An evening stroll

For the first time in nineteen years, hubby and I are finding ourselves with a modicum of freedom as our babies increasingly organise their own social lives (having said that, we did get a phone call an hour into our evening to see where we were!!! One of them had popped home for tea before dashing out again. We told her to drive up to the pub to join us, but she declined.). So with hubby not finishing work until 6pm, and me not having his tea on the table when he walked in (due to me sorting out my new sewing room!!! great excitement!!!), I suggested an evening stroll across the fields, to the pub. No complaints from hubby. So off we set.

We are lucky that we can walk out of our road, turn the corner, and be on a path across the fields. It was a gorgeous evening, brilliant light, lovely and warm, very still.
I wanted to record it so that when I look back over my year, I can remember what a lovely evening we had.
We talked about our work day, the kids, our ideas and thoughts. We both talked and listened - without any interruptions - a luxury. Hubby says that since I stop and take photos every 10 steps, he too now sees the beauty in where we live.
At the top of the field is the village of Wentworth.
Wentworth has a lovely clump of houses called Paradise Square.

Our destination was the Rockingham Arms - which was heaving!! A rarity in this day and age in Britain - so many pubs in our area have been pulled down because they are unused.
Tonight at the Rockingham Arms, they appear to have a mass Crown Green Bowling Event and Morris Dancers. Its a lovely pub with an Orchard to sit out in, and a barn where they have a folk club, bands etc The food too was really nice - always a treat when someone else cooks me a meal, but often a disappointment when we eat out as home cooking is often better - but not on this occasion, and very affordable too ( or is it that we are used to paying for 4?).
It was getting late, and fortunately, it is almost all down hill going home. We did once roll back down this hill when we first moved here - before we had kids and we were young!!!
We always make the most of a half decent sunset.

If hubby told me once, he told me a hundred times that he had a great evening. We plan to do it again - very soon.

Matthew Bourne's Cinderella

The Dancing Queen and I treated ourselves to a night at the ballet. Ive missed my theatre buddy since she has been away. We went to see Matthew Bourne's Cinderella.

Matthew Bourne is a fantastic choreographer - adding quirky twists to his work. The twist in Cinderella is that it is set in the blitz in London 1940, and it works very well.

The costumes, music, stage sets and dancing are all superb. My favourite scene is on the second set where just as you are taking your seats, a bomb drops (making you jump out of your skin!) and the curtain opens to devastation at the Cafe de Paris, with a fire blazing, the ceiling hanging down, and the guests lying dead. However, the fairy godfather de-constructs the set and restores it to what would have been the scene immediately before the bomb.

You know that I love a night out at the theatre. I love the way they still use real musician's, I love the way that special effects can happen before your eyes, I love all the clapping when the performers take their bows at the end. For the time that you are in the theatre, watching the ballet, play or musical, you are immersed in it. Its like stepping into another world, place and time.

This production by isn't quite as quirky as the other Matthew Bourne productions I have seen, but there are some cameo's of quirkiness that make it very different.

We loved it. If you get chance, go see it.

Another Date Night

Get us!! Out again!! Actually I was there by default as I will explain. However hubby and I found ourselves with half an hour to spare before the event, so we had a quick drink at The Crucible Corner. It wasn't without incident though. The patio heater that we sat under actually caught fire and had to be put out by several pitchers of water. Then, a Johnny Depp lookalikie in full Jack Sparrow regalia swaggered through the square and into the bar. I would have taken his photo, but I was terrified that his sword might be real and he might be a nutcase! Any how, on to the event.

Hubby had booked a couple of tickets to hear the World Cup referee Howard Webb speak at the Millenium Galleries. He thought it might be nice for him and the young man to have a manly bonding session, but the young man had decided he would rather spend the evening with his (lovely) new girlfriend, so I ended up going.

I really enjoyed it. Howard Webb is a lovely chap with his feet still firmly on the ground. He can talk for England!! Tanya Arnold has the tiniest waist it is possible to have without snapping in two!!