Pantomime and Cold Weather

We paid our annual visit to the Harrogate Pantomime last night (Beauty & the Beast) and had a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening. As usual the cast were splendid. Tim Stedman as Muddles was his usual idiotic and simple self, whilst the Dame (Sue the Sous Chef) and Baron Bon Bon gave excellent support. Polly Lister was outstanding as the Sorceress. She played an evil Baddie, and has great stage presence and a very good voice too.

One of the highlights of last night's performance was the plate catching scene. There are two chutes (one each side of the stage), and the crockery is sent down these chutes for Muddles and Baron Bon Bon to catch them prior to
washing them. All works well when Sue the Sous Chef demonstrates, but when Muddles & Baron Bon Bon take over there is chaos. They are at the wrong chute when plates come hurtling down. The idea is that the precious plates smash, but last night they refused to. Muddles and the Baron did an superb job of ad libbing each time the plates refused to smash.

During the following scene there was a tremendous crash back stage and Muddles could be heard shouting "They still won't smash even after seven weeks!"

There was the usual selection of a member of the front row of the audience to be the butt of many jokes (Michael was the man's name) and he was persuaded to stand up and conduct the theatre (complete with follow spot on him) in the silly song routine.

When we came out of the theatre there was a distinct nip in the air. The car temperature gauge read - 4.0 degrees, and this morning you could see the result of the freezing cold night.

We have a water bowl on the garage roof, for the birds, and I was amazed to see what looks like an upward growing icicle had formed.......

As there was nothing dripping into the bowl from above it I am at a loss as to how this has formed.

The field behind our house looked quite picturesque, with the sheep standing about.

and one of them obviously remembered that they sometimes get fed with the vegetable left overs, and came to beg!

Our car usually misses the most of the frost, as it sits between our house and next door's extension, so is quite sheltered, but this morning there was evidence on it of just how cold it had been during the night.