March 16th 2008

I can't believe it's been so long since I wrote my last blog. The thing is - my life isn't too interesting that I have much to write about, but since it was way back in January I think I might find a few memories to share. Toads has a new musical director, his name is Mike, a lovely lovely man who certainly knows his stuff. He works us very hard and won't be put off when we complain about it. It is really enjoyable though and his style is very different from Craig's ( our last MD ) The junior Toads are getting ready for their first performance which will be Annie. It's starting on the first of April at Alexandra High, Tipton. We have plenty of tickets if anyone would like to come along and it runs all the week till the saturday evening starting at 7.15pm. I am going along to help with programmes and tickets etc, in other words, a dogsbody, but it should be interesting.
I have started my lessons at the Apple store, which Robert gave me for Christmas. At first I felt very uneasy about them, as I thought I would probably be an old lady among lots of youngsters, but it's quite surprising the range of ages that go to the lessons. The very first person I saw was a lady easily nearer to my age than I expected. I have now had about five with the lovely Tom who makes it more of a pleasure than training. I have learned quite a lot, but the only trouble is when I get home I seem to have forgotten half of what I've been taught. Although Tom assures me we can go back to things that I'm not sure of, as I do have
52 lessons, one a week, in which to get everything to stick in my ever diminishing little grey cells.
A couple of weeks ago it was my birthday and Stuart took me to the Ricoh stadium in Coventry, to a Collectomania, where I met stars from TV and films. We met Bruce Campbell, and Robert Englund of Freddy Kruger fame who was the most adorable man you would ever wish to meet. Nightmare on Elm St. will never again give me nightmares. We also saw Warwick Davies and Kenny Baker from Star Wars along with the gorgeous man who stared in the latest Bond film Casino Royale as Daniel Craig's poker opponant. Far better looking than in the film. Stuart and Denise also gave me tickets for Madame Butterfly which I shall be going to in May.
Lucy and Charlotte have been to New Zealand to Charlotte's brother's wedding and Robert was, at the same time in Hongkong where he had a really nasty bout of food poisoning, which Chun and their other two friends also got. He looked quite poorly when he came back so perhaps next time he goes he will no doubt avoid oysters from a street vendor's hot pot.