Dusseldorf

Every 6 months or so I did a Sunday duty (afternoon only )at Battersea reference library (extra cash). At the Beethoven Choral fantasia concert I comment that the Philharmonia played magnificently but Matacic hardly did anything! In November a week in Dusseldorf singing Schoenberg Gurrelieder and visited Aachen and Cologne Zoo and gallery, Aachen, Goethe museum and Wuppertal. I shared with Derrick - there was a sequel to this which was that I played for his daughter's wedding in Essex. That marriage did not last - she married the son of a boxing promoter who said he could have sent his helicopter for me! Derrick left his wife after many years and she begged to me find out why but no luck. Derrick refused to discuss it with her or me. Very sad. I think he was bored. Mahler 8 at the hall, TV show in Dec live from Royal College of Music - Liz on a lot, I was on only once - I was stuck at the back with noisy Bob Hind - rather an irritating tenor! On Dev 31 Chris Mason rang and unofficially told me I had got the AP4 promotion at last! There was a big issue about women being promoted as well as married men with families! Got to Covent Garden twice Rake's Progress and Fanciulla del West. Frankly the amphitheatre was hot and uncomfortable and I much prefer going to the opera at the cinema these days! Amadeus and A lesson from aloes at the National theatre. Zauberflote and Robinson Crusoe at the proms. ITV showed Fidelio!! Peter Gould appears quite often in the diary - he was a chorus tenor.  I got on well with the chorus members and trips meant that we chatted more. I also got on well with colleagues at work - we were a happy crew and in those days had fancy dress Christmas party. One year I went as the cuts! One problem with going to Oxford Gardens was that the Georges could never say goodbye unlike the Woodhouses. So farewells could take half an hour. Now I am a grandad I can understand why but at the time....