Met a school friend of my sister’s – I am in London, my
sister in California and said friend visiting from Johannesburg. We haven’t
seen each other in many decades and had a lovely lunch catching up on all the
concerts, operas, ballets and plays we have seen over the years – such similar
tastes and the great performers of the past including Fonteyn and Nureyev,
Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland and of the present – Terfel, Kaufmann, Hvorostovsky
etc. Second happy ✔
We went on to the Hokusai exhibition at the British Museum –
the exhibition was busy and the museum even busier – loads of children which is
really encouraging. I recommend the exhibition, which covers the last 30 years
of his life, 70 – 90. He said that he
had never done anything worthwhile until he was 70. We all know the ‘wave’ but the flowers are
stunning and the figures so expressive. Third happy ✔
The West End is jammed most of the time and particularly at
the moment but I managed to avoid it. Walked a bit and took a bus to near the
Barbican. If I hadn’t I would have
missed the Polish family with father and young son with matching half shaved haircuts
and the son falling asleep on his father’s lap; the woman who pushed her push
chair onto the bus, undid the straps from behind and said to her toddler –
“Right we are going up!” and lifted him to her shoulder – he laughed, she
laughed and we all laughed! Fourth happy ✔
Met Number One Husband for early dinner and then onto the
Barbican to hear Dame Mitsuko Uchida play Beethoven’s Concerto No 3 to
rapturous applause (these immigrants, they come over here and bring all their
talent!) followed by Bruckner Symphony No 9 Sir Bernard Haitink conducting –
another immigrant! Fifth happy ✔
Hokusai did some of his best work after the age of 70 –
Haitink is now 88 – where great talent exists age is irrelevant.
I know this is really trivial – but we walked to the Underground
Station and the first train to arrive was ours, we found seats and when we left
the station car park the traffic light turned green as we approached it. I love it when a day comes together.
* With (not really) apologies
to The “A” team
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