On Wednesday evening Matt Monro was crooning “on days like these … “ Where was I? No trumpets, no foie gras but I was in heaven. Gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accurs’d they were not at Opera Holland Park on 1st August which in fact is not St Crispin’s Day (25th October).
I was watching The Italian Job not quite straight-up but with a twist. Michael Caine, on screen not in person, introduced the film which rolled with an orchestra playing the soundtrack. Fortunately there is a lot of background music so we got our money’s worth. It added a new dimension to a much loved film.
We attempted to treat the evening seriously and clapped the conductor but the rest of the audience behaved deplorably. There seems to be something about going to the cinema that is linked to eating. I have never seen anyone eating popcorn or pizza at an opera but that was staple fare at TIJ. People went to and fro – Johnny said it was like a Greek wedding, leading me to suppose that he hadn’t been to a really smart Gw. Well, if you can’t beat them … so Robert slipped out to fetch a chilled bottle of the house white.
At the end when the credits started most of the audience left even though the orchestra were still at it, full throttle. We stayed, clapped and went to the after-party. Charlotte invited us back for champagne in the garden with Georgina. The latter has a personal link to the film and to do it justice it will have to be in another post.
Meanwhile, I woke up on Thursday morning not feeling the Prince of Wales. I can recommend, for those difficult mornings, vigorously applying a thin coat of Danish oil to the kitchen floor boards. This was necessary because I slopped olive oil from a can of tuna on the smoked oak boards and on my suede shoes – both looked unsightly.
I hope live orchestral accompaniment to films catches on. It is super fun and especially under the canopy at Holland Park.
I look around and think about what might have been
And then I hear sweet music float around my head
As I recall the many things we left unsaid
And its on days like these that I remember
Singing songs and drinking wine
While your eyes play games with mine
Maybe today you are singing songs with someone new
I’d like to think you’re walking by those willow trees
Remembering the lovely youth on days like these
And its on days like these that I remember
Singing songs and drinking wine
While your eyes play games with mine
Maybe today you are singing songs with someone new.
I would be interested to know if Danish oil worked on your suede shoes as well as the floor. If not do you have any other suggestions for repairing the damage caused by olive oil to suede shoes?
I wonder if Dabitoff might work but I have had little success removing grease stains from suede shoes.
Moisten a clean cloth with a little white vinegar, and gently tub the suede. The acidic vinegar will help to break down the oil. Repeat a few times until stain is removed. Take care not to over soak with the vinegar or you will spread the stain.
Agreed, vinegar works well, working from the stain edge inwards. Owning various suede shoes, another tip is a small amount of of bicarb of soda or cornflour left on the stain for a few hours, then remove residue with a vigorous rub with a suede/nubuck cleaning block – Dasco still make them. Suede protector also helps reduce any further stain damage.
When I see the Italian Job Minis, am always reminded of the stuffy attitude of the BMC, part of the ailing British Motor industry who evidently refused to give the film any cars. The resultant publicity after the movie was huge, selling even more of Issigonis’s iconic little vehicle.