Rock'n'roll is here to stay - on my living room floor!

Over the years as our daughter has grown up, we've had quite a few nights with extra folk staying over - from girlie sleepovers to friends crashing after parties or a night out down town - so when she asked me last summer if I'd put up a musician from London coming to play at her birthday 'bash', I said "Sure. Fine." And then, when she announced the start-up of a promotions company and said "Would I mind putting up some bands?", I said 'Sure. Fine" ......and then began to wonder quite what I'd let myself in for.....
After all, we're talking rock bands. They're, like, drunk all the time, partying all night, and smashing guitars and furniture, aren't they? and they're going to be sleeping on my living room floor.....  Should I move all the ornaments? Cover the pale carpet with something easy to clean down? And then there's the normal problems of sleepovers - for slumber parties everyone brings a sleeping bag, for crashing-out they slump on the sofa and get an old blanket thrown over them, but what does a rock star expect? I was starting to get a bit nervy about all this.....
Anyway, we picked up a free-cycled folding bed, bought some more pillows, and crossed our fingers. The first 'sleepover' was to be just two guys ....till the day before, when I discovered there would actually be three. Fine - the sofa's a bit short but line the seat cushions up on the floor and it'll be great. Second time, we were expecting four overnight guests . Fine - we'd coped with three, four wouldn't be much more trouble... get a double blow up bed, sleep them head to toe....then we found out they had a driver .....but we muddled through again.

But what about that rock'n'roll lifestyle? The drink, the drugs, the partying?
It's a myth!
By the time these guys get here, they've driven all day, played a gig, and just want to crash out. Next morning, they're heading off for another day of travelling, ending with another gig, and another night on a stranger's floor.
And, at the risk of making them blush, they've all been such lovely guys -  they've washed their breakfast pots, complimented me on my jam; we've talked about anything and everything - attitudes to on-line music streaming, the (sometimes intrusive) expectations of fans, the shock of going from street-busking one day to nationwide tour the next after being 'discovered', books, favourite parts of Scotland, having to use a family hatchback as 'tour bus', ...and, of course, our dog who refuses to be left out of anything!

So far, despite a few last minute panics, I've loved having them all to stay ....... and I've hoping one day I'll see one (or more) of them on TV or plastered across a gossip mag front page, and I can say "I know him! He's slept on my floor!"

Chatsworth again

 It's our second visit to Chatsworth this autumn, so, although the Sotheby's sculpture exhibition is still running, this time there's less 'art' and more 'trees', though really they are as stunning in their own way.











This year, the colours seem even more vivid than usual - perhaps due to the warm, sunny autumn we've had so far.

Ring Pond Reflections

Just one sculpture though as I couldn't resist including this Lynn Chadwick couple, as they stride in front of the autumnal backdrop.

The Rubenstein Kiss - Nottingham Playhouse

The second production in Nottingham Playhouse's Conspiracy Season is based on the real-life story of American-Jewish couple Ethel and Julius Rosenberg who were accused of passing nuclear secrets to the Russians - and executed. The Rubenstein Kiss blends fact and fiction moving from the 70s when Matthew and Anna are brought together through their passion to clear Esther and Jakob Rubenstein, in their view wrongly accused of spying, to the 40s and 50s as the events unwind leading up to the betrayal by Esther's brother David and the arrest of the couple.

It's a moving, thought-provoking and brilliantly acted piece of theatre. There's generally some background noise in an auditorium, a cough, sweet-papers rustling, someone fidgeting in their seat, but for once there were times when the whole auditorium was hushed, mesmerised by the scene unfolding on stage.
The acting throughout was brilliant. Joe Coen and Katharine Manners as the Rubensteins convinced as lovers passionately committed to each other and their ideals, and Simon Haines and Gillian Saker as the 70s couple discovering unpleasant truths about each other, but I was most impressed by Mark Field, as David, moving from a happy-go-lucky youngster to a man tormented by guilt, as he admitted the mistake that led to Esther's arrest.
Although the story plays out to a conclusion on stage, it doesn't feel over. It left me wondering about the Rubensteins/Rosenbergs - did they actually commit the crimes they were accused of? what was the leverage that would persuade a brother to accuse his sister, and what role did the brother's wife really play? This is a play to make you think about loyalties - to family, country and ideals - and make you question what your reactions would have been in such circumstances. it's easy to say "I wouldn't have got into the whole mess - I'd never do that" but stretch your imagination, wonder about if you had something or someone that you cared about that much, what would you do then?

Sotheby's Beyond Limits exhibtion at Chatsworth

 Early Autumn brings the return of the Sotheby's Beyond Limits sculpture exhibition to Chatsworth, with works of art placed around the gardens, so last week in glorious sunshine we went to have a look.

As always, some I liked , some I didn't; these are the ones that caught my eye.

Held by Desire (Square Root) by Marc Quinn -  a bonsai tree cast in bronze, and much larger than the original living tree.









It was realistic enough to fool this robin - at first I thought he was part of the sculpture, then he twitched and flew off!

 Pair of Walking Figures  - another bronze casting, this time from Lynn Chadwick. I've seen this piece before (or a very similar one) and love the way the movement of the figures is captured - though, with their coats billowing behind them, they do look a little as if they're walking into a howling gale!

 Manipulator by Reg Butler - a figure fiddling with some gadget or machine, but looking upwards, perhaps at the stars or into space













It's a bit difficult to catch the upturned face - standing on tip toe and arm-stretching required to get the shot

A huge leaf - Guerilla Gardner by Simon Periton. Just a little garish in colour for me; I'd have liked a more natural finish.

 Three pieces by Barbara Hepworth

Sea form (Atlantic)

the totem-pole like The Family of Man; figure 1, ancestor 1










and Three Obliques (Walk In ) which seemed just made for peering through

and Temple by Sandy Brown. A path of decorated stepping stones led through the arches and to the circular entrance - I just wish I could have followed it inside

Off to Uni .. 10 Things I'll Miss....

 Early on in the life of her This Be The Blog blog my teen used me as a source of input, and merriment. Now I'm sort of getting my own back....


It's nearly two weeks since, like many parents this time of year, we packed the car to capacity and took our daughter off to uni. For her it's the start of a new, exciting era; for us it's back to the same old routine but with a huge gap in our lives. There are lots of things I'm going to miss about having her around the house but after a fortnight I've boiled the list down to these ten.


Firstly, a really practical thing - dinner! Unless out for the evening, the teen had become the cook of the house, rustling up stir-fries, curries or pollo alla cacciatora without any involvement from me. On the times she was out, I pulled something out of the freezer - ready meals or frozen fish and chips - not really a sensible diet to pursue everyday! So, urged along by the bags of beans, tomatoes and potatoes coming from the allotment, I'm back to cooking. It's not the same though. The teen liked music playing while she cooked and I used to dance around the house to it - not sensible when you're the one in charge of the food!

On another practical note - by Monday I'd noticed that the carpets were looking grubby, and blamed the dog of course. Then it suddenly struck me - for a long while the teen has been the person in charge of vacuuming! I'd slipped into the habit that at some point in the day without me lifting a finger the floors would all become miraculously clean - oops! Another chore to add to my list.

Three - music. Following three months of long, post-A level holidays, the house now feels too quiet. Most parents seem to complain about their children playing music or musical instruments around the house - I loved it. Apart from maybe during the early 70s listening to Radio Luxenbourg, I've never found music I really like played on the radio, but through the Teen and her review site I've discovered slightly edgier, alternative up and coming bands and artists that I do. I'm hoping I don't drop back into the same old, 'can't stand this so switch it off' habits or ending up turning into Smooth radio.
I also miss hearing her play the guitar - with music floating down the stairs and out the windows (maybe the neighbours will be pleased though)

What are we at? Four? Watching dvds. Not quite a girls' night in thing - though it frequently involved pizza - but I no longer have anyone to share my quirky taste in film and TV. I heard part of the sound track of Alfie playing on my Spotify playlist one day and realised that now I'll be watching Jude Law and/or Michael Caine alone. Hubby is NEVER going to watch romcoms or zombie movies or even hard-hitting off-beat thrillers like In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths. He never joined us for Humans or Utopia, and couldn't put a face to any character from Borgen or Game of Thrones. Fortunately social media is full of folk who DO watch my kind of thing.

...and carrying on from sharing viewing tastes, the fact that I now have no one to share references and quotes from those films with - someone who knows dogs CAN look up, prime ministers can dance down staircases, that 'he tastes like you only sweeter', or can quote the whole of Alfie's closing speech (and most things Malcolm Tucker said). I made a throw away comment the other day about politics and Birgitte Nyborg, and hubby looked at me confused!

Six- her general enthusiasm and willingness to embrace the new and possibly weird.  From her interest in cooking, tasting her dinner instead of consuming it as if a chore, and now moving to vegetarianism, through music and theatre, the side-shoots from psychology A level, and TED lectures on the web to her newly-found interest in politics, she's brought a lot of new ideas and ways of thinking to my attention. It's made me think about things I never would have queried and focused my ideas even if they're not always in line with hers.

Seven - someone who knows how to frame me and my knitwear pics or social media profile pics - and not make me look the size of a house! But also, someone who'll say if my clothing looks too weird, or even makes me look fat or older than I am - sometimes the 'you look great' answer isn't the right one, critical opinion can be better.

Eight - chatting over nothing and everything, often by text while she waited for a delayed bus, or upstairs to downstairs via PC. There's always social media but it meanders less. The nearest best thing is probably chatting to the folk I meet out dog-walking, starting with the weather, and moving on to their holidays, families, and, of course, dogs.

Nine - laughing. Stand-up comedians don't do it for me. The Thick Of It will raise a wry smile but only my teen can make me Laugh Out Loud, sometimes till I run out of breath and all my stomach muscles ache. I might even need to take exercise to keep those muscles tight.

...and number 10 of this list? List making! Like High Fidelity's Rob Fleming I do love a Top Ten List - from films starring John Cusack to music for Monday mornings, favourite books this year to best beaches, I'm a sucker, but you need someone to share them with and bounce ideas off of. Not such fun on your own


 And for the Teen's version of these first weeks see This Be The Blog here

...and a year on, she opted for a gap year A New Routine ,  but eventually they all move away

Edinburgh - in threes

This year we only had a very brief visit to Edinburgh - three nights in fact - so here's a potted guide to Edinburgh in threes.

Three iconic views  -




 The castle from Princes Street Gardens

Holyrood Palace












and the old town -Victoria Street with its sky-scraper houses

Three skyline shots - from the roof of the National Museum

 looking towards Princes Street and the Scott Monument

 and back up to the Royal Mile







Three night-time shots

 Three book events - we always call in at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and this year I caught two events there - Sara Baume and Ian Stephen, both in the running for the First Book Award, and Lucy Wood and Sarah Hall  - and a book-related fringe event - a Literary Death Match 

Three new things - exploring the City of Edinburgh museum, walking from Dean Village alongside the Water of Leith, and eating haggis pizza

There's always plenty of things happening along the Royal Mile at Fringe-time, so ..

 Three acts out promoting on the Royal Mile

Three guitarists, well four actually,

 Three more acts out 'flyering' on the Mile - and I could probably have come up with thirty-three more!

 Three trips to the seaside - It's easy to forget that Edinburgh is almost on the coast but one evening we went out to the harbour at Newhaven,

 then on to the country park at Gypsy Brae to catch the sunset behind the Forth bridges





and one morning I went paddling at Portobello with a new best friend.