3rd January An encounter that was delightfully brief

Several years ago, on a trip up to the Lake District, TOM and I stopped off at Carnforth to visit the railway station where the film Brief Encounter was shot. Sitting in the waiting room enjoying a scone and coffee, I am not going to say which one of us played the Trevor Johnson / Celia Howard parts, I'll just let you guess.Yes back in the day we really did live lives right on the edge. 

Yesterday we had a rather wet jolly to the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester to watch a musical version of the same film. It had been difficult getting tickets in the run up to Christmas such was its popularity but we finally managed to get a couple of cheap seats for the matinee performance yesterday,which drew an almost cap[acity crowd. 

Thankfully TOM's hacking cough of the past week seemed much better so that apart from the occasional rustling of couch sweet wrappers at not very diecrete intervals, the whole thing went swimmingly well.

Sitting in the cheap seats, ie on the very front row on rather low down banquette seats meant the struggles to get up / down and sit comfortably were off set by being so close to the action we were virtually on stage with the seven actors, each of whom performed several roles during the two hour performance. 

And whilst those familiar with the film might not see how it could be turned into a musical,(a live jazz quartet providing the backing for a host of Noel Coward songs), it was very cleverly done with some great songs / dance routines that fitted in seemlessly with the married man meets married women and they fall in love plot. 

Yes it was sedate in its pacing but but a trip back to the 1930's was a welcome respite after the mad rush of the past few months. With some simple but very effective effects and revolving staging, the cast were very good, including one of the lead female roles who stuck as both as being the spitting image of a young Victoria Wood.

Add to that we were able to catch up with Mrs O back in Poynton over a pie and chips tea, and get back home without bursting any tyres in water filled potholes, made it all in all a successful day out.