This is a late one as we’re just back from a little quiz night we’ve run for parents and carers and friends of the Bromley Youth Concert Band. It’s our first event of this band year and the idea was to hold a sort of welcome for all the new band members and their families. A fun event without the added burden of fundraising. There will be plenty of time to turn those screws later in the year.

I set out this afternoon with some trepidation as we had only 64 people confirmed but in the end we had to add more tables and take more pizza orders as we were packed in. The quiz was a down to earth easy one and the quizmaster was great and it was a fun night.

Did my team win? No. We were pipped by an over-populated team (we had said teams of 8 an our team had 7 – 5 for a while when 2 members had to go and pick up the pizzas) and, inevitably I was overruled on at least one question for which I was certain my answer was right. Which is the story of my life with quizzes. Perhaps I’m not enough of a team player.

The quiz was not meant to be a fundraising night so it was one of the rare occasions when we didn’t run a raffle. (Yes, yes, I know they raise a lot of money but I am starting to find these Taste the Difference hampers that I never, ever win quite tiresome to organise.) We’d also planned to have a couple of Push the £1 coin and Heads and tails games but we ran out of time.

This did not stop the inevitable person (from outside the Borough – apparently the London Borough of Croydon have not cut their Youth Music Service funding at all) coming and haranguing us about not running a raffle and telling us all the things we should have done. She sounded very much like the someone else I know who has decided, now, to keep away from band events, but has a similar, borderline bullying, demeanour. Maybe that’s what is required for a woman to achieve career success.

Whilst I’m sure this woman was speaking with only the best of intentions, it is galling when someone comes and berates you and tells you everything you’re doing wrong without listening at all to what you have to say. Still, she wanted to help so we’ve harnessed her creative talents towards producing November’s raffle prizes but still, I can’t bear it when people steam in and tell people everything they’re doing wrong.

I am told I have an expressive face, and that people can tell exactly what I’m thinking. MsDD said she had thought I looked quite cross when this woman was talking to us. I wish I could keep my face under control.

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I have applied for my music diploma exam, which should take place a week or two before Christmas. I am trying not to get a cold before then and, to this end, I am trying to remember always to wear a scarf. The French believe this protects you against pesky viruses, and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that.

Wherever I go at the moment there is someone spluttering away and sneezing. The lady sitting next to me at choir in Wednesday had a particularly nasty cough. I wish people wouldn’t come to choir in that state. I wouldn’t.

Anyway, I had to be up and out early the other morning and had deployed a long scarf over my shoulders. MsDD, walked in for her breakfast, took one look and said, “Are you going in Hijab?” Maybe I should. Maybe covering my head would offer more even more immunity from colds and infections.

 

 

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