Ghost Forest

Last weekend we were rather late arriving in Oxford (abnormal load on the M6! On a a Saturday!) Seeing as we had a lecture to get to, we decided the quickest thing would be to leave the car in Norham Gardens by the Parks, and to walk down to college past the science area. Passing the Earth Science Dept and the Natural History Museum we were delighted to find that the Ghost Forest Installation was in Oxford. Later in the afternoon we returned to stroll amongst the roots and buttresses of the giant trees - really rather special!

http://www.ghostforest.org/

Teddyhall Gaudy

A and I went to Oxford for the Gaudy at my old college

- St Edmund Hall.

There was a really interesting lecture on Islet transplants to treat diabetes (at the moment for extreme cases, but hope for the future) in the afternoon.

Then in the evening it was the Gaudy dinner for 1989-1994 matricuations. There was lots of people I hadn't seen since college - Rob and Chris who shared our house in Regents Street, Anna from the geology course, and lots of familiar (if 20 years older) faces. The meal was lovely, and surprisingly neither chicken nor croquet potatoes (the old staples of college food) featured!

Meanwhile A had dinner in the SCR with a facinating poet from South Africa who had a side interest in water treatment!

We spent the night in college - rooming in Whitehall, overlooking the Exam Schools on the High - and I can report that the rooms have not changed one iota! Sunday morning we took an early walk around the colleges before breakfast in the Hall.

It was a lovely autumn weekend :)

Award Night

Miss M received the Silver Chief's Scout award - for all the challenges she completed in Cubs. Admittedly the badge has been on her scout uniform for nearly a year now -but it was lovely to be given the certificate formally.

The Game

A and his best friend R saw this last night - I wish I'd gone too.... Northern Broadsides are rather fab!

http://www.northern-broadsides.co.uk/PAGES/currentproduction.htm

Dr Faustus

Miss M and Mr B are off at camp with the Cubs/Scouts - a free weekend meant an extra trip to the theatre for Al and I.

We saw Dr Faustus @ The Royal Exchange -and here I have to confess that I LOVE the play of Faustus. I've seen lots of Faustus's over the years - the very good (Andrew Schofield as Mephistopholes) and the very bad.

This production was at the better end of the spectrum and was hugely enjoyable. The weakest part of the production was Faustus himself. Patrick O'Kane seemed to be concentrating so hard on his verse that he almost forgot to act. But, the amazing set pieces made up for a lack of empathy with the lead. There was magic and puppetry. Demons by the score (and a large cast of over 30). The giant heads of the 7 deadly sins were quite amazing!

Picnic at Tatton

First weekend after school was back and the weather was beautiful, so we packed a picnic and went to Tatton Park.

We ate near the mere, and watched enormous blue dragonflies flying around.

The we headed off to the adventure playground, followed by coffee and cakes at the courtyard restaurant.

As we left we passed the deer in the park -autumn is on it's way