Theatrical digs

We've got lodgers now and again. This is a new venture we've only started since the new Aylesbury Waterside Theatre opened, and the old town residents learned that casts and crews would need temporary lodgings for the few days or weeks that they were here. We have a house big enough for all our children, and are keeping it - who knows when a child is going to rebound? We r-at-tle in its empty rooms, so we do theatrical digs.

We had some cool lodgers last week - Miguel Angel and Steve Dorsett alias Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper from the Buddy Holly Story, reviewed here. I went with a friend to watch the show. The cast are musicians as well as actors. I was fascinated by the audience, mainly women in their sixties and a few men, who got up to dance in their seats, to the annoyance of my height challenged friend. Like her I couldn't see past these dancers and eventually we changed seats so we could stand to see without bothering anyone behind us. We both enjoyed ourselves - it was well worth seeing.

New lodger arrived

Our new young French lodger arrived.

I'm at work, about to go off to a one o'clock meeting, a tad late, when the phone rings.

Our new lodger is standing outside our house, but I'm twenty miles away and husband has gone out. He's not answering the door - the house seems empty. I don't have his mobile number in the office here either, and he's probably gone out without it anyhow. Or he might be in the garden and not answering the door. I get lodger's mobile number, then put the phone down and ring son to get husband's mobile. Son doesn't answer. I facebook neighbours:

"Are you in? Can you help lodger who's just arrived at our empty house. I'm at work and husband is not in. Lodger is standing outside the house."

Within seconds, neighbour is round at house, just as husband arrives home from his voluntary work and lodger is welcomed into her new home.

Not an auspicious start but we've got great neighbours.

Spanish lodger left

Our lodger's left. It wasn't anything that we did, honest! But she landed a teaching job in Spain. It seems that in Spain, it isn't too easy to get teaching jobs, but you have to take a test with 60 or 70 subjects in it, and then if you pass, you may get offered a supply job. Well our lodger had passed the test, but a supply job came up on Thursday evening - she found out through the web site. She was to start on Monday in Spain, so on Friday she handed in her notice at the school where she's been a language assistant since October, and told us.

Poor thing had no notice and has had to leave bags of stuff, including food and meals that she'd cooked and frozen. She hopes to come back for a few days to fetch her things and perhaps come again in summer to improve her English.

The good thing is that she gets to see her gorgeous dogs again. Here's a photo she sent me of one of them.

And I expect her mother will be pleased to have her home.