The Fab Four

Back in June 1964, with a group of friends from school, I attended my first rock concert. I only have vague memories of the event even though it was faithfully recorded with pamphlets, newspaper clippings  and my ticket in one of my Beatles scrapbooks which my mother tossed out after I left home. I have no photos or ephemera to record that important event in my life's journey.

My memories are vague. I know that a schoolfriend's mother lined up in the city to buy our tickets. I wore a new pair of purple ski pants from Mark Foys topped with a mauve mohair jumper my Mum had knitted. My Dad dropped me off and picked me up from the venue, the Stadium, in Rushcutters Bay. Our seats were located not too far back from the rotating stage and we had a reasonable view. I didn't hear much of the music as, like most fans present, I screamed throughout the show. This article has rekindled some memories for me https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_beatles_in_sydney

Fast forward 62 years to last weekend when, thanks to a Christmas present from some of the offspsring, we found ourselves in Sydney's State Theatre waiting for a show by the Fab Four, a Beatles tribute group from the US. 

I loved my trip down memory lane. The boys looked a little like the Beatles and sounded a lot like them. I enjoyed the first half of the show better than the second as, in that they sang their earlier songs from the Sixties. I was able to sing along as I  retrieved nearly word of every song from my foggy old brain. 

In the second half the group concentrated on the later and more psychedelic songs some of which I didn't recall at all. During the seventies I was too busy being a young wife and mother to bother with the Beatles and Rock Music. 

At the start of the show the chap playing Paul invited all present to take pictures during the event. It only took me a few seconds to grab my phone and start snapping. Thanks to the images and video I captured I'll have memories of the concert for years to come. He also invited people to get up and dance. I was pleased when the theatre staff kept the dancers to the side aisle so our view was not impeded. The rules were relaxed by the end of the show when most people stood up and danced at their seats.

Following are some visual memories.

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2025 - E is for Entertainment

As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest, these could be lumped into a "peculiar category" ie. they are peculiar to my interests and may be different from what one usually sees in a collection of travel photos.

For the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2025 my theme is Peculiar Pics. During April I invite you to join me for an online tour of Peculiar Pics from my digital albums. These will be sourced from my travels between April 2024 to March 2025.

Travel provides us with many opportunities to be educated, enthused and entertained. In this post I'll concentrate on some of the performances we have enjoyed in the past year.

A train ride took us to see Sister Act - Capitol Theatre, Sydney

We always include a show or two on our London itineraries.
Les Miserables - West End, London, England

What a hoot - Mrs Doubtfire - Shaftesbury Theatre, London, England

Kiss Me Kate - Barbican Centre, London, England

It was a kitschy show but a Strauss concert at Musikverein is a must in Vienna, Austria. 

Traditional Japanese Drumming Group
On board Seven Seas Explorer - Kobe, Japan

Morning Tea with Musicians - Tangier, Morocco

Divos and Divas Show - Seven Seas Splendor

Bagpipers welcome to Brittany - Lorient, France

Cirque du Soleil - Sydney, Australia

Traditional Indigenous Music - Arnhem Land, Australia

Local Tahitian Group - Newcastle, Australia

Busker - Cadiz, Spain

Buskers - Bilbao, Spain

Busker just before he was moved on by the police
Budapest, Hungary

Elderly Bikies

Yesterday we made use of a Christmas voucher for a 2 hour tour in the Hunter Valley. It was on a motor bike/trike with Hunter Trikes. What a super gift it was.

Both Robert and I enjoyed the exhilarating experience of riding through the Hunter Valley, a premium Australian wine region which is less than an hour from our home. That it was a glorious autumn day added our overall delight.

I took over one hundred photos and videos during our tour some of which I will share below.

Our adventure kicked off at Hunter Trikes in Lovedale where we were fitted out with helmets and given  safety instructions and information about our ride. I was a trifle anxious but was quickly put at ease by our guide and driver, Darren. 

Safety gear

On board

Once ready we set off for a half hour's ride past many of the vineyards in the area. It was a comfortable, breezy ride which provided stunning, uninterrupted views.

Off we go

We passed a few locals along the way

Hunter vines

Darren took several photos of the bikies when we stopped

Our stop was at the delightful Tintilla Estate where we enjoyed a wine tasting and grazing platter while drinking in the sweeping views across the vineyard. Our host, John, chatted with us about winegrowing in general and the wines from Tintilla. 

Tintilla Estate

Tasting and Grazing

Pleasant outlook

Tintilla Produce

Vines at Tintilla

Having demolished the nibblies and sampling the wine it was back on the bike/trike for a scenic ride back to Lovedale.

Elderly Bikies at Tintilla

We were in good hands.

We would both recommend Darren and Hunter Trikes for a spin around the valley.

In Anno Itinerantur - E is for Evening

In the past year since travel opened up for Australians Robert and I have taken several journeys at home and overseas. While I posted many photos of these adventures on Facebook I want to leave a more permanent record of some of our adventures. 

This challenge provides me with opportunities to share my photos and stories while recording some personal history. I plan to share photos and stories from our travels between April 2022 and March 2023. My theme this year is In Anno Itinerantur.

Travel is exhausting so, if we have been touring all day, we will usually be found  having a quiet dinner, watching TV news (if we can find some in English) and fortifying ourselves for the day ahead. When were are cruising on Regent and don't have a tour at dawn we will often take in the show which is performed in the theatre each evening.

When there is an evening sailaway we may go up on deck to enjoy the views as we head back out to sea. We particularly enjoyed our departure from Cairns which I described in an earlier post.

Two evening events made a great impression during the past year.  First was the Vivid Festival in Sydney last May when we spent three nights at a city hotel to be close to the action. I put photos and comments in a blog post at the time. We hadn't visited Vivid since 2013 and it has certainly grown. I would love to go to this event again.

Sharing the evening light parades through the eyes of our grandchildren when at Disney Park in Tokyo was an experience that I relished. We adults enjoyed this just as much as the youngsters. Following are some images from that cold January evening.

Two days later, at DisneySea, we stayed to view the evening show and watch the Disney volcano erupt. While this was spectacular I preferred the parade at the Disneyland.

Whenever we visit London we take in some West End shows. On our visit last year we managed to see three: Grease, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical and a golden oldie My Fair Lady. I enjoyed all three of these very different musicals but found that the actor who played Tina was exceptional. 

When we arrived for the Tina show we were told that there would be a delay. Apparently some of the cast were ill (Covid??) and they needed to sort things out. We waited patiently for over an hour while things were organinsed. It transpired that the young woman who performed the role of Tina that night was the understudy's understudy. 

Grease at the Dominion

My Fair Lady at the Coliseum (I'm often early)

Tina at The Aldwych