I share my shame with Helen Sharman

 Bloody hell, Jill Archer ( Patricia Green) sounded frail on The Archer’s last night. 

It doesn’t sound like the actress will survive long enough to win the Victoria Sponge at the Flower And Produce show this year, which is sad 

All this Olympic chatter reminds me of the world student games which was held in Sheffield in 1991.

I was one of the 25 thousand capacity audience at the Don Valley Stadium who saw former Astronaut Helen Sharman DROP and EXTINGUISH the flame before reaching the bloody cauldron . 

Oh God she must have felt dreadful ! 

The crowds, as I recall were kind. 

See below Student Games Memory number two!!!

I love embarrassing stories. This one is an old one but I think it's worth repeatingBack in 1991 I was celebrating the multicultural social events organised in Sheffield when the World Student Games were held in the city.

I went with a friend to the Crucible Theatre which was hosting a free night of folk music and dance (in the foyer!)...as usual I was dressed down for the event (t shirt and ripped jeans! - remember the fact I had ripped jeans on)
but as the whole event was very relaxed I kind of blended in!
Anyhow I remember sitting on the steps of the bar looking down at the singers and crowds below..and one guy, who was sitting at a table with some friends caught my eye!
I looked at him.....he looked at me! and suddenly I thought "my lucks in!!!"
Anyhow this game of glances carried on for a while ( I remember the guy looked a little like a bearded Jake Gyllenhall) and I did that half smile and hair toss flirting thing! before I caught sight of him downing his pint then weave his way through the tables to walk to where I was sat up on the stairs!
He leaned over slowly so I could smell his after shave and whispered gently into my ear
"Hey mate...I wanted to tell you that you have a rip in your jeans and one of your b*lls is sticking out!"...he suddenly left and went to sit down again!!
What happened to me?..........well I died .....died in a pool of rancid shame

 I’m slightly pissed off

A sunny day reported and I’m on nights again .

The garden looks lovely,

Slightly damp but colourful  

I made scrambled eggs and put my face to the sun until I fell asleep 

And am off to bed after dribbling

Tempos Fugit

 Hit The Road Jack shows The Grupo Talia Choir at full lisp.

I adore it. It’s almost as if the choristers have too many syllables to deal with in one sentence

I can’t believe it’s Saturday late afternoon already. 

The Welsh have been at Trendy Carol’s all day when I’ve been asleep, both have had short haircuts which suit the summer’s humidity.

They are home now and watch me carefully from the kitchen reading chair. My movements soon will indicate to them whether I’m going to work or not tonight

Is it me or has 2024 flown ?

Bittersweet Paris

 Not as good as the London ceremony , The Paris Ceremony shone brightly in spurts.

The galloping horse up the Seine was inspired, and literally took your breath away

As did good old Céline who nailed Piaf’s Hymne á L’amour halfway up the Eiffel Tower

God that was an emotional watch.

I’ve only been to Paris once and that was back in 2001. It was a slightly upsetting jaunt as my then boyfriend ( and husband to be) ended our relationship just as I was enjoying the lighting up of the Eiffel Tower 

Happy days

The Gangs Of New York

 Chester Storyhouse, houses the professional Grovenesor Park Outdoor Theatre each year.

We went to see the impressive production of The Gangs Of New York by Kieran Lynn last night and we’re pleasantly surprised to me more entertained than I ever was with the awful film version.

The messages about how corruption, power and American politics go hand in hand were not lost on the audience or the ad-libbing  actors and although the drama was often played for laughs the violence on stage felt visceral, graphic and at times shocking. 

Great performances by Hanora Kamen, Yondola Ovide, and a rather sexy but menacing James Sheldon as Bill The Butcher.

A lovely evening

My girl

 

 

My laburnum, like us all, is another year older.

The council workmen and gardeners came for their first grass cut of the year at the Churchyard today and I found myself hurrying like a pioneer woman in an Indian Attack to the stockade which was the Church wall to check on the safety of my laburnum.

I should not have worried

Standing firm and with a mop of grand leaves, she stands strong and robust against the other trees d,And

I’m proud as any parent would be

No Twins

 Yesterday left me feeling , if not sad, certainly a tad melancholy.

Subsequently all those little jobs I had planned , didn’t get done, 

And the cat flap has yet to be fixed.

The kittens ( who will be henceforth now be referred to as the twins ) will not be arriving today as planned either,

Lily’s hernia is not quite right and because of that the Cat Manager agreed to keep her under observation at home until the 5th of August, the day I’m back after London, and of course Weaver will be staying with her. The twins will have their own room upstairs until they are more robust. 

It’s already decked out with cat litter, a few toys and old copies of the Guardian 

The next three videos are random, my favourite Italian cook, who hangs her tea towel on her bra strap ( love that) a video of the Gop Hill behind Trelawnyd at dusk and Conwy Castle ,the beautiful castle I see everyday going to work.

A Gay Funeral

 

No kittens today, I will collect them tomorrow.

Sunday, I heard that it was an old friend’s funeral today. 

Not a case of bad news travelled fast

It didn’t. 

I wanted to go and did so without reservation, this is the second such funeral I’ve attended

I’d dated David sporadically in the 1990s up to the Millennium  but he was in the closet and my temper wore thin with secrecy . So I finished my relationship with him to date a more volatile  and handsome Philip

Who was only slightly less closeted than David

It wasn’t a good time lol.

David and I romantically crossed paths only when I was single. When I was in a relationship my rules were always platonic and he respected that. 

He was the last friend I had that still wrote proper letters 

My last to him was only three months ago. 

Our last meet was in 2022 at the Ibis Hotel in Chesterfield

I met his partner this afternoon. An old Yorkshireman with a ready but sad smile 

“ I’m sorry , I don’t know who you are “ he said to me in the Crematorium line 

“ an old mate from the 90s “ I told him 

There were a few single guys my age dotted around  I noticed, a few smiled when Laura Brannigan was played as the curtains closed