Busy doing nothing

I woke up at stupid O'clock this morning. I wandered downstairs made a cuppa turned on the heating and went back to bed!!

I turned off the lights and stuck some music on (Susan Tomes and Andrew Marwood playing Schumann) and snuggled back under the duvet!

Do you ever have one of those days where you could lay in bed all day? I could easily have done that today but I was off to dad's so I had to force myself out!

Now I really should have gone to Rye Meads after leaving dad's but it was cold and grey and I was feeling lazy! so I've had a nice lazy afternoon doing absolutely nothing. Rather pleasant really!

Winter Flowers

It's Snowdrop season!

I arrived at Anglesey Abbey a little early but the doors were already open. The faithful had come to revere the Snowdrop!

Normally Snowdrops mark the move towards Spring after a hard winter but this year its been mild (I do hope we aren't going to be punished).

Anyway Anglesey (which I do like, always something to see).

Ah Snowdrops....

Lunch was a large lump of chocolate cake and a pot of tea! Lovely and on offer at £3 ! Lovely!

Bird highlight ? A calling Great Spots and Long Tailed Tits (that were chasing each other!)

More people visiting NT properties in December

According to an article in the Guardian the National Trust is expecting a record number of visitors this financial year (2011/12)

Apparently December 2011 saw 521,000 people visit trust properties up 74% on 2010/11. Although given the heavy snow in December 2010 this may be a bit skewed, although the trust ran a lot of Christmas-themed activities.

On top of the increase the trusts cafes and restaurants saw a 71% increase in sales.

I'm not surprised since I've moaned before about the shutting of Trust properties. Lots more people go away for weekends in Winter now and I'm sure would pop into visit a property. It's grey and wet and cold? Then they'll pop into the house and if more properties are open then more visitors spending money on home made cakes..... sorry mind wandered.

Assuming the weather is ok I will be visiting a Trust property Saturday - maybe 2 - and if the weather was poor there would be a temptation to look around a house alas none near me are open!

I am reliably informed however that the trust is extending its opening times so that is good news

Lukas Kmit

There has been quite a bit in the news lately about mobile phones going off in classical music concerts with Sir Peter Maxwell Davis saying that people should be fined.

Violist Lukas Kmit reacted differently when a Nokia theme interrupted his recital at the Orthodox Synagogue in Presov, in Slovakia.



I have to say I all credit to him, I'm a nightmare at concerts I continually check I've turned my phone off and show it to Trish to prove it. I'd die of embarrassment!!

Great publicity for Kmit!

Oh and the music is J S Bach!

Music, birds and shop windows.

Well today was the first concert of 2012 and so off to London and the Wigmore Hall....

First a walk around Hyde Park, alas early on the light wasn't that good.

Lot of Tufties

At one point the Serpentine (the lake in the park) has an area set aside for swimming! And there someone was before 9am on a January morning!! Bonkers!

This heron was watching in disbelief.

Selfridges shop windows.

Typical bright sunshine after you've finished with birds!!

The concert was the Nash Ensemble playing:

Mozart - Serenade in C minor K388 (arr. Rechtman for wind quintet)
Mendelssohn - Concert Piece in F minor Op. 113
Brahms - Horn Trio in Eb Op. 40

All the pieces used a variety of instruments less often heard in the chamber repertoire and it made a nice change. I'm not sure these represent any of the composers at the hight of their powers BUT they made for a very enjoyable concert.

I'm seeing the Nash again in under two weeks and indeed today was the first of 4 in 3 weeks!!