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We've taken on a full yearly subscription to the ACO as well as MusicaViva this year. Mum is unable to go these days and we'd always enjoyed the tickets she'd gift us from time to time. We decided to get our own seats and be able to go to all the concerts at our leisure. We went to the first ACO concert, an interesting collaboration between filmmakers and the orchestra as the live orchestra played in front of a full length film, River, on the theme of water in the world. Didgeridoo player and vocalist, William Barton, joined the usual brilliant talents of Tognetti and company and it was a delightful evening. We also attended the first MusicaViva concert in February, a bank of cabaret songs with a supremely talented vocalist and pianist. Not our favourite genre, but the skill levels were off the charts.
With Valerie, we attended the Civic Theatre for a night with Kevin McCleod of "Grand Designs" fame. We're massive fans of the show having watched all 20 plus seasons plus many of the spinoff shows! He was suitably eloquent and entertaining as expected and we had a lengthy evening of clips, quotes, chats, surveys and stories. Great fun!
Chris and Val had gifted us a "doors off" helicopter flight for our 60th birthdays, but we'd left the voucher withering on the shelf for years as we worked up enough courage to exchange it. Prompted by its imminent cancellation due to time, we bit the bullet and booked the flight. Wow, what an experience! I'm massively acrophobic and Cass only slightly less so, meaning it took every bit of our courage to board. The sensation of initial lift, the hovering, then the bare knuckle ride including banking at speed at great height with doors off was something else again....suffice to say we were abuzz for days afterward! We zoomed down the Hunter River from the Steel River base, down the coast nearly to Swansea then back. Wow, just wow!
I've also taken delivery of a spanking new Taiwanese motor scooter! The ancient Harley was becoming too much to handle, so I reluctantly sold it via some motorcycle wholesalers (the process was incredibly easy and stress free) for a decent price for a 26 year old bike, then all cashed up, bought the scooter. Cass and I have also invested in 2 new modern helmets with quick release straps as well as in built sun visors and we're both really enjoying zooming around on the new bike, "Whitey". It gives us a real thrill each time and reminds us of scootering around Taipei city for all those years on our old clunky scooter over there. I scooter to my exercise class in Adamstown, to see mum in Mayfield, and we're planning to take it to the football as well: should solve some parking issues!
We've celebrated Sue's unusual "15th" birthday as her leap year birthday was on this year. We went to somewhere special for this and we couldn't go past the Roundhouse once again...it didn't disappoint and Sue had a great time. We ate out with Valerie at Scratchley's and I've had a couple of coffee morning with the boys as well as some beers on a Sunday arvo at Dixon Park with Mark C.
Surfest is on again next week and we've already been watching the temporary judging stand and competitor's area be installed as well as some early surfing professional arrivals carving up the waves off the point. That'll do, over and out! (The second photo is a shot, taken from our veranda, of the crowd milling outside the Beach Hotel recently, waiting to get in. The refurbishment is really spectacular but it certainly attracts a crowd!)