Saturday 28 December 2013

 



Trotting Along......




Tree detail-Helen

Hello again, hope you all had a lovely Christmas and thank you for returning to read and hopefully be entertained.This is extremely overdue and thanks for your patience. The fourth of my blog posts is upon you and the personal 'South Bank Show' continues......as ever an amalgamation of subjects and personal views. 

 



 Christmas Thoughts



Well, how was your Christmas ? The year to me had gone incredibly quickly, I could not believe another Christmas was on the horizon.......I felt very unprepared but as usual I managed to pull myself into line and be ready by the appropriate time. Number one son had been ill with school-acquired ailments. His Christmas performance this year was entitled 'Young Ebenezer' based upon guess what ? And what was his part ? One of three Devils who visit the main man during the night. I was hoping that he might put himself forward for a larger part but not this time. He is quite a performer at home and is capable of much more than he does....still at least I only filled-up three times during it...A cup of tea and a mince pie after it in the small hall whilst son was gathering his belongings...I bored people by telling them for the thousanth time that I was at this same school. They still have the same copper water jugs with dents, and the original wooden benches used for P.E. Hope I have stood the test of time as well as my school items have.....Christmas Eve felt very strange. Managed to get away from the chaos that was my living room and wrapping paper everywhere to join my parents and listen to the Carol service on BBC2. An Oasis of calm. Christmas Day I had my parents over for the day. Mum told me she wasn't used to 'being waited on'. I told myself inwardly to keep calm, and things seemed to be going fine in the kitchen until I burned my hand on the oven and then noticed having timed all to finish cooking at the same time that my garnish items were far from ready. What to do.....? I removed all other items from the oven and put the disobedient articles on the top shelf and whacked the temperature to maximum. Take that stuffing balls and 'pigs in blankets'.....had to do some juggling of items to keep them hot.
Phew, it turned out alright in the end. I was convinced that it had been a disaster, but compliments all round to my surprise for the meal and particularly the sprouts and the honey-roasted parsnips and roast potatoes. I hit the Cherry brandy and the white wine by this point.......
'HAPPY NEW YEAR' and fellow Christians remember to cut each other some love and forgiveness as you weave through life's rich tapestry........CHEERS !!!

Dad and Number 1 son tucking in to my home-cooked Christmas lunch-
do you think he still looks 'unimpressed ?'

 



Actors' Stories-some of my own......


I was about to come onstage whilst playing the Bawd in 'Pericles' at The Old Fire Station Theatre in Oxford. My right-hand person playing 'Boult' had a very dishevelled and ripped shirt as part of her character.....as I grabbed her arm and said "Now Sir, hast thou cried her through the market ?" her sleeve totally came away in my hand with a loud  tearing noise. I couldn't pretend it hadn't happened and as it was 'Theatre-in-the-round' where the audience are surrounding you- there was no hiding place to turn to laugh. I tried not to laugh but I'm afraid I did along with the audience. I added some 'Shakespearian made-up stuff to account for it, but enjoyed it with the audience.


Props/wardrobe malfunctions. Well, had to eat a bag of crisps in 'The Man' at the Little Theatre whilst on sofa. One night picked it up the wrong way up and contents spilt. Since then over the tannoy in the dressing rooms could be heard a distinct crunch as each actor sat on them in turn. Stage Manager wondered what on earth these noises were......

Dropped a tin tray backstage with a clatter whilst playing edith in 'Blithe Spirit' at the same theatre due to make-up on the hands mixed with perspiration. Of course this was during a quietish part of the play....

Before contact lenses and without my glasses I tripped over a black stage weight in the darkness whilst in the same play...luckily this wasn't very loud....


I accidently sewed a tapestry to my lap whilst in the play 'Siddown Sid' and quickly pulled it and snapped the cotton before I was due to exit.........


My long maid-dress got caught around the ancient dentist chair  in 'You Never Can Tell' at the same theatre. I had to give it a firm yank whilst pretending to do something maid-like.....thus able to kindly leave the stage.....



Also the strap of my character's handbag became caught around the arm of the seat in 'The Man' again and had to quickly flip it off before I could leave the stage.......


No costume malfunction but leave of senses....during the same play I sat onstage and thoughts had wandered....I thought 'which door do I go out of and when do I go out of it ?' But then I thought just follow it through and it will become clear. Thankfully, I did and it was alright...phew !



In 'You Never Can Tell' again I rocked up to the wings ready for my entrance. People started laughing at me. I had got my wig and maid headpiece on back to front. I raced off to rectify.....


'Blithe Spirit' again-I was quite late once due to public transport problems and laddered my black tights as I rushed to put them on.


I was in 'Murder in the Red Barn in London at the Arts Theatre I think as part of our drama school plays and had put on false finger-nails which were quite long-only trouble was once these were on I was incapable of dressing/undressing myself having never worn false nails before... Male fellow student buttoned up my blouse for me and helped me with my other costume elements.........


More 'Actors' Stories' coming soon...........







Book musings...


Anthology-Pic Helen
Well this year I had another success with my poetry-with one poem included in another anthology and in a forthcoming book 'Poets Of The Year'.......This is only a small step but a step nonetheless. I'll keep working...
My friend Barney Bardsley's book 'Old Dog' was published and had good reviews, please see my review of it on the famous website which caters from A to Z....suffice it to say that one must never judge a book by its cover. Her book is so much more than a book about a dog as it touches on the human condition and so much more. Remember a book is for life and not just for Christmas......




Short Soapbox


Don't get me started......well ok here goes.....

Manners, I am disappointed when I don't get an acknowledgement when I hold a door......

Young female bus passengers who play the music way too loud, I am coming for you.....

On the same subject, we all know the old chestnut of pretending to read the bus timetable and then staying where you are.....there's a queue you know. If only people at the front of the line would say something to them......

Can we only allow guide dogs on buses ? Not Bill Sykes 'Trophy' dogs and certainly not allow them to sit on the seats......

You won't ever catch me at the Boxing day sales.....

Bring back the 'Startrack' system....then we shall know there's a bus on the way.

Suggest setting up a filtering desk at the A and E so that patients are sent to the appropriate treatment centre as soon as they arrive......


More Soapbox in the next post.............


Night night !!



Well a somewhat shorter post than normal but I have Christmas as a reasonable excuse........
Do stay tuned for another unpredictable diatribe in the fullness of time.........
All the best and HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL !!!



Dark Horse x



 

Monday 17 June 2013

LIEBSTER AWARD








    I was awarded a Liebster Award for newish blogs.....



**Late additions to question 6......Song 'This Woman's Work' by Kate Bush....... Also
   'Fragile' by Sting and practically everything by Sting solo and the Police..... 

  1. What motivates you to blog? A need to express, share and learn
  2. Who would you like to play you in a film about your life? Susan Sarandon or Meryl Streep
  3. Bath tub or shower? Can I have both for different needs ?!
  4. Which figure from history would you like to meet and why William Shakespeare for human condition, apart from all the famous actors/actresses such as Ellen Terry, Olivier, and Churchill for admiration of their intelligence and help for this great country of ours..... 
  5. What is the most extravagant thing you’ve ever bought?Crumbs.......I suppose my computer and the digital music software home studio stuff-also IVF treatment was bloody expensive..sorry for swearword....
  6. Which book/film/song/poem/photo/artwork etc always moves you to sadness?Heck so many can I answer each one of these ?Brace yourselves.... Charlotte's Web, Schindler's Ark, White Fang for books, Elephant Man, The Railway Children and ET for films because ET takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions with the emotive music etc and that he dies and comes back to life and the long drawn out goodbyes etc.....I have to leave the room when it's on as it kills me as a Mother and I literally am racked with sobs.....plus the music at the end builds you up and gives you the big orchestral hits at the end which allows you finally let it out although I 've already gone way before that....Elephant Man fantastically acted by John Hurt , "I am not an animal, I am a human being....!' Listen to how he pleads this and tell me you are not moved.....Remains of the Day because Stevens loves Miss Kenton and she him but they cannot seem to tell each other and so they have to part in the most painful way. Let that be a lesson for us all-IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY TELL THEM  for god's sake BEFORE IT'S TOOOOOO LATE.......I'm fine...........For songs, Why by Annie Lennox,No regrets, Robbie Williams, Get Here by Oleta Adams which is concerned with being together and making the journey to one another despite the obstacles, "There are hills and mountains between us, always something to get over, if I had my way surely you would be closer..." and it continues, many many other songs such as Sorry seems to be the hardest word and Your Song by Elton John, Wishing you were somehow here again and all I ask of you from Phantom of the Opera, Bring Him Home and empty chairs at empty tables from Les Mis. Papa can you hear me and a piece of Sky from Yentl, practically ALL of Sondheim's work including send in the clowns, I remember, Noone is alone, etc etc. Of course Bernstein's West Side story songs such as One hand one heart which is soooooooooo tender for a rough New York man to have written, "When love comes so strong, there is no right and wrong, your love is your life".All of Sir Edward Elgar's work inc. Enigma Variations, Sospiri and William Walton's work too and of course Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings (The music played at the end of the Elephant Man....)Also 'Weep no more ye sad fountains' from the film 'Sense and Sensibility' sung by Upshaw. There is a top note in that which just makes the hair rise on the back of yr neck well mine anyway.....Faure and Lloyd-Webber's Requiems.......beautiful. I'll have to go to the next one now but I could go on. Poem-high flight about the nearness of God when in flight, Joyce Grenfell's 'If I should go before the rest of you, break not a flower nor inscribe a stone but be the usual selves that I have known, nor speak in a Sunday voice.' Then later 'weep if you must parting is hell, but life goes on so sing as well'. Max Erman's 'Desiderata', and one about someones passing but not sure what it's called but goes 'I am I and you are you-whatever we were to each other that we are still. Laugh, smile pray think of me, use my name without the trace of a shadow on it...... All is well...' John Donnes' work and the other metaphysical poets........Keats, Shelley.....Anne Ridler's poetry and Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood of course, not forgetting Shakespeare and I could go on again.....photo/artwork would be pictures of Oxford where I was in my element at drama school 
  7. And which one always makes you happy? You only get what you give by the New Radicals and you take me up by the Thompson Twins.Both songs. Riverdance is quite jolly.  
  8. Night owl or lark?Definately a night owl as the saying goes I'm not a 'morning' person and like to wake up gently although I often wake up feeling amorous......we'll move on......  
  9. What is your favourite food? When small girl used to be Vesta Chicken Curry as loved the mildness of it and the presence of sultanas, now like most things. Can't name a fave but Italian, Indian and English trad. food is all nice for me. If pushed I would say a full roast turkey Christmas dinner with ALL of the trimmings such as home-made bread/onion sauce and caramelised Parsnips etc etc.  
  10. If there was one thing you could change about yourself what would it be? Oh everything I would change but mostly elements of my emotional life such as the fact that I am a terrible worrier and full of angst most of the time but I guess I hide it well. Have a habit of saying yes I'm fine when I'm not, just to be maddeningly acquiescent. I suffer in silence at a cost to my health.I would love to be better organised and am a massive procrastinator which drives me mad and possibly others too........would also like to be tall but I am above average height so I 'll have to settle for that, also need to lose weight.......get a total body transplant etc.....but I was at the front of the queue when breasts were being given out, both my Grandmas had large breasts and I have been boldly going before myself ever since and keeping this going !!!!
  11. Do you like Mondays? No as a general rule but it's made bearable if one can see a beloved one......then one would look forward to the Monday................


Eleven random facts about myself: These are all true !!!!


1.  I have sung solo for Princess Margaret for the Keats/Shelley at Italian Emb. in London.
2.  I have composed music for Peter Shaffer (Amadeus etc.) for 'Red Riding Hood' in Oxford
3.  I was shortlisted to do voices for 'Spitting Image'
4.  I can juggle and paint/draw
5.  I am on my third Judo belt
6.  I have had three poems published in poetry anthologies
7.  I am a member of Equity and have its famous 'card'
8.  I used to be a County Junior golfer for Leicestershire
9.  I have narrated two unabridged novels audio books/for order at Amazon/Waterstones
10.I have had a lot of IVF treatment in the past, one was successful......!!
11.I have had an imitation Cartier watch bought for me by the late senior Oxford Don
      I mentioned before and a brooch which I do cherish.
      The watch stopped at 2.30-the time he passed away.
      I was in his address book along with the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Iris Murdoch,
      Melvyn Bragg  etc. I was chatted up by Michael Codron at a party once- I didn't know
      who he was !!!!!
     (Only one of the biggest impresarios of the theatre, what a mistake to make !!!!!!)
      I was in a short film directed by Terence Donovan who was a nice chap. Sorry I added
      more random facts in than I was allowed...........

Normal blog will be back soon !! Watch this space............