Or what's left thereof; perhaps in the present increasingly parlous economic climate one might even just manage briefly to whip up a milligram of sympathy for some of these folk before moving swiftly on to the opera in hand...

Doubtless so - at least provided that one doesn't then go on to ponder upon what is still left to be run by them (the absence of anything better arguably being largely due to their own efforts, indeed)...

Agreed - and martle's observations about what they do get right there are also salient reminders that Glyndebourne is (mercifully) not all about tawffs, dress codes and people with more money than even those who don't have it would know what to do with. The Christie's thinly disguised feud with Britten, though now more a matter of passing interest than a current ongoing concern, doesn't sit too well in the annals of Glyndebourne's history in terms of a rather precious lack of sense of humour, but if one doesn't happen to care a jot for the dress code and the champagne and picnicking stuff one can still appreciate what actually matters in terms of what goes on there. I have no objection to champagne picnics in principle; I just wouldn't seek to mix indulgence in them with attending productions of Cosí or Intermezzo, let alone Elektra, Doktor Faust or Die Soldaten...

It would have been worth reading your contributions to this thread even had this been the only amusing one, but there have been so many more such!...

Well, if ever anyone wanted a good reason not to read HELLO magazine, the above piece of selectivity surely provides it splendidly. In addition to the geographical gaffe with Glyndebourne, I'm not aware that the city in which I've lived for almost a quarter century is any longer in "Avon" either - but what is surely more peculiar is the flagrant intrusion of the odd music festival in a list of events more obviously oriented towards to the interests of readers of Horse & Hound, The Field and such like (I nearly added Country Life but then remembered that this rag does at least engage arts critics from time to time, though quite how Tony Payne's review of Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony some years ago in one of its issues went down among the squires of the shires I cannot imagine [and, incidentally, for the record, I am not a subscriber - I read it in a doctor's waiting room...]).

Oh Country Life, and indeed Sound on Sound, is frequently to be found in my local NHS GPs' waiting room.

I somehow suspect that tinners' credibility would be rather seriously undermined by his trying to get away with "a name like Fenella" or "Penelope", in addition to which the present Alistair (although he spells himself slightly differently) feels not especially enamoured of the idea of his name being associated with tawffishness, thanks all the same(!)...

It certainly made some of them see red for a time, which is doubtless why "red herring" jokes were heard to circulate in certain quarters at the time...

Ours has Hertfordshire Life, Readers Digest and a large box of toys including Thomas the Tank Engine, Postman Pat and giant Lego. So if you arrange to have the last appointment of the day you get to have the waiting room all to yourself for a good ten minutes and ... Oh come on, you all would too. (No, not Readers Digest.)

 A note on intimitation. My wife and I have been to Glyndebourne on three  occasions; for "Lulu", to attend a lecture on the opera by Andrew Davis and to see "The Last Supper". We loved the whole experience of seeing  "Lulu" where, apart from the opera itself, the highlight of the day was the "changing huts", such larks!! Just right if you need an interesting diversion to take your mind off Mozart.
The day before the performance Mr Davis gave us a very comprehensive and  user-friendly analysis of Berg's masterpiece plus the benefit of his, less than enthusiastic, opinion of Adorno.
 We went on spec. to see the Birtwistle thinking the place would be half-empty instead there was just one seat left so whilst my wife waited in the gardens I tried to enjoy the music and ignore the very daft libretto. My wife enjoyed the gardens and at no time did we feel the least intimidated. However..
  In the early '90s by some miracle we got hold of two tickets for "Parsifal" at Bayreuth. We took a 48 hour round trip to Germany- the most expensive 48 hours of our lives- and were shocked to find we were there on the opening day of the festival.
   Ehm. It was like attending a Royal Wedding with dresses designed by Salvador Dali. The procession of the Burghers of Bavaria would have upstaged any production of Mastersinger with Hans "Wolfgang" Sach waving in a manner that the late Queen Mum would have envied. Young ladies, their hair in buns about their ears and sporting fantastic dresses which ended some three inches below their waists, were accompanied by elegant gentlemen one of whom whispered in my ear, in tones befitting the new proud father of twins or someone witnessing the resurrection of the Master, "Zat gentleman is our Mayor!"  I almost clicked my heels.
  We were in our Sunday Best but in this company it looked as if we had been kitted-out at a down-market branch of Oxfam so it was no surprise when an American music critic, with whom we had had a friendly chat the evening before, cut us dead. Things got no better at the first interval when, munching on very expensive hot-dogs, we somehow found ourselves in the VIP garden. Nothing was said, words were unnecessary, but if it had not been for the music, the money and a well-developed sense of humour we would have done a bunk.  In the intimidation stakes it made Glyndebourne seem like a trip to ASDA.
  The next morning we had another awe inspiring experience,this one however was a great pleasure. We saw inside of the 18thc. theatre which had attracted Wagner to Bayreuth in the first place. It took our breath away; it is the most wonderful interior I have ever seen. Even if you are the most rabid anti-Wagnerian hold your nose, make a trip to Bayreuth and see this beautiful this little theatre.   

Ted.

Just popping in to say that I've been having (and continue to have) internet problems, but to thank everyone for the helpful tips and advice re Glyndebourne. I need to look seriously at whether I can afford it - it doesn't sound like something where I can get away with spending the cost of the ticket and not much more - but I may yet make it.

And as DonB has kindly established, it's only 91 miles from Forest Hill on the motorbike ...