w/e 31 May 2026

A lot of hot air      The heatwave continued relentlessly, punctuated by the inevitable downpour and clap of thunder.  We just about made it from our car to a friend’s garden, all thoughts of a stroll and a picnic vapourised by the heat.  British homes and bodies are not designed for sudden changes to high …

w/e 24 May 2026

Old Books, Music, and a Junk Exchange Event      Inspirational Iryna Ilnytska again raised the roof of the Cathedral with a selection of arias for Ukraine. Her efforts were richly rewarded, as well as enjoyed by the appreciative audience.  All monies raised are sent directly to known volunteers in Ukraine who spend the money on …

w/e 19 April

     Well, what a way to end the week.  As if last week’s musical extravaganza was not enough, we were treated to a new opera production from Iryna Ilnytska’s Exeter Opera Group.  This time she produced a wonderful version of Rossini’s opera Cenerentola (the girl in the cinders…).  The show erupted in a cascade of …

w/e 15 February

     It is with disbelief that I read that 2026 is the National Year of Reading, at a time when local libraries are under threat of closure.  The world has gone mad.  School libraries have long been an issue with hours cut, staff expected to run the library ‘in their spare time’ or with volunteers.  …