Happy New Year- 2016!

Well,before this year passes with the same speed and rapidity that previous

years did, I thought I'd better catch up on what was happening last year"

In December I took a trip up to Nottingham to visit family and friends.

I visited and stayed with the great Anna - you'll get used to her as we're off

to Vietnam and Cambodia next week- can't wait!!

On my first day we spent time at these two places!!

Do you see a common theme here?

The City Hospital, this is where I took my midwifery training, back in the days!

This is the new maternity pavilion now called the Maternity Hotel and yes, you book into it!

Lots of new buildings on campus,including one devoted entirely to Urology!

Now what does that tell you about the state of the nation's plumbing?

I wonder if they ran out of space, the MRI scanner is housed in this trailer!

Following a quick visit - the NHS has its moments...... we headed here:

The Queens Medical Centre and home of the University of Nottingham 

Medical School. It's huge and you really need a map to navigate! We had a

brief visit with a friend who was admitted for tests. Fortunately her stay was

short and sweet - stay healthy my friends!!

For old times sake, we walked in town..... remember this place from

last year??

The Rock Cemetery! This time it was very quiet and deserted, not a soul to 

be see. - or heard!

I've posted so many photos as my friend in Alberta loved seeing this place!!

I'm not the only one with a warped mind!

We passed this old pub, I remember going there on a first date!!

We passed by the old Bluecoat School....

I love the street art that pops up unexpectedly......

We were headed to the House of Fraser, an upscale department store:

We met up with Elisabeth, another Polish friend - we're everywhere!! She

works in the lingerie department....

Nice nightie Anna!

We looked at the Christmas decorations....

Look who I found!!

We wandered through one of my favourite stores, John Lewis- I was VERY restrained!

Down into the city centre.....

The Salvation Army band was out doing their annual fundraiser.

They do a great job wherever they are - a really worthy cause to

support.

A variety of street music - here a Romanian playing gipsy music

on his accordion. The was a festive air everywhere!

We headed to my favourite vintage store and browsed inside.....

The Albert Hall, a great concert venue and great accoustics....

We wandered into St.Barnabas Cathedral, my home church...

The organist was practising his Christmas repertoire....

So we were treated to a free concert!

I met up with my great friend Millie ......

And of course we had to have lunch at our old haunt,

the Wheelhouse Pub. Here she is with Sharon, the landlady.

And yes, she did go there for Christmas dinner!

Just looking at this photo makes me happy!

I visited with my friend Krys......

Here she is propping up the Nutcracker King at the Christmas market....

We had coffee and cake at Debenhams and enjoyed the view....

I visited with my Aunt Irena.... she's had a difficult time recently...my Uncle Zygmunt

passed away this summer, they had been married for 70 years! I was glad I spent

time with them on my last visit...

She has an old,old photo of him on her mantel. Isn't he handsome?

And, on the back, a true love story....

"To my darling Irena, I love you so much and will hold you

  in my heart forever"

They looked so young on their wedding day - I love old photos....

That's my Aunt Marysia on the left and my Uncle Edek on the right, they ALL

looked so young!

I stayed with my cousin Liz and her husband, Stephen....

Stephen was very brave and modelled one of my creations!

They were great hosts, they took me line dancing....

They sure do it different over here!! They're great line dancing fans and go

several times a week. After the first time, I stayed home with the mince

pies and the lovely double cream they have over here!

If I'm not careful, this ad will be written expressly for me...

Here's Liz and Stephen before they head off AGAIN to one of their

line dancing jaunts-:)

I visited with my cousin Danuta and husband Tony...

That's my cousin Liz, we were checking her blood pressure - that's

what people of a certain vintage do in their free moments!

We couldn't get a BP but she was alive and kicking - this girl has the

energy of an Ever- ready Bunny and just keeps going...

I visited with my godson Mark, he's only 21 of course! What a handsome dude.

And then it was time to head back to London.

Goodbye Nottingham - see you soon!

 

Trinity Square, Nottingham

And remember....

                                       Talk soon and thanks for your patience!!

                                                        Zoe

 

And now for something a bit different......

I haven't just been sitting around in the evenings ( or daytime either!)

doing nothing. After cancelling my Bell T.V. contract a few years ago

( poor service and programming), I really haven't missed it all. I did have

Netflix for a while which got a bit boring and now stream with Acorn TV

which I really like, all British TV and more importantly NO SPORTS or

imported American crap. OK, not ALL of it is crap but a lot of it is.

But, when I can, I do love me a good movie or "going to the flicks" as 

they say over here. There's something about watching a movie on the

big screen that just can't be replicated at home.It's really about the 

whole experience. I also like catching up on British films as I can't get

to see a lot of them back home.

So what did I go to see:

             

   Actually this movie is Australian and is just brilliant. It's 

set in the Australian Outback in the 50's and is about a

dressmaker who returns to her tiny hometown to right 

wrongs from her past and look after her ailing mother.

That's all I'm saying but I loved it and especially the 50's

vintage clothing. Well worth watching. A feel good movie!

And lots of eye candy in the shape of Liam Helmsworth!!

This is where I saw it:

The next one I watched was:

           

 

This was listed as a comedy- drama and was written by 

Alan Bennett, a famous Brit playwright. It tells the true 

story of an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van

on Bennet's driveway for 15 years. Actually I didn't find it

at all funny,in fact it was depressing although it got rave 

reviews and my friends loved it.! No accounting for tastes!!!

         

I saw this movie at the Savoy Cinema in Nottingham, a lovely

Art-Deco theatre that still has the original double seats- for date

nights!!!

 

And finally, wait for it.........

Which I saw here at the Cornerhouse cinema in Nottingham. I've just 

realised that each cinema has its own unique personality - I like that,

no massive big box theatres although they are here too!

But, I digress. I was sort of looking forward to this movie. I actually

enjoy James Bond movies and always look forward to what new

gadgets he has. I really liked the previous movie, SkyFall, but this

one was boooooring! I actually fell asleep! Nuff said but isn't it great

we have such a great choice of movies to view.

And, of course, as its Christmas and panto season, I had to see this:

Dick Whittington at the Nottingham Playhouse.They always put on a

great panto and this year was no exception. I've written about the

concept of a pantomime before. This one is based on English folklore

surrounding the real-life Richard Whittington, wealthy merchant and

later Lord Mayor of London, who supposedly escaped his poverty

stricken childhood and made his fortune thanks to the ratting abilities 

of his cat. I still remember the childhood nursery rhyme: " Turn again

Dick Whittington, Lord Mayor of London" which the church bells had

supposedly pealed out and prompted his return to London.

I saw this at one of my favourite haunts, the Nottingham Playhouse!

And continuing with live theatre...... we went to see this great production:

           

Piaf, at the Charing Cross Theatre. The play celebrates the

centenary of the birth of Edith Piaf, France's most loved

cultural icon:

and tells the story of her rise from the gutters of Paris to become a world

renowned chanteuse, addicted to alcohol and drugs, and, to her early

demise at the age of 48. Her songs were often autobiographical with

her songs reflecting her life, often about love, loss and sorrow.

She was nicknamed "the little sparrow" as she was very petite, always

wore black on stage but could belt out a song with such feeling and intensity.

The play was brilliant and the actress who portrayed Piaf had a strong and

powerful voice.

PS I MUST remember to tell my kids to play 'Non, je ne regrette rien' at full

blast at my funeral!!!

The play was held at the Charing Cross Theatre which is conveniently

located under the railway arches of Charing Cross:

 

and occasionally we could hear the sounds of overhead trains thundering above

our heads but it didn't detract from the performance!!!

And, seeing as we've covered movies and live theatre, let's move onto another 

genre: television!

Last week we were fortunate to receive freebies to view the taping of this TV series:

               

             

 

The recording was held at the ITV studios at the South Bank. It was a 

different experience! 'Vicious' is a sitcom about two elderly gay men

who have lived in a flat in Covent Garden for 50 years. The main stars

are Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McLellan and Frances de la Tour, all

well-known and respected actors. I never realised or appreciated how

much work and effort went into filming even one scene! The actors

looked totally exhausted by the end of the taping but I give them credit

for being totally professional throughout.

           

    

                                   The rest of the crew!!

              And on the train home I picked up the Metro paper:

           

It's quite sad really, it's all become a big shopping- fest.

 So to cheer myself up, this what I'm going to see tomorrow:

                           

And no, I'm not really extravagant. I don't do this in Canada and all

the money NOT spent on Bell, goes towards my theatre addiction

while I'm over here!!

                             Merry Christmas!

          

                                Talk soon

                                   Zoe