WHEN GLASS BREAKS INTO KAFKA

An enthusiastic and vocal ending to Philip Glass's Kafka based opera The Trial at the RNCM in Manchester yesterday evening. Compelling music which keeps you on the edge of the seat just too long and a story whilst enigmatic ties in with the Nazi and Soviet experience which lay ahead for many Europeans. The ending though really takes you through the looking glass world. We slipped out after first 5 minutes of applause so we could get into the disabled lift before the hordes emerged, it was nearly a full house and watching some of the audience was entertainment in itself, avant garde 2014 style Mancunian is really outlandish although not as bad as the Japanese tourists of course. Marvelling at the mass of screens shining through the semi darkness of the interval I mused on writing an opera or novella perhaps based on an alien invasion where they come through mobile phone screens. I think its too late though and they have already taken over, no hope for planet earth. Talking of outlandish outfits, I'm an advocate of flying Air France, airside service is great, good food, good wine etc but a hassle over taking Mandy's wheelchair on the flight to Cuba, they will only stow as luggage not in the readily accessable compartment where they put pushchairs and the like, strange attitude as its quite small folded up.

I've been very busy at work the day has just flown by and in the afternoon I was delivering traning to an audience of boisterous fitters who would probably rather been somewhere else . I went out at lunch time and get my car cleaned although as its so very mild still there are lots of insects over the bonnet after just returning from work, that mild in fact that the bird feeders are still full so they can wait until Sunday for a top up. I've been looking ahead at the weather for Saturday, generally quite mild, a bit of sun and cloud mixed really. Its on our minds to cover North Wales perhaps, I'd like to get over to Aberystwyth and then Carnarfon and Bangor - the North East does need attention from our camera but I don't want to risk all that travelling and then get winter shadows. I remembered just in time to request my flight for the trip to Aberdeen in a couple of weeks time, I've pretty well done it to death this year with being there for the wedding in the spring so perhaps will leave the camera at home, we'll see. I would like to call in and see how the training centre is coming along.

I managed to get the cover done for the first of the Staffordshire video archives which covers 1989-1994, the next volume is 1996-98 which I've uploaded to the computer and trying to edit amidst viewing Emers but doubt if I'll be at the clips to Youtube stage for another evening as it's pub night, the roadworks have all gone on the route, hence the car wash as no more diversions down muddy farm tracks. With Staffordshire on our minds then lets have a few pohotos which all appear on our archive available for order on Smugmug, see the links page from just 50p a print.