My Shropshire Adventure

Yesterday on the way back from Keele University in Stafforshire, my Dad and I stopped for a few hours at the Long Mynd in Shropshire, next to the Welsh boarder.

It is one of the most beuatiful areas of England! The rolling hills, the running water and the fresh air!

We stopped at Cardingmill Valley, which Malcolm Saville had intended to be Hatchholt Valley in his books, The Lone Pine Adventures. Unfortunatlely, we missed the resivoir becuase we walked up the wrong gully. We did come across the waterfall, featured in Mystery at Witchend, which the Morton children climbed to reach the top of the Mynd, and Dickie got stuck in a bog. Thus leading to the Morton's first encounter and long friendship with Peter (Petronella) Sterling.

Anyway, it was a lovely walk up the valley and well worth the long car journey to see it! It would have been wonderful to see the Resivoir, but we didn't have time if we were going to beat the traffic home.

I'm totally planning to go again, hopefully next year when I can drive myself and hopefully take a friend with me to explore the Mynd properly, because you can't explore somewhere like The Long Mynd in a day!

It was the most beautiful place ever, and it's almost on our own doorstep (England as a whole is what I meant) and people just don't realise it and jet off all over the world!

It made me feel more British for seeing those hills and walking on them!

After walking back down the valley, we stopped off at the gift shop. I was surprised to find some Enid Blyton jigsaw's. As I chatted to the lady behind the counter she recommended that I visit Corfe Castle and visit the Ginger Pop shop! I couldn't have put it better myself!

As I climbed the Valley, a few well choosen pharses, one penned by Enid Blyton were floating around in my mind. Enid's well choosen words were from Five go to Finniston Farm, and are said by Julian after the five had been taken around the farm's fields by the farm hand.

He says"Well seeing all those fields made me feel more English!" Obviously, nowadays we'd say "British" if we said anything like that at all!

The second phase was based on Enid Blyton, but written by the screenplay writer on the 90's series of the Famous Five, which was said by Julian again (Played by Marco Williamson, for those interested). In Mystery Moor, after finding the train tracks on a ride on the Moor, at tea time, Julian says to the Johnson's as they try to persaude them to let the Five camp on the moor; "You can't explore properly. Not in a day!"

Which in the Long Mynd's case is extremely true. I'd love to go back and take a week or two to explore it properly. To absorb an area when Men have hardly made a mark!

Before we left Church Stretton, we paused at a local bookshop, where I managed to pick up a replacement copy of The Secret of Grey Walls, by Malcolm Saville, for what I would call a reasonable price. Then it was off home, leaving the wonderfil world of the Long Mynd to be explored again, another Day!

Oliver Tompsett's Concert at Bush Hall on 10/08/2008

Last night Oliver Tompsett played his only concert of 2008 at Shepards Bush Hall in London.

The music was brilliant and it was the best time. The warm up bad was good, but their efforts went largely un noticed because everyone was waiting for Oli. They got a good reception when the played a Wicked related song, about Fiyero, Oli's Character in Wicked!

Oli got a well deserved reception when he turned up on stage. All the songs from his Deubt Album, Sentimental Heart were played along with some covers and some new material.

There was literally no room to move as eveyone danced, clapped and cheered for Oli and his wonderful Band! Holly James, his backing vocalist was fantastic and did her own solo perfromance with Duffy's hit, Mercy! She is one amazing Woman!

Oli's brother Ben was fantastic! He was on the keybored and played the Sax while Oli had a break and was cheered as much as Oli was.

After a short break for Oli, he came back on with Ashley Grey, who is the Standby for Elphaba in Wicked and does a duet with Oli on his album. She was cheered for a good few minutes before they could even start the song, Count on Me.

It was all so brilliant. People were clapping and cheering and the gig could have gone on all night and we wouldn't have noticed!

When it got to the end of the Gig, which ended on a high with Rollercoaster and Femme Fatal, people started to leave.

We hung about a bit afterwards and met the current West End Elphaba, Alexia Khadime;
Caroline Keiff who plays Nessa Rose;
Sarah Earnshaw and Ashley Grey the standbys. The Former for Glinda and the Latter for Elphaba

We got all their autographs apart from Alexia's becase we were in the corridor at the time, and not the best place to ask for an autograph as well as a picture.

We waited around, when most of the fans had gone off, and spotted Oli coming out from behind the stage. We rushed over, and waited patiently as he talked to some friends. His Dad cut in and presented us! Oli was soo nice! He was lovely. He signed my copy of the album, Daisy's copy of the poster for the gig. And he signed a picture of himself for my friend. Then we got a picture with him! And a hug!

Then his Dad, called Ben over, as Oli went back stage. We got his autograph, and he was really sweet because he didn't think we really wanted them. But again I got my album signed and the picture. And Daisy got her flyer signed, and we got a picture with Ben as well!

It was one swell Night! And we made some new friends, who are more fanatical about Wicked than Daisy and I are! When we were just leaving the women who had given me my free signed poster, pulled us over to a man with camera and asked us to talk about the gig. We did as she asked, and it turned out it's going to be released on DVD!!!! So Daisy and I are going to be on Oli's concert DVD!!!

Anyway! it was brilliant and I'm glad that Oliver Tompsett was my first Gig!:D

Can't wait to see Wicked or Oli again!!

S
xx

Driving Test

Well I passed my theory test on Monday! What a relief! 47 out of 50, which was brilliant!

Now I can book my practical and start putting some real work into it.

Hopefully I'll be driving by the end of the year!:D

Just a quick update!