Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

You just jot whatever comes to mind whenever you fell like it RJ, that’s what it’s all about, we all look forward to your posts.
Hope you enjoyed the Opera, I’ve attended scores of live theatre plays in me day but never Opera or Ballet, hard as I tried I just can’t take to either.

I had to smile at something the London actor Jess Conrad said on Talking Pictures last night. He was talking about his first film, it was set in a concentration camp during the war, he was amongst several other extras who were playing prisoners, one chap was on the large side so the director approached him saying that it was a concentration camp after all and he was ‘very well proportioned’ The poor fella was desperate for the money and was quick to answer “I know that Sir, but I was only captured yesterday”

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

A night at the Opera. Not by the Marx bros.

"I must mention an incident I witnessed. In a seat 2 rows down the aisle sat an innocent lady theatre goer when the poor dear’s seat suddenly collapsed throwing her unceremoniously into the aisle. This was before the performance had even started. Thinking she was protesting over some important matter I was relieved when a little man with a box of screws came scuttling along & discreetly fixed the chair back. All in the dark too. She was re seated I guess, for she didn’t return to her seat. I checked mine."

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

well not to be outdone we have our "opera under the stars" out here because it is so bloody hot 28C at 7pm. I attended one recently with the laddie of mine and some friends - you purchase a table for six and then a hamper each if you want one and then exorbitant priced bottles of wine but it is all a hoot and very relaxing - i think the chairs were plastic and I did enjoy their renderings of 'comic opera' which was also a hoot!

we hadn't finished the wine at the end and thought we may be stopped from leaving by the overly weighted guards but NO we staggered out with our wine bottles in the plastic hamper baskets and food remnants ta boot.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

GUMBUD.....
I salute you.

Opera isnt a day out..it's an OCCASION.

hAVING ATTENDED sevedraaal outdor concerts I can vouvh for thedir specilaness







obugga

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Now that sounds more appealing to me Gumbud, more like an outdoor hooley, far better that sitting up straight in a suit with collar and tie for a couple of hours, and not having a clue what’s going on on stage.

“Holding hands at the movie show when all the lights were low may not be new, but I liked it, how about you?
That reminds me of an embarrassing thing that happened to me in a cinema, I may have mentioned this before, not sure, but anyway what harm to mention it again.
I was about 16 at the time, I was with a mate of mine and we were watching a film in the local cinema one Sunday night, we spotted two girls three rows down from us and they kept looking back at us, we picked up the courage and sat beside them, I sat beside the one with the long black hair and started to hold her hand, after a while we started kissing and cuddling, her hair kept getting in the way, then the break came and the lights went on, I looked at her face and she at mine, it was my first cousin from the next street! I hadn’t seen her in years but we recognised each other straight away. the families were so big back then and one had so many cousins. We watched the rest of the film in silence and I kept me hands in me pockets, not a word was ever said.
She went to Canada two years after that and stayed there, I have never seen her since, I often wonder how she fared, she was a lovely looking girl too, and I still remember “She had kisses sweeter than wine” as the old song goes. Sigh sigh sigh.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I used to consider missed opportunity, a long time ago, now I don't, what was I thinking?

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I have had a guardian angel for all of the last 22 years, probably most of my life. He is there for me when I am in danger, saving my life in 1953, 1976, 1984 , 1994 & 1995. Louis is his name. He tends to be in the UK but my friend has followed me to Spain & Cyprus. Most of these encounters have been in or near water. I can’t swim. The last time I saw him was at the beginning of this year during a rare for me walk to the local shopping centre.
One of the many beggars came up to me . He was 2 metres tall, thin as a rake & gaunt, long white hair .He commenced throwing his arms around me because Jesus wanted him to be close to me. Louis, appearing out of nowhere, dragged the man off of me & the man disappeared, completely. I stared into the empty space where the beggar had stood a moment before.

Today, I was tidying up my books. Nurse Gillian was looking for a particular book about Phillippians , NT NIL
Despite giving away hundreds of books when we downsized 2 years ago, we still have piles of them. I was struggling with quite a pile of them when one of these beloved tomes when the pile slithered ,groaned and crashed down to the ground, amazingly discarding to the centre of the carpet the volume on Phillipians.

Louis again , I suspect.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Gee wiz RJ you should start a stage act with the material you've got there - you know like Morecambe and Wise you could be RJ and Louis?

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

This is a sad-but-true story,so pay attention back there in the cheap seats.
My good friend has now had it confirmed that he has circa ten months to live. Cancer has just ripped its way through him. Several operations,lots of chemo,organs removed,liver cut away,bags to pee in,all that-and STILL that bastard illness is winning. Now,Chris & I have shared many times. We ran trucks to Russia when it was PROPER dangerous,often fighting off bandits in the remote areas,regularly firearms were produced. Chris is still,even now,around 22 stone of muscle,I'm no titch myself,we'd wade in,it really was 'kill-or-be-killed' SO bloody often. The Russian authorities did sfa,the Belarussians ditto,the Baltic States said it "Wasn't their problem" So we kept on trucking,kept chatting on CB radios,often warning/being warned by other truckers on CB,of various danger-spots.
Now...yesterday I was at Chris's home-he lives alone,with just Tom,his pooch,for 'family'. His boiler has been playing up-and due to his medical situation,he was 'elevated' to top of the list regarding repairs/maintenance-oh,how VERY good of them.
Ok-nothing particularly spellbinding yet...BUT....we were talking of those times,the wild fights we had with bandits out in the forests toward Perm,as the boiler bloke was working,stripping bits out.
The fellow sorting Chris's boiler-a youngster who looked about twelve-suddenly piped up from where he'd got various boiler parts strewn "Those CB's you two are talking about....are they like those tape cassette player things my granddad listens to?" Ohhhhh,shit. Y'know-you really don't appreciate just how fast,or how MUCH,this world has changed in the last 25 years,until a thing like that happens. Chris & I just sat there,in the kitchen,staring at each other,dumbfounded. I actualy nipped home [just a few hundred yards] to fetch the little tyke one of my CB radios to look at. A Binatone 144 channel ssb,of which we both spent several minutes explaining and extolling the virtues...and the little git got out his poxy SAMSUNG and said "Yebbut,this takes photos and videos AND gets me on the net-your radio can't do that!" Oh,ffs. "No-but my CAMERA can-and BETTER ones,as it's designed to do exactly that!"...at which point Chris showed him some photos-PROPER photos,of us in Moscow,St Petersburg & Perm. Ok,he made the right noises-but his MAIN interest was "What's the wifi like in Moscow-can you get a signal?" Y'know,just sometimes,the urge to strangle surges.......

oh-hello RJ,by the way....your paranoia's showing,m'main man.....

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

well Pug it sounds like your mate has reached the point of pulling the plug that releases his 'bucket list' - hope you're included!

RJ - Pug and Jem tend to talk to each other a lot they're good with their hands and we're the audience - who gives a feck!