Sort-Of an Apology. More Clarification, Really

Hey guys! So I realised that my most recent post didn't really make any sense to anyone who wasn't actually with me at the NUA the other weekend, so this post is going to try and clarify some things.

NUA stands for Northern University Association. The bit that doesn't say is "Of Change Ringers" or something similar. The NUA is an annual Bell Ringing event for students and those who wish they were still students. I attended with NUSCR, the Nottingham University/ies Society of Change Ringers. Whilst our membership is actually pretty big, four of us went on this particular trip; that was two Chrises, Esther and myself. We all got called Chris for the weekend to make it easier for people to remember.

The reason I didn't explain any of this in my original post is that the report was adapted from the original (shorter and more boring) report which I wrote for the NUSCR website (found here) and I totally forgot that people other than the aforementioned Chrises and Esther (and Emily) read this blog.

I've been ringing at All Saint's with the university society for about nine weeks now, and I handle the bell properly, most of the time. I'm beginning to get the hang of timing and can sort-of-a-little-bit keep time in rounds (that thing where the bells go ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding in descending order), but only if I'm being severely helped and/or catered to by the other ringers. Fortunately, everyone at NUSCR is really patient and helpful, especially Matthew, Simon, Tom, Chris and Chris, who've been teaching me, and Emma, who acts as my personal demonstrator (perks of being married to the Steeple Keeper, I guess). Everyone else is also excellent, but they've only really had to tolerate my terrible ringing, not my terrible learning.

Basically, NUSCR are some of the nicest people I've ever met, You wouldn't guess from just seeing us at the pub, because we spend the entire time trying to wind each other up, but part of that makes us closer, because we know none of it is really serious. Probably. I hope not.

I'm never serious anyway, but that's just me.

Drinkies With Bernard...?

So, as you've no doubt seen from my last post, my week has been manic. But today I've been pondering why I'll miss the Concert Band so much; I mean, I go along every week and lug the bari with me. Then when I get there I get laughed at by other players, ignored by Mr Bean and angry with myself for not being better at what I do.

It's not even that hard. Especially the bari part.

And seriously, Mr Bean doesn't actually acknowledge my existence about 98% of the time. Not that I want him to turn up every week, make a beeline for me and start to talk to me like an old friend, but during rehearsals, it would be nice if I was classed as an instrument. Most of the time, I'm actually a trombone or a euphonium, occasionally I'm a saxophone and very rarely I'm just a bass, but most of the time I'm just not mentioned when he asks the part I play to practice a particular bar.

But I've been thinking, I'm really going to miss that band next year; they may be insufferable idiots at times, but they're my insufferable idiots. Even though I am quite possible the most dispensible person in the band, and everyone knows it, it's been a big part of my life to turn up for an hour and a half every Monday to sit there next to Hannah, bored out of my brains. Any other band that I'm ever in, no matter how mind-numbingly boring and tedious, will never quite be as fun without being fun, if you know what I mean. Which you probably don't.

At Concert Band, there was always the potential for a laugh, whether it be at the expense of Ben, Mr Bean or the entire percussion section. Like the time Mr Bean was losing his voice and every time he said the number "three" (which was quite a lot) he sounded like a creaky door. Or when Mr Bean spent ten minutes lecturing whoever was drumming about a rhythm which should've gone "rum dum dugga dugga dum!" but didn't. Or a couple of weeks ago when Mr Bean asked the band which famous piece of music was famous for the particular cadence we were playing and Ashley answered "Dynamite by Taio Cruz."

Nothing will be quite the same as the time we had the conversations with the rest of the band out of the windows at the back of the hotel on tour either. We must've spent about an hour with our heads out of various windows shouting the odds at each other because the teachers were patrolling the corridors. That was an excellent evening, although probably not for the teacher who found us...

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm going to miss all these people, although why I have no idea. It's not perfect, but it's my band. And I'll miss them. Especially my girls (and Seb.)

Christmas Fever

Today, my fellow internet nerds, I have done very little, yet again. This is because it's nearly Christmas and nobody can be bothered to do any work. (It does mean we'll have to work super hard at the beginning of next term, but that's a problem for future people, not us :-) )

Today I have:

• Worn a fabulous hat
• Turned up at 8:25am
• Wound up Ben, George,Tom, Ashley, Seb, Peter, Harry and Chris
• Cheered for Eduin (Captain Vegan)
• Played the bari sax (correctly, unlike some...)
• Got told off by Ben for dancing
• Had a driving lesson with Peter Andre
• Turned up late for Chemistry
• Learnt how not to deal with a chip fire in Chemistry
• Almost got blown up by Mr Archer in Chemistry
• Had a chat to Mr Archer about his Christmas plans in Chemistry
• Sold jewelery in the Lunch Hall with Martha, Maria, Misa, Anies, Emma, Beccy, Hannah and Charlotte
• Leila also turned up
• Danced with Anies, Hannah, Beccy and Leila
• Turned up at the Library
• Been called "Emma From Emmerdale" by Seb and Aidan

So, as you can see, Christmas is making me incredibly productive :)