Last week we bought a night-vision camera to capture hedgehog activity in our garden. We’ve been meaning to do this for ages, but isolation gave us the incentive to do it, and we can now review the footage each morning over a cup of coffee. After only a few nights, we have discovered that we have at least two hedgehogs, a couple of field mice and a visiting fox! I have attached a couple of stills taken from video clips.
BW
 
Cathy

Given that our planned 40th anniversary celebrations have had to change, and we're all stuck at home, I wondered if you would be interested in sending your memories (plus scanned photos, memorabilia if possible) of Argus Singers over the years so we could put together a "Argus Singers' 40th Anniversary Scrapbook" .
Since some of you have been in for the full two-score years there must be some material to work with :)
It would also give us an objective to work toward - perhaps we could have it ready for the anniversary meal.
What do you think?

I'm happy to get material any which way:

• post - is that still a thing?
• emails
• comments here
  
• ...
  

Helen.

Morning again,
Saturday has come around and it's time for an update - ha ha ha.  It has been more of the same here, although Ian and I have managed to get into the garden and as well as mowing, edging and weeding we have got all the trellises and fences treated and he has cleaned out the gutters on the conservatory.  The things you do when you have no choice.  I also had a very pleasant afternoon in my shed, sowing seeds and generally thinking calm thoughts while listening to Radio 4.
As far as the offspring are concerned, Stuart continues to work from home but is finding plenty to occupy himself in downtime.  I'm sure there is plenty of piano playing going on but he's also re-rushed (??? is that a thing?) some of the dining chairs that the cat had shredded and is busy decorating the stairs.The dog is fully recovered I am pleased to report and Imogen went back to work on Monday.  She was at her clinics this week but they have been scaled right back and next week she's going back to working on Obs & Gynae and having nightmares about it I think.
Nick is back at work but Sarah is still working from home.  She has managed to get remote access to work so is sharing her time between doing phone consultations for her patients and number crunching for the boffins in the lab who are working on an antibody test that works.  Because they are a lab based specialty they have been told to stay there and concentrate on testing and vaccine development.  
Have you come across an app called 'House Party'?  Imogen introduced it to me last week so the 3 households are hoping to get together on it this weekend and play some games.  It's a bit like Facetime/Skype but multiple users can be on it at the same time and it has some games built in.  It's a bit of fun and a good way of keeping in touch.  
Did you participate in the 'clap for the NHS' on Thursday?  We did and I was surprised that there were some other people in our road who did it too.  All the old folk sensibly stayed indoors but there were a few who came out and I could hear applause coming from the other side of the railway line and across the village.  It was quite moving really.  I am hoping that one of the good things that might come out of this sorry mess is support for the health service and all its workers.  We can only hope.  
I am now going to have a trawl through our vinyl collection.  Ian and I think it's a good opportunity to re-visit some of the records we haven't listened to for years.  (And maybe get rid of some we will never listen to again!)
He is busy sorting out photos on the computer.  Now there's a job that will take a long time.  
Look after yourself and your family.
Stay home and stay safe.

Lots of love.

Sharon x

Solutions in attached file - don't cheat!

Can you spot your name and resolve all the others? [You may need to refer to your contacts sheet :)]
If you want us all to refer to you with your new moniker just let us know ...

1. NOWHERES PET
2. WINTER JACKET
3. EARLY EVER VILE
4. NEARBY CHATS
5. HERALDED NEWS
6. OUCH! JILTED
7. MINI CLOTHS
8. LAND RENOWN
9. BIO TUNES
10. JUTE CANALS
11. WORDY HOOTER
12. HITCH MINISTERS
13. KIDNAP CONSORT
14. RAJAH MANGE
15. BLINKER LILT
16. LAVA DIAMONDS
17. DING THRONG NOOK
18. JABBERING TEN
19. JEAN TALKER
20. OARSMAN HURRY
21. A LIME SUNDOWNER
22. HARM INANE SEAMAN
23. A PARISH CONJOINT
24. SLY BIN KINGS
25. JINX ANODE
26. DISHONORABLY
27. HICK JOTTED MUSH
28. CHARM GNAT JET
29. A BARON BRAT WAS
30. A HOMELIKE HINT
31. ASTRAL GEOMETRY
32. HEADMEN PEST
33. SCRIBBLE NOTION
    
34. SATAN DID VOW
35. SNAKE RAIN
36. PREDATORY RUE
37. MR NORM LILAC MAY
38. LEMON LAC JAM
39. RAINY ARUM
40. HIS DARKER ARCH
41. JOLLY MARE RIOT
42. HASP MAKER.

The Classic FM Hall of fame 2019 gave these as the top 20 pieces of classical music. What is your top 10?

• 20 Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite (includes Morning and In the Hall of the Mountain King).
• 19 Handel Messiah (includes Hallelujah Chorus).
• 18 Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor.
• 17 Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Op. 27 (Moonlight).
• 16 Beethoven: Symphony No 7 in A Major Op. 92.
• 15 Allegri: Miserere.
• 14 Sibelius: Finlandia.
• 13 Mozart: The Magic Flute (includes The Queen of the Night Aria & The Birdcatcher’s song.
• 12 Mozart: Requiem K626 (included Lacrimosa)
• 11 Barber: Adagio for Strings.
• 10 Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A Major K622.
•  9  Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Op. 71.
•  8  Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 (‘Choral’).
•  7  Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake.
•  6  Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major(‘Emperor’).
•  5  Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture Op. 49.
•  4  Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis.
•  3  Elgar: Enigma Variations (includes ‘Nimrod’).
•  2  Rachmaninoff: Piano concerto No. 2 in C minor.
•  1  Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending.

Answers to the Composers' Names Quiz

Sorry to be slow on the uptake but here goes. My threatened contribution (mainly for Tenors and Basses) on how to burn toast and fry an egg (essential skills, I know) will wait for another day.
However, all this talk of spring triggered my grey matter to recall some long lost songs which maybe a few will recall - Spring Comes Laughing is obvious but for a few it might be from the John Clare cantata for which I struggle to remember the right words but the Autumn part has something like 'The Spring is gone and Summer beauty fades like setting sunbeams in their last decline' . Then It was a lover and his lass.. and probably more - any offers??

I hope we get the answers before we all tear our hair out!
An honourable mention and virtual gold cup to the first to response with all 18 correct answers :)

Today [Monday 23rd], a beautiful sunny day, I took the dog out. Not unusual, you'd think, but as I walked along the main road, two girls overtook me and turned into their house, waving to an elderly lady living nearby,who was at the window. 

As I passed her house, her curtains twitched and so I thought I'd wave too. She pulled back her curtains and waved enthusiastically, back to me, smiling. 
It was strangely uplifting! 

Continuing my walk I was conscious now, of looking for people to wave to. 
A little further on was an elderly man, in his kitchen washing up as I passed. So I waved to him, and he acknowledged me by waving back. 

You've no idea how that lifted my spirits. At this strange time, people will be living alone, perhaps not seeing a soul, hopefully a wave now and again might make a difference. 
Stay safe everyone 
X
Janet T

And two videos to make you smile :)

THE FIRST CAKE
Last week a friend delivered a surprise birthday cake - with the Argus SIngers as the theme.
Five minutes later the four horsemen of the Apocalyse arrived following Boris's statement!
Happy days ;).

THE SECOND CAKE
Orange and Almond Torte.
This is the one I was planning on bringing to our social in April.
I've added the recipe so you can make it for yourselves :)
It's delicious.