Last week/this week

The weeks are still rolling by (not long 'til Whitby!!!!!!) and very hectic too. Hydra, Koumihead and the boys went back to America last week...we might not see them for some time. We went to the Harvester and had a lot of fun, food and wine. Sad to see them go, wish they weren't so far away.
On Wednesday, I went to my streetdance class which was good; daughter has begun to enjoy it, and brought her friend with her, too....graduation ceremony soon, I am a very proud mum as she got a 2:1...great fun to be with her and help her make plans; next was Thursday. We had a musicians and choir planning meeting at Mary's. We all took some food and wine- it was a brilliant evening and what was especially nice, was that I happened to mention that in two years time it will Phil and my 10th wedding anniversary; also my 50th birthday....but what I was really saying was that we probably wouldn't have our do at St Paul's, due to hassle, early finish, clearing up etc etc. Anyway everybody there completely changed my mind about it, they all offered to help, cooking, flower arranging, generally organising, I did a complete turnaround in about 1 minute, what lovely people and thank you all! it's a date! Phil was busy chatting to someone else during this decision making, but very happy too. What is really nice about being part of St Paul's church and I'm sure the same goes for many other churches, religious groups and community organisations is that sometimes you get this really warm feeling of being part of something that is all good. I also get the same feeling from being part of my local community generally; a very friendly place; I rarely leave my house without seeing and stopping to chat to someone I know. Quite often the conversation among the yummy mummies of Brentford (of which I'm an honorary member)turns to how we'll buy a house together to be a sort of commune, and all look after each other when we're old and incapable. Sometimes I wonder if I'll stay here, but at the moment it feels like a yes. After all the only other place I'd rather live is, you've guessed it, Whitby. Anyway, we did a little bit of planning for the Autumn term's music. It all felt quite anarchic in some way, especially after a couple of glasses of wine!all of us suggesting music not only different to each other, but certainly very different to the choices usually on offer at church which can be mundane at times.
Friday: not tap this time, but the pilgrimage to Pete Cooper in Crouch Hill. What a journey through the grotty parts of London- see entries for a month or so ago for further tales of this- When we got out at Crouch Hill it was quite fun as there were a few mildly crazy seeming people wandering about quite harmlessly, and one elderly gent was shouting bizarre compliments at me. Anyway it is a true pilgrimage, as not only is there a guru at the end of it, but there is a very steep hill to climb up to get to him. It was a lovely summer evening and as we reached the hallowed flat, we could hear sweet violin music wafting on the air. As we were early, we sat on his doorstep and soaked up the music and the view. The lesson was fun and somehow although it seems relaxed I felt like my brain had worked really hard. There was another almost tantrum moment when Phil said something to me, but I rememebred where I was and kept myself reasonably under control. The violin is very, very difficult, but I am making progress even if in pigeon steps rather than leaps and bounds, and I'm really glad I'm learning it! Not sure I'm quite ready for a 'session' at Whitby yet, but Pete's going to check the Folk week programme anad suggest things that I might be able to cope with.
When we got back to Brentford, I'd foolishly offered to help Helen, the vicar's wife entertain/clear up after some clergy and related people. I think it was the deanery dinner or something. I felt really stressed when I got there, as although there was lots of refreshment available to me, there was nowhere to sit. My goodness, no-one offered me a seat. I was directed to where some chairs were, and had to awkwardly squash myself past lots of people who wouldn't excuse me, and their precariously balanced glasses of wine, to reach a chair, then carry it back to where my food was. Anyway all ok and good fun after that. Felt a bit wierd as I hadn't seen the dear son since the morning due to pilgrimage...Phil was at home though from 9ish, and then came to get me from vicarage,sorry, rectory and help the rector with the whisky. We left at about 1am I think, with lovely chocolates made by lovely Mark, to give lovely son. No more room to write about Sat/sun here, this one's getting long and cumbersome.

tipetty tap

Tonight is Friday night...Friday night is tap dancing night. Fantastic in every way, if you disregard my efforts.
Starting tap dancing was particularly exciting as I have wanted to do this since my teens. I can't remember why I didn't do it then, I wish I had, when I had a fresh young brain, as it's hard to get one's head round the moves and routines now; what the brain wants to do does not seem to communicate effectively to the feet.

Ideally doing tap would have meant just owning the shoes and being magically able to tapdance.
Anyway it was really exciting getting my first pair of tap shoes and made me feel like I could do it until I tried. It is really hard- harder than giggling at the back of the streetdance class and sort of getting by, a bit...very hard, nearly as hard as learning the violin.
Luckily I have a partner in crime, Sue- we've been doing tap for just over a year and are of a similar standard- we cry on each other's shoulders when it's all too much.

Anyway...the teacher, Rose, is brilliant- She's a rock 'n roll Tinkerbell; you would not mess with Rose, she looks like she hangs out with Lemmy & co...yet she is dainty and elegant; a rocker with bleach blonde hair, pink at the ends, tattoos, a leather jacket with cannabis leaf badges and appears to be completely scatty although this is deceptive- you have to be extremely sharp minded to be able to tap dance well, and to communicate to others of very mixed abilities from week to week how to do it...the class is different every week- some people just come for a week or two, and lose heart, some have been coming for years; the variety in age is even greater than in streetdance class where I am one of the oldest, if not the oldest there... I would say in tap that the youngest are in their teens, and I am possibly about two thirds of the way along to the eldest. The more experienced ones of course are excellent with rubber legs that know how to do everything. Again a camaraderie between all. We laugh and joke with each other and with Rose, and we dance to excellent music. I don't know if in your mind's eye you have an idea of the sort of music one tap dances to? maybe showtunes, maybe jazz...Well, recently we tried a dance to Walk This Way by Aerosmith/Run DMC, and one we've been working on for a few months is Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard! I can do nearly all of that one now....although completely falls apart when I try to demonstrate this at home- Phil says I look like I'm trying to put a cigarette out on the floor...The class can be a bit chaotic; the more experienced dancers arrive about half way through the beginners' class, some clutching mysterious looking cases which contain their shoes. Rose has it all under control- the small studio is packed by now, but we still work on stuff that beginners can manage - just! She can also do amazing balloon designs!- see link up to the right.

It is brilliant, especially at the end of the working week, I can stamp out all my frustrations with a satisfyingly loud clickety clack, laugh with friends and then go home again to my family, food, wine and comedy on the telly. Bliss.

two left feet

Yesterday I psyched myself up to go to my streetdance class after not going for a few weeks due to the dodgy hip; it's not what you might think, although who am I to assume. I do not spin on my head.
It's a lovely class with women of all ages, shapes and sizes, in fact sometimes a man or two as well- sometimes John, who works in the shop, sometimes Ken, whose shop it is, and sometimes one of the women's partners.
I started to go to this class, and the tapdancing class because I'd been looking for some jazz trainers for my son, and Ealing Dance Centre in Pitshanger Lane was the nearest place. now that the dance shop in Northfields had shut..what a happy day that was! Son tried on some of the jazz trainers, so did Phil and me- fantastic- made me feel lighter than air, a feat in itself-; I needed to go to a dance class asap. wonderful John, the huge (I mean tall!) hilarious Liverpudlian who works there told me about Nika's dance class on a Wednesday night - some excercise and a dance routine, just over an hour a week. Brilliant- I'd done a bit of dance in my early 20s and helped to run a disco dancing group at the Mayflower Family Centre, Canning Town when I lived there in 79/80. Enthusiasm is everything really, as I definitely had, and still have two left feet. I've been going since Feb '06 and there's been no real improvement, although I now now what certain terms mean which makes life easier, eg behind side front, and step ball change! It is such fun though, a real camaradierie between the people that go and Nika the teacher. I missed it so much when I wasn't able to go, as much for the friendship as the exilharation of the excercise and music. As for the music, who knows what we dance to week to week, I have never heard of most of it, or wouldn't choose to listen to it, although some of it I have downloaded onto i-tunes since I've danced to them, in the hope that I can remember the dances between classes. It's either a fast tune, or a slow tune! Another thing I like about it is the surprise value of telling people, what I did last night, yes, I was at my streetdance class dancing to 50 cent has good comedy value with the teenagers I work with!
Ealing Dance Centre is a wonderful place and so is Pishanger Lane; although I've lived just half an hour's bus ride from it for about 15 years now, I'd never been there; it is so village like and a great community, there always seems to be a community festival or event going on. Lovely restaurants and cafes too... there is also the Brentham Estate which I think was set up by an idealist early in the last century and probably as it's own website (will find out). The shop has everything, and the people that work there are so knowledgeable and helpful. At the moment there is a window display called 'Holy Communion' with lots of frilly white dresses for those making their first communion soon. They also have fancy dress costumes and a wide range of dance clothes and shoes. If they haven't got something they will get it- and you get a discount if you're a member of the local theatre group, Questors. What more could you ask. My son was horrified at the idea of me doing streetdancing, he was embarrassed - he said I should do something more suited to my age, like tapdancing - I agreed to do this if he came as well, which he did for a short while. WIll write about the tap after Friday - that's a whole story in itself...