Yours Truly has always been a fan of Anne of Green Gables about the fictional girl who grew up in Prince Edward Island.
By grade six I had read three of the Anne books in our little one-room school library and was teased for reading girly books.
I’ve seen the play performed in Prince Edward Island twice and twice by Moose Jaw high schools.
And we watched the two TV series, finding the CBC version less enjoyable.
When the Mae Wilson Theatre announced the Anne of Green Gables Ballet was coming we decided to go.
Ballet is not my favourite, having grown up in a rural community where ballet was considered something the highbrow people pretended to like.
Some years ago I was given tickets to the Russian Ballet’s performance of Swan Lake. It was really enjoyable.
The column I wrote about it focused on the athletic skills of dancers and the costumes since I know little about ballet.
A friend who read that column called it the strangest review of a ballet she had ever read.
The Mae Wilson was sold out for the one night of the Jorgen Ballet. Judging from the lengthy standing ovation all enjoyed the show.
The most amazing feature for a non-ballet viewer like me was how the star and others danced like butterflies on their toes, flitting about the stage
_______
My partner and I celebrated her birthday at Hopkins Parlour, although she says she in not adding any more years to her count.
Not sure how that works out. It will confuse Sask. Health even more.
The meal was delicious and we met the owner, Linda, who a few years ago, bought the heritage house that was converted to a restaurant.
She was telling us that some customers come in quite surprised that she hasn’t changed the place.
“I promised Glady (Pierce, former owner) I would keep the history. I like history,” said Linda.
A couple of changes have been made with Glady’s approval.
The gift shop has been moved to the main floor from the second floor for convenience of guests with mobility issues.
A pool table has been added to the basement room to make it more family-friendly
_______
A friend and I drove to his old haunts at Parkbeg west of Moose Jaw.
Little is left of the once busy community.
The house where his family once lived is gone. One house next door burned down and the other is about to fall down.
It’s hard to believe two dozen people lived on that street in the 1960s.
Driving in the district south of Parkbeg was even more disheartening.
In an hour of driving we found one farmstead still occupied by the owner and two that were rented.
My friend recalled when he was young if he got stuck or the car broke it was a 20 minute walk at max for help.
On this day he told his daughter he would phone her with the co-ordinates if he got stuck or broke down.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
