Nicholas Quirke was excited about his day when he woke at the unearthly hour of 4.45am on 15th July. He was looking forward to the boundaries of his knowledge being expanded and felt his exploration of Sussex life, since his return from his Odyssey, would continue apace with a visit, courtesy of his client to Barcombe Mills and the Anchor Inn the day before and his impending Glyndebourne trip that afternoon. The summer was continuing to scorch and delight so it was with  heavy heart, that when he walked out onto his roof terrace that morning, he discovered someone had vandalized his attempts to beautify his surroundings. Before heading into town to meet Audrey for tea at Marwoods, he made some salads for the evenings picnic. Audrey was in good form and they laughed and mostly avoided talking about work, till Audrey revealed that if any thing is going wrong with the people management, the management are now blaming the former managers, very bad form and he was quite discombobulated. By happy coincidence Peta was also going to Glyndbourne and he was able to give her a lift. Despite having been to Glynde and knowing his way, he utilised his sat nav, which chose to take them on an exquisite route through a typical English village he had never heard of. The gardens looked sublime and once they had found a suitable shady spot they took a turn round the estate. It was a perfect location and summer moment. He was there to see Saul,an Oratorio by Handel an he was deeply grateful to Osman who had organised a complimentary ticket for him. It was a Dress rehearsal and Nicholas was impressed to learn that the management provided tickets for all their employees and a guest, a truly benevolent gesture. It was some years since he had been to the Opera (If he didn’t count Peking} and literally decades since he had been to Glyndebourne and seen ‘The Electrification of The USSR’ with his friend John Chapman., and he was looking forward to reacquainting himself with the artifice and theatricality of the medium. He was not disappointed. It was spectacular and everything, from the haunting Baroque music, the astonishing voices, the vitality of the chorus, the inventiveness of the design, the subtlety of the lighting,the vibrancy of the costumes to the quirky choreography and the clever direction served the story and created an unforgettable event. He thoroughly enjoyed the 90 minute interval, picnicking with Peta and Rachel. It was an elated Nicholas Quirke who drove home as the burnished sun set on another lovely and fulfilling day.