I vanished, darlings – I was quite sure that I’d blog while I was away, but I should have known better.  We’ve been to Buxton in Derbyshire, to the festival there.  Our friend Daphne suggested it – we had no idea there was an opera house there, but it had long been on her wishlist to go.  There was a gala opening night, then Verdi’s Alvira, then Mozart’s Idomineo, so Daphne and I went three days in a row.  LT couldn’t cope with that much dramatic song, so just came to the Mozart.

We stayed in a really excellent guest house and we went to a rather splendid smallish stately home and we’ve eaten rather a lot – they feed you well in the north.  And we had two rather tedious journeys, the worse being the one up there, when LT was driving.

It was a really delightful break and it feels like longer than three days.  Tim has to go to Reading for the week, tomorrow, but I think we’ll both chill a bit in the afternoon.  I have one appointment, otherwise I might see if the tennis is any good this year.  We haven’t watched football either, but knew how it was going from the cheers wafting through the open window.  We’re not uninterested, just out of the habit of turning on the tv.  It’s rather good to drop habits, I’ve found over the years.  It started when I stopped listening to The Archers, carried on when I stopped listening to The Today Programme or watching the news, and now I only listen to iPlayer radio or Spotify.  I’ve become choosy and think about my choices.

Unless I act on impulse, obvs.  Because hey…..