Emperor Clarinet

Well, today has been one of those non-event kinds of days. We were supposed to be going to Brighton today, and the Wonderspouse was scheduled to read at some sort of literary event. Then, the plan was to stay overnight and stay in the area so that I could play violin in a concert nearby tomorrow night.

Once this horrid horrid weather started doing its worse we started to worry. The Wonderspouse talked of going alone by train to do his reading, but it was clear from the news this morning that that wouldn't be possible. The best information I've been able to gather is that the place I was due to be concerting is snowed up. So I've e-mailed the conductor and told him I can't make it (I absolutely HATE sending those sort of e-mails, letting people down, it feels horrible), and we're spending the weekend at home instead.

Which we shall try to enjoy. I went to the butcher's this morning and bought lots of nice meat to eat (the butcher says he wouldn't mind another couple of degrees colder - apparently he no longer needs the fridges, and 2 degrees colder and the freezers would also become unnecessary, saving him a packet!) and we have plenty of videos to watch and things to do at home.

I know this is not the worst effect of the weather and at least we're not freezing to death on the streets or stuck without food or water anywhere, but it just adds to my general dislike of winter. Everything is just so DIFFICULT when it's like this. Goodness knows how people in really cold countries put up with this stuff all the time.

On the bright side, I've got quite a lot of admin jobs done today, so that's something!

Oh, yes, and the picture - nearly forgot there, I was so busy being dischuffed! It's my clarinet, which I had to move in order to put my violin back where it lives. It's a not-so-much-known-these-days fact that I also play the clarinet - in fact, when I was at primary school I had to stand up in assembly for having the highest grade of anyone in the school when I got my grade 4! I stopped playing so much when I got braces on my teeth, and then, at 12, I started the viola and became a string player!

However, I still have my clarinet (a Boosey & Hawkes Emperor - I don't THINK they make them any more though), played in wind bands into my 20s, played bass clarinet in the Constant Lambert piano concerto at college, and can hack my way through the Mozart Quintet and the Spohr 1st Concerto (it's not necessarily pretty, but the notes are there) and do get it out for a blow from time to time!

Not today though - so you just get to see it in its case!