Sitting and waiting, Molly's return....

Flash forward at least 7 years (I hope) and I'm sure I'll be sitting here waiting for her to walk through the door or to receive the phone call asking to be picked up from some shithole or other she's been out at. But right now, she's 9 and currently on her way back from her performance at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Schools Proms 2008.

So I'm sat here, feeling bloody tired and a little antsy about it all. One of the parents we know is on the parents coach that was arranged and he's going to text when they get to Howden, to give us half an hour to get up to school to pick her up. God knows what she's going to be like when she gets off the coach. Completely exhausted and out on her feet? Hyper beyond belief?

But it will be lovely to have her back. The house has been very quiet tonight and although I know it's a sound I'll have to get used to in an all too short time, it's not one I look forward to and will be loving having her back to fill the house with childish and wonderful things.

Molly's adventures at Bridlington Spa.....

On Tuesday night we went to Bridlington Spa to see Molly and 500 other schoolchildren take part in a big gala concert. The children are forming the East Riding Massed Choir and will travel down to London next Tuesday to take part in the School Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

Obviously with this sort of thing there's a lot of trepidation. Will it be 2 hours of your usual school concert where you sit there and politely clap the children for playing instruments badly and singing rather weakly and often slightly out of tune, all because your own child is appearing for 1 minute and you want to see them perform.

But I'm pleased to say it was genuinely brilliant. It was organised by Woldgate College and had a couple of their choirs singing, together with one from South Hunsley School and 8 different primary schools from the area. And every single performance was excellent. A surprisingly enjoyable night was had by all.

Part of the reason the whole thing worked, a very large part actually, was the work put in by Sam Dunkley; music coordinator at Woldgate. He's young, talented, full of energy and absolutely loved by all of the children. It also seems he's a rather talented young folk-y singer/songwriter.

But next week is the real test of it all. Sadly Louise and I wont be going down, but Molly is heading off at 7:30am to get to London, rehearse in the afternoon, sing in the evening and then head back. They should get back to pocklington about 3am. Bloody long day. But she'll love it and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Albert Hall is not to be missed.