The days are getting noticeably shorter, but we’ve had something of an Indian summer. It’s due to break tomorrow, we gather, but we could do with the rain. We still have lots of roses in flower, and a bit of colour in the containers: we have quite a few subjects that we didn’t plant this year, including nicotiana, petunia, bidens and even a rather stunted rudbeckia. The tomatoes are practically over, but a few late fruit are ripening: ugly as hell with their brown skins, but delicious. Not what I ordered, but we have tasty fruit - and a refund! Today I’ve tidied up a couple of containers, and stuck in some bulbs for next year: fritillaria meleagris and iris reticulata.
Aside of minimal gardening and the usual household chores, we’ve been to see Martyn’s family, and had a few meetings with friends old and new. The u3a gives me a few stimulating outings: German conversation, computing and scrabble, for example, and in a few days’ time I shall be seeing if a French language group suits me. It’s a lot more structured than our German group, which is now more like a bunch of friends meeting at each others’ houses for coffee and a natter. Today I’ve met a bunch of retired Magistrate friends to exchange war stories and gossip, and though we were a select group of five today, we had a good session.
Last Sunday we went to a concert: the first of the Disgustedville Symphony Orchestra’s 26/27 season. Brahms Tragic Overture, Elgar’s cello concerto and Copland’s first Symphony. Impressive playing by a much improved orchestra - it measures up well against the professional London bands. Most impressive, though, was the performance of the cello soloist, Laura van der Heijden, a winner of young musician of the year a while back. Seeing it performed live for the first time brought home to me just how technically demanding the piece is, despite which her interpretation was outstanding. Fabulous performance, and, as an encore, she treated us to her own arrangement of Scarborough Fair.
Lots of autumn colour around, which brings on that sinking feeling that winter isn’t far away. Still, we have a brief stay in the floating care home to look forwards to next month: Açores, Madeira, Lisbon and Vigo. Two destinations I haven’t visited before, and two that we know well and love. Wonder if anyone will let me speak a bit of Portuguese this time?
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