Our forum has been up and running for nearly a week. We were the first society to have our own forum and now many others have followed our lead. Please let us know if you would like more posts similar to those already posted or whether there are particular topics of interest to you.
Above all please feel free to contribute. The committee would love to know how you are all spending your time, are you following up all those websites offering films, plays and lectures for instance.
Have you discovered a hobby you used to enjoy but life got in the way. Let us know.
Following on from yesterday's discussion about pictures at home, an article in the Sunday Telegraph by Alastair Sooke about visiting the National Gallery made me reflect on favourite pictures there. Although I do wonder if Alastair Sooke has a special entry pass as he talks about popping into the National Gallery for a few minutes. It is a while since I have found it possible to pop into the National Gallery or the British Museum for that matter. Once I have queued, been bag- checked and made it in, it is time for me to leave if it is only a fleeting visit on my way to somewhere else.
However once in, with time to look and reflect, one of the paintings I enjoy looking at is Whistlejacket by George Stubbs. It is such a dramatic painting and dominates the room.
If there are members who would like to add their own favourites, please add a comment on this forum, it would be very welcome.
During this time at home I have been reflecting on the pictures we have in our homes. How often we actually look at them as we pass by, during our normally busy lives. Why were they chosen? To fit in with a colour scheme? A reminder of a special time? Part of a theme? Because you simply fell in love at first sight and just had to have that picture on your wall? I imagine there are pictures that fall into all those categories.
This small print shows the annual boat race that was held at Matlock Bath. I bought it many years ago because I went to Matlock College of Education for my teacher training and watched students from the college take place in the boat race. So it was a way of reminding myself of those days.
The sun is out again today and I wish all our members a pleasant bank holiday week-end. Different I know to previous holiday week-ends but with typical resourcefulness I am sure we will make the best of the situation.
I have been listening to Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. This was a BBC dramatisation for radio, broadcast some time ago. It was broadcast in episodes. I started listening but as it was back in the days when we were allowed out and cafes, John Lewis etc. were open I kept missing episodes. This was so annoying as I was enjoying it, that I rather extravagantly bought the audio cd.
Those who read Neil Gaiman know that he creates his own fantasy worlds and in Neverwhere he creates another London beneath the streets of the London we know. Just the right sort of escapism for now.
If you are joining and viewing our forum please let me know and post a comment.
Happy Easter to you all.
Sometimes a poem by Sheenagh Pugh
Sometimes things don't go, after all
From bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down the frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,
sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes will step back from war;
elect an honest man; decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they are born for.
Sometimes our best efforts do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen for you
I found this poem in my book "Poems on the Underground," as I was preparing my Friday lesson for my grand-children. The sentiments touched me deeply and I decided to share it as a message of hope for all of us.
One of the advantages of my new skills is that I was able to navigate the instructions and successfully watch YouTube on my television which is considerably easier than my laptop screen.
Last night I watched the Royal Opera House screening of Acis and Galatea, Handel's pastoral drama of love and jealousy. It was a delight to watch, as a double treat the singers were shadowed by ballet dancers mirroring their emotions. It was a little confusing at first and I had to pause and read about the production so I understood the purpose of the dancers.
It was sung in English so no surtitles. That was my second pause, as I needed to find the libretto online so I could follow what was being sung, my hearing was simply not good enough to decipher the words.
Once settled I enjoyed it tremendously and am looking forward to the next opera being streamed tomorrow evening.
The necessity to stay in doors and find ways to entertain ourselves has led, in my case, to improving my computer skills. In the past two weeks I have not only heard about Zoom for the first time but learnt to use it, it has provided a way to see family members which is comforting. The committee are also using Zoom to stay in touch and it has been so nice to see familiar faces again. If you have any questions for us just email me or any committee member and we will do our best to answer them when we have our virtual meeting next week.
Also do take a look at Comfort Reading a post which Sue has started. Which books are you enjoying at the moment?
Join in the discussion. Just go to related posts and click on Comfort Reading.
If you look under related posts and click on Introduction you can browse through our posts to date. I hope you enjoy them and feel encouraged to add your own comments.