life at the new school

last wednesday the child was despatched to her new school and now all kinds of funny things creep up into the vocabulary, for example that she now is a boarder with a house mistress and that there are house rules and lights out times. couldn't help to feel straight out of 'the twins at st clare's' (or hanni und nanni, as the german version goes), but first reports have been good and there is undeniably a lovely atmosphere at the school. rike's only worry so far is that she will have to work fairly hard, but with only five or six pupils in the class there is no hiding, as she figured out already. smart girl!

watch this video on the boarders if you want to see more...

mark bolan school of music

rike has supported the mark-bolan-school of music several times over the last two years and was again involved with a charity concert earlier this spring. the school, founded by mark bolan's widow gloria jones, works with disavantaged youngsters in sierra leone. rike speaks very highly of gloria, who seems to be patient and committed to the young musicians she works with. credit also to rike's friend otis who organized the concert.

summer!!!

rike was the lucky recipient of several invitations to whitstable, where her friend's parents have a summer place, but one day we just ignored protocol and invited ourselves, too. so after seeing grayson perry's 'provincial punk' in the turner contemporary in margate, we spent a gloriuos afternoon on the beach in this most quaint english invention, the beach hut. delightful!

 

across the southbank

just back from a wonderful moment on the southbank where rike has now worked for two days with david byrne in his meltdown festival. twice this afternoon over sixty five horn players performed john luther adam's 'across the distance', indoors first and in the pretty jubilee gardens the second time. a great experience as the musicians wander around and the horns talk to each other over various distances. that and a last glimpse of a long hot august day made for a great moment, before it is about to be all rain and work from next week, and the prediction is that summer is finished.

sam the seagull stealing doritos

oh there it goes ... summer in britain ... you spend a couple of days on the coast and what do you see but crime and misdemeanour...

unfair!!!

not only that this handsome and wonderful couple commands large parts of the gila wilderness but now they also party in kauai (just look at the website!), as they tell us via facebook, while we slave over our computers in the dusty city ... unfair!!!

what a day!

you know that this is a VIP wedding when the gleaming white limo turns up


knew it! look whose here! sparkling in black and white the groom and the bride look simply stunning, but who would have expected anything less... 




the crowds gather around the entrance to the standesamt hannover 

happy, my darling? happy!!!!

the registrar pulled a few tricks out of his hat - a minute later the desk was full of white plastic cups...

the rings are anything but plastic - show me closer!!!!

lunch in the beautiful and well chosen 'alte muehle', on a gorgeously sunny day! what you don't see from the pic is that everybody with heels is 5 inches into the muddy lawn by now 

contemplating over the menu but with a closer look at the bride's bouquet

and over to the evening gathering in hannover's suedstadt - here you see the wedding cake supplied by one hell of a wedding cake baker :)

... and just a few snapshots from what turned out to be a long but happy night, with the bride and groom dancing into the wee hours ...

good luck to you both, you are one special couple! or shall i say 'ehepaar'!