Wednesday 3 October 2018
Today ended up being a fantastic day on tour but it didn’t start that way. At our usual morning rehearsal, we found out that over 60% of the choir have come down with a cold or are not well and not performing at full strength and voice. Tom was rightly concerned and cut our rehearsal in half and decided to do some warm-ups on the bus down to Oswestry – about half-an-hour away.
On the drive there in the afternoon we stopped at the Pontcysylite aqueduct – a 130ft high beautiful structure finished in 1805 after a ten-year build. It is breath-taking. When we arrived at our venue we were overwhelmed by the hospitality put on by the local Women’s Institute – if I had one, I had five cups of tea! And there was no way we were going to finish all the lovely sandwiches and cakes spread so lovingly before us.
On the short walk to the church we stopped for a photo at the ruins of an old castle. We were all taken in by the lovely swan family on the banks of the river. I have realised that it takes for ever to get a group photo of our choir, but we are managing to hold a pose and smile for the five or so minutes it takes every time for all the spouses and friends to make sure they have just the right photo. Ayşe takes great delight in taking ‘selfies’ and tonight I get to star in one.
Our concert with the Orthopaedic Male Voice Choir is a great success. They formed just on 50 years ago and are named after the renown Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry. We have a quick after-glow in the pub next door – The Old Boote Inn and make it back to Chester by about midnight.
Father Shane's Observations and Travels 