Welcome. I've just been without internet access for three days, before which I didn't have many opportunities to check in, so I thought it might be a nice idea to have a thread where returnees can ask what interesting things have been going on here during their absence so as not to have to do too much trawling. Or is that just lazy of me?

I just came back on the Eurostar (now running on time) earlier today after my week in Belgium directing an eleven-piece improvising group (four saxes, four electric guitars, percussion and two, er, computerists), which ended with concerts in Kortrijk (where we'd been rehearsing since the beginning of the week) and Diksmuide. The first was disappointing though the second made it all worthwhile, but with this kind of thing I think that if it always goes well not enough risks are being taken. I'd never been in West Flanders before (the two towns I was working in are a little way either side of Ypres and almost at the French border) and while the towns are pretty little Belgian towns like many others I've seen...

(this is Kortrijk) ... the landscape in between them has a tangible weight of terrible history about it the like of which I'd never experienced before - many of the roads seem to be lined with war cemeteries, and it's difficult to look at the gently undulating farmland without being put in mind of what it looked like ninety-odd years ago.

Welcome back, Richard!   I've also been offline for a week, in W Siberia - although I could just about pick-up my email for most of the time over a rather wonky GPRS connection on my mobile.   We did three shows in five days,  with some long road kilometrage between the gigs...   it's in the nature of the local area.  The shows went quite well from our side, although one venue had done almost nothing with publicity and marketing  

Richard,

You've been away for an unusually quiet few days, So I am afraid we cannot take off your underpants.

Yours sincerely

Thompson & Thompson
Tailors to MI5
You'll find us so annoying you could say "We'll get your coat"

Lumme! I looked at the title and thought "'oo's 'ad their knickers nicked this time?"

Good idea for a thread Dr.Mr.Barrett

I think I am finished with ballet. I had too much of it myself. But in case I will have the desire I will warn you (and everyone else) with red letters.
Is it OK?
Are you happy with your trip?

Well while you've been away, I've started a rather complicated Musical Connection (actually that may have started when you were still here - I forget) that's rather more cryptic than average. I think everyone hates it but I'm just sticking to my guns.
I seem to have got a lot better through the process of bowing a piano and drinking beer yesterday, though for a while people were getting freaked out by my symptoms.
There have been one or two minor spats on this board, but nothing really worth dignifying with any major mention.
Oh yes. I seem to have been channelling some bizarre sci-fi-esque literary universe on the off-topics thread but that's kind of normal for me.

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