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I used to work in the centre of Cambridge and one winter lunchtime I was wandering down the back streets. It was a cobbled street that I was on and the college buildings were all around with their huge, ancient doorways, sometimes partly open to reveal glimpses of perfect lawns and elegant courtyards. It was a dark winter’s day and lights in some of the rooms glowed through the windows. As I approached one of the college chapel’s that fronted the road, I became aware of music. The Gentlemen of St. John’s were practising for a Christmas concert. A board outside welcomed anyone who wished to come and listen. So I went in and sat down and was transported away on the mellow tones and beautiful music.

What is the point of me telling you all this? Well until now these sort of concerts or lunchtime recitals were a matter of happening to be in the right place at the right time. Unless you knew of a concert, or followed a particular choir, many such opportunities would be missed. Now OClassical.com has the answer.

Developed in Cambridge, OClassical endeavours to hold details of all local concerts, big or small. At the moment they cover Cambridgeshire but will soon be expanding to the whole of East Anglia. You can search the site by artist/performer, composer or venue. And you can personalise the site so you can identify favourites and be notified about concerts coming up by favoured performers or composers. And best of all, its all free!

If you are a performer or hosting a concert, you can put all the details up on OClassical for everyone to see.

Gantwells are proud to have been involved in the design of OClassical.

So call into OClassical now and book yourself an evening of beautiful music.

I first discovered Doreen Tovey on a summer holiday years ago while I was still at school. In fact, it wasn’t me who discovered her, it was my grandmother who, until her eyesight deteriorated, was an avid reader. (She now has books read to her instead so she doesn’t lose touch.) Anyway, Grandmother was a regular at the mobile library and knowing I liked cats she thought I might like one of Doreen’s books about her Siamese. Read the rest of this entry »

I first came across Alison Uttley as a child. I remember having a little book called “Little Grey Rabbit’s Christmas”. It had a small, square, cover, grey with white dots of snow falling across the grey. And in the middle in a against a white oval was little grey rabbit with his blue coat. I loved that book. I loved the snow I think the most. I still love snow now really even though I don’t like driving in it. Anyway, that was my first introduction to Alison Uttley. Then later on I had Magic in my Pocket – a series of short stories, and later on still one of her books written for adults called A Country Childhood. I remember being slightly disappointed with this one but I first read it when quite a young teenager and I was probably still looking for the magic of the childhood stories rather than the more grown up descriptions of life in the country.

Now I have found her again. Well in fact John found her for me. He bought me a copy of Carts and Candlesticks from a secondhand bookshop in Cambridge and I was enthralled. The writing is simply beautiful. Wonderful descriptions of her parents house with the antique bits of furniture. And the big stone troughs that were used to collect water for animals as well as humans.

Now of course I have the internet so I was able to look her up and sure enough there were pages about her. She was from Derbyshire apparently and this page from Derbyshire people gives a succinct description and a picture of her. She wrote far more books than I had imagined but she was supporting her little boy so that strikes a chord with me too of course.

Whether its one of her children’s books or her adult books, do give her books a try. I’m sure you will enjoy her as much as I do. (And I purchased a new copy of Magic in my Pocket to read again – its on my bookshelf now!)