We had the Dicksonfield Owners and Residents Association AGM last week and my position as secretary was unfortunately not contested so I'm in for another year not having the heart to leave them in the lurch.  The Grads have just entered the lurch secretary wise but I have been able to harden my heart against being sucked into that one.

I'm a bit of a Woody Allen fan and his latest film,  Cafe Society,  appealed to me greatly.  The costumes, settings and cinematography are super.  Performances and direction are excellent and the romance at the heart of it provides a very moving ending. I'd have given it four stars against The Guardian's three but that's fans for you.

I have to give plenty stars to Tickled, a documentary that delves behind the public face of the niche sport of competitive endurance tickling.  A New Zealand journalist came across some videos of young men tickling a strapped down fellow apparently in some bizarre competition and thought it would make a good subject for the cookie documentaries that he makes his living by creating.

Well as soon as he started digging lawyers letters and threats started arriving warning him off.  Three men flew in from Los Angeles first class to persuade him to drop the project.  Of course he didn't and has made a very enjoyable and interesting film of his search.  It would be a shame to reveal the end but have a look at the trailer and catch it if you can.

The windband term has been underway for a few weeks but other commitments had kept me away until the playaway day on Saturday.  I was the only alto sax there so was a bit exposed but survived and thankfully at Monday's regular practice there was another alto to share the load.

On a different musical note entirely I was with Claire and Siobhan at Lennoxlove on Sunday morning to hear a delightful concert by the Marian Consort under the title of Secret Singing.  The secret referred to was the continued practice of Roman Catholicism in post reformation England and it was the music associated with that by Byrd and others that they sang.  Such singing happened mostly in the stately homes of the Catholic aristocracy so the barrel-vaulted great hall of Lennoxlove was the perfect setting and our proximity to the singers added greatly to my enjoyment.  

Claire treated us to a lunch afterwards that featured scrumptious roast potatoes and delicious homemade apple pie.  The lunch stretched through the afternoon at which point my legs were stretched dog-walking in the Figgate Park which I must say was looking splendid and well cared for.  Indeed better cared for than it was when I lived on its edge.