My Day

[YnysMon]

5 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

We went to the flower show ,at Sandringham. Brought lots of things.Weathrr was on our side.Food snd drink,reasonably priced. Well worth  a visit.

There’s a lovely video of the King and Queen at the flower show. I must say, the show looks brilliant and, as you said Ian, well worth a visit.

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

We saw the coach and then the King and  Queen. We will go back later in the year to see the house.

[floydraser]

Yesterday - went to the E-Prix at the Excel, London.

Warning: it's for youngsters with very robust eardrums; I reckon a Formula 1 startline would have been quieter! But they're electric??? Unfortunately, so is the PA which was turned up to 11 and blasting out thump-tish thump-tish music constantly. Even behind the commentary. Only until they announce the drivers on the grid though, boxing style with elongated names, then they crank it up a bit more to absolutely ear-splitting volume. 

Good day out though. I've never been called shorty but I reckon I'm shrinking as I now have to look upwards when I talk to my 14 year old grandson!

[YnysMon]

My weekend at St Alban's Cathedral

I was very fortunate to be able to visit St Alban's Cathedral as part of a 'visiting choir' this weekend. The choir boys are on holiday, so over the holidays cathedrals rely on a variety of choirs from all over the country (and further afield) to fill in. We were due to cover three services: Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday evening.

Saturday

We had to be there by 1.30pm to do some final rehearsals before the 5pm service. The choir stalls...

 

First we rehearsed in a room in the Chapter House...

 

which was at the very top of the building adjoining the Cathedral, up a lot of steps. Here (see arrow):

 

Quite a small room, with no seating, so not just steps to contend with, but lots of standing up! (Oh, my legs!)

After 3pm we were allowed to go an rehearse a bit more in the choir stalls, so we could get used to the acoustic. The service (Evensong) wasn't until 5pm, which is a bit later than other Cathedrals. It went okay...well our conductor seemed pleased and the Dean of the Cathedral (a very friendly New Zealander) was complementary. She had also invited us over for drinks in the Deanery garden.

 

After drinks we split up to go to a couple of restaurants. Most people went for a Thai meal but, as the lady who had given me a lift didn't like Thai food, I ended up tagging along with a smaller group of seven to Zizzi's, which was fine by me. It's easier to chat in a smaller group anyway. Most of us travelled back to Milton Keynes for overnight.

Sunday

In the morning we had an early start as we needed to start rehearsing at 9.30 for the 11.15 service. We got to St Alban's in good time, plenty of time to visit Gail's Bakery to pick up a coffee and some freshly cooked cinnamon buns.

This morning we  again started off up in the lofty rehearsal room and them finished off practising in the choir stalls. 

This service was live streamed and is available on the Cathedral's YouTube channel. One thing I've learned from having a brief glance at it...I need to hold my music up and not look down so much!

We had a good amount of down time after the service, as the next service wasn't due until 6pm. A few of us (including me) had lunch in the Cathedral café. It was fairly simple fare (I had a quiche and salad), but reasonably priced and with quick service. It had started raining, and I hadn't brought a rain coat, so it seemed the best option.

One thing I noticed about the Cathedral is how doggie friendly it is, not just in the Cathedral but also in the café. Lots of people were there with very cute dogs. 

After lunch we sat chatting for a bit, then I went off to look around the shop and the Cathedral, just in time for a free tour, which was very informative.

St Alban's really is a history capsule, with the initial architecture being Norman, then two distinct phases of medieval gothic architecture, lots of Victorian restoration and now modern touches. The tour handily finished just before we were due to rehearse again (up all those steps again!), and then we had a rehearsal in the choir stalls again.

The service was celebrating the installation of a digital lighting system that makes the statues above the altar look as if they are painted, as they would have been in medieval times, and there was a reception afterwards (more drinks) for those involved in the project and the people who had attended the service.  

 

We are a motley crew...

 

I didn't get home until after 9pm...completely exhausted.

[NeilB]

Almost my old stomping ground as I was born just down the road from St Albans, in Bushey.  Although I was more Batchwood Hall nightclub than the Cathedral !

[Ray]

41 minutes ago, NeilB said:

Almost my old stomping ground as I was born just down the road from St Albans, in Bushey.  Although I was more Batchwood Hall nightclub than the Cathedral !

Surely if you're from Bushey you frequented Baileys in Watford.. top spot back in the day. Of course my day may well have been a long way before yours 😂

[YnysMon]

He, he...thread drift already

My first job when Graham and I moved from Anglesey to Milton Keynes was in Watford Railway Station ticket office. I really struggled the first few weeks as I couldn't make out the local (and ethnic) accents and wasn't that familiar with the local station names. They must have thought I was a right numpty!

[NeilB]

1 hour ago, Ray said:

Surely if you're from Bushey you frequented Baileys in Watford.. top spot back in the day. Of course my day may well have been a long way before yours 😂

Think Baileys closed when I was about 10, my sister used to go a lot and they used to have lots of top acts.  It then went through several names, Paradise Lost which had a waterfall, Kudos, Destiny and then I got old!!

 

[Ray]

It was a good night out every time, great disco and a real mix of top acts

I saw everyone from Showaddywaddy to Tommy Cooper there, weird mix lol

 

[Bikertov]

3 hours ago, NeilB said:

Almost my old stomping ground as I was born just down the road from St Albans, in Bushey.  Although I was more Batchwood Hall nightclub than the Cathedral !

 

2 hours ago, Ray said:

Surely if you're from Bushey you frequented Baileys in Watford.. top spot back in the day. Of course my day may well have been a long way before yours 😂

 

1 hour ago, NeilB said:

Think Baileys closed when I was about 10, my sister used to go a lot and they used to have lots of top acts.  It then went through several names, Paradise Lost which had a waterfall, Kudos, Destiny and then I got old!!

 

I grew up in Wembley, and am now living in Bushey, via Stanmore 

Used to go and see Watford play at Vicarage Road in my teens, and went to Baileys a few time back in the day, in my late teens, before it was Paradise Lost etc, and now called Prizm I think  

I remember going to the Watford FC night out a Baileys a couple of times, meeting the team including manager Graham Taylor and of course Elton John - I even have the pictures to prove it ...

Seem to remember going to a few gigs there too, seeing the likes of The Commodores play

Oh those heady, youthful days !

 

[Ray]

This thread started quite a nostalgia trip tonight for me and my Mrs. I used to take her to Baileys when she was my girlfriend lol

One night a singer called Vince Hill was on, not the stuff of us teens but apparently a favourite of Gill's parents, so I took them all... well adopted for my effort and the rest is history! 🙂

[Mouldy]

5 hours ago, Ray said:

This thread started quite a nostalgia trip tonight for me and my Mrs. I used to take her to Baileys when she was my girlfriend lol

One night a singer called Vince Hill was on, not the stuff of us teens but apparently a favourite of Gill's parents, so I took them all... well adopted for my effort and the rest is history! 🙂

C’mon, Ray!  You and I are nearly the same age (am I not even a few months younger?).  I remember Vince Hill, never was a fan mind, but I can remember him.  He passed away only recently too!

Anyone remember Caesars Palace in Luton?  Went there a couple of times in my late teens on a works ‘do,’ and voluntarily once to see the Barron Knights!

Heady times!

[deebee29]

Think I heard that Vince Hill died just this past week

[Ray]

58 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

C’mon, Ray!  You and I are nearly the same age (am I not even a few months younger?).  I remember Vince Hill, never was a fan mind, but I can remember him.  He passed away only recently too!

Anyone remember Caesars Palace in Luton?  Went there a couple of times in my late teens on a works ‘do,’ and voluntarily once to see the Barron Knights!

Heady times!

 

50 minutes ago, deebee29 said:

Think I heard that Vince Hill died just this past week

I'm sorry to learn he has recently passed away, he brought pleasure to the lives of many people as an entertainer.

[addicted]

Back in the 70s/80s Vince Hill did a t.v show called Music Box which ran for several seasons.  An old friend of mine used to choreograph the dance routines and his wife was one of the resident dancers. I remember them both saying at the time that Vince Hill was one of  the nicest performers they ever worked with and they worked with most of the big names of the day.

 

Carole

[YnysMon]

I just love how an innocent thread about St Alban's has turned into a nostalgia fest for people of 'our' generation.

You're welcome guys! Carry on!

[ChrisB]

I had many friends around Bushey, Stanmore  Harrow because although brought up in Chorleywood, I went to School in Moor Park/Northwood.

But later on the Thames Valley was our playground. Skindles at Maidenhead, Skinners at Remenham Hill, Henley. Marlow pubs, Winkers Farm, Chalfont St Peter etc.

[floydraser]

16 hours ago, YnysMon said:

My first job when Graham and I moved from Anglesey to Milton Keynes was in Watford Railway Station ticket office. I really struggled the first few weeks as I couldn't make out the local (and ethnic) accents and wasn't that familiar with the local station names. They must have thought I was a right numpty!

Do you have a strong accent? If so, they probably wondered where YOU were from! 

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, floydraser said:

Do you have a strong accent? If so, they probably wondered where YOU were from! 

Lots of people have wondered where I'm from, as they can't place the accent. Whereas most of population of Anglesey has a strong Welsh accent, the Holyhead accent is a bit different. Probably because it's a port. It's a melange of Welsh and Liverpudlian with probably a bit of Irish thrown in. 

[kpnut]

With a fairly strong Sussex accent, or at least ‘anywhere in rural England with Sussex words thrown in’ accent, when I was teaching my pupils always reckoned I came from Australia. 
And with living in Yorkshire for the past 37 years, the Sussex is still stronger, no hint of Yorkshire. My two children, born in east Yorkshire and in east yorks schools not far from Hull (now folk from school do have a very distinctive accent), and with all their friends speaking with local accents, STILL didn’t pick it up.
My verdict - Sussex must rule over Yorkshire. 

[Mouldy]

26 minutes ago, kpnut said:

My verdict - Sussex must rule over Yorkshire. 

Uh-oh!  That sounds like fighting talk!  

[grendel]

well its been a busy day, what with work, and a delivery, then a cycle ride to pick up a prescription that turned into 10.3 miles, then back home to finish assembling my delivery, a 90 litre capacity cycle trailer rated at 80 kg, its now put together, I do have to go get some spanners to tighten the nuts, and figure how to attach it to the bike, pump the tyres then find somewhere handy but out of the way to store it, this means I can now do my weekly shopping by bike, saving having to use the car. it also gives me the opportunity to bypass the local tips booking system (that needs your registration number to book in, I can now just put a couple of bags in the trailer and off down the tip to get rid of them, getting to be a necessity nowadays with the bin men striking, meaning unimportant rubbish such as recycling isnt being collected.

[kpnut]

What a brilliant idea Grendel. I used to park a tractor with sheepbox attached at the shops. Bike and trailer sounds more ‘eco’ and better for you. 

[BrundallNavy]

Had a trip up to Coltishall today and the weed is everywhere. Just spent the last 1 1/2 hrs cleaning out the raw water system   

[twowrights]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

With a fairly strong Sussex accent, or at least ‘anywhere in rural England with Sussex words thrown in’ accent, when I was teaching my pupils always reckoned I came from Australia. 
And with living in Yorkshire for the past 37 years, the Sussex is still stronger, no hint of Yorkshire. My two children, born in east Yorkshire and in east yorks schools not far from Hull (now folk from school do have a very distinctive accent), and with all their friends speaking with local accents, STILL didn’t pick it up.
My verdict - Sussex must rule over Yorkshire. 

Odd that, I have a Hullensian accent and on visits to America have often been asked if I'm Australian,cheeky bleeders!