Rita and Douglas

Imagine sitting down to a play (of sorts) featuring Michael Houstoun playing Douglas Lilburn and Jennifer Ward-Lealand playing Rita Angus....for $20!!  I would pay $120, but such is the joy of the Christchurch Arts Festival this year.  With no venues left untouched this years shows are only at the weekends and are being hosted in school halls and auditoriums and temporary spaces erected especially for the festival.  There are two distinct advantages to this.  ONE, the tickets are sooo cheap and TWO, those of us who are dying a slow death through cultural deprivation can afford, and have time, to go to fantastic shows and start our hearts beating again.

The intensity and skill in last nights show was palpable and even the giant fuck off earthquake in the middle didn't even register on their faces as we all gasped and grasped. The images projected on the screen included those stunning paintings which we gasped at times as well as photos of the artists and their world.  Delicious.   Both Jennifer and Michael were masterful in their craft and it was a brilliant 80 minutes. At the end it was tears all round and the loudest applause ever.  If you have a chance to see this you must.  I think it would be amazing for anyone not just starving Christchurch people.

A romantic phone call

The other day my father in law phoned me from his home in Australia  (he has never done this) and wanted to tell me a romantic story.  Apparently it is Census year in Austrailia and this brought back a memory to John about how his parents met (about 100 years ago).  His father was delivering census papers in his home town in Canada and lit upon a lovely woman as he did.  He persued her and they became married.  What a gorgeous story. 

After I hung up and wandered off to tell Jonty the story, I remembered that we also met through the Census.  Both of us were Enumerators on the 1981 Census where we met.   Although we socialised and became friends it wasn't until about 18 years later that actually got together.  In all an interesting coincidence and a cute family story.