January 8th would have been my grandmother’s 124th birthday. Ive decided to send up for her birth certificate to the archives in Bratislava to see if I can find out any more about her background. It was so exciting to receive certificates about my maternal grandmother from the state archives in Lwow that I want to repeat the experience!

I’ve written about lunchtime already but in the evening I went with some friends on a journey of remembrance – to the Wine and Moussaka restaurant in Ealing, We hadn’t been for about 35 years. So had plenty to reminisce about. We talked so much that the manager finally asked us about the language we were speaking in. He could make neither head nor tale of it. We explained that it was a particular dialect called Ponglish – well known to our generation brought up in Ealing! He was kind enough to take these souvenir photos – as you can see we had a super time.

The next day however was very different. I was supposed to go for a day’s supply teaching but didn’t have time! The evening however, was a different story. my son and I went to the Wigmore Hall to hear a fabulous concert. first however we went to this delightful pub:

This was the concert:

• The Mozartists
• Ian Page conductor
• Samantha Clarke soprano
• Ida Ränzlöv mezzo-soprano

Ian Page’s visionary MOZART 250 series continues with an illuminating overview of the musical year 1770, featuring dramatically charged minor-key symphonies, lyrical and virtuosic arias and spellbinding duets.

Couldn’t have put it better myself!

I thought Id copy it straight from their website otherwise I would never remember. I considered putitng in the programme, but maybe not, after all.

This wonderful lampshade in the shape of a very large lightbulb, lights up the entrance of the wigmore Hall, which is one of the prettiest venues in London.

And the concert was great – the music was lovely, but best of all the singers, the musicans and the conductor all seemed t be having so much fun!