August outings for Laura

Laura had two outings during the first half of August - I didn't have time to blog about them at the time, so am catching up now.

The first outing was to London to see/listen to two BBC proms in one day - in the afternoon we were lucky enough to attend the War Horse Prom with the wonderful horse puppets designed and made by the Handspring Puppet Co. of Cape Town.  It was filmed and will be broadcast on BBC TV in November and is a must watch.  Between proms we went to Giraffe for dinner, then enjoyed the Mozart Requiem prom.

Reading the tube map on the train 

Laura with the War Horse Prom programme

Awaiting the start of the War Horse prom

Keeping occupied in Giraffe, waiting for food (we didn't have to wait long)

Laura with her new Giraffe

Laura in her doll bag outside the
Royal Albert Hall ahead of the Mozart Requiem prom

Watching the orchestra get ready just before the Mozart Requiem prom

The second outing was to Lincoln Steam Rally to see some fairground organs.  We also enjoyed the model display - people have such amazing collections, some assembled over many years, others painstakingly built by the owner for enjoyment.

An 87 key Gavioli organ over 100 years old with beautiful
bell ringer figures and a 1970s monkey collecting for charity

An 89 key organ (built in 1992), with a new figure
replacing the 3 wooden originals
(which were Scottish - a bandmaster, a seated figure
and two bell ringers all wearing kilts)

Laura is curious and goes to see this fair organ

Laura meets the new bandmaster who is not carved of wood,
but is a fibreglass copy of a wooden figure

Laura and the new bandmaster

For a video of the organ with its original figures see http://youtu.be/gTT-o8Jfl80

Some figures for sale in front of another old organ.
The two small figures are modern.

Laura has a ride on the Gallopers in the fair on Rosie the horse

The organ on the gallopers which was steam driven
(this is why some people here mistakenly called
fairground organs 'steam organ's -
true steam organs are calliopes with
steam blown through the pipes)

Laura took this photo of Henry the horse especially for her friend Henry

A very old bell ringer on a vintage Fair organ (another Gavioli built in Paris)

A gorgeous Ruth organ (built in Waldkirch)
which we last saw at the Waldkirch festival in June
(it made the journey all the way from England)

An amazing layout of a miniature circus, it extended over a very large table

 A model showman's caravan in the model area

I think the Showman's wagon was about 1/12th scale, the detail inside was lovely

Inside the miniature showman's wagon

Laura met a friendly bear and they had a good chat
(he was automated and moved his head by radio control)

At one of the model area was this amazing road
layout for radio controlled vehicles

A large Meccano train

This brilliant little moving dinner table
complete with candles on the table was making its way around the rally

It is specially built for 4 OAPS to enjoy their dinner on the move

This organ has a bandmaster I've always considered has a rakish look in his eye -
I wonder if it has anything to do with the bevy of beauties around him

Laura really enjoyed these outings which happened in the first 2 weeks of August (before her friend Henry came to ride horses with her).