Sadler's Wells Theatre

I'm blipping the outside of the Saddler's Wells where I've just seen Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty, with some ex school mums. It was superbly well done with outstanding expression. It was also an unusual storyline including vampires, but then having seen Bourne's version of Swan Lake with all male swans, we expected surprises.

Interestingly the current building is the fifth theatre on the site, and the original well still flows underneath. In 1683 Dick Sadler discovered a medieval well by chance, in the garden of his Musik House. He believed the waters to have medicinal powers effective against ''dropsy, jaundice, scurvy, green sickness and other distempers to which females are liable - ulcers, fits of the mother, virgin's fever and hyperchondriacal distemper''. (And we women think it's men who are hyperchondriacs!). The waters were effective at least in bringing people to Saddler's Wells to enjoy the music, the gardens and the curstive powers of the well. (Me thinks he was a good marketing man perhaps?)

Earlier today I had a solid half hour swim, but on the way out I found lots of fur on the lawn. It was grey with some reddish brown patches. I also saw just one squirrel on the bird feeder today and so I fear the clever one of the pair, who knew how to get nuts from the squirrel feeder, may have been breakfast for the sparrow hawk. Natural I know and the sparrow hawk must eat too but I'm a bit sad.