Benson Row - 12

Penrith, Cumbria. March-2020.

Well I guess that's the Pause button pressed on the works for a while. Prior to our arrival the kitchen fitter had laid the lovely, engineered oak flooring, the worktop company then came to template and went away with a promise to return in a week with the worktop.

They returned along with our fitter to install the worktop. We are hugely grateful that he worked late that day, the eve of the PM's announcement of a shutdown, to fit the hob, sink, dishwasher and washing machine. We can live without cupboard doors!

We had been surviving on microwaveable meals and the soup-maker (a brilliant device). We used to eat out occasionally for a bit variety, now not an option. However doing all the washing up in the tiny handbasin in the bathroom was getting very tedious. Also we used the local laundry which meant trying to build up full loads whilst not running out of knickers and socks. Now we have a viable home we can stay up in Penrith and not have to return to London.

We were isolating ourselves upstairs for the day while the workmen were in to fit the worktop so our kitchen fitter WhatsApp'd us this video from downstairs to show us the work in progress.

The kitchen floor was raised to match the level of dining room. That necessitated a replacement window as the old sill would have been below the new worktop.

Outside that left a gap awaiting a new windowsill once the danger of frost was past.

The new windowsill and gap filled with local stone plus re-jigged pipework for the new sink and dishwasher.

The surround to the new back door (previously a window and before that a door) has been plastered but the final skim will have to wait.

Meanwhile I was not idle. I fitted 15 metres of picture rail all round the upstairs landing to put an end to filling pinholes when Mary decides to rearrange the pictures. I borrowed the builder's laser spirit level (an excellent toy!) to mark out the line from the front bedroom architrave. It really showed up the difference in floor and ceiling heights.

 Of course none of the walls were even.

A panorama of the completed rail.

Pictures hung.

Also on my to-do list was fittings for the downstairs shower and loo.

The access panel to the under stairs void needed painting as well.

And finally we have a fully working downstairs shower and loo.

Until restrictions are lifted and the workmen can return, "That's All Folks!"

The Blues Band at Under The Bridge

Chelsea, London. Friday 06-March-2020.

We first saw The Blues Band at the Great British Rock and Blues Festival 2017. Featuring Paul Jones formerly of Manfred Mann. This time we went with our friends John and Andrea. This being our eighth time at UTB we knew the score - get there early and queue so you get some of the limited seating available. We bagged four bar stools in the floor area with great views of the stage. Result!

They did a solid Chicago blues style set.

You just can't beat some live music.

Message in a Bottle at Peacock Theatre

West End, London. Thursday 20-February-2020, Thursday 05-March-2020.

So good we had to see it twice. Mary was so knocked out by this show that on the bus home she booked to go back and see it again. One first viewing it was spectacular but on second viewing I got so much more out of the storytelling. Helped by the fact that we were closer to the stage and able to see their expressions very clearly.

Lyndsey Winship in the Guardian gives it 4 stars: "A compelling cast pour their hearts into Kate Prince’s jukebox tale of civil war, trafficking and three siblings separated as refugees."

"The blistering cast attacks Prince’s sharp, tight rhythms, laced with pops and power poses, with a huge amount of heart, their technical tricksiness thrown off with casual grace.[...] Overall, though, this story of loving, losing and finding your way again is moving and hopeful. It has clarity, immediacy and mainstream appeal, and there’s no denying that the songs are great. Most importantly, it has an infectious, pressing energy that boils over the edge of the stage. It should be a big hit." Full review...

Can't argue with that. What was good was that although they said no photography or recording during the performance they encouraged you do to so at the curtain call.

Great stuff.

Brubecks play Brubeck at Ronnie Scotts 2020

Soho, London. Wednesday 03-March-2020.

The second time we’ve seen the Brubecks play Brubeck at Ronnie's. We enjoyed it so much last year that it was well worth a second visit. The band consists of three Brubeck brothers Darius, Chris and Dan with Dave O’Higgins on sax. They played music from their father’s repertoire (clue in the name!) And they’ve clearly inherited his musical talent. Excellent musicianship.

We had superior seating and opted for a table on the raised section. It was a table we hadn’t sat at before and belatedly realised why - there is a pillar in the way! We requested a move to one of our favourite tables, lesson learned.

The set started with Blue Rondo à la Turk and ended, inevitably, with Take Five. Ronnie's seem to have taken to Live Streaming some gig's which means we can rewatch this concert:

As it was a mid-week concert we got two sets from the band - excellent value.