Wicked

Magoo got me some free tickets to see Wicked last night (it's still in review) and it was brilliant. Apparently Stephen Schwartz was in the audience too, who wrote the score. The couple behind us whispered, 'See that bloke in the black tank top? That's Stephen Schwartz.' (When I saw a review of The Producers, Mel Brooks was watching too.) The audience were there all fully intending to enjoy the show, knowing it was going to be worth it. There's nothing worse than a dodgy show when the actors struggle to convince the audience, despite their best efforts - doomed to failure by gaping plotlines, cheesy songs and dull choreography.

Another Wicked thing is that a friend of mine offered his cousin to look after me for the first day I am in Delhi on my upcoming trip, and I asked in passing whether she (the cousin) might know anyone who could perhaps help with getting the waste silk from sari weaving and spinning it into knitting yarn for the wool business, and guess what? She and her husband work in the textiles business! You couldn't script this stuff.

We finally got the power restored at the farm last night - at five to midnight. Apparently the join from the old break in the cable was so blown apart and melted that they couldn't make out the colours of the wires and had to guess. Great!! So there remains a large hole in the orchard which they won't fill in until they are sure it's all OK.