Lockdown Week 11 - June 2nd - 8th

Time definitely seems to move differently under lockdown, and this has been another week when I seem to have busy all the time but don't really have anything to show for it.

It's also been another up and down week.

With the relaxation of lockdown rules my eldest daughter was able to come and visit, bringing her toddler for a more-or-less socially distanced afternoon in the garden. Neither of them has been out and about during these past few weeks so we judged it okay to meet up now before my grandson heads back to nursery.
My younger daughter lives further away, in an almost-city-centre flat rather than a house-with-garden in the suburbs, and has seen more people, walking to shops or in the park, than the rest of the family, so reluctantly we decided it wasn't really practical or safe to visit for her birthday at the end of the week. Instead we bought presents online, trying to avoid the big guys wherever possible and use small businesses, and joined in via video messaging to see her open her them. Better safe than sorry is still my motto for getting through this period. 

After so many weeks of hardly interrupted sunshine, the weather has turned unpleasant with wind and rain, forcing me to stay indoors, but I've still managed to join in with the Wildlife Trusts' 30 Days Wild, the garden is coming on well with summer flowers opening and fruit ripening, and we've actually started the wallpapering project planned back in March!

I found I've lost some of my enthusiasm for live-streamed gigs. At first I really enjoyed these - they help raise funds for musicians who can't work, and keep me in contact with the music scene - but of late I haven't bothered to watch. Maybe I just saw too many? Certainly I'd never go out to actual gigs as frequently as I've watched them online, so they've stopped becoming an occasional treat. It's going to be a long while before I feel comfortable enough to go to a crowded gig venue so I really ought to make the most of what's available at the moment.

Luckily, live, or at least recorded live, streamed theatre hasn't lost any of its appeal. Friday night is now designated 'theatre night', and this week I watched Tom Hiddleston in the title role of Coriolanus, a National Theatre Live/Donmar Warehouse collaboration. The whole production was brilliant, and Hiddleston amazing
Sunday was time for Romeo and Juliet from the RSC, as part of the BBC's Arts in Quarantine series. We've seen R+J recently from the Globe, back in week 4 of lockdown, and it's always fascinating to see two companies take the same script and interpret it differently. I preferred the RSC version, with Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick in the title roles; my husband said the Globe's version was best.

During these lockdown weeks I haven't ventured out much at all - an occasional walk to the nearby playing fields has been enough - but on Sunday we drove to Shipley Country Park for a proper walk with different views. It was busier than I would expect for a normal overcast day, even at weekend, but the paths are wide and it was easy to avoid people. Getting away from housing and people was great, and I'm wondering where else nearby I could do this regularly.

Lockdown - week 5: 21st - 27th April

Part of me can't quite believe this lockdown has been going on for five weeks. The time seems to have passed in a daze. I've said it before but the day of the week, and the date of the month are losing meaning; the only real marker being the succession of flowers in the garden. The continuing warm weather still makes me feel that this is a holiday of sorts, which contributes to the aimless drifting of days.

With this in mind, I decided that I'd try to make something a little different for one dinner of the week. This week I tried making my own tapas - tortilla, patatas bravas, pan con tomate, chorizo in red wine and honey, and a cheese and meat board (or plate). It wasn't a total success as the tortilla got a little over-cooked, but as a whole it worked, and it's something that I'd eat out but not normally attempt at home. I even made gin tonico with my birthday Skye gin and  elderflower spritzer, garnished with lemon balm and thyme. I'm now wondering what to attempt for future weeks - possibly something that might pass as pub-grub with an 'all you can eat' salad bar, or 'extras' such as pickles and naan bread with curry.






I'm going to need to plan ahead for this when shopping but I'm now finding that although it may still be tricky to get a supermarket delivery (slots are sensibly being saved for the most vulnerable) it's comparatively easy to click and collect. This feels a safer, less exposed option than actual in-store shopping so Friday saw us heading off to top up supplies. Unfortunately the treats - chocolates and crisps - went a little rapidly, and we were soon down to 'proper' food.

I have a tendency to binge-eat like this at the best of times and lockdown has made that worse. At the end of Week 4, I looked at the scales and realised how easily and quickly I'm putting weight on, and decided I should do something to change my habits. I can't quite say I've been dieting, but I have started to watch how much I'm eating, and at least this week I haven't put more weight on (which counts as a result)

I've discovered online jigsaws - and yes, without a bit of caution, I could become hooked. As the pieces lock together they make an extremely satisfying 'click', so there's no change of putting a wrong piece in, and the monotonous sections such as sky are completed much easier than with a physical jigsaw.

I've finished a hat to go with my new rainbow scarf, finished a couple of weeks ago. Actually it's the second hat I've made, as the first was strange. I tried to use the scarf pattern but it looked like something a flower fairy might wear, so I unraveled the yarn, and knitted it up as a plain hat.



It's been another busy 'out and about' week, with livestreamed gigs and theatre.
Thursday - gig round at Frank Turner's, raising money for independent music venues, followed by Bruce Springsteen's segment from the Jersey4Jersey benefit.
Friday - Twelfth Night from National Theatre Live - brilliant and funny interpretation, and Tamsin Greig's Malvolia was wonderful. I followed it with Friday Night Dinner just to see her in something totally different.
Saturday - Bustival livestream festival, organised by Vans for Bands who are raising funds to supply their tour buses as rest and accommodation facilities for doctors and nurses. You can find more details on their FB page and a link to the crowdfunder here. I didn't attempt to catch all of the acts, just Mark Evans (with a Young Rebel set), Frank Turner (again), Will Varley, and Skinny Lister (with month old baby)
Monday - Sean McGowan livestream gig, followed by a trip to the theatre, this time for a RSC production of Macbeth starring Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack




It's not been all fun though as recent news has reported that 'disruptive social distancing' is likely to the end of the year, and anyone over 60 ought to be considered high risk. For now things are manageable but I'm beginning to wonder what my situation might be in a few months, and whether I'll be able to see my daughters, especially if they're no longer working from home but mixing with other people in an office. Worrying, of course, won't make any difference so I'm trying to still take
each day/week one at a time; potter in the garden, sit in the sun, and try to enjoy this weird time.

Taming Of The Shrew - RSC at Theatre Royal Nottingham

Funniest Shakespeare EVER!

Shakespearean plays seem to be like buses - you don't see one for ages then three come along at once! Derby Theatre staged The Taming of the Shrew recently and this week Nottingham sees a double dose with Romeo and Juliet at the Playhouse and the RSC performing The Taming of the Shrew at the Theatre Royal. As I can't afford to watch as many as I would like, when I saw Nottingham Royal looking for a Twitter reviewer, I jumped at the chance.

The plot - Baptista has two daughters he wishes to find husbands for, but won't allow the younger, Bianca, to marry one of her many admirers before he can find a husband for the elder, Kate, the 'shrew'. Fortunately Petruchio, a stranger to

town, turns up and is prepared to take her on for her dowry - and straighten out her attitude later.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this production. I'd read reviews for it that seemed to suggest it was going to be gritty and possibly violent, so was totally unprepared for how much fun it was!

Yes, Shakespeare can be fun!

After a slightly slow start, the comedy picked up pace and had the audience in fits of laughter - the first time I've heard that at a performance. I can imagine academics tittering respectfully over Shakespearean wit but not laughing out loud in this manner. The RSC's performance is an energetic, fast- paced romp, full of sexual innuendo, that puts paid to the idea of Shakespeare being dull and fuddy-duddy.

Kate is a hard-drinking, hard smoking, ready for a fight woman. Petruchio, muscled and fit, the only attractive-looking guy on stage. They were made for each other. Kate's end speech, about women obeying their husbands, is a bit hard to stomach these days but having Petruchio abase himself to kiss her feet after it balanced things out somewhat, leaving me with the message that love and respect are two-way things.

My only regret is not taking my teenager along. I'd queried whether or not it would be suitable for a 14 yr old - and with innuendo and semi-nudity perhaps it's as well to err on the side of caution but I would have been happy for her to have seen it.

An excellent evening's entertainment that I'd urge everyone to see - especially if your only impression of Shakespearean comedy is of dull, dragging school-work.