SOCIAL LIFE IN OZ - (with a bit of Beck Head plagiarism)

PROPER CULTURE 

Got lucky, lucky last Sunday with a hot ticket to one of the oldest wineries in the Margaret River region - Vasse Felix.  Friends of Niki's happened to have 2 spare tickets for the last morning concert of the annual Sound and Sense weekend festival, featuring the Australian Chamber Orchestra.  Niki just happened to be down with us in Dunsborough for a few days, so she and I went (Graham was on his acupuncture weekly visit) - and it was pretty amazing.  Great close up live music in the red wine cellar - smelling of wine and oak barrels - very atmospheric and surprisingly good acoustics.

For those of you with a classical bent you may know that they are a quirky, energetic lot who play standing up and have been wowing audiences around the world.  They have just got a 3 year slot at the Barbican in London and if you have seen the stunning film Mountain, the music was arranged and played by them.  Niki flew to Sydney (she has been a fan for 20 years) to see them play live, whilst watching the film, and the rave reviews they gained in the London show are summed up:-

 And lo! They came unto the Barbican, trailing clouds of glory. During a crisp, burnished week in the northern autumn, the Australian Chamber Orchestra brought beauty and awe into the heart of London's classical music scene with a live rendition of the adrenaline-stoked documentary film, Mountain. This collaboration between filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and the ACO held the 2000-strong audience rapt as the musicians played beneath a screen filled with soaring peaks; they gasped as strains of Vivaldi swept over the vision of a climber ricocheting off a cliff face before dangling on his rope, weeping into ice-coated gloved hands. When the screen faded to the final bars of Beethoven's Emperor concerto, the man beside me shook his head: "I've never seen or heard anything like it."

Richard Tognetti, the Artistic Director and Lead Violin plays this:-

In 2007, the ACO received from an anonymous donor the 1743 "Carrodus" violin, made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. This instrument is claimed to be one of the finest in existence (although it had not been played for over 50 years at the time) and was bought for approximately $10 million. It is currently played by Tognetti in the ACO. 

He goes around with it strapped to his back in a security backpack and chained to his bedpost - literally!  Not sure what he does when he goes surfing - which he did during the weekend.  He sounds a crazy guy reading all the articles about him online.  What a privilege though to hear a $10m violin and a first class player!!!!

Then wined and dined in the beautiful gardens of the winery and chatted to Niki's friends and the musicians.

The main sponsor/friend/wonder-if-she-owns-the-violin - Janet Holmes Acourt - wife of the deceased Robert, who was Australia's first billionaire, gave the introduction and closing speeches.  Everyone seemed to know her, of course, and she is apparently very philanthropic and a huge supporter of the arts.  Moving in exalted circles these days!!

Christmas Party

The advantage of actually living somewhere for a while and getting to know the locals (well, sort of local - everyone we meet at the tennis club are either long term ex-pats from the UK or South Africa, 2-home Aussies from Perth, regular visitors from Italy, UK or sporadic visitors like us).  John and Karen invited us to their early evening get together in their new home in the bush, just outside Dunsborough.  Huge place with the obligatory home cinema, endless deck along 4 rooms and a huge plot of land, plus space for his home manufacturing business of making flame throwers for farmers to burn their stubble at the end of the season - a niche market!  A lovely chatty evening with great food and lots of wine - of course.

Drinks and food overlooking 'roo land

Graham got invited to a 30th birthday party on the beach - he was just sitting on the rocks, when this was set up next to him - crates of champagne and rose wine.  Lovely girl organising it as a surprise for her friend - and so friendly to just invite an old codger sitting alongside!  Would have been a heavy drinking evening I feel - and trying to outdo 30 year olds and remain relevant was somewhat beyond him!
Shame really.

Eating and Drinking social life for two

This was my own social life at our first winery lunch out - just been enjoying lots of coffee stops but eating lunch on our lovely balcony.








And this was a repeat of our Lavender coffee stop - see 18th Feb 2017 - everything, literally, Lavender, including the Christmas tree.  Milk shake, ice cream, teas, sugar, scones, jam - plus every preserve you can think of.  Plus every toiletry you can also think of - lav, lav, lav.  See Cape Lavender website if you absolutely must know more!

But there is more to come over Christmas in Perth - with invites to a bowling evening, meals with Niki's friends and the main day on the beach and posh Riverside restaurant.  Endless exciting blogs to come!!!!

Beck Head plagiarism

Some of you may remember the horrible sight of a goanna eating a bird (see 6th February 2017) - and for a reminder, or a yuck thing for new readers see below.

Well - we have just received a Christmas card from Jaspar, the rodent-eating cat, belonging to Phil and Joan, our next door neighbours in Beck Head 

An obvious case of copycat (pun intended) photography - we shall be instructing our solicitors forthwith!