We are having some work done to our house, namely a new driveway (to stop the flooding), a new patio (to give us somewhere less like the Somme on a wet day to sit on) and a revamped kitchen (so we can finally stop camping in the lounge, or traipsing off to the local Toby Carvery – all you can eat for less than £7 – wow!). Great you may think, but when it is done on a budget smaller than my granddaughters weekly allowance, then a great deal of thought is taken into each aspect of the work in progress. It is almost completed now. Not to budget of course, but when is it ever? A few little scares along the way, like when we had a major flood in our kitchen trying to refit our vintage washing machine into its new place. It (the machine that is) decided it had been left in the garage too long and so it protested in the only way it knew how – it dumped 10 gallons of soapy water all over our newly reclaimed wooden floor. When I say reclaimed floor I actually mean we salvaged some left over flooring from an enthusiastic flooring fitter at my daughters house. I found it about to go onto the skip so retrieved it and scarpered.
At the time of writing this missive I can happily say the kitchen seems to be working OK. The flooding has been averted, well from our driveway at least. I can now stand on my front garden, Canute like, and watch the water move menacingly down the lane seeking out weaknesses in my neighbours defences. As for the garden. The mud has been replaced by two stone areas raised above the garden by two feet. I will either feel like King of all I survey, or find someone falling off the blasted thing and breaking a leg. NOTE TO SELF: Save up and buy some balustrades….
So what has my domestic workings to do with the choir. Answer – Naff All, but it does help illustrate why I may have been a tad less together these last few months. Not totally dismembered I hope, but somewhat under the strain of all that a man with a digger, or a man with a trowel, or even a man with an obsession with kitchen plans and wires can throw at me. In an effort to redress the situation let me outline the arrangements for this Saturday’s concert:
- Concert Garth Hill College Theatre at 7pm
- Still tickets available – Press ganging encouraged, although the Kings shilling has to be improvised
- Any additional items for the raffle gratefully received by Ann/Lizzie/Lesley and the team
- All choir member at a dress rehearsal at 4.30pm
- We have a varied programme that I am sure the audience will enjoy
- I have 36 cowboy hats, but if you have your own bring it.
- Concert dress is Red Polo and Black trousers or skirt (not blue or brown or green or purple, or as on one occasion white). If you do not have a Polo shirt please shout loudly after a count of three – one, Two, THREE –
- The choir are singing the following songs (in this order) – Razzle Dazzle, Both Sides Now, Hallelujah, The Lord is My Shepherd, Rhythm of Life, Oklahoma Medley, Beatles Medley, One Love, Perhaps Love, It Don’t Mean A Thing If IT Aint Got That Swing.
- Other performers will be The Wokettes, Sophie Hutton, JT Country, Birch Hill Primary School Dancers and Joe Emmett
I am proud of this choir, proud of what it can do today and what I know it will do in days to come. Unlike my recent foray into the realms of workmen and their estimating skills, I can happily say that this choir delivers every time we meet. No short change, just honest endeavours and hey, who could;d ask for more?
