2 (49) TIME FOR ANOTHER INDEX.

FOR THE REGULARS 
Water colours.

The threat - made in my last post - that I may paint again, brought a deluge of response. 

(Thank you, Ian.) 

I pointed out that I have not put brush to paper for all of ten years.The above picture of Honfleur, which I painted twenty odd years ago, may explain why.

My Leader likes it. 

She has always been my nicest critic. 

BLOG INDEX 5.

Because it's time. 

If you are one of that much appreciated clan of

buddies who follow these ramblings every month, you may read this before being greeted with another blog index. 

If you just looked in on the off-chance, or left it a

bit late, you may have been slightly surprised to

come across the list of names at Post 2(50).

No worries: after you've looked your name up

you'll probably get here anyway. Why another 

index? I figured it was time for it. 

TELEVISION. 

Perhaps you watched...

The Secret Agent.

Toby Jones (above) was the agent in a series 

based on Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel.

Clearly the undercover crowd were as 

incompetent then as they are now. Sad. Very sad.

Brief Encounters. 

Penelope Wilton headed the believable cast in a

series that was more undergarment than

undercover and none the worse for that. 

We enjoyed it.

The Edinburgh Tattoo. Will have brought joy again to the heart of any old squaddie who watched it.
I did and I know brother Harold will have. 

We'll talk about it, as we do every year, with a smile in our voices.

Which brings me to: 

The BBC Proms 2016. 

Many of my favourites this year: Rachmaninov's

3rd Piano Concerto was a resounding success for

Uzbekistan pianist Behzod Abduraimov and the

Munich Philharmonic under the toothpick baton

of Valery Gergiev who conducts as though he has

just washed his hands and cannot find a towel.

Grieg’s Piano Concerto, played by Venezuelan

pianist Gabriela Montero with the São Paulo

Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop

(love her), lifted the spirits as did the West-Eastern

Divan Orchestra (doesn't it always?) conducted by

maestro Daniel Barenboim, with his old friend

Martha Argerich playing Liszt's Piano Concerto

No.1 followed by Schubert's Rondo in A major (in piano duet with the conductor). 

All of these plus a wonderfully cheeky interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

given by charismatic Finnish virtuoso Pekka Kuusisto, a name I had not encountered before but will be sure not to miss next time around. The BBC Scottish Symphony under Thomas Dausgaard was clearly enchanted by him and the entire Proms audience sang along to his unique Finnish encore. Absolute magic. 

READING. 

Terry Pratchett. In Carpe Jugulum we have a modernistic family of empire-building vampires vs the witches of Lancre led by Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. If you've read any Discworld I know which side your money will be on.

Currently I am reading Sir Tel's The Fifth Elephant and am about half way through it. Sir Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil are venturing into Werewolf territory. Guess whose side my money's on.

 More sometime after the Index 5.