29th January
Well, we are in to the final two weeks of rehearsals for the Basingstoke Gang Show. Violet-Elizabeth has certainly been putting the hours in, as have all the young people performing. The team who put on the show, comprising of Scouting and Guide leaders, parents and helpers should all be applauded for their considerable effort and the time they have put into the show.
30th January
Went to a very enjoyable concert by the Canteloube Trio at the Trinity Methodist Church. You might remember that these concerts are part of a series put on by Basingstoke Concert Club each year. The next concert takes place on 27th February where you can see Soojin Han (Violin) and Mariangela Vacatello (Piano), performing works by Bach, Brahms and Massenet.
31st January
I might not have mentioned that the shower pump at the Manor broke on
Christmas Eve 2009, and I have been waiting with baited breath ever since
for Spencer to fix it. Granted, he did spend a good part of Christmas
Eve and the next week, stripping down the motor, cleaning it up and putting
it back together, but I could have told him that a 17 year old shower pump
had probably had it, and it was time to get a new one. Undeterred,
Spencer insisted on sending the manufacturer photos of the pump in bits by
e-mail in the vain hope that spares could be found. However it was not
to be, and again we saw the Bentley making its way sedately along the A30 to
Homebase at Camberley (next to M&S), as the Basingstoke branch did not stock
a replacement pump. This gave me a window of opportunity to have a
quick look round M&S whilst Spencer discussed the merits of various shower
pumps with the sales chap at Homebase.
The whole of Sunday was spent disassembling the old pump (again) and
installing the new one. Fortunately the job just took the exact time
from between the end of breakfast and the 10 minute warning of dinner being
ready in the evening, and as far as I can make out, involved Spencer lying
down in the walk in wardrobe in the bedroom drilling through the wall into
the bathroom for much of that time. Anyway, at least it is fixed now
and we can all breathe a sigh of relief, not to mention being a bit
cleaner!