Rabbi Claude's Scribbles

 A few weeks ago, Stephnie and I went to the theatre.  Ordinarily, this would not constitute a mention in one of my Drashot had it not been for the trip we experienced and what transpired once we had reached our destination.  We had the misfortune of having booked our tickets on a day when yet another Underground strike was taking place.  A journey that could have taken less than an half-an-hour on the Tube lasted nearly two as Stephnie encountered heavy rush-hour traffic driving from Edgware to Covent Garden in pouring rain, which compounded the misery that we both felt. We arrived at the theatre nearly half-an-hour late.   We thought we might be able to request that, due to extenuating circumstances, our seats could be transferred to another performance.   The staff who were accommodating and welcoming did not accede to our pleas and suggested that we walk up the stairs to the first floor where we would be able to watch the first act which was being live streamed on a television se

Obstinate – adjective.  Stubborn, intractable.  (The Little Oxford Dictionary of Current English.  6 th Edition, 1992). It’s a simple idea.   Around the country, pianos have been placed on rail concourses and anyone who is able to do so can sit down and play to their heart’s content.   I saw the instrument at King’s Cross a few years ago and couldn’t resist the urge to play it and I can tell you; it was a wonderful experience. Somebody at Channel 4 had a brainwave.   The idea was that the broadcaster, Claudia Winkleman, would invite members of the public to play a piano without them realising that at the same time, they were being filmed.   Several railway stations were chosen as staging grounds for the talent competition, and these included St Pancras, Leeds and Glasgow.   Watching the proceedings, secreted away in a small room, were one of the world’s greatest classical pianists, Lang Lang, who was joined by Mika, an extremely talented popular musician.   They judged the pianis