More musical memories - Sheeran and Sonatinas

Exactly a year ago I wrote a piece about a piano concert and a rock concert. HERE  I didn't realise that my life was such a pattern of predictability as here I am twelve months later writing about the same things.

Yesterday was the annual piano concert for the pupils of a couple of local piano teachers. This is Sibs's fourth year and as usual there was an incident that we now come to associate with this concert. 

Year 1 - playing an octave or two too high

Year 2 - forgetting her music

Year 3 - the flyaway ponytail

....and then there's year 4

This year it all started well. She was pleased that she was one of the first to perform so that she could enjoy the other players. 

A few minutes into the piece there was a stray breeze and her sonatina music fluttered before dancing off the piano onto the floor! It threw her off guard for a moment but she kept going. 

So another year, another story.

there goes the music...

On the theme of music, the previous night we were at Suncorp Stadium enjoying slightly different sounds. Ed Sheeran was in Brisbane supported by Passenger and Rudimental.  I had managed to get some tickets when I was back in the UK in April and surprised Sibs with them for her birthday a few months ago.

I had heard that he was a good live performer but I was surprised how good one man and a guitar could be. It takes some guts and self-confidence to perform a stadium show with no fancy stage set up and just a guitar and a loop pedal. There were a few screens behind him, as to be fair if you were seated any distance away he would have been an ant sized spot! No-body seemed to mind this pared back look though.

I was familiar with his music but his live performance plays around with this familiarity. I was seriously impressed. His songs grew on stage with layers upon layers being added via the loop pedal and the crowd loved it. Whatever Ed asked, they obliged. It was a beautiful sight to see the sea of arms punching the air to 'Bloodstream' and then phone lights illuminating the stadium during ' The A Team'.



Here's a little clip of the 'The A Team'. (I'm not sure if it works on mobile phone view)

Every single time Ed Sheeran has performed in Brisbane it's rained and of course Saturday was no exception. It didn't deter the enjoyment though and my plastic poncho stayed in my bag so I just got a little bit wet!
He worked hard to keep us entertained and the show was over way too soon for my liking.

Sibs was seated some rows behind me with a friend and I glanced back a few times to see her on her feet with arms in the air. During the de-brief in the car on the way home I loved the fact that she has become as much a people watcher as me and had to smile when she told me all about the antics of the couple in front of her.

Great weekend of music.

Making memories.

Nostalgia

In 2010 I went to a Simply Red concert that was heralded as their farewell tour. I had been a fan since the start and as a poor student I saved up my pennies to buy their tapes. Their music was entwined with so many stories of my life and the memories that I had created over time. I was really excited to see these songs performed live.

I remember being at that concert and thinking that the other people there were all older than me. Upon reflection, they weren't. I was just in denial. It was the music that made me feel ever-young.
(Incidentally, they lied about it being a farewell tour, but I have sort of forgiven them for that...)

Last weekend I went to see Robbie Williams perform in Brisbane and the same thing happened again. I was with a friend some years younger than me and she mentioned that there were many more older people there than she expected. I didn't even consider that I was one of them!! (How conceited of me.)

You see, in my mind Robbie and I are still oh so young! I still think of him as a fresh faced prankster youngster and I'm just a few years ahead of him! (Although I have to say that close up he's not ageing quite so well....!

I lived and worked in his home town of Stoke on Trent when he was just starting out with his music career. It was when the rest of the world didn't know who he was. He was Robert back then, or Rob if you really knew him well. He was the local boy that had just signed this big record deal and was about to become famous.

It was a time when I was also starting out on my career path. I had just completed some post graduate study and I was spending a year putting into practise all the theory that I had learnt during the previous 12 months. It was my first ever regular and real paycheck job. The first time I lived totally alone in a little house in Stoke and then in a flat on the top floor of a lovely old terrace in Wolstanton in Newcastle-under Lyme. It was my year of finding resilience...making it up as I went along all by myself. More memories...

I think that this tentative connection is why I feel such a soft spot for anything Robbie Williams.
He's one of a few artists that I might have bought everything that he's released. I've just felt the need to support his success.

Like many other performers his music seems to hold me in the past. Not necessarily back to my time in The Potteries, but just over the years since then. I know that it's your sense of smell that is the most powerful in provoking memories but I can catch a bit of a song and I'm instantly transported back in time.

For me, a song or a piece of music can define an era, a year, an occasion or just a moment.

I hear Madonna's 'Crazy for you' and I'm in the little cafe in Ystalyfera drinking milky coffee...
"Sunday, Bloody Sunday" and it's a seventeenth birthday party...
 Bronski Beat's "Why?" and I'm in Dan-y-Coed on a drama residential course...
Anybody who's a Welsh speaker and who's ever been to Llangrannog will understand if I just say "Nefol Dad" and "Pan ddaw yfory"?

There's countless more that I could list but that would just be self indulgent and I wouldn't know where to stop! The power that a tune has to draw me back to another time is quite a pull.

So music is good for my soul - it makes me feel like a younger version of myself.

Thank you Robbie Williams for bouncing around on stage and belting out hits from a couple of decades ago. Thank you for taking me (and most of the crowd in Brisbane on Saturday night) back to a bit of our past.
The days after the concert I revisited so many tunes that have shaped my life, and I danced like a crazy woman in the privacy of my own kitchen....!

What songs would make it onto the playlist of your life?

From Mozart to Mick and a lot inbetween.

Isn't this a beautiful sight?

Sadly, it's not my piano, it's the one that Sibs performed on yesterday. She said she was nervous, but I couldn't tell. For the past three years she has taken part in an end of year concert where the pupils of a few local piano teachers get together and showcase a little of what they have worked on during the year.

 Year one we had 'Sugar Plum fairy'. That year I could tell that she was nervous and the little poppet played it an octave (or maybe 2?) too high. Her little fingers were almost off the side of the piano! She kept going though and asked me afterwards if I thought anyone noticed. No sweetheart, no- one at all...

Last year I had to drop her off at the concert on my way to the airport as I was away on a work trip. It was horrible.... However, I did get to see and hear her performance later that evening from short little clips on my phone. She got through 'Fur Elise' even though she had forgotten her sheet music.

There always seems to be some story to the piano concert and this year it's a hair story.

As the performers take to the stage they bow to the audience. Sibs's is unable to bend at the waist when she wears her back brace, so rather than just nod her head, she did a rather enthusiastic head and shoulder bow. Consequently her pony tail went flying and didn't quite land back where it should! This resulted in what can only be described as a bit of a punky, almost mohican look! She didn't notice.

Almost every girl that followed Sibs did a hair check when they sat down to play. One girl even checked a couple of times during her performance! We had a bit of a giggle about it when I showed Sibs the video of her playing, but she wasn't too bothered. I think she was just pleased that she had got through her piece. This year it was 'Rondo alla Turca', a piece she wanted to play after watching Pride and Prejudice.

This photo is a practise run - with well behaved hair!

In other (quite different) music news, I saw the re-scheduled Rolling Stones show in Brisbane last week.

These photos are taken on my phone whilst I was moving - it's a wonder they've come out at all!

I was lucky enough to have a bit of an inside view at this show and it was such a great experience. Mick Jagger most definitely has 'the moves' and had the audience eating out of his hand. The band had a great energy and played with no support act and no interval. 

I do wonder how many more tours or shows they'll do, so I think it was extra special to be there. 

An appreciation of different types of music is something that I am trying to instil in Sibs. I remember as a teenager my record collection was always pretty eclectic. There was the predictable Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and then Lionel Richie, Richard Clayderman on the piano or some choral work or Beethoven.

I'm still the same - my ipod is a mix of so many different styles. I don't think Richard Clayderman made it on there though! Sorry Richard. 

Sibs and I often play a game where we hear the first few notes of a song and we have to guess what it is. She's getting really good at it. Maybe because my ipod is constantly plugged in and on shuffle. It's no wonder that my twelve year old can sign along to so many different bands. 

Music creates so many memories for me. It's as powerful as a sense of smell in evoking past times. 

So as I type this, The Black Eyed Peas have just finished 'Meet me Halfway' and Dexy's are starting 'She Got a Wiggle'. 

Quite apt really, as I should probably get my wiggle on and get prepared for school pick up.

There are many, many beautiful quotes about music but one of my all time favourites is - 

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music"

-Aldous Huxley

Happy Monday,

What's your music style?

Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band in Brisbane

My ticket had been safely secured the second I heard that Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band were including Brisbane on their Australian tour. (Thank you QPAC)

So off I went on Friday night in the pouring rain  - me and my new shoes, to join 1599 others for a night out at the magnificent Concert Hall in South Bank.

After his opening 'Iko Iko' number and some gentle encouragement to join in the second song Mr Laurie pronounced to his adoring audience,

"You're taking a leap of faith here"

Just in case we didn't know, he shared with us that until recently he was an actor.  He gratefully acknowledged that we were allowing him to indulge in his sometimes nerdy appreciation of music and his passion for American blues and jazz sounds.

I must say that he has gathered a formidable band to indulge with...

The stage was shared with seven truly outstanding individuals who shone throughout.

Now no offence here Hugh,  (Can I call him Hugh...? Should I be more formal? Heck I was in the fourth row - we're practically best friends!) but 'Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band' could easily be just 'The Copper Bottom Band'.
I guess that without the name they may not have sold out.., but from a musical and performance point of view there was no lead on Friday night. Each musician offered his or her unique and flawless contribution.

Soul Sista Jean's dramatic rendition of 'Lectric Chair' and 'I hate a man like you' were standout moments.

There there was the equally captivating and beautiful voice of Gaby Moreno with  'The Weed Smoker's Dream', 'Bona Sera' and 'Kiss of Fire' complete with a little Tango dancing to authenticate the experience.

Everyone on stage appeared to be having a good time. They smiled and congratulated each other after solo slots. They clearly loved their jobs.
Maybe it was the whisky shots that were delivered part way through? Probably not, it seemed a genuine enjoyment.

Hugh peppered the music with slightly comic exchanges with the audience - a touch of his Blackadder genius from years ago. He deliberately avoided any references to the Dr House character and politely informed a rather enthusiastic fan who asked about the Dr that madam was at the wrong show!

The girls were on fire throughout the night and the boys got a combined moment of glory centre stage and performed 'Lazy River' around a snazzy microphone with Hugh as sole accompaniment on the guitar.

The Copper Bottom Band musicians often drew well deserved spontaneous applause. Boy they were good! Laurie knew this and praised them throughout, often looking a little sheepish and rather  amazed that he was actually part of it!

The last number brought an instantaneous standing ovation and we stayed on our feet for the encore.
We didn't want to leave.

I had forgotten quite how much I enjoyed the blues.

(All photos were taken on my phone hence the rather dodgy quality)

One Direction, Brisbane

I'm either mad, indulgent or just best mamma this week. I can't quite decide myself...

In my last post I wrote about taking my girl away for the weekend and going to see the One Direction concert in Auckland. We had a blast, an absolute blast! Stuff that I hope will stay in the memory bank for ever.

A few days after we returned, I had one of those 'right place, right time' moments....and some Brisbane tickets!

My brain flickered between - "How fantastic, she'll be thrilled" to "I really shouldn't as I don't want to over indulge..."

I mentioned it to Neil, fully expecting him to do the sensible father speech, but uncharacteristically he just said "go for it!"

...So we did!

ear plugs at the ready!

I thought the Auckland fans were loud - but the Brisbane crowd was something else. Boy, those girls can scream!

They jumped, danced and sang their hearts outs. They hung on every word that their idols spoke. (Well, those words that they could actually hear over the screams!)

I spent some time people watching.

*There were a few bored parents. One mother in the row behind me sat all night with her arms crossed, she didn't see a thing apart from the back of the girl in front of her!
*There were groups of girls clutching each other who just uttered "Oh my God" over and over again.
*There were so many people watching the concert through the screen of their phones or iPods trying to capture any images they could. What a waste! Come on girls, enjoy the moment.
*There were some tiny tots trying to sleep...
*There were many many parents loitering outside just waiting. I saw lots of novel reading mums and dads and even a few knitters. Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a little bit in the middle of no-where so I guess it was just easier to hang around.
*There were some 1D mums living their youth again through their children - matching their t-shirts and various band merchandise with their daughters. Some cute, others not so...
*There were tears, happy tears.

Overwhelmingly though there were smiles. Lots and lots of happy people having a great time.
That was a joy to see.

Here's a few of my shots of the Sunday night performance.

One Direction Brisbane Oct 2013

Almost anyone can sound good blasting from the CD in the car, but to their credit these boys can really sing. Yes there were a few forgivable hoarse notes - they had been belting out those songs through 125 shows by the time they got to Brisbane. They didn't give you slick choreography but they made sure that they covered every part of that stage.  Add some fancy laser lighting, crowd interaction, lots of colourful graphics and a few video clips to give the boys a few minutes to change. Well all apart from Harry who appeared to have the same clothes on throughout. On the subject of clothes...what was it with the ultra tight trousers Mr Styles?! 

They looked a lot edgier and a bit more rock and roll than I expected. I'm sure the images on the water bottle/pencil case/backpack etc etc  at home has them looking quite different!

The show was safely predictable with songs about summer romance, unrequited love, fancying the person you can't have, secret love, jealousy...all the stuff that the teenage population of the audience lapped up.

Everyone under the age of about 25 seem to know every word to every song and happily shared this knowledge. It created an interesting sound....

I was warned asked by my 11 year old not to dance or sing....which I duly obliged, but I did find myself toe tapping and the odd line from an often heard track would sometimes escape my lips. (I don't think she noticed.) I have to say that I can't get the "I can't compete with your boyfriend - he's got 27 tattoos" line out of my head. 

I actually think that a couple of them have taken that one to heart and would give any boyfriend with 27 tattoos a good challenge!

One Direction Brisbane Oct 2013

Although mostly rehearsed and scripted (yes I can say say that, having heard it twice), the banter between the band members and the crowd was fun. They seemed to enjoy themselves, and they made many female swoon with the occasional wave or thumbs up or a special blow kiss....cue extra loud screams - one right in my left ear!

They were gracious in their thanks to each and every person in the venue and acknowledged that without their loyal fans they would not be enjoying this phenomenal success. There was quite a bit of charm going on here with praise to the parents for bringing their kids and "thanks for deciding to spend your money evening with us" speeches.

Before you knew it we were into the encore and every parent was beginning to think about the inevitable queue out of the car park....well everyone apart from the cross armed mother behind me who had made an early hasty exit with her daughter.

Shame, because she missed the chest booming loud "Best song ever" and the chance to sing along to "That's what makes you beautiful"....

Well...and....truly living those moments!

Treasured moments - from Swan Lake to One Direction.

Back in 2009 I took my girl to the city to watch the ballet Swan Lake. I remember at the time that I felt like it was a lot of money to spend on taking a just turned seven year old to the theatre and to expect her to sit still through three and a half hours of ballet.

I needn't have been concerned as she sat completely mesmerised, mouth slightly open, eyes transfixed.  I watched her almost as much as I watched the ballet! I think at one point I considered checking that she was still breathing.

That was the start of our regular mother daughter theatre outings.

Since then we have been lucky enough to catch some pretty amazing productions in Brisbane, but to date nothing had ever really come close to the enjoyment experienced watching Swan Lake. There have been quite a few musicals like Mary Poppins, Annie, Grease and Mama Mia. Then the Nutcracker ballet and more recently The Bright Stream performed by The Bolshoi Ballet. Some of these theatre visits have been large scale international productions but we also love to support the smaller amateur performances too.

Last week the dance studio that Sibs is part of had their annual dance concert at Queensland Performing Arts Centre. This performance is one of the highlights of her year. She loves the routine of rehearsals and back stage antics. Behind allowed inside the theatre is a real thrill.  Imagine having to tell her that she wasn't going to experience it this year?

When I first found out the dates for her dance concert, I knew that it clashed with something else. I also knew that the 'something else' was huge. Something that Sibs had been looking forward to for the whole of 2013.

It was time to break the news about the clash.

There were a few silent tears and a wobbly bottom lip. Then a big hug and a promise that we would go and watch the first night of the dance concert.

She still wanted  to attend the rehearsals and her lovely dance teachers who knew how disappointed she was and not being able to perform always made sure that she helped out in some way.

So what prevented her from being part of the show......?

We were having a long planned girls weekend away....to Auckland....to watch One Direction!

My eleven year old is a beautiful mix of interests. She adores her ballet, looks forward to rugby season, loves to listen to a real mix of music and over the last year or so like millions of other tweenage girls has discovered 'One Direction'. (Thank you for the introduction goes to cool Aunty T!)

So last Friday, I picked her up from her afternoon school rugby game and instead of the usual ballet lesson it was a quick shower and change and off we went  to the airport. We shopped a little, bought a book each and arrived in New Zealand on a cold and wet Friday night.

We were originally booked into the same hotel as the band but in my wisdom(?) I changed this to be closer to the city.
At the risk of sounding fuddy duddy - One Direction fans can be a little crazy....
There were hoards of young girls camped out at 1am in front of the hotel screaming. They screamed for almost three days! The groupie mentality was almost a little disturbing and whilst I have no problem with Sibs being a fan of the band, I think that I have a parental responsibility to ensure her safety and to allow her to be eleven...

So we enjoyed a slightly quieter time. We walked, chatted, shopped, giggled and did the tourist things like the museums and the Sky Tower. We lazed over hotel breakfasts - such a treat. We ordered room service in our bath robes and watched TV whilst painting our toenails. It was pure luxury having that time away from home with my girl.

Of course the absolute highlight of the weekend was the One Direction concert.

"I think this is a dream"

I once again watched my girl completely awe struck at the spectacle in front of her eyes.

It was the Swan Lake experience four years later (but with screaming!)

Five minutes after arriving in our seats she turned to me - "I think this is a dream!"

Her quiet contemplation lasted about 10 seconds and then she jumped, sang and screamed with the best of them. Oh my goodness the screaming again.....the ear plugs came in very handy!

One Direction - Auckland 2013

One Direction - Auckland 2013

Sibs beamed all the way through the concert, then all the way back to the hotel and then all the next day and more!

This was loving and living the moment big time!

from Swan Lake 2009 to One Direction 2013

We made a pact last weekend that we would find the time to get away together maybe once a year. 

Just a night or two, just the two of us.

...Already planning the next trip!

Newstead House visit

We are in the second week of school holidays here.
I'm grateful for school holidays. 

I love the change of pace that happens.

We are a small family, yet life seems to roller coaster along and it feels like Mondays become Fridays become Sundays. Anyone else relate?

So school holidays is a chance to apply the brakes and live life a little slower. I'm very fortunate in the fact that I can work around the school holidays. My employer offers a reduced working year scheme where I am able to buy additional days of leave and it means that I then get to spend the precious school holidays with my girl. I am so appreciative of this opportunity as it takes away a lot of the working mother stress and guilt. It also means that I get a break every few months - which is obviously rather nice!

I have mentioned before that we have a 'We should..' box. (blog post HERE). In this box we write down ideas for days out or activities that we want to do. One of the ideas that's been in there for a little while was 'take a trip to Newstead House. So these school holidays we earmarked a day and set off.

Newstead House back veranda and a picnic lunch in the gardens

Newstead House  (website - HERE) is located on the Brisbane river and dates back to 1846. It is  the oldest residential property in the area, which makes me realise how new Brisbane is.

It is filled with furniture and memorabilia from a by gone age and is a truly fascinating and beautiful house.

Newstead House - Morning Room, Dining Room and Drawing Room

As we wandered through the place the lovely gentleman that greeted us at the door came for a bit of a chat. At that point Sibs and I were admiring the drawing room with the gorgeous china tea set and demi grand. The conversation moved to the piano and he asked if either of us played....

Next thing he had lifted the rope that protected visitors from walking within the rooms and invited Sibs to have a play. She wasn't hesitant at all and made herself quite at home.

Newstead House - Sibs playing the Demi Grand Piano

Her repertoire was restricted to the current pieces that she is learning so in these majestic and formal surroundings she played.....'One Direction - You don't know you're beautiful' , followed by 'The Entertainer' and topped off with 'Coldplay - Clocks'!

By this time a few people had gathered and some tourists began to take photos! One man asked if she could play him some Beethoven. She had already exhausted her playing from memory and the only other music she could remember was chopsticks (!) so I got to take the seat and managed to play most of 'Moonlight Sonata'. I wasn't as comfortable as Sibs was with an audience....

It made a morning admiring a lovely house into a memorable occasion.

We always have to sign a visitors book

Newstead House, Brisbane

We've been ticking off quite a few things from our 'We should..' box this last week. I really should try and find the time to record our adventures. 

Just on another note, I seem to have been having a few issues with funny messages appearing on opening of my blog. I have removed the instagram button on the sidebar as this seemed to be the culprit and that should now be all good and safe - fingers crossed.

Calon Lan - Only Boys Aloud

Every now and again something will happen that makes me proud of where I came from.

A couple of weeks ago I was proud to be Welsh when the national rugby team won the Grand Slam.

Apart from rugby, one of the other things associated with Wales is of course singing. (Quite often these two things go together and if you've ever been to a Welsh rugby match you'll know what I'm talking about).

There is a Welsh song called Calon Lan that is familiar to all Welsh speakers

- it's often heard at rugby games, I remember singing it as a child, I even chose it for my wedding.

 Roughly translated it means 'Pure Heart'.



A happy heart...a pure heart.



I'm 10,000 miles from Wales but there is a bit of Welsh slate hanging by my front door with those words. 

It was a generous gift from some very dear friends from home and greets me every single day

- diolch ffrindie. 

Anyhow, back to the singing...

Last week I picked up on a YouTube clip of a boys choir singing this song on the show 'Britain's Got Talent'. It stopped me in my tracks and I'm not ashamed to admit that I welled up listening to it...

The choir is called  Only Boys Aloud and the musical director Tim Rhys Evans is the very talented man behind the vocal group Only Men Aloud of which we are very big fans in this house.

Have a listen to this...

Pretty inspirational stuff...

I wish them all the luck in the world in the competition

and thank them for showing their incredible talent to the masses.

Pob lwc bois!

A quiet proud moment.

Another school year over, another chapter completed.

I came back from my trip to Melbourne in time for the last school assembly of the year.

Each week, the children start the school assembly by standing to sing the Australian National Anthem and they are accompanied by a small recorder and percussion group from the older grades.

Sibs loves anything musical and a few weeks ago asked her music teacher if she could have the anthem music score to play at home. Her lovely teacher then asked if she wanted to join the older children in the last assembly of the year to play along.

She dutifully practised at home (sometimes at some ungodly hour - sorry neighbours!) and then yesterday skipped along to stand at the front and take her place with the band.

It was a quiet proud moment - no certificate or principal recognition, but a very proud shared moment between mother and daughter. We knew.

Catching up and all that jazz.

Well hello there computer,

hello keyboard,

hello there blog...

I've been slightly neglectful this last week haven't I?
 

I could make up a fancy excuse about being out and about, wined and dined, cavorting around the place doing high powered stuff...

Actually I've just switched off. Yes, just taken a little self imposed ipad/laptop/computer break.

I have been rather busy, but that's nothing new really. Just the usual end of school year type activities and preparation, some domestic type jobs and decisions that have needed to be seen to and planned.

So my days have been pretty full and then in the evening I have just not been in the 'blogging space'.

Funny that...

I love this little blog. It's mine! I usually look forward to a daily fix and a catch up with all sorts of stuff happening around the globe. I guess a rest is as good as a....well, let's just say a rest can sometimes be a good thing.

Anyhow, after this little rest I've got all these things that I want to write about....

I have the house to myself tonight, the humid start to the week has given way to a cooler evening and my fingers can't keep up with my brain as I type away. Where do I start?

Well after last Friday's ice cream and magazine fix the weekend was pretty full.

On Saturday we headed to the river with a picnic and a book.

There was a lot of people watching so the books didn't get much attention.

The river is looking pretty high, which is a bit of a worry as we haven't started the rainy season yet. I think that I read somewhere that some water has been released from the dams to make room for the rain that is forecast for the Summer. Keeping everything crossed that we don't have a repeat of anything near last January's floods.

After a bit of a snack and after the sun had started to set we headed along the pathway to the Powerhouse.

The Powerhouse is an arts centre and on Saturday evening we went to a jazz concert featuring the very talented Madeleine Paige. What a great few hours. Madeleine has a beautiful captivating voice and a friendly rapport with her audience. She was launching her new album 'Life Raft' and also singing some of her other material. We haven't stopped playing the CD in the car since Saturday!

It was so lovely to sit and listen over a glass of wine -  "why don't we do this kind of thing more often?"

Looking into the kitchen of one of the restaurants at the Powerhouse with the river in the background.

This city has so much to offer and when I do things like this I feel like I'm on holiday.

Catch up soon.