Among welcome interludes, count Alice Saltzman's charmingly understated comic flair, even when she runs into the garden, bawling, during the evening's major crisis, a burned turkey - that is, before the entrance of the fire brigade.

These welcome interludes contain the most memorable material in the book.

With the exception of one gratuitous though welcome interlude in which past and present characters fantasize singing the euphoric rock song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Mark Ramont's staging is either prosaic or jumbled.

As Bernard Mergen points out in his recent book, "Snow in America," widespread use of automobiles helped to turn snow from a welcome interlude into a public nuisance.

Finding this a welcome interlude in an otherwise dull and boring march, the other kender jerked themselves off their feet, with the result that the entire line of some forty kender was cast into immediate confusion.

In a welcome interlude to trivial pursuits, Mr Cameron told the Financial Times that three steps must be taken to halt the immediate crisis.

May was a welcome interlude devoted to training exercises in the Marshalls enlivened by a diversionary raid on Wake Island 24 May to draw attention away from the Marianas.

At the end of this first day the hot pools are a welcome interlude (www.hanmersprings.co.nz).

The best scenes in "Ball of Fire" were musical-Gene Krupa's "Drum Boogie" number, involving matchsticks, and the nostalgic crooning of "Genevieve"-and Hawks's transformation of the story, turning lexicographical discussion into musical performance, expanded on those welcome interludes.

With a typical suburban after-school schedule of music lessons, birthday parties and play dates, it was hard to find time just to talk with him; the 10 minutes we spent walking and waiting were a welcome interlude in an otherwise frenetic day.