Going to Harvington.

Weather permitting, ( and it had better permit!) I'm going to Harvington Hall near Birmingham in England, where Alicia and I lived and worked between 1985 and 1993, to inter her ash's in the little churchyard beside the Hall. I'm really grateful to the parish priest, Monsignor Moran, and the parishioners for allowing Alicia's ash's and, ultimately, my own to be interred there. It really means an awful lot to both of us. I'll hopefully put up a fuller post when I get back to Ireland.

In Manchester

I've been in Manchester for a few days with my sister, and had a great time. No piccy's I'm afraid but I got to two concerts one in the M.E.N Centre, the other in Bridgewater Hall. Both very different but both very enjoyable. The one in the M.E.N. centre was a Classical Spectacular with the full Halle orchestra and the full Leeds Festival Choir. It really was spectacular!! Think ' Last night at the Proms' add in revolving spotlights,gunfire, cannons and fireworks for the finale of the 1812 Overture followed by more gunfire and fireworks and 8000 people on their feet with flags and singing Land of Hope and Glory and you have some idea of what it was like. Makes one proud to be British!

The other concert in the Bridgewater Hall was a more sedate affair. An ensemble group in eighteenth century costume playing Handel, Mozart, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Just the sort of concert Alicia would enjoy!

I had to come back to Ireland a day early because the weather was turning for the worst and thank God I did. The Irish Midlands became really bad the following day. Next week, on the 8th of December I'm back in England again to inter Alicia's ash's in the churchyard at Harvington. More perhaps when I get back from that!