This quote was famously attributed to Harold Macmillan, or maybe Winston Churchill, which is very timely as we’re in the middle of electioneering here in the UK. My blog is nothing to do with such events though, merely stuff we’ve been up to while trying to ignore the realities of the outside world.
Going back to last year (!) we went to see Moulin Rouge the musical. but were obviously not in the right mood for it. We left at the interval (despite being chased down the street and being told there was another half) and went to our favourite club, Crazy Coqs in Zedel (see Posts 133 and 135 dated March and April 2022), where we saw a tribute to The Rat Pack instead (Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin). They were joined by ‘Lisa Minelli’ as Sammy couldn’t make it that night. It ended up a fun evening after all. (Looking at the two old Posts, I quote a song in 135 that might appeal to a certain would-be MP who’s just joined the fray?)
Much more to our taste was Matilda, another musical, based on the (children’s) book by Roald Dahl. We hadn’t allowed for the fact that most of the audience would be primary school girls with their mums, but it only added to the atmosphere. When we found out that one of the 3F’s was chosen to perform in their school production, we were able to sound very knowledgeable.
The third musical we saw was Sunset Boulevard, based (loosely) on the life of Norma Desmond. Whilst it was a very good production, at the Savoy Theatre, winning many accolades (especially Nicola Scherzinger), I wish I’d known the background beforehand, as I was a bit lost in places.
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Norma_Desmond#Biography
The only thing I knew about her (Nicola, not Norma) was that she had once gone out with Lewis Hamilton. I am (slightly) more informed about Formula One than pop groups! As we were at The Savoy, we had to eat there. What a wonderful room (and food).
While trying to get home, we were delayed as The Strand was totally blocked by cars, windows open, people hanging out, horns blaring. No buses. What on earth? Which country is this? We eventually managed to find a taxi on the Embankment (having forced our way through the crowds). The taxi driver explained that it was Albanian Independence Day (in the way that only a London cabbie can. I leave it to your imagination what he actually said). He had to take us very ‘saarf’ of the river (horror! Most taxi drivers wouldn’t be seen dead down there) and what should have been a 15-minute journey took well over an hour due to all the roads being gridlocked. Thinking back, I suspect we came across the same problem in 2022 but didn’t realise. I’ve now noted November 28th in my diary as a day not to go to London (or Albania).
Just to show that we’re not totally frivolous, we also attended a lecture by Prof Raymond Schinazi at Bath University on ‘scientific advances making hepatitis elimination possible’. I have to confess to not hearing of him before but he’s a very charismatic speaker who’s given a lot back to the University.
While I’m on Universities, I decided to follow JD’s example by donating to my first university, the University of Surrey. I had applied there because the vet schools didn’t want me and Surrey ran an interesting-sounding course, toxicology, one option of the Biochemistry degree. If you want anyone poisoning surreptitiously, just ask me. Actually, don’t, as I’ve forgotten everything I ever learnt. I only hope no-one I know dies in suspicious circumstances. Here we are inspecting the labs, very different from my day.
I couldn’t run to a JDDDADRI (see Post 149 dated 6th June 2023) but I could support students who need supporting. Although in my day there was a student grant, unfortunately I did not qualify (or rather, my parents didn’t as they earnt too much) so I know what it’s like to have to work your way through studying.
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/new-medical-school-surrey-ready-swing-open-its-doors
One of the good things about Surrey is that they have a high employment rate for their students, partly due to the fact that most of us (then at any rate) have an industrial year before graduating, so we’ve experienced real work. A new medical school will be opened this September, initially for international students (no UK approval or payments needed), but from 2025 (new government willing) there will be 34 local students joining them. JD and I will be supporting two medical students as well as two undergraduates studying a STEM degree (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Each student will be from a disadvantaged background, possibly having been in care or having had a caring role for members of their family.
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/alumni/giving/forever-surrey-fund
At the beginning of June, we attended the launch of ‘Surrey Leaders’ in the Churchill Room at the House of Commons and met a young Surrey Law graduate, called Lucy Barnes. She referred to her background as having been ‘care experienced’ which rather confused us to start. She became homeless at 13 years old, and really made us appreciate how difficult it can be for someone with a disrupted background to fit in: many of the Law students just naturally (?) threw Latin phrases into their everyday speech she said, which made her uncomfortable and questioning her abilities. More on her here.
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/care-leavers-deserve-be-seen-their-talents
Thankfully she persevered and set up a charity, Lawyers Who Care, to bring together other law graduates who had a similar background. She says that she’s now met many people who never spoke about it before. Many legal cases involve people who have been disadvantaged as children and it’s very useful for them as clients to know they’re being supported by someone who really understands where they come from.
https://www.lawyerswhocare.org/
She is a true inspiration. I’ve looked her up and found an amazingly honest and insightful TEDx talk she gave in 2018, here’s the link if you’ve quarter of an hour to spare:
https://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_barnes_the_dreaded_drama_triangle
George and John's boating trip no longer 