Buxton Break
25 July

Holidays

We celebrated Sam's graduation as a doctor with a meal with him, Jamie and the rest of the Clark family at a very nice restaurant down at the Albert Dock.

The following day we took in the final Harry Potter movie - Deathly Hallows Part II. And, yes, like the book, it was a fitting climax to an extended series. I preferred the treatment of the Malfoys in the books to the film - more redemption in the books. But the spectacle was intense. Very good. And who would have believed that the producers could have retained (mostly) the same cast from beginning to end.

Then we were off to Buxton for operas and a bit of tourism. On the way there, we stopped off at Dunham Massey, had an excellent meal, strolled in the Winter Garden which has come on a lot since our last visit and photographed the deer.

Then back in the car and completing the journey with ease. I guess the main thing that I want to get off my chest about the holiday from the outset is the fact that we shelled out quite a lot for the hotel and it was a disappointment. The room was poorly appointed and the wi-fi connection not included in the package price.

Anyhow the operas made up for it. Musically, probably Saul was the best of the lot. However, director Olivia Fuchs decided to give the whole thing a contemporary (and American) spin which really didn't help the evening at all.

Robert Murray as Jonathan and Jonathan Best as Saul sang their hearts out.

I also liked Anne Marie Gibbons as David. It was good but probably would have been a lot better if the production had been less intrusive.

Friday took us to Chatsworth. I'd never been there before. Of course, I've seen it in movies and TV programmes and travelogues and the like but being there is something different. Cannily, we decided to take in the gardens and leave the house until another day. It was a good decision.

Because, quite unexpectedly, we came across a series of sculptures made out of wicker which were quite astonishing.

The sculptures were at regular intervals throughout the park.

And they gave us a good reason to cover a lot of ground.

It made for a lovely day out for Rossi and his David. And we had a really good meal sitting out in the courtyard watching the world go by and soaking up the atmosphere.

That night we saw Mignon by Ambroise Thomas. This is a work that I have heard of but had never before heard or seen. I was captivated. One of the great things about Buxton is discovering those really good second division works.

I can't say that it is the most profound piece of music theatre that I have ever seen but it was elegant and delightful. The production took the work at face value and didn't camp it up. Wendy Dawn Thompson sand well as Mignon as did Ryan MacPherson as Willhelm and Andrew MacKenzie-Wicks as Laerte and Gillian Keith as Philine. All in all, a very good night in the theatre.

Saturday was a mooching day. We had hoped that the holiday would provoke a little romance between the two of us but clearly the auguries were not well because we were totally out of synch in the bedroom department even without the intervention of Viagra. And it is true. Unless you are feeling aroused, nothing will actually happen.

Our final work was a rare piece by Donizetti, Maria di Rohan. Buxton have done Donizetti proud over the years with stonking performances of Lucrezia Borgia in 2009, Roberto Devereux in 2007 and Maria Padilla in 2003. This work was no exception to that rule. It is very late in his canon, 1843. Verdi has already premiered Nabucco, Wagner has premiered Der Fliegender Holländer. Donizetti himself does not have long to live. The trick with this work is that the pressure is ratchetted up by playing it in real time with the chiming of clocks to keep you in the moment. Everything hinges on whether or not that door will open at the appointed time or not.

Mary Plazas gave another incandescent Donizetti performance at Buxton as Maria. She could not sing these roles in a bigger house but here she is a diva par excellence. I also enjoyed William Dazeley's Enrico and John Bellemer's Riccardo. All in all it was a super way to end the holiday from the artistic point of view.

There was just one more treat in store. On journeying home days, I usually get a bee in my bonnet about setting off and getting home. Roland, for example, is much better than I am at just enjoying thee journey and making the most of that too. In keeping with that philosophy, we stopped off half way home to visit Little Moreton Hall and it was an absolute delight.

We had a meal, we toured the house with its crazy angles and walls, we looked round the gardens. It was lovely and would repay another visit in a few years' time.

And to cap off a most pleasant week, Ross and I hosted Scot for another romping visit which left us all sated and sweaty.

We managed one of those complete fantasy moments with Scot on his back, hips raised by a pillow, heels to the ceiling with Ross ploughing him missionary style and me taking my man from behind in the perfect sandwich. Ross worked himself up into quite a frenzy using his arse on my cock while ramming Scot heartily. We all knew when Ross came - so did many people in Crosby village. Ha!

We all played some more. Ross told me later that, from the look on his face, Scot really enjoyed the moment when I took him from behind standing up as he leant on my bedside table.

While we relaxed, Scot told us that he liked coming to see us because it was always such a good aerobic workout that he didn't need to go to the gym for a couple of days afterwards. He also complemented me that I had found one of his most erogenous points - viz by gently scratching with both hands just at the top of both buttocks, I encourage him to dip his back and raise his arse in the air like some female cat on heat.

It's one hell of a sight I can tell you and all the invitation I could possibly need to dive right in.

So, to round the session off, I gave him a quick scratch, grabbed his hips, took him with one swift lunge and gave him of my best, hard, deep and fast until I came joyfully right into the heart of him.

He seemed to enjoy himself as well.