Lots has happened but nothing has changed.....that's the favourite saying of one of my friends. And I'd like to say it's true but actually lots has happened and lots has changed too. My address for a start. Left Leeds and moved to Eaglescliffe and if you don't know where that is (and most people don't), then it's sort of half way between Darlington and Middlesbrough, just off the A66.
I was lulled into thinking the weather was always gorgeous here but soon enough it changed .. and look at this view of the Transporter Bridge from the BBC Tees studio webcam. That must have been the wettest day of the year..
Moving day was probably the hottest of the year but all went well, apart from me leaving a couple of bags of food in the kitchen in the old house (that would be a joy for the Estate Agents a few days later) and a fan in a cupboard. No it wasn't Josie from Castleford but an electric one. Duh! Oh and apart from the fact that I had to store some furniture in my friend’s portakabin. The last few weeks have involved a lot me shouting; "where’s the printer cable?" and "where are those green shoes?" Which is a bit daft ‘cos there’s only me here. And no, I still haven’t found the printer cable. It was on the back of the scanner but seeing as I couldn’t find it to fix the scanner….oh well, it’ll turn up.
So it’s great to be here, back home really. Only a few miles from Billingham where I grew up. I keep bumping into people I haven’t seen for years who always claim I haven’t changed a bit. Which is flattering in that I am carrying about half as much more weight and being unable to locate my cheekbones, look rather like a hamster .. but not so in that I had short dark frizzy hair and, thanks to wonderful hairdressers and indispensable straighteners, a smooth blonde bob. But funnily enough the other people haven’t changed a bit. Of course the best bit of being here is that I can spend loads of time with Joe, my gorgeous grandson, with whom I share a birthday. He was recently 2 and I was… a bit older. We spend many hours walking on the front at Seaton Carew. Now you can’t not know where that place is nowadays talking of which, I have much to thank one half of the couple who secured Seaton’s position in history.
I was recently at an audition workshop where I had misunderstood the instructions on the email and had not prepared a monologue. So with great cunning, whilst eating my lunchtime barmcake (it was in Manchester, different food culture) I hatched a wheeze. When asked what my piece was, I said confidently; "The Good Mother" by Dan Arwin And proceeded to improvise for 3 minutes about the early days of Anne and John… (You’ve caught on haven’t you?). Anyway it was well received and I think I may have to develop that in the future…. Please God there is no one called Dan Arwin… I just Googled and there seems to be a Dan double barreled Arwin who is a cantiller (?) in Toronto. Oh well he’s missed a trick.
So now that I’m settled I can give a bit more attention to updating this. Apologies for shameful neglect I daren’t even look at the last time I updated..
Exciting news !!!!!
Unofficial but you heard it here first!! I’m doing panto this Christmas at Middlesbrough Theatre. It's Aladdin and I’m the Genie of the Ring……..
I think I look a cross between a blancmange and Lily Savage but it is a comedy role. Obviously. But not so funny that I can’t lose a stone or two before December. Tickets are already going well and no-one even knows who’s in it yet!
Other than that I can still be found on BBC Tees at 10am Monday to Friday. We’ve had a few changes lately so you can hear John Foster from 7am and Matthew Davies from 1pm. Give it a whirl .. I’m sure you will love it.
I was lulled into thinking the weather was always gorgeous here but soon enough it changed .. and look at this view of the Transporter Bridge from the BBC Tees studio webcam. That must have been the wettest day of the year..
