Return to the Manor

Today was my first time back at Waddesdon Manor since the new season started just before Easter.  The weather could have been better and, as I arrived, the grounds were already busy with families running around in wellies and macs.  I was given the task today of learning to setup and deal with the audio guides for the House Tour - this is quite involved with getting everything prepared and then taking the payments from visitors plus explaining how to work them.  At the end of the day it's cashing up the till and putting everything back so it will all be ready for tomorrow.  I had an experienced guide to show me what to do and I will do the same thing when I go in again in a couple of weeks time.  Great fun and the day passed very quickly.  

I took a few very ordinary shots of part of the Manor front from my view within the main entrance - one of the rare few minutes when there was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.  As it is Abstract Thursday, I have played around with the Artistic filters in Photoshop.  

Once home, I took the dog out for a walk.  Blue skies had disappeared and I ended up getting very wet indeed! Wrong coat - no hood!

An evening rehearsal of the 40 part motet, Spem in alium, by Thomas Tallis for a concert in June. It's not so much complicated as tricky fitting everything in the right place at the right time with eight different choirs each with five parts.  

My poem as a contribution to the April poetry challenge:


The First Time

The magic never dies,
that moment of seeing a special place -
well known and even more well loved - 
fresh again.
Old faces, new faces
Familiarity and change.
Good to be back -
The first time all over again.