Today

As I woke late this morning heard from Sean, who said that his mother passed away the previous evening. My heart goes out to him and all his family at this difficult time.

Party Time

I was rather determined to lighten my spirits a little this weekend. Jury service is a glum affair and with Sean's sad news and my miserable behaviour last week I knew I should make the most of this weekend. Friday night was an impromptu trip to the Windsor Castle to do some karaoke. It was fairly empty this week and I got to do several numbers, including Que Sera Sera, which I dedicated to Sean, who was very much on my mind. Little Paul and Jules joined me and Paul stopped over and indeed, came to Simon's party with us.

Simon's party was a hit. Loads of food - I mean tons - and a really nice mix of people, including some rather stunning straight men who obviously go to the "Get Big Arms" Gym. Two cans of lager in and I was flirting outrageously with all and sundry. To be honest, they mostly seemed confused as to who the fairy was in the cowboy hat! I got terribly drunk - far too many cocktails and climbed into a cab fairly early on. Ooooo, I did feel queer! Mind you, this poor soul was off to a date with a teacher called David. I would love to know how that went!

Maintaining

Hmm…my weight stayed the same this week at 16st 2lbs, which is rather annoying as I don’t think I had eaten to badly this week. I have, however, drunk rather a lot. Alcohol has no nutritional value and it is quite fattening. So to this end, I shall not drink anymore alcohol until my birthday. It’s not going to be that difficult, as I have never really been a big drinker.

Best Laid Plans

Apparently I like to plan. It’s true. I guess I have always enjoyed the concept of having something to work towards/aim for and it is also true that I find it very difficult when changes to those plans occur. This week, as my plans for the weekend collapsed I found myself in an unenviable position of feeling totally impotent. I really wanted to help Sean and I felt there was nothing I could do. His mother was taken ill suddenly and his family were gathering together. He travelled home to Gosport with his niece Lucy whilst his sister Moira, broke a long awaited holiday in Italy short to rush back.

All I could do was sit at home and feel a bit useless. Cassie and Julie very sweetly invited me out and whilst I accepted my heart was not in it. Weighing in didn’t matter; tidying up didn’t matter; all I could think of was how useless I was in London and how I would be worse than useless if I was in Gosport.

And then on Sunday morning at about 5am it hit me. No plans, no thought process, this was me following what I could only imagine was my heart. I got up, showered and caught the first outgoing train to Portsmouth to be with my man. Just being there for him might be the one thing I could do. By the time I got to Ford (just the other side of Arundel) I had to change to trains and at this point I made the call to Sean who was still in bed. I was SO scared – it might have been a REALLY bad move. He was so happy to hear that I was on my way that I kept bursting into tears for the rest of the journey. At Portsmouth it all got a little ‘Funny Girl’ as I climbed aboard a ferry to get across to Gosport but minutes later he was in my arms and I was crying like a baby - which was not really the point because I was supposed to be cheering him up. Then I met all his family and they couldn’t have been more lovely, welcoming and kind. Whilst there was this terrible thing that had brought them all together this week, there was obviously so much love in the room I was quite overwhelmed.

This Sunday was Father’s Day and once again my thoughts turned to my own father. I like to think that he might be proud of me, at least in some way and happy that I have met somebody I can share my life with, whether I plan things or not. And Julie’s father, who I didn’t see this year but must have been very pleased and surprised to have all of his children around him. It’s odd to think that I have now known Julie’s dad longer than I ever knew my own.

As I trundled towards Portsmouth my thoughts turned to all the fathers I know and how they would be getting breakfast in bed; a lie-in maybe or simply time with the kids. Brian Attwood in Berkhampstead, Don Von Stroe in Besancon, Rory Murphy in Streatham, Vincent Creelan in Belfast, Adrian Colborne in Cardiff, Byron Moxey in Derbyshire, Alan Myatt in Gloucester , Michael Benjamin in New York, Terry Wilson in Ladbrooke Grove and of course, Jim Broughton in Hampshire.

Don, Axl & Storm

Such a cute picture.

One Angry Man

Time spent hanging around waiting to go to court has given me a moment to contemplate an issue I have been dealing with recently. I seem to have developed a fairly low tolerance to rudeness and stupidity. OK, I guess most of you probably share a lack of tolerance on these issues but lately I have become quite verbal.
My current foible is Shouting At Parents. Aside from the violent disregard of the law by which some people cycle it is true to say that pedestrians will often behave like brainless sheep endangering themselves and drivers. If some idiot wishes to cross the road whilst talking on his mobile phone and paying no attention to the traffic, then that’s his own affair. What I find impossible to tolerate are the parents who drag/push their kids across the road ignoring traffic; safe crossings and any basic common sense. Hopefully a “YOU HAVE A CHILD – CROSS SAFELY” yelled at them might shame them into using their brains. I doubt it, but it might help.

Rudeness can come in many shapes and forms but like most people over a certain age, the one that annoys me the most concerns the mobile phone. I am not so archaic as to think that mobile phones aren’t a valuable asset to modern life and yes, I would kill for an I-phone. What I have trouble with are the people who speak on their phone whilst in company. I am not talking about the odd emergency call or anything like that. I am talking about people who think nothing of taking a casual call whilst in company. Hey guys – THIS IS SO RUDE!!! Especially if you have made plans to meet someone and then spend time chatting to someone else. Call them back when you are on your own.

There- I have had my say now. Got to go. I am wanted in court. Oooooo….

On The Town

Tuesday proved to be a little fraught at times as apart from the usual deadlines that fill up my Tuesday in the office I was now finishing work for the next ten days to undergo arguably the most important civic duty I am likely ever to perform – jury service. I must admit I am approaching this time with much trepidation, not least because of how much it interrupts my normal life.

A little nervous, Sean joined me on Tuesday night to see Jim Bailey as Judy Garland in the Leicester Square Theatre. I felt uncomfortable, dressed semi formally whilst carrying all my cycle and swimming paraphernalia and indeed, if I had taken up the offer of the cloakroom at the theatre - £2.00 per item – I would have had to have forked out £8.00. I was also ridiculously hungry, which was completely my own fault and just the type of situation I have avoided so far on this diet. I have never been more conscious in my life of a lack of carbohydrates in my system. My body craves them, I suppose to replace the energy I burn off every morning and evening.

Anyhow, Sean turned into the perfect boyfriend as usual - allaying my fears, massaging my neuroses, dosing me up with carbs and holding my hand. Wednesday morning, I calmly arrived at Court in plenty of time – despite the tube strike – and I am still thinking about how great he is.

Son of Viola

This little sweetie has grown from last year's violas I bought from Homebase.

Mary Mary, quite contrary.....

As you can see here, my gardening has been going very well. The strawberries are sprouting in the baskets, the lemon and cherry trees are flourishing and herbs are continuing to feed us.

A Weekend In Brighton

Last weekend, Sean and I had a delightful mini-break in Brighton. An old friend of his lives in Hove and was celebrating his 50th Birthday so we took the opportunity to check into a delightful little hotel and spend some quality time together. It was rather lovely and I think Brighton was one of the few places that didn't have a wet weekend. We walked along the beach and played games on the pier. Dinner on Friday night was at a small bistro in The Lanes and Saturday lunch was at Harry Ramsden's.

The party turned out to be a much more low-key affair than we imagined but we had a great time. It also gave Sean food for thought as to his own birthday in a couple of weeks. We came back on Sunday and both went home feeling tired and wanting to spend the rest of the day together. Sigh...




We fully intend to try this again and soon hopefully. As it stands, Rowena is auditioning Scrooge in Gloucester in early July and she has asked me to sit on the panel. Hopefully, Sean will be able to join me and I can show him a few of the delights of Gloucester - the Beatrix Potter Museum; the Cathedral; the New Inn et al

Going.....going.....gone.

Totty in a Tree

As a joke I laughed and assumed that the tree surgeon coming to remove the ivy in the garden would be a hunk in a harness. Ummm…in truth, he was! Avi Bracha arrived minus the harness but with a twinkle in his eye that made me wish I had a whole orchard that desperately needed felling over the summer. Cassie arrived from an interview around the corner and, my God, how he flirted with her! It was quite shocking. Anyway the work was completed in great time, very efficiently and for a decent price. If you have anything that needs doing in a similar vein, then I thoroughly recommend him.

My First E-Book

Hot off the virtual presses are the new Stage E-Books, featuring my own. Feel free to buy a copy - it is aimed at young people considering entering the world of Make-up or Costume Making.

More Pool Outrage!

Some guy turned up today and it was not the fact that he was a slow guy in the fast lane that concerned me, it was the fact that he was wearing the clothes he arrived in actually in the pool!! Didn't bother showering, merely walked in, put his bag away and got into the pool in his t-shirt and shorts. He then proceeded to wash himself down in the pool before swimming.

Now I know that the public pool is an overload of horrible diseases to revolting to contemplate, but I believe this is a good thing. There is usually too much wrapping in cotton wool and I think exposure to a few germs is good for our natural immunity. I do not however want to see those germs being spread about.

The rules of the swimming pool state that all guests must shower before entering and so many people ignore that. Vile. The manager is now getting used to seeing me in the morning. To cheer myself up and calm myself down I shall post a relaxing image. Sigh!

Anger Management

Bloody Life Guards! There were already 3 people in the fast lane this morning and a new guy decided he could join us and keep up - he couldn't and the life guard thought it more important to text people than move him. I don't need that sort of crap in my mornings!!!

Danny & Pat

I was saddened to hear of the deaths this weekend of legendary female impersonator Danny La Rue and my colleague Pat Newley.

La Rue brought the drag act to the masses and his style, whilst undoubtably inspired by other artists of the period, came to define an era. La Rue was a huge cabaret star and came to be known by everybody through the burgeoning medium of television.
I got to meet him briefly whilst I was working at Fox's and he was utterly charming.

Pat Newley I wish I had known better. He was a gay man, living in Streatham and wrote for The Stage Newspaper in a regular column and as a regular contributor. He was always interesting and interested in what I was up to and I always enjoyed our meetings. I was actually hoping to see him next week at Jim Bailey's press night next week. Sadly this was not to be.

Rest In Peace, both of you. I'll see you in the Green Room. X