Donald McIntyre has died aged 91. My first Wotan courtesy of the Boulez Bayreuth Ring, before I encountered him many other roles. Never heard him in the flesh, though.

OK FOLKS I'm on the thorny horns of a difficult dilemma- whether to cull the cardboard box collection in the garage....

Just finished this, the latest from this interesting writer. A good if frankly somewhat depressing read.

In other news, I made a cake....

I'd just like to say: the 3rd Downton abbey film: utter utter waste of time!!!!

This is a splendid book, beautifully written. Not a dry history in any sense.

Very pleased finally to have picked up this set for an excellent price. Marvellous Sea Symphony!

@robertflute.bsky.social Lyric FM today 6pm broadcasting Stanford "The Critic" recorded at the 2024 Wexford Festival!

Today's facepalm moment arises courtesy of this morning's bread baking. Someone decided to use a paper tin-liner to discourage bread from sticking to tin. Instead of which, loaf stuck to the paper. Yes, yes it was me.🤣🤣😭😭

We've been out this evening! Into the peopley world! New RSC production of "Measure for Measure". Not remotely familiar with the play. Would I go again? No. Do I wish I hadn't bothered? Also no.

The results of about 15 mins foraging. So - jam, crumble, cobbler...?🤔😃

Lovely day today - warm and sunny. Rain apparently tomorrow. Lawn could do with a haircut but instead...

Haven't posted much lately as I've had a few days in N Wales (lovely), bought cds on Ebay (excessive (only 1 duplication),pottered about in the garden (thirst-inducing). Today after a rather nice 9am service I've made a loaf (60% white 40%granary) & a mince + pea curry (too much passata). ,

Testing has established that Pimms does not freeze in an icecube tray. I'd thought at its low-ish alcohol content (21%??) It might.... Anyone know how low the %age has to be before an alcohol-bearing liquid will freeze?

I've decided it's "too hot for gardening o'clock "....in case anyone was wondering

May I just say

One aspect of 20th century history which has always particularly intrigued me is how a civilised European country can have degenerated Into Nazism. This most excellent book looks at that.

Isn't Rod just fab...

Anyone want to buy two water butts???? Can't see my having a use for them any day soon....

@foxlanebooks.bsky.social how nice, a typically fast despatch from those nice people at Fox Lane Books including this!

I found myself in a few charity shops...

I read that adding dried chilli flakes to a bird feeder deters squirrels but has no effect on birds. No. It doesn't. Can confirm it has absolutely no effect whatsoever!!!!

A few from Carisbrooke Castle

A few pix from Osborne House...

Nothing like the pleasure of the arrival of a forgotten order

My granddaughter (15) has told my wife she thinks I'm posh. Apparently this is due to the way I speak and - most intriguingly - the way I pour drinks. I am hugely keen to understand this.....

I'm wondering just how cross Starmer and Trump are that tomorrow's news headlines might just have been stolen under their noses...

The Curse of a certain auction site. Sold a cd set to someone who now wants a refund saying it`s not as described (it isn`t - it`s in better condition) but refuses to spell out how and why. And of course there`s no mechanism to reject his return request. Sometimes it`s just not worth the effort.

"Oh no, not again...."

Catching up with Channel 4's "Barristers" series. Worth seeing.

Returning from a few days away, in best @robertflute.bsky.social tradition , a few discs have landed...

Anyone watching the Pope's funeral? I'm not very familiar with Catholic liturgy and the commentary is refreshingly free of constant Voiceover. keep asking myself Where's the choir and what are they singing.

Opera fans - Martin Graham, founder of Longborough Festival Opera, has died (aged 83). I'm fortunate to have seen their Ring (2009-2013), Tristan, Hollander, and other non-Wagner items.

Kitchen pottering finished but the St Matthew Passion on R3 hasn't. So am trapped in kitchen. Don't send rescue.

Today has been a rather strange day. Felt like a Saturday but isn't even Friday. There has been gardening (well a small modicum). There has been the fitting of a new integrated fridge in the kitchen (which requires a little fine-tuning). On the plus side, there's cake

Its that time

News coming in of a scientific discovery in Warwickshire: bread dough doesn't rise if yeast is omitted. Form an orderly queue to laugh.

Today there has been NO baking. (Tons of other jobs and tasks though -lawn mowed, empty pots to local WI market, laundry, pa-in-law visited, compost acquired, houseplants reported or compost topped up, etc..) Aim to rectify this dough deficiency tomorrow as I've replenished wholemeal flour supply.

Little outing to the RSC for Marlowe's "Edward II". And most splendid it was too. Recommended although I think the run ends on Saturday. (Not sure what happened to Edward I although I suspect he might have been too busy castellating Wales to have time to feature in dramas...)

Apropos nothing in particular, there should be a name for the feeling of disappointment experienced on tasting a cake made to a new recipe which fails to meet expectations... (a decidedly bland marmalade cake...)

Someone in the Branston's Beans Design Dept is a fan of the Oxford comma!!👏👏

I'm updating the old adage that a sign of getting old is police officers looking young. Based on recent experience, my point of reference is now "District Judges"....

Today we learned that it's a good idea, before prepping the filling for sausage rolls you plan to make using wraps instead of pastry, to check that said wraps haven't turned an unhealthy shade of green....🤦‍♂️

Dinner tonight- freezer clearance risotto but it's just not the same without peas or broad beans (out of which I have inexplicably run...)

Revisiting the entire BBC "Hollow Crown" experience. What an amazing set of tv. Abridged it may be, from Shakespeare's originals, but it's a thing of wonder. Teriffic performances from Ben Wishaw, Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddlestone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and soon many others.

Wagner time!! Tristan on Swedish Radio P2, and Rheingold on France Musique. And happily both have 'listen again' facilities. (No I've no idea how that translates into Swedish....)

New WiFi router. Sonos app refuses to talk to it!! No "manage network " option in Settings. Various bits of kit in increasing danger of being thrown the length of the garden...😡😡😡😡😡😄

New cd arrives. Symphonies 2+3 by the (to me unknown) Hakon Borresen. I go to file it and lo and behold I discover a cd of his 1st sym and violin concerto! So that's nice.

I'd just like to say something. Sibelius 4 - astounding. As you were.

Lemon poppy seed bundt cake. Which stuck to the tin, and I'm not sure I got the glaze quite right. In my defence I don't usually use glaze, nor do I usually bake on a Monday.