well ok, Michael was dragged along because I was intrigued by his style and the jewellery he was wearing, not knowing what to expect. Wham! We were confronted by several rooms of eight foot high figurines, all with his face, wearing the most elaborate costumes, a lot of them with a political message to them. I then read that he had been inspired by the Terracotta Army of Xian, which I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of years ago. This exhibition plays homage to Daniel Lismore's earliest inspiration - the Chinese Terracotta Army. Much like the warriors of the Terracotta Army, each one of Lismore's sculptures is unique, but together they form a united cohort, standing in solidarity in a regimented fashion. These sculptures are some of Lismore's most embellished works, comprising metals, jewels, armour, chainmail and more. Lismore incorporates the idea of clothing as armour into his sculptures as a symbol of protection. He was the first person to wear armour to Parliament since it was made illegal by Oliver Cromwell. In his 2019 TED Talk My Life as a Work of Art, Lismore says "Picture yourself in a giant jewellery box with all the beautiful things that you have ever seen in your life. Then imagine that your body is a canvas, and on that canvas you have a mission to create a masterpiece using the content of your giant jewellery box. Once you've created your masterpiece you might think 'Wow, I created that, this is who I am today'. Then you would pick up your house keys walk out the door into the real world, maybe take public transport into the centre of your town. Possibly walk along the streets or even go shopping. Well, that's my life every day. When I walk out the door, these artworks are me. I am art." I guess all of us who like nice clothes, and wear make up and jewellery are doing just that, to some extent. He is known for living his life as art by wearing elaborate and extravagant ensembles that combine haute couture with vintage fabrics, found objects, chainmail, ethnic jewellery, millinery and more, in an expression of eccentric, creative energy. Inspired by art in all its forms, history and his travels, Lismore seems to combine and amalgamate multiple inspirations from around the world into vibrant expressions of cultural appreciation. The one on the left is Michael my hubby, who was made to stand there to show perspective. I love the use of jewellery beetle wings, masai necklaces, Afghan jewellery, pearls, Miao neckpieces, boomerangs, Balinese jewellery, and feathers, among many other elements to embellish the outfits. We left the exhibition with a sense of awe - the creativity of people never ceases to amaze. We rounded the corner and went into another room at the gallery - and couldn't have found anything more diametrically opposite to what had just excited our senses!! Well, at least that brought a smile to our faces and we drove back in a suddenly sunshiny afternoon, feeling that we had been somewhere interesting. I've finally decided what I'm going to make next and have sent off for beads and crystals. I also have a beaded necklace to complete - I misjudged the number of beads I required and had to send for more before I went to India, but haven't picked that piece back up yet. That's me for this week, folks. Have a fabulous week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place. Until then xx Hello and good day, people, hope you're all doing just fine today. This week has had some of the best news I've heard in a long time with Naznin Zaghari-Radcliffe being released and back with her family. In the middle of all the terrible news from the Ukraine, this was like a little ray of sunshine. I thought I'd start with something simple but pretty this year. I have a few pieces of jewellery planned in a little notebook from 2021 and I made a start with the first one. It is made with little amethyst nugget beads, alternating with seed pearls, with a few diamante beads thrown in for good measure, all held together with the most beautiful diamante clasp. Shades of PurpleIsn't that pretty? There are seven strands of beads in this necklace and the effect is wild and regal, the necklace drapes like a dream around your neck in a careless manner so you never have to worry about twisting and untwisting it. While you're here, let me show you some pictures from Bangalore - from my 'home away from home,' the Bangalore Club - established in 1868 by Englishmen who wanted a little piece of home in a hot and hostile land. There were dress codes, regular dinner dances, horses, dogs and courtship of the little 'mem-sahibs' who came out regularly on the fishing fleets, looking for men in uniform to marry. Winston Churchill was a member once, and when he left India he left behind a debt of 13 Indian rupees, which was eventually written off - the reminder letter for this debt still sits in a glass fronted cabinet in the clubhouse. Indians were allowed to become members in 1945, once Independance was achieved - but the dress codes, dinner dances, racquet games and little courtships - they continue. My parents were members before I was born and I became one as soon as I was 21, which is when dependant members could apply for membership. Today there is a waiting list of over 20 years to join the Club - there are many other clubs in Bangalore, but this one is 'The' Bangalore Club. One can only buy food and drink by signing a bill, on presentation of a photo card issued to each member, and guests have to be signed in and paid for. The central clubhouse is a sprawling Raj bungalow, painted blue ever since I can remember. We grew up here - mom used to drop us off before she went to work in the school holidays and pick us up on the way back. We swam, went to the library and ate chicken sandwiches, ice cream and crisps by the pool, until it was time to go home, dog tired, straight to bed. Children weren't allowed in the main clubhouse of course, so it always feels like an illicit treat when I go in there now. That's my final instalment of my last holiday pictures - I was told by a friend long ago that the only way to live was to always have a holiday in the pipeline - accordingly, we have a short visit to Amsterdam planned soon - it is only an hour and a quarter away and I do want to revisit the Keukenhof gardens when the tulips are out - my last trip was in 1985 and I want to go again. That's me for this post, folks. Have a great week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello folks, how are you? I'm glad to report that I'm back safe and sound, dodging Covid bullets all the way. I had more PCR tests than I have for the last two years of the pandemic as I also travelled to Goa while I was in India, and required another PCR to get back to Bangalore. In a way it was quite nice to know that everyone on the flight had been tested and didn't pose a risk, although my nasal mucosa paid the price from all the swabs I was required to take. As usual, I took some of my jewellery with me and people were so fed up that they shopped as if their life depended on it - I came back with very little - there are a few ladies there who love to wear the kind of jewellery I like to make - large, colourful and a definite statement; and they picked up the majority of my embroidered necklaces, leaving me to carry back just a few unlucky pieces that didn't find their forever homes. The place where I grew up has undergone so many changes that I didn’t recognise areas that I once knew like the back of my hand. It has expanded and swollen like a major waterway, the population explosion that has occurred as a result of its once fabulous weather, envied by so many, has clogged and choked it so that it is no longer safe to go for a walk; one has to drive to a park or quiet area, of which there are very few left. People from all over India flocked to Bangalore and settled here; you hear a cacophony of polyglot voices around you and when you talk to their owners they all say they ‘come from Bangalore’ . I think to myself- you come from Bangalore as much as I come from Nuneaton 🙂🙂- the genteel old Bangalore doesn’t exist any more and the new one is brash, loud and strange. The chauffeur drives me to Commercial Street, an old shopping area in the centre of the city. It has received a recent facelift and is well tarmacked with a spanking new kerb - but none of the old shops exist - they’ve all been sold up as their original owners either retired or passed on, and each one has been demolished and turned into 3 storey mini malls from which their heirs collect rent, or having made a packet from the sale have retired to other parts to spend their money. I pass streets where I have little pleasurable frissons of flashbacks- there, I met someone special who shall remain nameless, and there, I used to have breakfast with my friends before going to work in the nearby government hospital - so many ‘theres’ and so many happenings - little pinpricks of memories that make me feel all warm and cozy inside, like bubbles from a glass of champagne. So many good times, so many fun times- just the memories of them all haunting me like well ordered ghosts that fade only to reveal the next one as I drive by. Am I growing old? Who knows- perhaps it’s just that I have the time to sit and stare while everyone else is bustling around getting from one place to the next, dodging the traffic, picking up children from school and generally going about their lives. Maybe I was like that once- I wish I had spent more time looking- if only I had known that I’d spend years and years away from home - I shake myself- ‘ don’t be so bloody maudlin, woman,’ I tell myself. It may just be a romantic dream - where I only recall the nice things that happened to me as I was growing up. The dust and dirt is phenomenal, but it’s still the place I call home. It’s the place I think I'd want to retire to, it’s still the place I think of when I’m in bed and dreaming of somwehere that I belong completely and wholly. There are some really sumptuous oases in Bangalore, but getting to them can be a bit of a nightmare because of the traffic. However, once at a destination, it's hard to remember the difficulties one faced when traelling there. Where I live now, everything is clean(ish) and tidy, the shops are stocked full of goods packaged beautifully, the clean air, the ability to travel easily from one place to another by train or by car, all these are so attractive, but it is here, in bustling, dusty, beautiful Bangalore that my heart resides. I took a little trip to Goa, staying at the most wonderful Taj Aguada Beach Hotel with my sister. We sat by the sea and chatted away to our hearts content - time flew and before we knew it it was time to pack our belongings and leave. Here are some pictures of Goa - I wish I had more time to spend there. I was given another 60th birthday party, courtesy of my sister in law, even though the next one isn't too far away. Who am I to argue? There was a cake, and champagne, a musician, dancing and fairy lights, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Loads of the invitees wore Caprilicious, which was a major compliment. Everyone was so fed up with being restricted that hair was let down all over the place and consequently, my '60th' will be well remembered for a long time. There were more parties, and I met girlfriends for lunch and we got drunk and behaved badly, laughing and joking, remembering our schoolday escapades. Fortunately it was a week day and we had the restaurant to ourselves, apart from a few scandalised young girls who were having a decorous chaperoned lunch. Two of my friends had brought their daughters along, and it was left to them to pour their mothers into their cars and escort them home. I spent loads of time in the Bangalore Club, which is my home-away-from-home, meeting friends, sitting out on the lawn at night and using the library during the daytime, borrowing books to read by the pool with a cold drink in hand. A week of home quarantine at the beginning of the holiday gave me loads of time to spend with my mother, who was then happy to let me go out into the world and spend time with other folk. It was so lovely to see her, although she is now 94 and frail, her brain is as sharp as a tack - consequently we squabbled and chipped away at each other as if she was in her 60s and I was young again. If I hadn't seen for myself how frail she has become, I wouldn't have believed it. It was soon time to come home again - it is so hard when your heart belongs in two places that saying goodbye to either tears you apart. I should be an expert at it, having done it for most of my life, but it never gets easier. Hubby was waiting at home with roses and champagne - I did call him every day and we had long conversations but it must have been hard for him, alone during two of the worst storms this winter with no one to talk to - aww!! Violins, anyone? Before I go, Caprilicious is on a virtual show on Instagram on a site called handmade_hour on the 5th and 6th of March. I made ten slides up for it on Canva at 3am while I was suffering from jet lag. If you have a minute, please look up all the handmade artists who will be taking part in the show and show us some love. Well, that's me for this week, folks. Have a wonderful week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place,
Until then xx Hello my friends, it's lovely to catch up with you today. Having locked hubby away indoors for the better part of two years, we decided to risk it all and go down to London for a weekend to celebrate my lovely man's birthday. I plan a trip to India shortly to visit my mother and family, and had begun to feel quite guilty about leaving him alone at home in the UK. I thought I'd pre-treat him and as Covid seemed to be waning in August 2021, booked a load of treats for him. However, Omicron had other ideas and ramped up the rates of infection until it was touch and go - would they let us go? And if they did let us go, should we go? Would that be taking an unnecessary risk? Eventually I told Mike of my plans and left it to him to decide. We went to The Playhouse theatre that has been converted into The KitKat Club, with all the decadence of 1920s Berlin and was absolutely amazing. One of our favourite movies Cabaret, was converted into a musical play in a fabulous production. There were visual stimuli and delights all around us. They had near naked dancers, writhing and dancing all over the stage, between members of the audience and beckoning us from balconies. We were told, "The secrets of the Kit Kat Club should stay in the Kit Kat Club." A sticker was placed over our camera lenses, but not before I managed to sneak a picture of the stage. I reccommend this show - if you can get tickets - they are as rare as hen's teeth. The show ends in November 2022, so there's plenty of time. The next day, Harrods was spookily empty and we wandered around looking at ways to squander our money - perhaps a diamond bracelet? Perhaps something from the food hall? No? A spot of lunch, then? We had lunch at Juliettes Bistro and later on a glass of champagne at the Baccarat Bar in Harrods, and escaped quickly before we could actually find something that tempted us. It rained all day but Mike was keen to smoke his annual ceremonial Cuban cigar. I people watched and caught sight of these Chinese children looking at the process of lighting up, totally bemused. I took permission from their mother and clicked these photographs. And then to dinner at Ken Lo's Memories of China and onto The Nightjar, a jazz bar in Shoreditch.
And then I had to take a couple of days off to recover. If it hadn't been a special birthday, I wouldn't have made such a major effort to create an exciting weekend. I'm glad to report that hubby enjoyed himself., and we came back safe and sound. I would have enjoyed it too, had I not been constantly on edge about the Omicron situation. Everyone had to take lateral flow tests to the shows we went to, but we took a train and there were quite a few folk not wearing masks in the carriages which thankfully were mercifully only half full. None of my beads came out to play this week, sadly. I've heard them call out to me, but have steadfastly averted my gaze. I shall have time this weekend and will pick up my pliers again at that point.
That's me for this week folks. Have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place. Until then xx Hello people, hope all's been well with you this week. I've had a few days off from the day job and will only go to work this weekend. As I've said before, we were meant to be in Crete, but ended up spending a few days in London instead. Fortunately for us, the weather held and although it was cloudy and noticeably cooler, it didn't rain at all. We went to 'Leopoldstadt', the new play by Tom Stoppard. We were required to carry proof of our vaccinations and the queues were long to get in, but once we sat down, we enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't know what it is about theatres in the UK but the seats are exceedingly uncomfortable - the floors slope forward to give people a good view of the stage, but they forgot to level the seats up, so I kept feeling that I would end up in a heap on the floor - except that there was no space between my knees and the seat in front, so I was wedged against an elderly gentlemans backside for most of the show although I kept heaving myself back into position like a sack of potatoes. In spite of this, we had a good time and enjoyed the thoughtfully written play. I always wanted to sit in a box at the theatre, but apparently they only have a partial view of the stage, so I contented myself with getting pictures of the box seats. By the time the play was fiinshed it was late, and we went for a stroll around Leicester Square and fetched up in a Shisha bar - we thought we'd try something we hadn't done before so we went in, feeling like naughty children. In actual fact, there was nothing naughty about the Shisha (except perhaps the price, which I thought was extortionate) - we smoked vanilla flavoured tobacco, turning over the hot coals in the bowl from time to time with a pair of tongs. People watching is our favourite pastime when we go on holiday, and we did some on this holiday as well. However, watching the girls queue up to go into bars and clubs in Leicester Square made me feel ever so ancient, not to mention overdressed! We took the ferry from Westminster Pier to Greenwich the next day, but a large demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament slowed us down and we only got to Greenwich around 2.30 pm - that meant we had only a short while to walk around before we had to get the last boat back. We've decided to go back the next time we are in London. Here are some pictures from the ferry trip and Greenwich. Back in the centre of London, we had DimSum in Chinatown and went to bed by 11pm which is extremely rare for the two of us, as we are generally night owls. Once home in Warwickshire and unpacked, I've had 4 days to do as much or as little as I would like - late nights binge-watching movies, long swims, barbecues, lie-ins every morning until the cat despaired of ever getting us out of bed to serve him his breakfast. I continued with the piece of jewellery I started last week and am pleased to say that the beading is now done. I should be able to complete it next week. That's me for now, folks. Have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello everyone, apologies for being a bit late with the blog, but we were out till late last night. We went to a candlelight concert - a tribute to Nat King Cole and Ray Charles at a venue in Birmingham, which was wonderful. Candlelit events are springing up in small venues throughout Birmingham, to encourage artistes who have had a fallow period due to the pandemic. This one was in a little venue called The Mill in Deritend, Birmingham - an area which was once run down and industrialised is now hopping with student bars, beer gardens and live music venues. It adjoins the Custard Factory where I once did a show and it will be a great area to explore when we get a minute one of the days. This week, I made three pairs of earrings, all to the same design. I have some tiny semiprecious gemstone beads that have the smallest perforations - they won't even take a No 11 embroidery needle - to those in the know, that's pretty tiny. I found a packet of extremely fine silver wire ball pins - only just thicker than a human hair and I made little beaded drops with them. When I'd finished, I had a little heap of wrapped beads, like 'hundreds and thousands', the small hard pieces of coloured sugar used to decorate cakes, and biscuits. I also had sore finger tips and repetitive strain injury in my wrists! It's only when they are put together in one photograph that you can tell the numbers of beads that were wrapped individually before being put together in charming bunches, and why my finger tips feel like they've been attacked with a hack saw! Caprilicious will be on the Earrings Show on Facebook on 14/8/21 from 8 pm, through to Sunday the 15th till 8 pm - come on down and join me if you can. Click on the picture above to be taken to my show on the day. That's me for this week, folks. Have a wonderful week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx |
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