MOAN-ING

I treated myself to an evening with a bed for the night at Ross Priory on Loch Lomond. Being private (Strathclyde Universtiy's country retreat) I knew it would be a haven of refuge after a weary week.

Katharine holds a musical soiree every month and this month it was "From Russia with Lev".


Lev Atlas plays the violin and Stephen Adam plays the piano (no photo available, unfortunately) They are professional musicians; both employed in orchestras in Glasgow. Lev is Russian (graduated from Gnesin Institute of Music in Moscow) and Stephen is Scottish (from Stirling and RSAMD graduate).

The evening's performance was held in this room. And this is what he played: click on link here to view the Utube video. A quite wonderful pair playing classical and Russian pieces and also pieces for which Stephen has written the parts.

The opposite side of the room looks on to Loch Lomond. Dinner was held beforehand followed by the hour long concert in the main function room.

This is the same view as through the above window (taken the following morning).

Katharine is very diligent about the seating plan (about 40 people) and I was seated with a group of people I did not know but who she knew we would all enjoy each other's company. She was quite right! As the wine flowed so did the chat ... or should I say ... chatter.

Anyhow, it lead to a slight problem: I had difficulty making out what my table mates were saying some of the time (and I - still!- have good hearing). On talking to the charming gentleman across from me about the fact that we both supported various charities, I asked "So what charities do you support?" "Moan"... "Pardon?" sez I ... thinking it must be an acronym MOAN .... Men's Organization for Amputees of Nepal or some such group. And again he says "Moan". Embarrassed I asked him yet again as I really didn't know what he was referring to! "My Own"! And he explained how he operates a trust which gives money to causes which meet the criteria he has set up. I was very impressed. However it seems it is a great deal of work and new legislation makes it such that it costs much more nowadays for auditors and such like (to combat fraud).

The next morning the loch was quite stunning in its colours and relfections.

Memorial benches facing the loch at the top of the slope.

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Lev Atlas photo source: www.koshka.uk.com/musicians.htm