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What piece was that? Flight Of the Bumble Bee ?

Nope, the accompaniment to 'O mio babbino caro' . Gave myself a complex about it and shouldn't have, but there you go. Nobody died -even though a lot of the audience were 110 in the shade...

Well, I couldn't have done it Gill, so we'll done on that front!

I don't know why I say yes when there are accompaniment requests; I get so twitched, usually about one of the pieces then I fall apart OR worry about falling apart, so it's not enjoyable. Not bothered about playing the organ, except at weddings.

Heard from my new piano teacher today. She tells me she's looking forward to teaching me

Excellent. You'll be fine!

You know what's made me happy today. I've no need to elaborate.

...and what'll make me happy tomorrow. Playing Scrabble after work.

We sometimes play Welsh squabble on Thursday afternoons. It strains the brain...

So glad you got on well!

I came second in the Scrabble.Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to do my sight reading practice.

dave brum wrote:I came second in the Scrabble.Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to do my sight reading practice.

Seeing in the news that Monaco House, one of Birmingham's many 70s empty concrete eyesores and a dreadful welcome to the City Centre from the south, is going to be facing the wrecking ball.

Seeing all the beech trees ablaze with colour - fabulous autumn.

Doing a bit of faraging around in Oxfam Books and Music in Knowle and unearthing a fabulous Naxos CD (amongst others) of mediaeval carols, Christmas and otherwise, performed by the Oxford Camerata under Jeremy Summerly and for £1.99.

Some Oxfam B&Ms in this area sell classical CDs for £1.99 and others for £2.99. All of the ones in the Oxfam B&M in King Sheath are £2.99, so I very seldom buy from there (there just so happens to be nothing in there I want at the mo), whilst the similar shop in Harborne sells them at £1.99 so I spent twenty pounds in there during October. I still have some more I want from Knowle.

I stopped in Knowle on the way from Leamington yesterday and the shop there have them at the dearer price, even though there were a few in there I wanted. I did pick up one of two of Schubert's piano sonatas in their entirity, including his D960, the Scherzo from said work features in Withnail & I when the two actors meet Uncle Monty (the late Richard Griffiths) for the first time at his house.

Have you been in that one in Marlow lately Gill? I bought some sheet music in there going cheap two years ago - only to send it back to Buckinghamshire last month.

I try not to as I am trying to tidy up the music room; when my new piano arrived it was 4" longer than the old one and the roll-front filing cabinet had to go. So that music had to be absorbed into the music on the shelf. I had a massive sort out and the hospice shop has opened a little sheet music corner on the strength of it!

All their Naxos classical CDs were £1.99 when I went in there. Much cheaper than in Oxford. I do notice these things. We were talking about having another awayday in either Marlow or Henley on Thames sometime when we're both off work - so I'll have to have a darn good spend up in the Oxfam Books and Music in Marlow iff it's there where we go. Not sure if there's one upstream in Henley.

Made me happy to have a good piano lesson today with Elaine. She's so encouraging and not afraid to be different. I got a Mr Tickle sticker for my hard work.

And you know I did play a couple of wrong notes in my sight reading (F naturals in G major). But I don't care one iota. Elaine said I kept the pulse going and didn't stop.

She really is so good for me. I'm not going to mention Mabel Mucklethwaite again (not her real name, of course!)

dave brum wrote: I did play a couple of wrong notes in my sight reading (F naturals in G major). But I don't care one iota.

You won't believe what good news that is to hear!

Why I never thought of changing teachers before I'll never know. Elaine never rushes me, with Mabel it was always a mad scrambled to get everything in during the 30 minutes. And because Elaine's cheaper, I can spend more time there talking about music and discussing technique etc. And our lessons over run.....probably because she really enjoys teaching me and it shows. Mabel was far too much by the book and conservative in her teaching to even think of trying anything new for the benefit of her students.

She even gives me quotations to think about, on Friday I had the famous one by C S Lewis: 'you're never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream'.

I refer you to my signature thing...are you going to change yours now?

Okay.

Elaine really encourages me to delve deeper into the music I'm playing, not just play it. I really do not mind travelling across the Second City to see her. She's offered to help me in so many ways, and its not uncommon to spend over 1 1/2 hours there when you've only paid for half an hour just mucking around musically. Now that's what makes learning the piano fun - which should not just be for child learners only.

She evidently adores teaching, too - an absolutely priceless thing in a teacher. I'd be shouting, wincing and watching the clock - which is why I don't teach!

Seeing the wonderful colours of autumn in the magnificent Chiltern Hills in the sunshine from the train.

Some of my crocuses and snowdrops are starting to emerge, and it's only November. And my wife informs me that Edward Balls has suffered the same fate nationally as was done to him by the voters of Morley and Outwood in 2015. A double dose of joy.

My sole surviving chicken after a fox attack is pulling round, thank God!

Knowing that Zac Goldsmith's political career is over, and that our Christmas songs are on.

But both of these pale into insignificance after the amazing discovery I've made that I CAN SIGHT READ!!!

dave brum wrote:
But both of these pale into insignificance after the amazing discovery I've made that I CAN SIGHT READ!!!

And we are suitably relieved that you now know that which we, collectively, have known for some considerable time

Seriously though, congratulations on your achievement, Dave.

Yes, it really is a piece of cake as regards following a rhythm and playing handbells. Even the leader of our manual campanological troupe has commented I have an excellent pulse and she can always rely on me as a sort of pacemaker.

The problem is that I cannot convert the dots into a piano tune as something gets lost in between my brain and hands. In a nutshell yes I can read music and read it fairly okayish but no I can't play the piano. That is the issue here.

Baby steps, Dave, baby steps. You have just had a huge moment - let it roll!

Got my first 2 Christmas cards today from work. We're going to have a year for cards this year not seen since my school days, I suspect.

Seeing more of the crocuses, snowdrops and alliums I planted in September coming to life in my garden, even though we haven't had Christmas yet.

A birthday card from all of the friends from work I have made in 2016, and a birthday cake. Well, actually it was a Christmas pud with fork handles on it. Had half of it and now I've got the donalds.

Getting an email from my long lost cousin from Oily whom I haven't seen for 30 years.

Oily? Where's that then? Sorry I missed your birthday - hope it was a good one!

OOOOOOOIIIIIILLLLLLYYYYYYY!!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highley

This has made me really happy today, two days into my new radical diet and I have done a poo that doesn't stink the whole upstairs out.

I bet you're a wow at dinner parties, dahling...

So you now know why I don't get invited to any. Though as this month's parish magazine is late, Piano Time 1 is perched on top of my cistern.

Excellent; mental sight reading.

That's why I'm doing smelly poos, wrong kind of lavatorial reading material. Or as Gizzy may say, Scheidt reading.

Losing one and a half kg this week, but still a long way to go before I can do without talcuming my red raw and itchy midriff every time I take my work trousers off, or finding my belly is in the way everything I zip up my 501's.

Cutting out the cakes makes a difference. This time in 2016 I was only 93kg, now I'm 105. And middle aged spread is not responsible. Even now sitting writing this, I can still see a huge mountainous mound of whale blubber that really makes me think that it serves no physical purpose and I do not need it in order for my body to function correctly.

Working in a bakery makes absolutely no difference as since I've been there (early June) I've only gained 3.5kg compared to the 11kg I gained between January and the end of May 2016, which was comfort eating to lessen the emotional pain of a Tory benefits cut.

So, as we say in this part of the UK, I've gone 'around the Wrekin' to explain that I'm chuffed to bits that I'm a bit less lardy.

I reckon any newspaper you buy at the moment could make you ten stone lighter by the end of next week...

Fortunately, I do not need any odious right wing hate rag to make me lose weight, I'm doing just fine without!

Learning a new skill at work. And the muzak has been quite tolerable today!

Perhaps they read this thread... What's the new skill?

Shelf edge price labels, printing them off. I needed to do some today but time beat me, however my section is in a good and tidy fashion so I can have 2 days off.

Made me happy yesterday, going to a performance of Beethoven Symphony no.9. Made me happy today, seeing some friends that have got back from spending Christmas in Jamaica.

Long Christmas! Like the Queen who stretches it out to Candlemas.