For A Friend

Over the last few days, I’ve noticed that a friend of mine has been suffering with various problems in their life and is naturally feeling quite upset, depressed and is unsure about what to do next. They’ve had a lot to deal with in the past year or so, redundancy, death of a parent, illness and now after settling into a new job, faces the threat of their contract not being extended and becoming unemployed again. Now I’m not going to mention any names as I don’t want to betray this person’s confidence, but, they have really given me pause for thought today about all the challenges we face in life.

Now I have known this particular friend for well over 10yrs. We worked together at one point and in fact used to joke that we saw each other more often than some of the members of our own family. In some ways you might say we became our own family and together with a few other colleagues shared so many good and bad times and talked about so many different things, that what we haven’t covered in the past ten years can’t really have been worth talking about!

When one of us is happy, we all share and celebrate that moment and when one of us hurts and is upset, the rest of us feel that hurt and upset and want to take it all away and make things better. This is of course what friendship is all about – being there for your friends through all the good time and bad times – and yet today I feel such a helpless friend. The only comfort I can give is that I know some of what they are going through at the moment, having been in similar situations myself and that things will get better, or they will become stronger through the challenges they are facing now and be better equipped to deal with other problems that come this way.

I am reminded of something that John Bytheway (yes that is his real name!), a motivational speaker once related. He talked about how he started going to a gym and his personal trainer would have him lift this bar. It was hard at first but eventually he started to get the hang of it. Then the trainer did something really mean and put weights on the end of the bar. Well he tried to lift it, but it was hard and yet his personal trainer insisted that he keep going. He explained to John that the pain he felt was his muscles being stretched almost to the point of breaking and tearing and yet when they stopped exercising, they would knit back together and become stronger and he would be able to lift more. In John’s gym there was a sign on the wall which he came to appreciate – No Pain = No Gain. Now John was more of the opinion, No Pain = Good, but he came to understand this not just in terms of exercising but also in the challenges we face in life. Some people might also relate this to the saying “That which doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger!”

It’s hard though when we’re in the middle of a trial to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or we worry that the light could just be from an oncoming train! It is difficult to see a way out and an end to all the misery we are facing and it is understandable to want to give up. Many of us when putting on our make up in the morning, put on a face to try and hide the hurt and pain we are feeling and we go out and try to pretend that nothing is wrong and just get through the day. What we really need is someone to see through the disguise and give us some comfort – even if it is just a hug or a kind word. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
At times like these with my friend – and with others, I think of the song Safe Harbours by Michael Mclean

There are refugees among us
That are not from foreign shores;
And the battles they are waging
Are from very private wars.
And there are no correspondents
Documenting all their grief,
But these refugees among us all
Are yearning for relief.

There are refugees among us.
They don’t carry flags or signs.
They are standing right beside us
In the market checkout lines;
And the war they’ve been fighting
It will not be televised,
But the story of their need for love
Is written in their eyes.

This is a call to arms,
To reach out and to hold
The evacuees from the dark.
This is a call to arms,
To lead anguished souls
To safe harbours of the heart.

Can you see through their disguises?
Can you hear what words won’t tell?
Some are losing faith in Heaven
‘Cause their life’s a living Hell.
Is there anyone to help those
Who have nowhere else to flee?
For the only arms protecting them
belong to you and me.

Do you know of someone who needs their friends right now, this very minute? Pick up the phone, pick up a pen or even your computer and let them know that you care. I felt quite useless earlier today, thinking that all I had done was offer a listening ear and said a few words that had my friend cry even more (in a nice way this time, I hope) but then another friend reminded me that sometimes, a kind word and a listening ear are all that a person needs.

I am so very blessed in my life to have the best friends that money can’t buy. Some of them live close by, others live abroad but I know that because of them I need never feel alone, they will always be there for me and to them I say THANK-YOU. I hope that one day I can be to them the kind of friend that they have been to me in my darkest of times. That’s what friends are for after all.

Comic Relief - 18th March 2011

It’s rather heart-warming to know that during times of recession, war and natural disasters, there are people who are still willing to give up their time, who will put their hands into their pockets and give to help relieve the suffering of others.

Last night the BBC broadcast their annual fundraising event Comic Relief, a night where celebrities from the world of  TV, sport, music and comedy got together to do “something funny for money” . The sum raised on the evening was over £74 million, no small feat in light of the recession we are currently facing here in the UK. All of this seemed forgotten though as interspersed amongst the comedy moments, we watched heart-wrenching footage of children and adults living in extreme poverty in parts of Africa.

It was extremely hard to watch at times as you saw children of 9yrs old looking after younger siblings, orphaned because their parents had died of HIV. Children suffering from Malaria or Cataracts and in need of basic medication or an operation – I think there would have been few who could have watched the reports without being moved to do something and donate to help these people.

The footage along with the entertainment from the celebrities did what it was meant to do and raised a huge sum of money whilst we watched from the comforts of our own homes, grateful now for the simplest of things we used to take for granted; running water, beds, clothing, food and medicine.

There were some brilliant sketches throughout the evening, my favourites being the “Fake That” sketch of comedians auditioning to be part of a Take That tribute band and also the Smithy Sketch where he steps in to help save Comic Relief – admittedly it wasn’t as funny as the sketch he did for Sports Relief but I’m sure he and the many other celebrities that featured in it, helped to raise a great deal of money.

I thoroughly support this cause and did my part in buying the t-shirt and donating money to the charity but still felt that it wasn’t enough and indeed I felt guilty for sometimes moaning about minor things when I am so much better off than the people I watched on TV.


Other friends of mine have also responded to recent events and have leapt into action to do their part to help relieve the suffering of others. Touched by the news reports of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, some of my friends in Utah today are sat making quilts in their local church to send to Japan. The Humanitarian Aid supplied by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) helps so many people all over the world including those who are not of their faith. In 2010 the Church provided relief to people affected by 119 disasters in 58 countries and is still working hard within many of the communities it has previously helped.

It reminded me of a story I once heard about who dies and upon reaching Heaven says to the Lord “Have you seen what’s going on down there? There’s wars, famines, death and disease, why didn’t you send help?”  The Lord replies “I did, I sent you!”. We may not think that our little donation can make a difference, but it can. We are so blessed in our lives to have what many others may consider to be a luxury and it is when we see others suffering that we ought to give what we can to help them.


It is not too late to give to Comic Relief, you can pay money in at any major bank or building society, you can donate clothing and other good through Oxfam and other charities –You can still make a difference.

For more information on Comic Relief see: http://www.comicrelief.com/


For more information on the Humanitarian Aid projects by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints see: http://lds.org/service/humanitarian/church?lang=eng

International Women's Day - March 8th 2011

Today marks the centenary of International Women’s Day, a day when thousands of events are held
throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements.
In the last 100 years there have been many women who have fought for their beliefs, who have become ground breakers in so many different fields of life and who have struggled against adversity and opposition to reach their goals and whose stories even now inspire the women of today. They may be mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, granddaughters, lone parents, spinsters or wives, but they are all women. Today is a celebration of these people and an acknowledgement of all they do and continue to do.

So who would feature in your list of Top Ten Women of the century? It’s a difficult one to answer and I’m sure everyone can think of different people. For me, it would be those women who were told “It couldn’t be done” and then went out and did it anyway, people like Amelia Earhart the first woman to fly a plane solo across the Atlantic. How about women who overcame great adversity in their life but who managed to turn things around and make a success in spite of their disabilities – people like Helen Keller, American author, political activist and lecturer who became the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. There’s also those who devote most of their lives to serving and helping others and who offer comfort and hope to those less fortunate, people like Mother Theresa, who was still working and caring for people when she was 100yrs old.

In the last century alone we have seen the suffragette movement of women fight for equal rights, we have seen women take the places of men in factories whilst the men went off to fight in World War II – nowadays the women themselves are going to fight. We have seen Women Politicians Prime Ministers, Women scientists and authors, Women doctors and lawyers – even Women Footballer managers of premier league clubs. There seems to be no end to what women have achieved in the last one hundred years and are still doing so now.

There are so many women around the world who daily provide comfort and care to those in need, who fight for the rights of other women, who strive to improve living conditions and who make the world a better place just by what they do. Many of them aren’t film stars or pop stars but do an ordinary job day in day out and don’t think that they make much of a difference – but they do!

So to all women out there – THANK YOU for your fine examples, for not giving up when the going got tough and for showing women everywhere what can be achieved if we try. May we as women of today, continue to be the good example, to help and strengthen others in their time of need and to carry on through our adversities to reach our goals.

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.
-- Marie Curie

Follow your instincts - you never know if your ideas will work out unless you try them.
-- Lulu Guinness, Good Housekeeping, June 2003

Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother. -- Susan B. Anthony, Women's Activist

In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman. – Margaret Thatcher former British Prime Minister.

We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist. --Queen Victoria

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. – Harriet Beecher Stowe, Author.

Happy Women's Day!!

Opera Review - The Mikado

Opera Review – The Mikado (English National Opera)

Set in the town of Titipu in Japan where flirting is punishable by death, Nanki-poo son of The Mikado of Japan, has fled from court to escape his betrothal of marriage to an elderly rich lady by the name of Katisha. Disguising himself as a travelling musician, he meets and falls in love with Yum-Yum who is already betrothed to her ward Ko-ko, a former tailor of the town, now Lord High Executioner. They seem destined to spend their lives apart but a series of twists and changes in circumstances bring the couple together and not without some highly comical moments.

This latest production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera by English National Opera sets the scene not in the traditional Japan but in the 1930’s in what could be considered the English Riviera. This staging does not detract from the comedy of the original piece though and in many ways enhances it with some Chaplinesque qualities in the characters’ performances. The stage itself was stunning being decorated totally in whites and creams and in a style reminiscent of the art deco period. It made a stunning contrast to the performers’ black and white costumes and along with the occasional red accessory gave it an oriental feel.

The music was light, the lyrics were touching, comical and clever and featured such well-known favourites as Three Little Maids, Tit Willow and They’d none of ‘em be missed! The chorus worthy of a mention, were both energetic and enthusiastic in their song and dance performances and look incredible against the stage backdrop.

There were several notable performances from amongst this exceptional cast, particularly Richard Suart’s Ko-ko who provided many of the laughs of the evening with his witty lines and slapstick performance. I especially enjoyed his updated rendition of “They’d none of ‘em be missed” which was very in keeping with current affairs and full of satire and humour....it really was a song not to be missed and judging from the audience reaction, it was a huge success. Richard recently released a book celebrating his twenty years connection with The Mikado which explores the history of the Mikado but also looks at the many changes to the song to keep up with the times.

The star of the show however was Alfie Boe as Nanki-Poo. I have mentioned Alfie in previous blog entries as a wonderful performer and brilliant opera singer but this opera also allowed him to show other talents. Not only is the man a great comic actor but he can dance too! He hammed up his character superbly without going over the top and his performance was full of energy and enthusiasm which was quite contagious at times. It was wonderful to sit in a packed opera house and listen not just to extraordinary performances and cleverly written score but also to be part of audience and feel the buzz that ran through them like an electric current.

There are only a few performances remaining in this run, but if you are able to go and see it, I would highly recommend it. It is impossible to watch and leave in a bad mood. This comic opera really lifts the spirits and despite its sometimes serious subject will leave you feeling elated.

For more information on English National Opera, see their website www.eno.org

For more information on Richard Suart’s book “They’d none of ‘em be missed” see http://www.amazon.co.uk/

For more information on Alfie Boe, his recordings and future engagements visit www.alfieboe-uk.com or follow him on twitter www.twitter.com/alfieboe

Be The Change

Whilst looking my friends’ status updates on facebook today, I came across one which gave me a lot to think about. A friend had simply written the words “Be The Change”. Now this particular friend is a singer and I suspect it may be the title of a song she is going to record, but these three simple words have made me reflect on their meaning a lot today.

There are a few ways that we can interpret these words; we can be the change in a difficult situation, the one that breaks a bad cycle of events and changes things for the better, we can be the one that starts a new trend or the one that sets a good example that others then copy. I didn’t realise until I sat to type this blog, but these three words form part of a quote by Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

In thinking of these words I was reminded of the Story of the Starfish, it’s serves as a great reminder that whilst we can’t change everything, every effort we make to make the slightest difference will help someone – or something.


... While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water. He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

So how can we make a difference or make a change, Edward Everett Hale, the American author and historian once said “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Sometimes I think we are put off too easily by thoughts that what we can do will not make a difference at all and therefore it is futile to even try. Every day we see images on TV of war-torn countries, countries trying to recover after natural disasters and people facing their own private struggles with sickness, death, abuse, homelessness and unemployment. We look at these images and wonder how we can do anything that will make a difference to the lives of these people. It seems like the labours of Hercules and certainly I don’t think that in my lifetime these problems will be solved – but they can be helped, and we can be the difference.

This time of year in the UK, a national fundraising appeal is launched called Comic Relief. It aims to free the world from poverty by working on projects both in the UK and abroad to make a difference to peoples’ lives. Many comedians, actors, celebrities and general members of the public give of their time and talents to raise money to help fund these projects and help a great cause.

This is a noble thing to do and I support it wholeheartedly but there are so many simple things we can do on a daily basis to make a difference and be the changes....smile at someone who looks unhappy, hold a door open or give up your seat for someone. Send a thank you card or a “thinking of you” card to someone and show them you care – the possibilities are endless and may seem like such tiny insignificant acts but I can assure you, they will make a difference to someone. Sometimes, just like when we donate money to a charity, we may not see the results of our donation or our act of kindness but I do think they create a ripple effect that causes many other things to change as a result of that one act of kindness. And don’t ever be put off by the fact that you may not make a difference, Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We cannot control all that happens in the world or indeed in our own lives, but we can do something about how we react to what happens. We can make a difference in our own lives, with our own problems and situations and also in the wider world. We can make a difference and even it is only a small change, there’s always the chance that it will grow – remember an oak tree didn’t grow overnight; it started off as an acorn!

So, take a look around you today and do one thing every day to make a difference – Be The Change!!

One great, strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world. – Elbert Hubbard

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Learning through a Child's Eyes

Have you ever spent the day with a child and come away feeling like it’s you that learned a lot? That summed up my day yesterday as I spent it in the company of my 8yr old nephew Bradley.


It’s always fun to spend time with him as he has a very positive outlook on life. He can be a very serious, sensitive and concerned child but he also knows how to enjoy himself and make the most of every experience. His optimism is quite contagious at times and after spending any amount of time with him, you find yourself appreciating the little things in life.

Yesterday we went to our local theatre to see Roald Dahl’s The Witches. It isn’t a book we have read together but he is a fan of Dahl’s other works and even attended the premiere of Fantastic Mr Fox the opera last year. As usual he was excited for the show to start and when it did his facial expressions clearly reflected the enjoyment he was experiencing.

The story tells of a little girl whose parents die in a car crash and she is sent to live with her Grandmother in Norway. After a period of illness, it is recommended that the grandmother travels to the coast for a holiday to relax and recuperate. Whilst on holiday they encounter The Witches who are attending their AGM and discover plans to turn all little children into mice. The little girl manages to foil their plans but only after being transformed herself. It ends with the Grandmother and her mouse grandchild returning to Norway and spending their remaining days together. The final line in the show was “It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you look like, as long as you have someone to love you.” The play was well acted and aimed at a very young audience but enjoyable for children of all ages. When I asked Bradley what part he enjoyed I had expected many answers but was surprised to hear him quote word for word the ending of the show.

Later on we watched the Disney film, The Princess and The Frog, where sure enough, the same message is repeated in many different ways and we are encouraged to look past people’s wealth, looks or possessions and discover what’s inside. It was a great film to watch, full of lively and catchy songs but also contains a great moral to it too. Set in New Orleans, the story re-tells the classic fairy story but with a twist. Prince Naveen a wealthy and arrogant Prince is transformed to a frog by a voodoo magician. Tiana, a hardworking waitress with big dreams, fatefully kisses the frog but instead of transforming him back to a Prince is transformed to a frog herself. With the help of a firefly, a trumpet playing crocodile and an old blind lady, Tiana and Naveen must find a way to break the spell and fulfil their dreams. They do eventually fulfil their dreams but not before discovering along the way that what you want and what you need aren’t always the same thing.

Bradley declared the day to be “the best, most awesome day ever” and said that he had enjoyed the play and the film. Somehow, every day that Bradley spends with us is the best and most awesome day – but is that because of the things we do with him, or just the fact that we are doing something, together? Sometimes I think we focus too much on grand gestures and spending money but really when it comes down to it, all that matters is spending time with those you love and who are important to you

Love Letters - From a Father to his Daughter

Today’s love letter is a rather special one. All week I’ve shown love letters of great and famous men to their spouses, fiancés or girlfriends and today I wanted to share a different kind of love letter, that of a father to his daughter.


The following letter was written in 1974 by a father to his 5yr old daughter. The family lived in London but the father, as part of his training to be a Social Worker for the Blind, attended a residential course in Birmingham for 6 weeks every Monday- Friday. He wrote to his daughter every day, sending a note card with a white rabbit on the front of it who he called “Snowy Rabbit.”


“Dear Sarah,

I hope you are feeling a bit better and that the doctor has given you some nice medicine. I was very sad to see you weren’t well, but don’t worry, just get some nice rest and you will soon be better. Daddy will phone you up on Thursday to see how you are and I hope you will be able to talk to him.

Daddy loves you and Mummy all the world and he sends you a special kiss X – a big one for being a good brave girl.

Don’t forget on Friday he will bring you home a little present, so get better soon and look after our lovely Mummy. Snowy has a bad cold as well and thinks he would like some of your drink but be careful because he likes to drink it all up.

Anyway, I must go now my two girls.

Sleep tight, stay bright, wake up bright to do what’s right with all your might.

God bless you both,
All my love
Daddy”


Every day after his course has finished, the father in the letters would go to the library in Birmingham to do further study, write his letter to his daughter (and wife) and then catch the bus back to his residence. The night after writing this letter, he didn’t go the library but went instead to buy the gift he mentions. It was a long dress with a cream bodice, long sleeves with a dark green velvet skirt. After purchasing the dress, he didn’t go to the library and instead caught an earlier bus back to his flat.

That night, 21st November 1974, bombs exploded in two pubs in Birmingham killing 21 people and injuring 182. Had he not been shopping that night, the father  would have been outside one of the pubs, at the bus stop when the bomb exploded and possibly have been injured or even killed.


How do we know all this? Well the Father who wrote these letters was my Father and the Sarah mentioned in them was me.

Was this man a famous man? No. Was he a great man, yes. What made him great, other than the fact that he was my dad was that he had a great amount of love for his family. We never had much in the way of financial wealth, but he gave me everything that money couldn’t buy in terms of his time, his love and support. I never doubted for one moment that I wasn’t loved or that I wasn’t the most important thing in his life. I kept that dress for many years as a reminder of his love for me and how it was the dress(and his love for me) that saved his life that night.

My father died just three years later when I was 8yrs old but the memory of him lives on through these letters and I shall treasure them always. I have always enjoyed receiving hand written letters and I have kept everyone that I have ever received. I think it is a shame that email and text message seem to have replaced the hand written letter and sadly they seem to be a dying art form.


I continue to send hand written letters to many friends and family and I still treasure any that I receive today.

Love Letters - From the Front

This next love letter come courtesy of a soldier who fought in World War I. It is perhaps particularly poignant because like many others, it was written at a time when a soldier didn’t know if he would ever see his loved one again.

What do you say to someone in your last letter? How would you say all that you needed to say and let that person know how much you loved them?

Regimental Sergeant- Major James Milne served with the 4th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. The letter below is a farewell letter to his wife Meg in the event of his being killed in battle....

July 1917
My own beloved wife,

I do not know how to start this letter. The circumstances are different from any under which I ever wrote before. I am not to post it but will leave it in my pocket, if anything happens to me someone will perhaps post it. We are going over the top this forenoon and only God in Heaven knows who will come out of it alive. I am going into it now, Dearest sure that I am in his Hands and that whatever happens I look to him in this world and the world to come.

If I am called my regret is that I leave you and my Bairns, but I leave you all to His great mercy and goodness knowing that He will look over you all and watch you. I trust in him to bring me through , but should he decree otherwise then though we do not know his reason, we know it must be best. I go to him with your dear face the last vision on earth I shall see and your name upon my lips. You, the best of women. You will look after by Darling Bairns for me and tell them how their daddy died.

Oh! How I love you all and as I sit here waiting I wonder what you are doing at home. I must not do that. It is hard enough sitting waiting. We may move at any minute. When this reaches you for me there will be no more war, only eternal peace and waiting for you.

You must be brave my Darling, for my sake for I leave you the Bairns. It is a legacy of struggle for you but God will look after you and we shall meet again when there will be no more parting. I am to write no more sweetheart. I know you will read my old letters and keep them for my sake, and that you will love me or my memory till we meet again.

May God in his mercy look over you and bless you all til that day we shall meet again in his own Good time. May he in that same mercy preserve me today.
Goodbye Meg,
Eternal love from
Yours for Ever and Ever,
Jim


Milne came through the war and returned home to Scotland and was reunited with his wife Meg and their Bairns (children)

Love Letters - Part Two

John Keats

Today, John Keats is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the English Language but in his time the critics treated him with contempt and mocked his work as vulgar and un-refined.

Throughout his lifetime, Keats faced financial problems and was surrounded by death and illness – his mother, brother and uncle died of tuberculosis and he fell ill with it himself in 1820n aged twenty-four. He travelled to Italy hoping to find a cure but died there just a few months later and was buried in Rome.

The love of his life was a neighbour, Fanny Brawne, to whom he was engaged. Although none of Fanny’s letters to Keats survive today, other facts show that she mourned Keats’ death throughout most of the 1920’s and befriended his sister at his request.His letters to Fanny are as graceful, lyrical and beautiful as his poems


“My sweet Girl—Your Letter gave me more delight than anything in the world but yourself could do; indeed I am almost astonished that any absent one should have that luxurious power over my senses which I feel.

Even when I am not thinking of you I receive your influence and a tenderer nature stealing upon me. All my thoughts, my unhappiest days and nights have I find not at all cured me of my love of Beauty, but made it so intense that I am miserable that you are not with me: or rather breathe in that dull sort of patience that cannot be called Life.

I never knew before, what such a love as you have made me feel, was; I did not believe in it; my Fancy was afraid of it, lest it should burn me up. But if you will fully love me, though there may be some fire, 'twill not be more than we can bear when moistened and bedewed with Pleasures.

You mention 'horrid people' and ask me whether it depend upon them whether I see you again. Do understand me, my love, in this. I have so much of you in my heart that I must turn Mentor when I see a chance of harm befalling you. I would never see anything but Pleasure in your eyes, love on your lips, and Happiness in your steps. I would wish to see you among those amusements suitable to your inclinations and spirits; so that our loves might be a delight in the midst of Pleasures agreeable enough, rather than a resource from vexations and cares. But I doubt much, in case of the worst, whether I shall be philosopher enough to follow my own Lessons: if I saw my resolution give you a pain I could not.

Why may I not speak of your Beauty, since without that I could never have loved you? I cannot conceive any beginning of such love as I have for you but Beauty. There may be a sort of love for which, without the least sneer at it, I have the highest respect and can admire it in others: but it has not the richness, the bloom, the full form, the enchantment of love after my own heart. So let me speak of your Beauty, though to my own endangering; if you could be so cruel to me as to try elsewhere its Power.

You say you are afraid I shall think you do not love me—in saying this you make me ache the more to be near you. I am at the diligent use of my faculties here, I do not pass a day without sprawling some blank verse or tagging some rhymes; and here I must confess, that, (since I am on that subject,) I love you the more in that I believe you have liked me for my own sake and for nothing else. I have met with women whom I really think would like to be married to a Poem and to be given away by a Novel. I have seen your Comet, and only wish it was a sign that poor Rice would get well whose illness makes him rather a melancholy companion: and the more so as so to conquer his feelings and hide them from me, with a forced Pun.

I kissed your writing over in the hope you had indulged me by leaving a trace of honey. What was your dream? Tell it me and I will tell you the interpretation thereof.

Ever yours, my love!

Do not accuse me of delay—we have not here any opportunity of sending letters every day. Write speedily.

The 2009 film Bright Star is a moving and poignant account of the romance that blossomed between Keats and Brawne, it’s highly emotive and perhaps slightly over sentimental in places but well worth a watch if you are a fan of Keats and his poetry.

Love Letters - straight from the heart

In March 1827 when Ludwig Van Beethoven died, two sets documents found amongst his belongings. One was the Heiligenstadt Testament and the other were letters addressed to his “Immortal Beloved”. Who was this mysterious woman? Did she receive the letters and return them, or were they in fact never delivered? The identity of the woman remains a mystery even to this day and although many believe it to be Antonio Bretano, we can never really be certain. There is no doubt though that the emotions and sentiments expressed in the letter are as passionate and moving as the music he composed.His music, along with the letters provide an insight into the man but still leave a certain air of mystery surrounding him - one that will capture the hearts and minds of his fans for many years to come.

The First Letter
July 6, in the morning
My angel, my all, my very self - Only a few words today and at that with pencil (with yours) - Not till tomorrow will my lodgings be definitely determined upon - what a useless waste of time - Why this deep sorrow when necessity speaks - can our love endure except through sacrifices, through not demanding everything from one another; can you change the fact that you are not wholly mine, I not wholly thine - Oh God, look out into the beauties of nature and comfort your heart with that which must be - Love demands everything and that very justly - thus it is to me with you, and to your with me. But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you; if we were wholly united you would feel the pain of it as little as I - My journey was a fearful one; I did not reach here until 4 o'clock yesterday morning. Lacking horses the post-coach chose another route, but what an awful one; at the stage before the last I was warned not to travel at night; I was made fearful of a forest, but that only made me the more eager - and I was wrong. The coach must needs break down on the wretched road, a bottomless mud road. Without such postilions as I had with me I should have remained stuck in the road. Esterhazy, traveling the usual road here, had the same fate with eight horses that I had with four - Yet I got some pleasure out of it, as I always do when I successfully overcome difficulties - Now a quick change to things internal from things external. We shall surely see each other soon; moreover, today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life - If our hearts were always close together, I would have none of these. My heart is full of so many things to say to you - ah - there are moments when I feel that speech amounts to nothing at all - Cheer up - remain my true, my only treasure, my all as I am yours. The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be -
Your faithful LUDWIG.

The Second Letter
Evening, Monday, July 6
You are suffering, my dearest creature - only now have I learned that letters must be posted very early in the morning on Mondays to Thursdays - the only days on which the mail-coach goes from here to K. - You are suffering - Ah, wherever I am, there you are also - I will arrange it with you and me that I can live with you. What a life!!! thus!!! without you - pursued by the goodness of mankind hither and thither - which I as little want to deserve as I deserve it - Humility of man towards man - it pains me - and when I consider myself in relation to the universe, what am I and what is He - whom we call the greatest - and yet - herein lies the divine in man - I weep when I reflect that you will probably not receive the first report from me until Saturday - Much as you love me - I love you more - But do not ever conceal yourself from me - good night - As I am taking the baths I must go to bed - Oh God - so near! so far! Is not our love truly a heavenly structure, and also as firm as the vault of heaven?

The Third Letter
Good morning, on July 7
Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits - Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I need a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day - therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once - Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours



The film Immortal Beloved tells the story of Beethoven's friend Schindler finding the letters after his death and attempting to reunite them with their rightful owner - The Immortal Beloved. Although the film is not totally accurate, it does tell a beautiful story of the women in Beethoven's life as well as introducing you to some many of his wonderful compositions.In the final scenes, Schindler gives the letters to Beethoven's Immortal Beloved and she reads them whilst the Emperor Concerto is played in the background. In the film version, the lady believes that Beethoven was indifferent to her and it is only on reading his letters she realises how much he loves her. Despite the film's inaccuracies, it is incredibly moving. Not wishing to ruin the film for anyone wanting to see it, I have found this video which is just as touching...

That Ole Devil Called Love...

It’s February 14th and that Ole Devil called Love has reared it’s head again....on this day, St. Valentine's Day

No one really knows what the original St. Valentine (of whom there were at least two) had to do with love and romance. These days, commercialism has stepped in and it’s all about cards, hearts, flowers, roses and romantic gestures – often costing a lot of money and whilst all very touching and sentimental are really only tokens of the true feelings we have for the person we love.

So how do you express or demonstrate your innermost feelings for that someone special?
One way that always seems to impress, even throughout history is the love letter. There is just something so tender and personal about a love letter, the words that convey so many emotions and feelings – and often say what we can’t say face to face. History and Literature are full of wonderful examples of great love letters. Letters that really touch the heart and are worth more than 10 bunches of red roses, heart shaped cup-cakes or cute cuddly teddy bears.

So what makes a great love letter? Well, it's something that men have contemplated for many years, how do you write that perfect letter?

This week, I’m dedicating my blog to Love Letters of Great Men, both historical and fictional, looking at some of the most romantic and touching letters ever written.

Today’s example is from the fictional writing of Jane Austen in her novel Persuasion and Captain Wentworth’s letter to Miss Anne Elliot. If you have read the book, you will know that Anne and Capt. Fredrick Wentworth had enjoyed a romance years ago but it had been called off by Anne because of the disapproval of her family and –partly by the persuasion of her family friend, Lady Russell. Years later they are reunited and Anne, now 27 and still unmarried finds her former feelings returning. However, Capt. Wentworth appears not to have forgiven her for rejecting him – until she reads his letter and realises his true feelings for her...

"To Miss Elliot,
I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in
F. W.
"I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Opera Review - Carmen

I am not new to Opera, having seen The Magic Flute when I was 14yrs old. However, it’s only been in more recent years, since meeting my friend Nick Garrett, who is an opera singer, that I have become more interested in them. Like many people I had always thought that Opera was aimed at the more privileged in society and certainly the ticket prices at some venues would seem to exclude those on lower incomes. However, more and more theatres and opera houses have introduced lower priced tickets in an effort to make Opera more accessible.

There’s also the pre-conception that with an opera being sung in a different language, you won’t appreciate the plot or storyline. Again, many companies, if not singing in English will display surtitles for you to read as the singers perform and the programmes usually contain a synopsis of the opera which is laid out in Acts making it easier for you to follow.

Nick once told me that in order to fully enjoy an opera you need to do your homework first; read up about the storyline, listen to songs from it in advance and do any other background research that you can. It sounded all a bit too much trouble to me, but he was right! By doing your homework, you are better prepared for what you see and hear and can appreciate the music, the lyrics and the story even more.

This week I had the opportunity to attend a very special night at the Opera. Leeds’ resident Opera Company, Opera North played host to a group of bloggers and social media enthusiasts for their production of Bizet’s Carmen. As well as having the chance to network with other bloggers, we also had the opportunity to meet members of the company, both those who worked behind the scenes and two of the opera singers, Keel Watson and Claire Wild.

The tour of the stage and talk from the Technical Director was fascinating and I was secretly thrilled at being able to stand on the stage and see the many different aspects from it. The stage pitch was something new to me and it felt rather strange at first as you were aware of the slope (this particular one being 1:25) but then seeing it from an audience perspective later on, you were able to appreciate it.

It was also exciting and insightful talking to the performers. I had seen both of them in Operas before; Claire in Don Giovanni with Opera Holland Park and Keel in Carmen with English Touring Opera, where they both performed alongside my friend Nick! It was interesting to hear about rehearsal schedules and how the Opera gets put together and left me with a great respect for all the hard work that gets put in to each production, both from those performing and those preparing the staging and scenes. If that wasn’t demanding enough, fresh challenges arise when, like Opera North, they take their production on tour – no easy task I’m sure.

As for the show itself, there were many aspects that I enjoyed, some that I didn’t understand and some that I felt could have been left out. One thing it did do though was provide a lot of things to talk about and contemplate further and this in my opinion is never a bad thing as it shows that the opera did more than just entertain – it was thought provoking too.

I have seen Carmen before in a more traditionally staged version although with a smaller cast and I had done” my homework” and easily recognised the Overture, Habanera and The Toreador Song as familiar tunes. Having a larger ensemble cast and full orchestra certainly enhanced the performance of these songs and emphasized the richness and beauty of the music. The main performers were also brilliant, singing with such clarity and depth, it made all those hours of rehearsals worthwhile. Special mention should also go to Peter Auty who played Don Jose as he sang in spite of a chest infection and yet showed no sign of this in his performance.

I also particularly liked the stage setting for Act Three which opened with a forest scene and gentle snow fall. The contrast of the white snow falling against the dark trees and forest setting was simply beautiful and so distinctive, especially when compared to the other acts which were full of colour and vibrancy.

This particular version of Carmen had a more contemporary setting and Escamillo the bull fighter, became a knife fighting gangster with a pit bull dog whilst Don Jose the young corporal who falls in love with Carmen looked more like a scout leader than an army soldier. The opening scene with what I assumed was the village square with the cigarette factory behind it, was also slightly confusing as it seemed to be interspersed with sunbathers in swimming costumes. Similarly the scene of the town dance party at Lillas Pastia's looked more like a setting in a trailer park.

Opera North is renowned for its artistic risk taking and for pushing the boundaries of opera, to make it more accessible to a wider audience and to portray the emotions and conflicts of the traditional opera but in a more contemporary way. Whilst the cuts to the score meant that some of these emotions were lost, I do think that overall they achieved their aim. I personally, did not feel the need for the scene where Carmen appears semi-naked trying to seduce Don Jose but I can appreciate that it fitted with this particular production. I did enjoy the focus on Carmen’s character, how she was viewed as an object of desire and how she played on this but also became  victim to this as the men driven by their obsession with her, try to own her.

Overall I enjoyed the whole experience and I hope that Opera North and other companies will have more of these evenings as I think they provide an invaluable insight into the Opera World, make it more accessible to others and give them a chance to explore together the many sides to Opera. I would like to offer a huge thanks to Opera North and Emma Bearman (Culture Vultures) for organising the event. It was lovely to meet so many new people and also gain a greater insight into Opera.

For anyone that hasn’t seen an Opera before, I would echo the advice of my friend, do your homework in advance and you will definitely enjoy it more.

For more information on Opera North, its current productions and tour schedule see http://www.operanorth.co.uk/

Solitude

Something About the Woods

There's something about the woods.
All alone surrounded by God's magic.
Peace and quiet in my solitaire moods.
No worries, people or events so tragic.

Crisp, cool air in my lungs.
The whisper of forest breeze.
A break from climbing life's rungs.
A special time on my memory to freeze.

A paradise of contentment,
to restore my soul’s energy.
No worry about advancement.
Basking in nature's sweet synergy.

No more of life's fast frame.
Back in control of my time.
Each day not more of the same.
Money no issue I don't need a dime.

There's something about the woods.
Only here can real peace be found.
Not a crowded neighbourhood,
where all is one busy loud sound.

Nothing can compare to star lit canopy.
A hot steaming cup of camper’s tea.
The preservation of my sanity.
I escape from life's endless sea.

by Luke

Sometimes you just want to be alone. Today was such a day for me and when I feel like that there is only one place to go – Nostell Priory. There is something very comforting about visiting this stately home and its gardens. Today was particularly blustery and it had threatened to rain all day but I was determined not to let that stop me. As I walked down the path to the house I tried to walk slowly to take in the sights and sounds of everything around me but I couldn’t. I felt an urgency to get to the gardens and even the wind seemed to be pushing me along.

I entered the gardens and immediately a sense of peace came over me. I walked the familiar paths that I have walked so many times and watched the branches of the tress bending in the wind as though greeting me like an old friend.

I love this place; there is something magical about this garden and the way that with each season it seems to reinvent itself to become more beautiful and more serene.  Today I marvelled at the snowdrops that littered the woodland areas between the trees. These tiny little flowers, so delicate and pure are yet so strong that they have been growing throughout the winter when the ground was cold and hard. Somehow despite the harsh weather, they have broken through the ground and were there dancing in the wind – a sign of triumph over adversity and the promise of better things to come.

Further into the gardens you reach a point when you can no longer hear the traffic from the roads and the only sounds are that of the ducks on the lake, the birds in the trees or the wind blowing the trees and the fallen leaves. It is impossible to describe the peacefulness and tranquillity that descends when you reach such a place and the only thing to do is to stop and savour every moment.

I stood under one of my favourite trees and just let the breeze blow across the lake and up onto the banks, into the tree and onto my face. It was such a refreshing, relaxing feeling – a facial from Mother Nature.

I walked around the gardens for nearly two hours, just marvelling at the beauty that was before me and how even though there was evidence of winter everywhere, there were also signs of spring. Crocuses were beginning to push through the ground to join the snowdrops and buds were beginning to appear on the magnolia trees. The fresh air itself seemed to carry with it an anticipation that touched each and every plant or tree as if giving it the kiss of life and waking it up after a winter’s sleep. I felt renewed and strengthened just by being there and sharing these quiet moments with nature.

“Solitude is such a potential thing. We hear voices in solitude, we never hear in the hurry and turmoil of life; we receive counsels and comforts, we get under no other condition . . .”
~Amelia E Barr.