AnneMarriott

Wednesday 8 May 2019 7.30 pm first performance.  Stalls Circle Standing D51 and D52 £6.00 each.

Actual ticket not  e-ticket.  Anyone interested, please contact me with name and address for posting

Thanks, everyone - sympathy much appreciated!

Shingles.  Agony.  No more to be said.

On 03/04/2019 at 13:12, Jan McNulty said:

Many years ago (while I was on holiday) my late Mum, who was seriously anaemic, suffered a bad do of diarrhoea for about 3 days before she rang the surgery.  The receptionist asked for her symptoms and without asking her name or without any medical qualifications she then told my Mum that the surgery didn't give appointments to people with diarrhoea and she should go to the pharmacist.  My Mum did, explained her symptoms and what had happened.  The pharmacist was horrified that she had been refused an appointment but gave her some off-the-shelf medication and told her if she was no better in 3 days she had to insist on an appointment.  Three days later, the day I was due home, my Mum rang the surgery for an appointment.  She went through the same rigamarole again but said she had done as instructed and was now asking for an appointment on the basis of the pharmacist's instructions.

 

Of course, there weren't any appointments but the receptionist begrudgingly said she would get a doctor to speak to my Mum on the phone.  The doctor, knowing my Mum's medical history, apologised and said there was a known bacterial infection doing the rounds.  My Mum's symptom's matched those of the bug.  He said he would give her a prescription for antibiotics but could someone come and collect it.  My Mum asked me because she was scared what my Dad would do or say if he went to collect it!  So I went and asked for the prescription.  When I said the name, it was THROWN at me.

 

In those days we were scared to complain in case we were dropped from the surgery as there was a shortage of doctors in our area at the time.

 

Suffice to say I have refused to discuss my symptoms with a receptionist since then and I advise others to do the same.  I have to say that the receptionists at my surgery have improved since then.

12 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Well of course Mary I agree that NHS staff are usually hard working stars. 

But in my view some receptionists do get a bit above themselves .....especially as they don't seem to distinguish between those who turn up all the time for a cough and those who rarely visit a doctor or who are more chronically ill.

Also in my view it's between the Doctor or Nurse and oneself what ones problem is .....the Receptionist should not be discussing symptoms with patients ....luckily this doesn't happen at my local GP but I have  met this in the past.

Of course nobody is really going to throw a brick through the GP's window but it would be dishonest to not admit one feels like this or similar at times......it's just  a way of someone expressing certain often very legitimate frustrations at the system on occasions. 

 

The receptionists at my GP practice are all very helpful, but I really can't accept that someone who is not medically trained is able to determine which member of the health care team  is best suited to deal with any particular symptoms. I rarely attend the surgery and usually only because I've been summoned for some routine check up or test, so when I think I need an appointment, I really need an appointment and it's very frustrating having to battle through the Reception filter system.

On 03/04/2019 at 09:37, Mary said:

 

But I am perturbed at the idea of bricks through windows to our NHS services. 

 

 

I was joking!

GP practices.  After numerous attempts to get through on the 'phone after failing to make an appointment online, how maddening is it to listen to a lengthy recorded message about being prepared to discuss one's symptoms with the receptionist so one can be referred to the "appropriate team member",  followed by the need to respect staff and warnings of zero tolerance of verbal abuse before being put on hold for ages and then finding that no appointments are available!  Then, when an appointment is available it is with a paramedic, who, good though he is at his job, is unable to prescribe any drugs so a doctor's signature is required which fails to materialise resulting in a goose chase between surgery and pharmacy.  I don't know about verbal abuse - throwing a brick through the surgery window is tempting at times.

24 minutes ago, Two Pigeons said:

Darcey has always put 'bums on seats' and I suspect she is now well know enough to pull in the punters, despite the literary quality (or lack of it) of the most recent book.

 

She has had a very interesting life and I am sure a lot of people would wish to hear her be interviewed.  She will be far more upbeat and positive than several more authors.

I'm sure you're right.  I have never been to a literary festival and had rather more highbrow expectations! 

Can anyone who has seen Darcey Bussell Evolved explain why this book would be featured at a literary festival?  It's a coffee table book of lovely photographs with a bit of text explaining the context of each picture - not what you might call literature.

4 minutes ago, Anna C said:

That is tight, timing-wise, so fair point.  Lots of the scuttlers were mid-row though, which must have been annoying for the others in their row as well as the row behind. 

 

Out of interest, would you applaud while making an exit?  

Always!

2 hours ago, Anna C said:

 

 

 

 

My only gripe was that even more people than usual scuttled out of the stalls the instant the curtains closed.  The performance hadn’t overrun and it seems SO disrespectful to the performers to just up and walk out as if we were at the cinema.  I can’t imagine that all those people had pre-booked trains. 🤔

 

 

It's not just booked trains that count!  I was not there so am innocent, but this is a long programme and our last train leaves Waterloo just before 11 pm - fine if a taxi happens to pass at just the right time but tight for a walk across Waterloo Bridge so I would have been amongst the scuttlers, but only if I were at the end of a row.  In the past I have swapped places with someone standing so I can get out in time for the train without pushing past other audience members.  

6 hours ago, cavycapers said:

Seen Hirano dance Paris before as he did tonight,  and thought once again that if I'd been Juliet,  Romeo wouldn't have got a look in..... 😳

5 hours ago, alison said:

 

 

 

Oh dear.  "Martin James syndrome".  Possibly "Johannes Stepanek syndrome"?  Any other contenders ...?  

 

David Pickering, Jeremy Sheffield ...

4 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

Alison, I think curtseying to your hosts/seniors etc may have been a European courtesy. During the 1980/90s when I dealt with East European students and teachers I was often greeted by a small curtsey by women and a hand kiss from the men. Bet it doesn't happen now!

In the 1950s my high school class was joined by a girl from an Air Force family who had spent some years in Germany.  Despite all efforts to dissuade her, she persisted in leaping to her feet and bob-curtseying when addressed by a mistress in class.  We made her life rather difficult, I confess.

56 minutes ago, Jane S said:

I thought there was nothing at all in the calendar until I found that the button saying 'select' - or whatever it says - is covered up by the pop-up rating window...

Priceless!

11 hours ago, ninamargaret said:

Anyone seen this at the Linbury? Greatly looking forward to the van Manen and Kylian works.

Saw it on Friday.  Nice programme - Polish Pieces (music by Gorecki) and Andante (Mozart) by Van Manen plus Kylian's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Mahler) in the first half and Nils Christe's Cantus (Arvo Part) after the interval.  The only piece I had seen before was Andante and I had never seen anything by Nils Christe so it was all quite novel.  The first half was long - especially since there were quite lengthy pauses between pieces, for costume change and a breather for the dancers in the small company, Introdans -  but it didn't drag.  Excellent dancers.

I have always enjoyed Van Manen's work and this programme certainly didn't change my mind, but as a hardened non-fan of Kylian I was rather dreading his piece.  In the event I surprised myself by enjoying the choreography despite German song cycles being a pet musical hate and if all Christe's work is like Cantus I should certainly be in the queue for tickets again.  Highly recommended.

Ticket now spoken for by Clara_f.

16 hours ago, Clara_f said:

Hi Annemarriott 

 

I would like to buy the ticket please? 

 

Thank you 

Claire 

It's yours, Claire.  I've sent you a message.

Thanks to a careless duplicate booking I can no longer use the above ticket.  Stalls Circle Standing D2 £10 - not the best view and unsuitable for those of short stature for those unfamiliar with this position.  Cast:  Naghdi/Sambe/Ball/Stix Brunell.

It's an actual ticket, not a virtual one, so anyone interested please message me with full name and address for posting.

Christopher Bruce CBE, Mark Baldwin OBE and Didy Veldman in conversation with Amanda Britton, Principal and Artistic Director of the Rambert School, at the South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.  The conversation will include experience of working with Marie Rambert. Berkshire County Dance Company Youth will perform a short piece choregraphed by Dane Hurst during the evening.  Tickets £20.

3 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

The Whitley piece checked almost every box to guarantee that I wouldn't like it - gloom, fog, random spot lighting, backlit, no female dancers. And the music was awful I thought - it reminded me of our 3rd year in secondary school band practice, trying to play Myfanwy (we failed - and the pain on our music master's face haunts me to this day!).

I'm sill chuckling an hour after reading this.  The music actually reminded me of the sustained high-pitched drone of the massed pipes of the Scottish regiments before the chanter comes into play, endlessly extended.  But then I hadn't read the programme notes and the piece actually convinced me it was about some men trapped in the lowest level of an underground car park gradually becoming overcome by exhaust fumes - unfair of course because from seat BB1 I could only see a fraction of the action.

1 hour ago, Quintus said:

Given the comments above about poor views, are there particular seats we should avoid booking in future? 

1 hour ago, alison said:

I'd urge caution with the sides in general, I think.

1 hour ago, Bluebird said:

 

I would say that many of the seats at the side would definitely be problematic.  Unfortunately, I can only give an idea about some of these areas.

People sitting in the front row of the Side Stalls seemed to have the best side view.  I’ve had no reports of what it’s like in the second row of the Side Stalls.

I sat in BB1 - Left Side Stalls.  Not only was there at best a one-third to half view of the stage, but a column divided that poor view into two parts, a sliver to the left, in which I spotted the odd hand or foot, and the rest to the right.  I could not see any of the back of the stage so if I hadn't had sight of a programme I would have had no idea of what piece I was seeing - others had the benefit of a back-projected title with names of choreographer and composer.  BB2 and BB3 can't be much better and assume the same is true for the matching seats on the opposite of the auditorium.  The view from AA1 is not obstructed by the column but of course I can't say how much of the left-hand side or the back of the stage is visible from there.  I would never book BB1 ( or 2 or 3 for that matter) again even if I were desperate to see a programme and nothing else were available.

Yesterday evening we went to an Italian restaurant in Old Windsor that we hadn't tried before.  Small, unpretentious and busy, with four attentive waiters on duty.  There was a large party of young women celebrating a birthday - helium balloon and bunting etc - and out came a parade of waiters, one leading with a birthday cake with candles and one carrying a trumpet.  "Oh dear", I thought.  But he played Happy Birthday (admittedly not a demanding piece of music) so well that the entire restaurant burst into applause.  A silly moment, perhaps, but rather life-enhancing.

16 hours ago, Darlex said:

I remember that performance. It was supposed to have been Miyako Yoshida dancing originally! 

10 hours ago, capybara said:

 

Really? I booked for Zamora!

Yes, we booked for Zamora too - it was her debut.  Very confusing when Sandra Madgwick popped out for the balcony scene, with her blonde hair in a ponytail.  Nothing against Sandra, of course - lovely dancer - but we were terribly disappointed about and for Zamora.

The relentless perkiness of delivery people.  Smiling youth at 8.10 am : "Hello there and how are you today?"  Me: "Fine, thanks".  Broadly grinning youth: " How has your morning been?" Me: "Well so far so good but it's early yet". 

And while on the subject of relentless perkiness, how about this?  Email in response to an online purchase: " Thanks, Anne, you're awesome".  Me: (thinks) "No I'm not, I've merely ordered some wild bird food".

Perhaps the Christmas spirit hasn't hit me yet ...

(Sorry - I meant to post in Room 101.)

On 10/12/2018 at 09:30, cavycapers said:

Does anyone know please the full running time including intervals of this production,  as I can't seem to find a 'finishes at time' anywhere on the ROH website?  

Thank you in anticipation. 

I've had an email reminding me that I'm attending the first night on Tuesday 18th December.  It says "for running times, refer to the website."  I have - and I'm none the wiser!

5 minutes ago, thewinelake said:

Just been looking into booking seats for Don Q. The idea of having a photo of the seat and from the seat is a good one, but why doesn't the view from the seat at least have the curtains open?! Daft!

 

Absolutely - and I have been disappointed in the past to find that the view of the stage with the curtains open is nothing like as good as I expected from the "closed curtain" picture!

Relative bargains are subjective, but if you like Stalls Circle, C36 and C77, classed as restricted view because of a pillar, are brilliant - no craning required - and far cheaper than the seats either side.  Others will have more to say about balcony and amphi, I'm sure.

40 minutes ago, Sim said:

I think that's subjective, as with most things on a forum such as this.  Some will think it's disproportionate, others will think it's justified.  Neither is right or wrong;  it's simply a matter of how someone feels.

Indeed, but as has been aired on this forum before, it's not the way someone thinks but the way it's expressed that counts.