Four concerts and a funeral

So here we are on the last day of May, which James pointed out to me this morning. We have been to another Covid postponed concert on Sunday, this time the Pet Shop Boys. This was our Christmas present from Marjory and Forrest two years ago and they came with us. I have been to three other postponed concerts this month; Ashley McBryde, Saucerful of Secrets, and Midland, now that restrictions have been lifted they are all coming along fast! What an excellent concert; Neil Tennant’s voice is still great and there were so many familiar songs - I had forgotten how many hits they had. West End Girls, Always on My Mind, It’s a Sin, Go West, Rent, What Have I Done to Deserve This, Suburbia, Left to my Own Devices, to name but a few. But my favourite then and now has always been Se a Vida E (That’s the Way Life Is). It was a great evening.

We went to John’s funeral on Monday, which was a fitting tribute to him, very traditional with lovely music. He was interred at Westburn Cemetery not far from the Andersons’ family plot, and the chief mourners were given the choice of whether to throw the tassel from their cord into the grave or to have it snipped off for them to keep. This reminded me of my Mum telling me about my grandfather’s funeral in 1946, when she was only fifteen. His four daughters were not allowed to attend the funeral but his six year old son, my Uncle Bill, was taken along to hold one of the cords. He came back and told his sisters what a shame it had been to have to throw such a beautiful golden tassel into the grave. So sad and so long ago.