Thursday 19 December 2013
Monday 9 December 2013
Advent Nocturnes - December 9th (Leocadia) - ROBERT STEADMAN
This is the ninth in a set of 24 piano pieces - "Advent Nocturnes" - (one for every major and minor key) written by British composer, Robert Steadman.
They are being released one per day as a musical Advent calendar from 1st December 2013 to 24th December 2013.
The sheet music can be downloaded from:www.scoreexchange.com/scores/147266.html
"Advent Nocturnes" has a Facebook page:www.facebook.com/pages/Advent-Noc…/392051874260750
On December 24th, the complete album will be available for digital download via robertsteadman.bandcamp.com
Sunday 8 December 2013
Advent Nocturnes - December 8th (Immaculate Conception)
This is the eighth in a set of 24 piano pieces - "Advent Nocturnes" - (one for every major and minor key) written by British composer, Robert Steadman.
They are being released one per day as a musical Advent calendar from 1st December 2013 to 24th December 2013.
The sheet music can be downloaded from:www.scoreexchange.com/scores/147265.html
"Advent Nocturnes" has a Facebook page:www.facebook.com/pages/Advent-Noc…/392051874260750
On December 24th, the complete album will be available for digital download via robertsteadman.bandcamp.com
Saturday 7 December 2013
Friday 6 December 2013
Thursday 5 December 2013
"Advent Nocturnes - December 5th (Abercius)" - ROBERT STEADMAN
This is the fifth in a set of 24 piano pieces - "Advent Nocturnes" - (one for every major and minor key) written by British composer, Robert Steadman.
They are being released one per day as a musical Advent calendar from 1st December 2013 to 24th December 2013.
The sheet music can be downloaded from:www.scoreexchange.com/scores/147262.html
"Advent Nocturnes" has a Facebook page:www.facebook.com/pages/Advent-Noc…/392051874260750
On December 24th, the complete album will be available for digital download via robertsteadman.bandcamp.com
Monday 2 December 2013
"Advent Nocturnes - December 2nd (Chromatius)" - ROBERT STEADMAN
This is the second in a set of 24 piano pieces - "Advent Nocturnes" - (one for every major and minor key) written by British composer, Robert Steadman.
They are being released one per day as a musical Advent calendar from 1st December 2013 to 24th December 2013.
The sheet music can be downloaded from:www.scoreexchange.com/scores/147259.html
"Advent Nocturnes" has a Facebook page:www.facebook.com/pages/Advent-Noc…/392051874260750
On December 24th, the complete album will be available for digital download via robertsteadman.bandcamp.com
Sunday 1 December 2013
Advent Nocturnes - December 1st (Edmund Campion)" - ROBERT STEADMAN
"Advent Nocturnes" is a set of 24 piano pieces (one for every major and minor key) written by British composer, Robert Steadman.
They are being released one per day as a musical Advent calendar from 1st December 2013 to 24th December 2013.
The sheet music can be downloaded from: www.scoreexchange.com/scores/147258.html
"Advent Nocturnes" has a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Advent-Noc…/392051874260750
On December 24th, the complete album will be available for digital download via robertsteadman.bandcamp.com
PLEASE SHARE!
Friday 29 November 2013
Christmas - sorted!
Are you still looking for ideas for Christmas?
Here is a selection of gifts, cards, calendars, books, music, etc.
Christmas Gifts
Christmas Tees
Christmas Books (Kindle)
Other titles also available:
Also Available:
And don't forget Songs for the Philippines
Christmas Cards
Calendars
More gifts…
There are many more gifts available via my Twenty20 collection - photos, cards, canvasses, phone cases, etc.
Songs for the Philippines - download from iTunes
http://bit.ly/Itqs0Z
... Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Beatles, Beyoncé, Muse, Kings of Leon, Eminem AND MANY MORE! Proceeds from the sale of the album go to the Philippine Red Cross Typhoon Haiyan.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Songs for the Philippines - download NOW!!!!!
Songs for the Philippines
http://bit.ly/Itqs0Z
... Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Beatles, Beyoncé, Muse, Kings of Leon, Eminem AND MANY MORE! Proceeds from the sale of the album go to the Philippine Red Cross Typhoon Haiyan
http://bit.ly/Itqs0Z
... Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Beatles, Beyoncé, Muse, Kings of Leon, Eminem AND MANY MORE! Proceeds from the sale of the album go to the Philippine Red Cross Typhoon Haiyan
Thursday 7 November 2013
The Inevitable Suicide of Daniel Whitaker
Here's a trailer for my first novel - The Inevitable Suicide of Daniel Whitaker
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Daniel Whitaker is a successful writer both lauded in the literary community and popular with readers but, while doing some online research about the world of paedophiles for a new book, he is arrested and charged. His life has always been a bit of a rollercoaster ride but nothing could prepare him for how his life is affected by what he maintains is a dreadful miscarriage of justice.
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Eventually he decides that there is no other solution than suicide. This book, in effect, is his suicide note - explaining his life, his actions and his reasons for ending his life.
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Dan talks about his privileged upbringing, his time in Oxford, his drug and alcohol-fuelled life as a journalist and his career as a writer, as well as his attempts to clear his name. He speaks with fondness about his two children and he expresses his fears for their future. Robert Steadman's first novel is available to download on Kindle: http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Daniel Whitaker is a successful writer both lauded in the literary community and popular with readers but, while doing some online research about the world of paedophiles for a new book, he is arrested and charged. His life has always been a bit of a rollercoaster ride but nothing could prepare him for how his life is affected by what he maintains is a dreadful miscarriage of justice.
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Eventually he decides that there is no other solution than suicide. This book, in effect, is his suicide note - explaining his life, his actions and his reasons for ending his life.
http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Dan talks about his privileged upbringing, his time in Oxford, his drug and alcohol-fuelled life as a journalist and his career as a writer, as well as his attempts to clear his name. He speaks with fondness about his two children and he expresses his fears for their future. Robert Steadman's first novel is available to download on Kindle: http://amzn.to/1iOWzmn
Sunday 8 September 2013
"Dirty Dancing" Drive-In movie at Clumber Park
I've never been to a Drive-in movie before though, obviously, I've seen them in various films and always thought they looked fun.
Earlier this year, Clumber Park hosted "Grease" as a Drive-in movie but, sadly, I was busy and couldn't make it, so I was excited to hear that, following the success of that, there were to be more Drive-in movies.
Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of "Dirty Dancing" - I quite like the big song at the end and there are a couple of moments in it that are ok, as well as a couple of genuinely funny lines, so I wasn't hugely excited at the choice of movie but, still, it was a Drive-in and I felt I had to give it a try (plus it's Dawn's all-time favourite movie!).
The movie started at 9 p.m. (gates opened at 6) so we arrived around 7 and drove through the park to the event field. Everything was very well organised with helpful staff directing you and making sure you had a good view of the screen.
The ticket price was per car (£21 ish I think) and you could have up to 5 people in the car for that - so it was a bit of a bargain.
I was very impressed by the huge inflatable screen.... but, as I keep being told, that's because I'm a bit of a geek!
There was already a bit of a party atmosphere when we arrived with lots of people who'd brought with them picnics. Others were dancing to the music being played through the PA.
If you hadn't brought your own food there was an impressive array of choices at concession stands: coffee, crepes, pizza, burgers, confectionary and a bar and they all seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
On arrival we were given a piece of paper with the frequency to tune the car radio in to (as well as being played through the PA it was also broadcast on FM) and pre-movie there was a DJ playing well-known songs from movies and reading out messages and dedications to a number of people who had birthdays or special reasons to be at the screening.
It was a chilly night but a number of brave souls stayed outside, well-wrapped in onesies or layers of jumpers and scarves, throughout the duration.
"Dirty Dancing" actually began 12 minutes early (I'm not sure why - and maybe I missed an announcement but, I guess, once everybody was in there was no reason not to start).
Throughout the movie there was a fantastic atmosphere and a real sense of community across the field - big cheers went up when characters snogged, and car horns were sounded and, of course, there was dancing.... lots of dancing - especially when "Time of our lives" began.
A few cars left immediately the grand finale began (why? Why watch a movie 95% of the way through and then miss the end?) - I guess they wanted to avoid traffic queues getting out of Clumber Park but, genuinely, there weren't any - it was so well organised with cars being dispersed in different directions that we were home within 40 minutes (and that's 25 miles away!).
A fantastic evening, really well-organised, with lots of fun. I do hope there will be more and have already seen a discussion on the Clumber Park Facebook page about suggestions for future movies. Personally, I'd go with more musicals: Joseph; Rocky Horror; The Sound of Music.
If you've never done a Drive-in movie before add it to the list of things you should do before you die - it's great fun!
Sunday 4 August 2013
Camping at Clumber Park - July 2013
I'll lay my cards on the table: I'm not a natural camper. I've always thought that camping was rather uncomfortable, inconvenient and, often smelly and, to be fair, previous camping expeditions have, largely, supported this premise. So it was with a fair amount of trepidation that, a few weeks ago, my other half and I went to camp at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire for the weekend.
Clumber Park is lovely. There used to b a stately home in the middle of a large expanse of parkland but the house was demolished in 1938 and the park is now run by the National Trust. I've always loved visiting and walking around the Pleasure Grounds, going on trails with my children around the Walled Kitchen Garden, or exploring further field on the other side of the large Clumber Lake. It really is beautiful and, if you've never been, you really should visit.
I booked the campsite in advance; two nights, no electric hook-up (OMG! No electricity - and Clumber is notoriously poor when it comes to phone signal and has no public WIFI!). There are two campsites: the National Trust campsite and a Camping & Caravanning Club one. We were staying at the National Trust one.
Erecting the tent didn't take long - I've learnt my lesson from previous camping expeditions that my best policy is to keep quiet and follow the instructions of those who know what they're doing (and as someone who is very colour blind I always struggle with the colour coding of tent poles...).
The weather was amazing; hot and sunny (except for a sudden loud, but short-lived, thunderstorm and shower on the Saturday afternoon).
In fact, it was actually too hot - at one point we escaped to Starbucks at Worksop (just a couple of miles away on the A57) to use their free WIFI and to cool off in their air conditioning.
The campsite was clean and tidy and run by the most lovely and helpful couple who seemed to have thought of everything that a camper might need. They said:
"We know what we like when we going camping, so we try to do the same here."
Other campsites should take note of that!
The toilets were clean and each cubicle had a bunch of sweetpeas sitting on the cistern. The showers were reliable, clean and the temperature could be controlled. The campsite was busy but there was still plenty of space and nobody was too close.
The provision for youngsters was great; giant Jenga blocks and Connect 4 in wheelie bins that could be taken around the site and the pods looked a lot of fun and were all fully booked.
The weekend was lovely, and very, very relaxing. Just what was needed.
We explored the Discovery Centre, considered bike hire (but opted to stick to walking on this visit), walked in the woods and around the lake, looked in Clumber Chapel and around the Pleasure Grounds.
In the Discovery Centre can find out about all the wildlife that can be found throughout the parkland at Clumber and even look at things like insect legs and wings through a microscope! And there's a short film explaining the history of the park.
Clumber Chapel is still used for a number of services and is a wonderful place of calm and quiet in the Pleasure Grounds.
In the Walled Kitchen Garden, which has an amazing variety of plants growing outside and in the glasshouse including the world's largest collection of rhubarb (121 varieties and counting...), we even met both Mr. Moffat and Gertrude (the superstar of the Clumber Twitterverse!). (And yes, you can follow Gertrude on Twitter!!!)
Mr Moffat and Gertrude
Follow Gertrude on Twitter: @GertrudeClumber
We will definitely return to Clumber at some point to camp again, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet and relaxed time.
Clumber Park is lovely. There used to b a stately home in the middle of a large expanse of parkland but the house was demolished in 1938 and the park is now run by the National Trust. I've always loved visiting and walking around the Pleasure Grounds, going on trails with my children around the Walled Kitchen Garden, or exploring further field on the other side of the large Clumber Lake. It really is beautiful and, if you've never been, you really should visit.
I booked the campsite in advance; two nights, no electric hook-up (OMG! No electricity - and Clumber is notoriously poor when it comes to phone signal and has no public WIFI!). There are two campsites: the National Trust campsite and a Camping & Caravanning Club one. We were staying at the National Trust one.
Erecting the tent didn't take long - I've learnt my lesson from previous camping expeditions that my best policy is to keep quiet and follow the instructions of those who know what they're doing (and as someone who is very colour blind I always struggle with the colour coding of tent poles...).
In fact, it was actually too hot - at one point we escaped to Starbucks at Worksop (just a couple of miles away on the A57) to use their free WIFI and to cool off in their air conditioning.
"We know what we like when we going camping, so we try to do the same here."
Other campsites should take note of that!
The toilets were clean and each cubicle had a bunch of sweetpeas sitting on the cistern. The showers were reliable, clean and the temperature could be controlled. The campsite was busy but there was still plenty of space and nobody was too close.
The provision for youngsters was great; giant Jenga blocks and Connect 4 in wheelie bins that could be taken around the site and the pods looked a lot of fun and were all fully booked.
We explored the Discovery Centre, considered bike hire (but opted to stick to walking on this visit), walked in the woods and around the lake, looked in Clumber Chapel and around the Pleasure Grounds.
In the Discovery Centre can find out about all the wildlife that can be found throughout the parkland at Clumber and even look at things like insect legs and wings through a microscope! And there's a short film explaining the history of the park.
In the Walled Kitchen Garden, which has an amazing variety of plants growing outside and in the glasshouse including the world's largest collection of rhubarb (121 varieties and counting...), we even met both Mr. Moffat and Gertrude (the superstar of the Clumber Twitterverse!). (And yes, you can follow Gertrude on Twitter!!!)
We will definitely return to Clumber at some point to camp again, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet and relaxed time.
Tuesday 26 February 2013
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: Run a marathon?
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: Run a marathon?: Maybe, for some of my 50 things to do before my 50th birthday , I should do something about being more healthy: Lose some weight ? Cl...
Monday 18 February 2013
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: Learn a new language?
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: Learn a new language?: Amongst the suggestions I've received about things I could include in my list of 50 things to do has been to learn a new language . Now, con...
Thursday 14 February 2013
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: 50 things...
50 things to do before my 50th birthday: 50 things...: We've all seen those lists of 100 things to do before you die, etc. - I guess they get lumped in with bucket lists of the terminally ill. ...
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