Tag Archives: emily

Far Cry gets street cred

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Heading off for Caddington later today, before staying the night there and then catching a flight to Nice for our holiday in  Montauroux. Before that the piano tuner will arrive and do his stuff, no doubt reflecting simultaneously on the forthcoming Norwich v Ipswich playoffs and the SNP clean sweep of Scotland in the General Election. With a few votes still to be counted, the Conservatives have managed to get an overall majority – to everyone’s surprise. Resignations of Miliband, Clegg and Farage imminent. Resignations of a few pollsters would also be appropriate.

Our constituency, Norwich South, ousted Lib Dem Simon Wright and gave a huge majority to Labour. When we voted there was, for the first time in recorded memory, a queue at the polling station.

There were other big events this week. On Monday evening our band, Far Cry, performed at the Bicycle Shop cafe as part of Julian Week, and it all went pretty well, with some people from church (Carrie, Judy, Mary…) giving us moral support. Quite a nice number listening. Great to be able to sing my own songs to an actual audience who didn’t have to be there and weren’t performing themselves.

Emily and Lawrence helped us a lot, not least with street cred and the electrical stuff. Lawrence also recorded it, but was dubious about the sound quality. Between rehearsals and the actual event we had a light tapas meal upstairs, which was very good.

Next day we both went to the Archant coffee morning – together with Brian and Tricia and Maryta and Paul. Something of an EDP subs and spouses takeover. Robin had an eye appointment, so couldn’t make it.

The same day Naomi came to stay the night. Always nice to have her around: she had to see someone at UEA the next day; so she left around 12 and so did we, to hear a Julian talk at the library. Had some trouble finding where it was because they had switched it, which meant we were slightly late (and annoyed), but it was a good talk by Sheila Upjohn about how the Julian manuscript had survived in view of its “heretical” insistence that God loves us anyway. It involved some nuns in Cambrai and a few well-placed supporters.

Eleanor was in the audience; we had a chat afterwards.

Yesterday I went to see Paul, who thought I was someone named Kim (clearly my phone voice is not what it might be). I went mainly to ask him about a woman called Irene, but he couldn’t remember anything. However, while talking to Phil on the phone afterwards, it turned out that he did know an Irene, and it may turn out to be the woman Joy’s uncle was asking about (connected to Surrey Chapel way, way back). We shall see.

I was ringing Phil because he’s introduced me to a singer called Malcolm Guite, and I was giving him my reaction. He’s pretty good, actually.

Sudden spring rehearsal

Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,
Changing landscape in Norwich. The old brewery building land has been cleared, and temporarily you can see St Peter Parmentergate Church juxtaposed with the Castle in the background.
Changing landscape in Norwich. The old brewery building land on KIng Street has been cleared, and temporarily you can see St Peter Parmentergate Church juxtaposed with the Castle in the background.

Yesterday we arrived at church just after 10am below grey skies, light rain and the familiar  chilly wind. When we emerged at 3pm, after a rehearsal with Phil, Emily and her boyfriend Lawrence, the sun had come out and it was perceptibly warm. Spring had crept in. Later in the day Dot and I went for a walk beside the River toward Carrow Road and got quite hot (and very tired).

The rehearsing is taking its toll: my right arm is still sore from the fall and was aching a lot last night. But I have taken advice from the chemist, who says nothing is broken. I do find that I can do a bit more with it every day. This morning it’s not so bad, but Dot wants to rehearse again. Then Far Cry (all five of us) will rehearse at the venue at 6pm, and then – at last – play for real. It will be something of a relief.

Dot’s seminar at the UEA went very well (no surprise there), but the parish annual meeting was not so thrilling, although the food by Karen Wimhurst and friends was excellent. Several no-shows from both sides, but Adrian turned up and mopped up quite a lot of the spare food. St Augustine’s were hardly mentioned, but that was partly my fault. I had kind of expected Howard to be there, and so had not prepared a talk, though I would have said something if asked.

Howard did eventually put in an appearance – on Saturday night at St Peter Hungate, where Louise Øhrstrøm was speaking on Julian, as part of the Julian Week events. Very good talk, though you had to listen carefully, and it got very cold towards the end. Had a quick chat with her – she came to St Augustine’s when she was at UEA, but is now back in Denmark. Howard seems on top form after Sri Lanka – perhaps too enthusiastic, as his sermon on Sunday lasted about 45 minutes!

On Thursday a bit of cunning forward planning – I postponed my bath and was rewarded when (a) a parcel I was expecting arrived about 10am and (b) shortly after it, the Sonata alarm man arrived two or three hours earlier than scheduled. Dot was out; so I was able to answer the door and then have a late bath. Sometimes these things work out…

On Friday evening we were invited to No 11 by Des and Chris, the new owners. Sam, Chris and Ellie also showed up, which meant we found out less than we might have done about our hosts, since Sam is not slow in coming forward. Still, we enjoyed the evening. The white wine was nice.