Opera and on!

In our seats at the Birmingham Hippodrome waiting for La Traviatta to start

Our trip to see La Traviatta at the Birmingham Hippodrome was thoroughly enjoyable, though I have to say it was a very silly story I did enjoy the opera experience. We started off in the Malaysian restaurant as I had when I went to the ballet and finished on the train which could have been better… a late breaking platform change, the full 6 carriage train being cut to 3 carriages, the station announcements being one stop out all the way and some ‘trouble’ at the other end necessitating the guard’s attention all slowed it down a bit, but at least I wasn’t on my own!

We were there early!

Friday we took the lawnmower over to Rob and went in with him to the QE hospital to see Alex, so we could check up on her and tell her all about the opera. When I messaged her on Saturday to see if they were letting her out, there had been a sudden change of plan, a cancellation meant she was being prepped to have her gall bladder removed ‘now’ rather than in the 6-8 weeks she’d been expecting! No time like the present!

A beer in the Attic Brewery before our Sunday curry with Corrine. LtoR: Iain, Corinne, Bev, Jackie, Helen, Mike, Reuben, Ella, Brian, Crystal (Ming) & Ian. Photo taken by Manu

Saturday I had a practice pack which seemed to go swimmingly. Today when I added all the extra things, and the ‘stuff’ all those bits and pieces you think of, it’s not gone quite so well! Obviously to go on the cruise we can take as much as we like, coming back on the flight however we are up to the max! Just as well we never buy anything, and I’ll read my books, and use my creams and leave the pads and pens we bought as donations….

Photo taken by Ian from the other end of the table, just to get Manu in (in the middle right at the end)

Sunday was a big group balti for Corinne, over from Australia. Eating at 8, so we arrived at Helen and Ian for midday. Nothing like a long prep time! It was lovely, we had a really good catch up with Bev and Iain, H&I and Corinne. I had a make up masterclass from Bev, well it’s a long time since I wore makeup, fashions have changed, as has my face, and I now wear glasses. Lunch, dog walk, involving a quick pint, and meeting at the Attic brewery at 18.30. The time flew by.

The masterclass meant I had to go out on Monday and buy some makeup.... The last lipstick I bought was for our wedding, 20 years ago! I found this quite stressful, but fortunately bumped into a very helpful assistant in Boots who sorted me out.

Tuesday was leg waxing, again, not done in the last 11 years since we retired. It’s odd this being grown up stuff. We then took the last of the furniture from Birmingham Road, a round kitchen table, over to Manu and Crystal, so that’s another job done. We had a good chatty long lunch with them, which made up for not really talking to them on Sunday, but that had been the plan!

Wednesday was pottering, sorting out all the ‘stuff’ and Brian wrapped the Christmas presents, yes, we’ve had to be organised. It’s very scary. All wrapped now, bar one which hasn’t arrived yet, fortunately it’s being delivered to John’s for just this eventuality.

I haven't taken enough photos for this blog, so this is a photo of the view from our bedroom window. It's a nice view!

Thursday Abi came over for lunch and to collect the keys for Birmingham Road, she is going to read the meters next Thursday, because that is the really exciting news… we signed the contract on Wednesday (digitally, and witnessed digitally by John, it’s all very weird) and exchanged contracts yesterday. So please keep everything crossed for completion next Friday! Abi too has been in the wars, a horrible scratch on her eye, leading to complications and then the diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy have all led to her having a very stressful time, though not as stressful as it was before they ruled out a stroke!

And this is a bit further round of the church in our village flying the flag of St George, again from our bedroom window. I'll definitely be taking lots of photos for the next blog whilst on our cruise, so there'll be more interesting!

Today has been packing properly which took all morning, tonight we are going to have a curry with H&I, just us, rather than the 12 there were last week, and tomorrow we get the train to Southampton for an overnight before boarding and embarkation Sunday afternoon. All we have to do now is get the 23kg suitcases up and over the line to the other platform…. The lift wasn’t working last Sunday, we’ll find out this evening whether it has been fixed!