Personal Message

Jane sweetie, my phone hasn't retained your telephone details so I can't get in touch with you about Friday. I'm suggesting we meet in the bar at the Midland from about 1800 or at the box office at 1915 (as I have to pick the tickets up on the night). Show starts at 1930. Give me a bell if you want to discus. J x

Safe & Sound

Back in Manchester. Journey was dead easy, virtually no traffic. God its cold up here though. And forgot to get milk so had to turn round and go back out again straight away. Hey ho. Had a fabulous Xmas. Loads of good presents and no rows. Also got to go to the National Botanic Gardens which I like - especially now I'm a member (Xmas present). Bloody cold there too. Nothing else to report really. Oh except had "the family" round on Saturday. Good to see Mary, Barrie et al again. And Dylan, god bless him, what a gorgeous child.

Off to Bridgewater Hall tomorrow night with Jim for the Hallé doing show tunes. Should be interesting. Possibly Canal Street afterwards. Panacea with DD (and possibly Jennie from next door) on NYE. And then The Library Theatre on 02/01 for Neil Bartlett's Great Expectations (which should be fantastic) with Lesley, Ben and people. Can't wait. And then Wizard of Oz (Starring Lorna Luft - ironically playing the wicked witch) with Gill on Sunday. Busy busy as usual... That's all. J x

Christmas Day

So, just finished watching Casino Royale (fabulous trunks) and awaiting Dr Who so thought I'd take a minute to blog. The presents were a success (unlike last year) and both the Aged Ps are happy with their allocations. For my part I received everything I asked for - DVDs (ER, Sex And The City The Movie, Sopranos), slippers (boring but necessary), socks - pink argyle ones, very nice, hand towels (again, boring but necessary) and a step ladder. Which was wrapped! Also a cocktail shaker to match my kitchen splashback - very clever, my Mum. All in all a successful Xmas. No rows. Food was fabulous (apparently) and I had a bit of mashed up this and that. Even the wine I brought home was good. Now awaiting a disaster of course...

Hope you all had a good time too. Heard from DD this morning and the weather in Spain in the mountains is very good (apparently the rain has stayed mainly in the plain). She also gets UK TV and was therefore able to watch Gavin and Stacey which was v v good. Roll on Series 3... Also spoke to John (without arguing - it was a fairly brief conversation) and had a best wishes text from the lovely Andrea. Text from the Taylors yesterday so may not hear anything further on that front until 2009.

Booked for Twelfth Night with Derek Jacobi in March at the Donmar West End in London and will be going to see The Marriage of Figaro at The Millennium Centre in Cardiff in February. Plus start new job on 02/02. So 2009 already shaping up as busy. Hurrah. Oh forgot, also got membership of the National Botanical Gardens of Wales for Xmas so hopefully off for a visit there soon (I just love it there). So goodwill to all you men and women out there and see y'all soon. J x

Its Been Ages

I know, I know. Sorry. Its been a busy couple of weeks. To start with some good news, well done to Kathryn who has just passed her 4 year milestone of being free of the Big C. I'm dead chuffed for you (to use the Swansea vernacular). Also some good news chez moi, I went back to Christies to get the results from the biopsy of the bit they cut off my lip just before I went to London. Having sat in the waiting room for 2 hours whilst they looked for my notes (!&+**@!) I had a 5 minute consultation to be told that it was a "viral warty thing" (sometimes I just get completely lost with all this technical jargon) and nothing to worry about. Phew.

Jane's funeral was lovely (as funerals go). Anne did make it (albeit in an ambulance and she was in a wheelchair) but I'm sure it was important that she was there. I understand that she hasn't improved greatly since but I believe this may be the way of things with strokes - it takes your body a long while to understand and deal with what has gone on and you need to sleep a lot in the weeks following it happening. At the funeral Murray (Jane's husband), Robert (her brother) and 3 of her friends all spoke. Its an incredibly difficult thing to do (as Robert will no doubt attest being completely unable to say the last sentence of the words he'd prepared) but it makes such a difference. We heard about Jane from the people who knew and loved her in a way that was much more personal instead of a vicar just blithely repeating what they've been told and mispronouncing names etc. The chapel was lovely (but very cold) and the graveside was muddy but then I imagine they always are. After tea and sandwiches in a local hall it was back up to Manchester. I'm glad I went.

And what's happened since then? Well there have been drunken nights out. Christmas shopping, decorations and wrapping presents. There has been a Chinese meal book group at which I discovered I can eat peppers (yay). I've also been to the cinema to see The Day The Earth Stood Still -one of the worst films I have ever seen (it fails on every level). Denise and I have also been given free tickets to Panacea for New Year's Eve (normal cost £25 each - double yay).

I'm in work tomorrow and then its back to Swansea on Tuesday until the 29th and then back to Manchester for the new year and preparing for the new job. Really looking forward to Xmas - it seems like ages since I spent time with the Aged Ps (just looked in the diary and apart from the brief get together at the funeral not since the end of August). That's ages. I'll no doubt post from Swansea over Xmas but in the meantime:

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all my readers. That's all. J x

Sublime

The opera was fantastic. I've no idea why it isn't performed more often. And the lead soprano was wonderful (although apparently suffering from "vocal fatigue" bless her). There was no sign of vocal fatigue though when, at the end, she was "consumed by paroxysms of grief and died in convulsions".

A walk around Regent's Park in the winter sunshine was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning but the Design Museum in the afternoon was disappointing. Its really badly run which one could forgive more if they didn't charge an £8.50 entrance fee. Then a quiet night in the hotel before the funeral at 1200 today. Spoke to my mum yesterday (they came up to London last night) and she doesn't think my aunt will be well enough to attend after all. But no decision will be taken until this morning. Back to Manchester this evening and I'll let you know how it all went. That's all. J x

Hairspray

Well I was all prepared to be disappointed by this show on account of the fact that I was informed when I arrived at the theatre (note, not when I purchased the ticket) that none of the lead performers (apart from Michael Ball) would be appearing. And whilst some of the substitute leads were weak (particularly Tracey and Link - who was blonde: what was that all about?) the show has such a fantastic score and is such a warm hearted show that I was won over by the end. I would like to go and see it again with the proper leads though. And I have to say that Michael Ball - who I don't normally rate - was excellent as Edna. Afterwards went to One Aldwych for a martini or two. Very nice.

Today have spent mostly shopping on Regent Street, New Bond Street and Dover Street. Needless to say I've spent a fortune but have some very nice shirts/jackets/suitcases. Tonight is the South Bank Centre and Donizetti's Parisimina. No idea what it's like or what its about about but its the London Philharmonic so it should be good.

Some good news about Monday too (in the sense that there can be any good news about a funeral) It sounds as though my aunt (Jane's mum) may be able to attend the funeral in a wheelchair. Fingers crossed that this is possible because although it will be very very sad and upsetting for her, its also a necessary part of the grieving process. I'll let you know how it went when I'm back in Manchester. That's all for now. J x

Butchered!

To Christies yesterday where the doctor (or butcher) decided that he'd hack off half my lip and leave me with a completely disfigured face. Actually, the fact is that I had a small spot on my upper lip that had been there for about 4 months and which I thought might be a new tumour (you all know how dramatic I can get). Turns out not to be cancer (phew) and the doctor - a chap called Aran who was very nice but obviously not Sean who was engaged elsewhere and not looking after me (his number one patient) - offered to remove it for me. I agreed and so he did it there and then. I now have a stitch there and the lovely lovely Debbie says I'm not to kiss anyone until she takes it out on Tuesday!

On a sadder note I'm off to London today for the weekend and to attend my cousin's funeral on Monday. Not sure what I'll do in London although I have booked to go and see the London Philharmonic on Saturday evening at The South Bank. May try and get into a show tonight. Further bad news is that Jane's mum (my auntie) has had a stroke and won't be able to attend the funeral. Word from my uncle is that, as strokes go, it could have been worse so its fingers crossed for her recovery. I'll update you more after the weekend. That's all. J x