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............