Another odd thing came back...about VIOLINS...

MELANIE at CLAYCROFT II, WARWICK UNIVERSITY (she was one of my flat-mates, the only English woman, in that all-woman flat) who couldn't play a violin properly to save her life....some people have no 'feeling' for music...even though she had been at CAMBRIDGE to study music....and MELANIE had apparently passed the highest exams, according to HEATHER LAING...


Anyway, MELANIE got into a dispute with the woman living beneath her, who was a MUSLIM...who was so annoyed about MELANIE's 'practice hours' upon her violin (or would that be CENTURION ANT 'coil' commands?)....that she had begun to retaliate by holding PRAYER MEETINGS when MELANIE normally did her 'practice sessions' on her violin....in order to drown out the fearful noise....

MELANIE was terribly upset...but continued to do what she did...practising on a SUNDAY...

I was terribly sympathetic...'how dare they?'

Anyway, I broached the subject with my JAPANESE friends in the flat....and they told me... and yes, it was a SUNDAY at the time...


'haven't you heard what it sounds like? She plays the violin really badly....'

I had to admit that I hadn't heard her play it...so they led me down the corridor...all three of us tip-toed up to MELANIE's door...and then tip-toed away with our hands over our mouths....

The sound was indescribable...

If you thought that SOMEBODY SCRAPPING THEIR NAILS DOWN A CHALK BLACKBOARD was bad - well, this was worse....

...and so, whoever had been in that ground flat, below MELANIE's first floor flat...it wouldn't have mattered...my SYMPATHIES would have been with you and whatever 'legal' action you decided to take....I would have agreed with...the SCREECHING was indescribable.