Music and mobile phones

I did a school visit in London yesterday and came back home to Yorkshire absolutely shattered. Tiredeness is a perfect excuse for taking the day off as far as I'm concerned, so I went into Leeds where the council is putting on free opera events all through this week. Singers from Opera North put on a lunchtime concert in the atruim of The Light shopping complex, followed by duets from Verdi at the Tiled Hall in Leeds Museum.

A smartly dressed woman at The Light continued making calls on her mobile phone through the first two duets.

'Do you mind?" I hissed, 'we want to hear the music?'

'You're listening to the music,' she echoed, incredulous.

'That's why I'm here,' I beamed back, giving her my brightest mediterranean smile.

She continued her call for a few minutes longer, then picked up her diaries and phone books. As she swept past me, she tried to salvage her dignity with a hiss of her own. 'I suggest you see a hearing specialist.'

'First thing tomorrow,'I wanted to say but I couldn't be bothered. The chorus had burst into a very loud rendition of 'Libiam....'