Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 19 March 2023

Annette - Didn't you know calories don't count when you're away from home? Lindy and her OH can eat them without feeling guilty (Oh how I wish that were true ... !)

Well, Pat. The first piece in the concert - a recently composed piece by a woman - was dreadful. 17 minutes of screeching strings with the occasional bang on a drum! My friend called it self indulgent rubbish. Why do they have to perform these things? The “applause” at the end kind of expressed what we had all thought of it. Fortunately, the soloist in the Sibelius violin concerto was excellent and the Tchaikovsky didn’t disappoint. One of my friends drove and it only took 40 minutes. It is always lovely to go to the coast.
Lindy. You and your OH will know that stretch of the A55 very well when you first see the sea and get views of the Great Orme. The theatre in Llandudno is very good and right on the sea front.

So much to catch up! Bus trip report later.

OG – I hope J is not affected too badly. Kids get away with so much these days – less pampering for “misdeeds” is needed.

ANNETTE – G F Angas was one of 7 sons of a coachbuilder & began as an apprentice. I think he deserved the loot he gained throughout his life by hard work. Scenery photos to come. . . sometime.

DIANE – Thank you for starting us off. Too bad that there’s so much misery around your patch lately and even the unfeathered 2-legged creature is affected.

RUSTY – Now indoor excursions! Your life is so interesting. Keep up the reports please.

I note that LINDA is eating proper holiday food – naughty cakes.

Rusty - Oh dear, I know what you mean about modern so-called 'music'. They really should have specialist concerts (or 'gigs'!) for people who like that sort of thing, and keep proper music untainted. In the old days at the Proms Friday night was always pure Beethoven - I went often when I lived in London. Then they started introducing horrible modern stuff and that was the end of my promenading. Glad the rest of the concert was enjoyable - at least they had the grace to put the rubbish first and get it over and done with!

Good Morning. Quite cloudy again here, but that's normal: the sun breaks through during the morning and burns it all off. We enjoyed the cakes after a late (salad) lunch -- enormous, flat looking doughnuts filled with creme patisserie which we much prefer to just cream. My OH mused afterwards that they were so filling, we could have shared just one. But I said "Erm....No!! I'm on holiday!" LOL!

Rusty, that concert sounds good, except of course for the modern piece. We heard some at The Proms this year (on TV) and I do feel that new composers should get their chance to be heard, but Oh! Dear! Its often excruciating.

We do indeed see the Theatre at Llandudno as we pass it if we're on the coast road: it looks good but I've never been to it. These days we pass Llandudno by as we rush past on the expressway.

AQ - I thought that Angas deserved his wealth as he'd worked industriously for it, and been shrewd in his investments. There is often an element of jealousy when someone becomes hugely wealthy, but it's heartening to hear if they then spread the wealth around.

A few new people have arrived as our neighbours here - we can't hear their conversation or music through the wall but last night I heard loud snoring, so he must have quite a terrible affliction and goodness knows how his wife copes with it!!

Bus trip saga. Some “öld” regulars, some “new” regulars (not sure which category I am as this was only my 2^nd trip in 3 years). 31 on a 45 seater bus and I sat alone, except I could hear the life story of a yappy woman. We toured North Adelaide, viewing George Fife Angas memorial & buildings funded by him & son. To Salisbury for first break. I had coffee & naughty brownie (it had been an early breakfast) before we took advantage of toilets in the local library when it opened at 11 am. On to Northern Expressway. Photo of olive trees (I think) along the Expressway west of Gawler.

Further north, looking across farmland from Nthn Expressway - dual highway; Mt Lofty Ranges, blue on horizon.

Travelling down Gomersal Road into Barossa Valley. Paddocks of vines ahead. Pic through front window of bus. All others are through tinted side windows. Then to Bethany, an old German settlement. More about a Bethany "ëvent" later.

We arrived in Angaston at noon, with an hour for lunch. I walked length of main street with diversion to Town Hall, photo-ing old buildings, sandwich in public garden, back to bus, very weary. (to be continued)

RUSTY Glad you enjoyed the concert even if it didn't start too well.