Ungrynell's profile

Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Milkman) and other tales by Sholem Aleichem which he wrote in Yiddish and published in 1894.

The storyline, although about Jews in Russia in the late 1800’s is every bit as topical now as it was when it was written.

Tevye, a poor milkman, ekes out a humble existence in Anatevke, co-existing with the Russians both members of the Russian army and the Russian Orothodox Church. Tevye and his wife Golde, have 5 unmarried daughters and he attempts to maintain his family and Jewish orthodox traditions whilst outside influences encroach upon them.

Tzeitel, his eldest daughter, refuses a match with a much older man who is a butcher, in favour of Motel, the poor tailor, whom she has fallen in love with. Tevye reluctantly gives in, in spite of “tradition”. In order to 'square it’ with Golde (and without losing face), an elaborate 'dream’ sequence follows where Tevye tells Golde that he was visited in a dream by the butcher’s late wife, Fruma Sarah, warning that there will be dire consequences of Tevye’s daughter marries her husband. Further, a grandmother also visits in the same 'dream’, to say that Tzeitel will marry Motel. Golde seems to accept this and agrees that Tzeitel must marry Motel The second daughter Hodel, is wooed by visiting student Perchik.

At Tzeitel and Motel’s wedding, Perchik invites Hodel to dance with him, something Jewish tradition doesn’t allow and finally, Tevye dances with Golde before the wedding is broken up by the Russian solders 'pushing their weight around’. Next we discover that Perchik has to go away to Kiev only to find that Perchik has asked Hodel to marry her and she has agreed. They confront Tevye with the news. “We are not asking you, papa, we are telling you.” This is a huge blow for Tevye but he finally relents.

Tevye tells Golde that he has 'given his permission’ for Hodel and Perhick to marry. At first Golde is shocked. Tevye asks Golde “Do you love me?” Theirs was an arranged marriage but she admits that, after 25 years of living and struggling together, sharing his bed and raising 5 daughters, that she does, in fact, love him.

Meanwhile. Yente the matchmaker (and local busybody) tells Tzeitel that she saw Hava with Fyedka, a russian youth whom she has struck up a friendship as they share a love of literature. Rumours abound in the little village of Anatevka and it turns out Perchik has been exhiled and sent to Siberia. Hodel has made her mind up to join him there and tells her father that she will arrange to have a Jewish wedding when she is there.

Hava finally gains courage to confront Tevye and ask him to allow her to marry Fyedka. Tevya considers this deeply but just cannot allow this, it goes against everything that his life and his religion mean for him and he tells Hava she must never speak of Fyedka again. Later, Golde runs to tell Tevya that Hava has eloped with Fyedka and that they were married in the church earlier that day. Astonished and distraught, Tevye tells Golde that Hava is dead to them.

The Russian constable arrives to tell Tevye that the Jews must leave their homes, that they are not welcome in Anatevka any longer. They have three days to pack up and leave.

As the Jews leave Anatevka, Hava and Fyedka stop by at Tevye and Golde’s house to say that they, too, are leaving. Tevye won’t speak to them but mutters “Gd be with you” which is relayed to them. As Tevye and his family leave the village, their intention to reach America, the fiddler begins to play. Tevye acknowledges the fiddler and beckons to him and the fiddler follows them out of the village.

This ASDA is not just big, its MASSIVE! This is classed as an ASDA Walmart supercentre - go there and you’ll see why!

It’s open 24 hours so the best time to shop is in the early hours - that way you don’t get parents and screaming children, or parents with children treating the store like a playground.

This store has almost everything you could possibly want: George (clothing); pharmacy; photo centre and also a petrol station - stock up on the petrol it’s always cheaper than anywhere else - as well as the usual food aisles. They have an excellent selection of wines and they do some good multi-buy offers.

This is one of those stores you need to have plenty of time to shop in. Once you come through the tills, there’s a cafe (bit lacklustre) and a variety of franchise shops: pet shop, couple of furniture shops and a travel agent.

Masses of parking (but everyone tries to park as near to the entrance as possible!).

Well worth a visit for a huge shop and you’ve got the time to browse.

This is one of those supermarkets where you see people either buying a buying one or two items, or they’re stocking up with a box full of a particular item that’s on special offer that week.

Personally, I wouldn’t go here for my regular shopping but it has been one of those places to go in my lunch hour. The labels are all foreign but the quality is of a reasonable standard although it’s best to try one before stocking up on something just because it’s cheap because it may not actually be what you’re used to - I purchased tuna many years ago and didn’t like it.

Besides food - and they have an aisle of fresh food which is good quality - they also have aisles of clothes, homeware, presents and the like. This changes week by week and you can get a bargain although, it helps if you know what the price of the item is, sold elsewhere, so that you can make a comparison.

The first thing you may notice is the fact that there’s no canned music - for me that’s very welcome. I complained long and hard some years ago about the awful music in Tesco which you couldn’t get away from as they had installed screens in every aisle (Tesco must have had a lot of complaints - you still have to ensure the screens but the music is much less irritating!) So the atmosphere in a Lidl store is akin to being in a library - it’s very hushed.

My main criticism, no baskets, only trolleys for which you need to remember to have a pound coin on you. Secondly, they charge you for carrier bags. Personally, I don’t hold with paying to advertise someone’s company so always take my own.

This store has a car park which is located behind and above the store. The stairs being you down past the gym which is on the main road and, to reach the store as a pedestrian from the main road you walk down a wide, but well lit, corridor to reach the entrance turnstiles.

On the whole, an interesting place to shop but not for your main shopping.

This is in such an out of the way place that you’d never know it was there. However, when you do, what a find! Every day they have a different selection of meals and you can either eat in, or take away. Also they do meals in small, medium or large, to suit both appetite and/or your pocket. The smoothies and juices are a tad expensive but they’re freshly made.

If you’re in the area, this is one eaterie worth seeking out.

This Tesco Express is a useful place to stock up on basics that you might have run out of. It’s not a store where you could do your weekly shop. It has a cash machine (don’t they all now?).

I would point out that although it has a petrol forecourt although you pay inside the Tesco Express for the petrol - they don’t give you Tesco bonus points on the petrol you purchase!! For me that’s a big drawback and one reason why I don’t frequent it any more.

The only drawback to this Tesco is the lack of a petrol station, mainly due to the fact that there’s an (expensive) Esso just round the corner from it.

This is a mid-sized store, with a cash machine, pharmacy, photo processing and fish counter.

Having checked their website, it turns out that there is a free bus service to this store. I wasn’t aware of this as I have only ever driven there but you could check the service on 020 8965 2221.

The beauty of this Tesco Express is that, aside from a Morrisons some distance away, there’s no other general food store in Hatch End.

Although small, this store has enough for you to grab basic provisions you might have run out of and has a cash till as well. This Tesco also has a few dedicated parking bays - parking in Hatch End, no matter what time of day or night - is a luck of the draw, as there are numerous restaurants on the main road so the roads are always packed with parked cars. If desperate, however, there is a free car park behind the shops, that you can get to by driving down Grimsdyke Road and turning left just past the Quickfit.

Not my regular Tesco but I have to go to Feltham once a week and this is one seriously large store, second only to either the Watford or Neasden ones.

For me it’s useful because it has an in-store cafe. This is a proper cafe, selling meals and hot drinks, whereas my home Tesco at Harrow now has a coffee shop franchise inside. In addition it’s open 24 hours and has a petrol forecourt, as well as a pharmacy, fish counter, meat counter, clothing and photo processing. I would love to have the time to spend inside this store but I’m always rushing to or from the centre where I teach. Also useful to note that they have cashtills.

This B&Q is close to where I work so it’s somewhere I can pop into if I need batteries or fuses.

This store always has a good selection of plants in time for the planting season each year, they’ve taken to having all of these just by the entrance, but there’s also a huge garden section which you have to go right through the store to get to.

Two points of interest:

1. There’s a camera on top of a pole just at the entrance as you drive in. Providing you don’t plan to stay more than 3 hours you’ll be ok otherwise, using the DVLC database, they fine you £50.

2. If you’re over 60, you can get a B&Q card which entitles over 60’s to a 10% discount every Wednesday.

This restaurant started out, I thought, as a Greek restaurant. A few years ago I went with friends and discovered that they were offering a fusion of interesting foods on their menu.

More recently, a family member booked this restaurant for a birthday party and it was a fantastic evening. The food was wonderful and the surroundings were delightful.