Thursday. 8.25 a.m. 53 years ago today, I began my theatre career as a student A.S.M. at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. I was thrown in at the deep end, as it were because that Monday was the technical rehearsal of a production of 'Jane Eyre.' It had Angela Richards playing Jane in it. I was very 'green' as they say. In those days, 'rep' or 'repertory' theatre, was in full operation. Most large towns throughout the United Kingdom had their own 'rep.' Plays ran throughout the year, except for a break of a fortnight during the summer for maintenance. Each play would run for two-three weeks, with the next play in rehearsal as a play was in performance. It meant that stage management had to search for props for the next play, beg, borrow or steal items to be used in the next play, so we would scour the town for these items. As the budget for each play was tiny, there wasn't money to buy these items. Most items would come from local businesses, and shops, mostly selling antiques in Cheltenham or quite valuable pieces of furniture. It's amazing. looking back, what we had on loan. These businesses who loaned items got a credit in the play's programme and got free tickets for the play as an acknowledgement. The theatre must have had insurance because some items were expensive antiques (at the time I am talking about, Cheltenham had plenty of antique shops, many quite keen to lend pieces of furniture and other items.) Without this sort of borrowing, the shows would never have been staged.
It was fairly unrelenting work, because, with one show being performed during the evening, and the next play in rehearsals during the day, there was no let-up. I might be doing props for one show and then operating sound on the next, having to make up tapes of music and sound effects. I didn't get to do 'The Book' until I went to Colchester Rep in the following January as a fully-fledged A.S.M. The first 'Book' I did was 'Billy Liar.' It's quite a demanding job, being in rehearsals from the first read-through of the script, logging all the actors' moves and taking notes on such things as props, practical effects (i.e.: off-stage crases, door slams, gunshots.) and running the show when it goes into the theatre during production week, the technical, dress rehearsal and then opening night and then the actual run. Then, giving the actors their calls via the tannoy system, cueing lights, sound effects and so on and keeping a record of the show's timing, interval etc.
3.40 p.m. The day has been mild on the weather front, although it has been quite blustery. Not a lot else has happened. I have had problems with my Amazon Video connection. Attempting to watch the latest season of 'Clarkson's Farm and have reached the final episode, but it won't play. Technology is fine when it works, but when it decides not to work, then it's annoying and somewhat frustrating. I will leave it and have another attempt later.
6.55 p.m. I have at last managed to get the Firestick to work. I did the old trick which everyone does with anything electrical, and usually when there's a problem with a computer or anything vaguely connected with a computer, which a Fire Stick is. I turned the whole system off at the electrical point and after ten seconds, put it back on. This meant the Fire Stick rebooted itself and, hey presto! I managed to watch 'Clarkson's Farm'.
I know Jeremy Clarkson is not someone to everyone's taste. He has come out with some controversial things, particularly regarding Megan Markle. But, having watched this show, he has at least had the guts to try something which he has actually got no experience of, that is, farming. He has made some stupid mistakes, but you have to admit, he has attempted to do some quite challenging things. It seems that West Oxfordshire District Council have made his life extremely difficult regarding planning permission, and it looks to me as if they are just being awkward and extremely petty in their actions.
Saturday. 10.30 a.m. I had to buy some things at Sainsbury's, such as milk. So, having made out my obligatory shopping list, which I find is always best, as I don't want to forget anything I need and it saves time. This was my way of shopping during lockdown, particularly as there were so many restrictions, and it just made shopping faster. But when I went to start the car and back out of my parking space, the steering wheel would not turn, and I got a message on the digital screen saying 'power steering fault.' I also got a red light come on which told me to 'stop.,' which was exactly what I did. There was no way I was going to be able to drive it, so I left it in the parking space and walked to Sainsbury's, which is no more than a fifteen-minute walk. But I didn't buy everything on my carefully composed list, as I didn't want to have to carry heavy bags of shopping. Having now returned home and unloaded my shopping, I have been back to check the car and it seems alright and no problems with the steering. I'm not sure what caused the problem in the first place. Just makes me worry now that, if I drive anywhere, it will then decide to play up, making it impossible to drive.
1.55 p.m. No, I have no idea why I chose the title for this post. I sometimes choose song titles, but anyway, this one is actually not very appropriate at the moment, but I quite like it, regardless of it being totally not connected to anything. We just need some optimism at the moment, so leave it at that.
6.10 p.m. I was cooking my evening meal. Steak, chips, tomato, mushroom and a bit of onion. Well, you can't have steak without a bit of onion, I always say. I had the chips cooking in the oven, along with the tomato. It was time to sear the steak in a pan, which I did. But the oil got on the hot ring and produced smoke. I was annoyed as I knew what would happen next, which it did; it set the very sensitive fire alarm off. It is deafening, and Alfie doesn't like it. It continued to make it's noise, regardless of my waving a tea towel under it. No way of turning it off. I just sat in the lounge with the door shut. Then, around fifteen minutes later, I got a knock on the door and two firemen came in. They couldn't stop it, even with a glove held over the alarm. I was going to use the alarm system which each of the flats in Dexter House are equipped with, which can be set off by one of the red pull cords which are in all the rooms (although looking around the lounge where I am sitting and composing this, there isn't one. One of the firemen pressed the alarm button on the unit on the wall to speak to the operator, who knows who I am if I accidentally set off the alarm (which is reassuring if I had a genuine need for assistance, such as a fall or I had a medical need, such as a heart attack.) The fireman said that the mobile member of staff would turn off the alarm (which by now was giving me a headache, it was so loud.) About ten minutes later the alarm stopped, which was such a relief and I was able to complete preparing my meal and sit down and actually eat it!
I have already mentioned how I discussed having an extractor fan fitted, when the kitchen was refurbished back in July and how many times I have contacted Mears, the company who are responsible for maintenance at Dexter House. I am almost certain that when the extractor fan is eventually installed in my kitchen, then setting off the fire alarm should, in theory at least, be a thing of the past.
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