Today

This weekend we went to see "Die Fledermaus" as performed by Southgate Opera (now in Potter's bar). It's a truly silly piece, about people with too much money, too much time on their hands and no judgment. Really an opportunity for Strauss to mess about and show how good he was at colleratura arias, waltzes and polkas.

Enjoyed it, anyhow, despite the "Helga" cross-dresser at the start of act 3.

In My Day

It was after a performance of "Die Fledermaus" that I experienced my first kiss. I was all of 13 years' old. I went with a chap I'd met at the Proms that summer. His name was (I presume it still is) John Medlock. He was about 16 and at some posh school near Ashford, Kent. He wrote me long longing letters during the Autumn term and we eventually met up at Sadler's Wells to see the Operetta. My mother decided that I couldn't go on such a date looking like a schoolgirl and bought me my first pair of proper stockings and some very nice grey shoes.

We were accompanied by a Proms Friend named Garnet. I suppose my mother thought she might be a chaperone. I remember that the show was very sparkling and that John held my hand.

Afterwards, Garnet buggered off and John walked me to the bus stop. We had a longish wait. Quite without warning he suddenly grabbed me and planted a smacker on my lips. I had absolutely no idea how to respond and turned away, unable to say a word. He silently handed me onto the bus. I suppose he wasn't very experienced, either, having been brought up in a public boarding school. Anyway, the relationship fizzled out soon after.

I actually found him on Friends Reunited a few years' back and sent an email but he didn't reply. Says it all, really.