The Cloud 9 Panto - Aladdin

I've been on Cloud 9!  Well, I've been in a panto that is! And it was great!

We began rehearsals at the La Molata social centre in November 2014 and, shortly before Christmas, the scenery was up and painted and we were already putting our scripts down prior to a dress/technical rehearsal that was an unmitigated disaster!  The following night the first performance got a standing ovation!  Here are some of the snaps....

 Our producer (Sue MacDonald) discusses technical matters with backstage manager Norman Deekes...

Meanwhile rehearsals continue in the freezing cold of a Murcian winter - believe me for some reason, it's quite often warmer outside the Molata hall!

I've no idea who this chap was but the audience seemed to like him - or was it her?

This is Wishee Washee - my good friend John Vass and below right is his wife Val with our treasurer Jenny Beattie.  They're two police women out to stop the mob......

 And that's Aladdin (Ruma Jordan right) with So Shy (Jean Deekes left) handmaiden to the emperor's daughter.

 Brenda Thornton - a bit of a shady character - one of bad guy Abernazer's side-kicks...

 The lovely Princess Charming (Shannon Edment) - who sings (and indeed looks) like an angel...

 The Emperor Ming (Rod the merciless?) - one of the Ming dynasty.

 Sylvia gets a touch of slap...

 The wicked Abernaza (Paul MacDonald) - he gets his come-uppance in the end....

  Thanks to Genie of the Lamp Bob (left) and Slave of the Ring Anne (right)

The Great South Western Railway Bolnuevo

Well now I am fully awake again after a lengthy absence I can tell you folks all about the Great SW Railway and the developments since I last wrote.

Firstly you may wish to see some of the modelling work that has been done by my dear sweet daughter in law, Sian, and myself (The Bodger) thanks to various kits from 'Superquick' and 'Metcalfe' - purveyors of excellent OO/HO gauge model building kits for the discerning railway enthusiast.  I have also put my hand to making a 'scratch built' coal mine and am about to try 'flocking' -  a system of creating realistic looking grass using high voltage static electricity.  More on that later if I should survive the attempt.

So we have a brewery awaiting location on the layout:

Next we have some houses and shops as well as a cinema for the tiny people to enjoy theselves:

- and we have the colliery:

A church:

And a bit of a village:

So bit by bit, poco a poco, things are beginning to take shape. As soon as it becomes warm enough to get to work downstairs in railway corner I shall begin creating some more realistic looking landscapes.

Wakey Wakey!