Clophill Choir Crawl

Firstly I would like to apologise for not writing in a while...it has been a busy busy few months but I am back and ready to throw some stories your way!!

Last night, a group of 12 of us in the Clophill Christmas Choir went around the village popping in to 8 different houses to sing some carols and get people in the festive spirit so we met at Ali and Jon's at 4 ready to make our rounds.

Upon arriving at the first house, we were ushered into the living room and all 12 of us stood around the tree...I personally felt like the angel sat at the top with the branches sticking right up my... Sorry, I digress. Once we finished, we were handed a glass of wine. Not that we had any time to drink it; 2 minutes after being handed said glass Jon (our conductor) piped up with "come on guys, drink up, coats on, lets go" Wine downed, coats and scarves on and out the door we go to house number 2.

This house was a very different group of people all very much in the party spirit shouting out "Sing Fairytale of New York, that's my favourite carol!!" This house offered us champagne and the most amazing platter of food so we got to stay there for more than 1 drink so when the champagne bottle came around again I thought I had time for another. Unfortunately that wasn't the case; "Drink up, coats on, let's go"...so I downed the champagne and we left.

For those of you that know me will know that having now had 3 glasses of the bubbly it had started going to my head and I was starting to get the giggles. House number 3 was no different but this time a wonderful Rioja was offered to me and I was left next to the cheese board. Yep. That got devoured! House number 4 was more up market as it was a black tie event so we all felt a little out of place all in our red christmassy jumpers and comfy boots. And then in front of 30 or so people, Jon turns to me and says "OK Charlie, can you sing the opening to Away In A Manger? Brilliant, David notes please. And...." Thank goodness for all that wine now in my system, no chance to get the wobbles.... "And now Once In Royal...Charlie if you will?" Umm...WHAT?!?! Have I drunk too much?? Did I just get asked to sing solo again? OK...Let's do this!! Yet another glass of bubbly downed and off we went again.

The next house was an emotional one for most people as Bob, the man of the house, died earlier this year and his favourite song was Silent Night and he always wanted the choir to sing it in German so this year in memory of Bob we did (not entirely sure if the pronunciation was correct though!) and it was so beautiful. I am not sure how my Mum, the soloist in it, managed to get through without crying as everyone else was in tears. We all wished we could stay at this house longer as it had such a lovely, warm and positive energy surrounding it but there was Jon "drink up, coats on, let's go"---bubbles downed, coat on and out the door we went. 

Now by this time I have the equivelant of a bottle of wine in my system and an entire cheese board floating around in the stomach. I am lactose intolerant. I shall just say I sat the next house out... Meeting back up with them ready for the next house I was greeted with the lovely choirs harmonies of "Yay, Charlie is back" it seemed clear to me that now everyone was feeling very jolly from all of the wine.

The last 2 houses were much the same as the rest and made me realise a few things; I was drunk, I love village life and I am a nosy begger---nothing like looking around a house which you have walked past on many occasions but never had the chance of looking inside. You can forgive a girl right?

Last night was such a magical and Christmassy atmosphere and I loved every second of it. What a great way to end the dark and the cold with the Winter Solstice coming tonight. It was such a great evening and I am very grateful that I got to be a part of it. I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Lots of Love from me and lets chat in 2015 xx

A Man With His Dog

A man with his dog.....
No, a man with his pug are walking towards me.
There is no lead, just an obedient and loyal pug, man's best friend.
What can I see?
He isn't very tall by the looks of things. 
He is quite far away and walking at a calm pace.
No, not calm, careful.
It seems to me that his pace is careful.
He knows his route and his eyes look around him continuously.
Yes, his pace seems careful.
It's cold out here in the park but he has the sleeves of his burgendy jumper rolled up revealing weather beaten arms.
And upon closer inspection I can see his arms are covered in hair.
A lot of hair.
And his feet? 
You can tell a lot by a person's shoes.
He is wearing a black and white shoe somewhere between a converse and a trainer.
I guess he likes his comforts.
And why not?
I would say he is in his fifties, enjoy that comfort good sir!
His hair is neatly cropped with a sprinkling of grey.
It's a salt and pepper pot.
It matches his trousers.
Once were black but have been so well worn with stains and fluff.
He is stood near me now, bent down to re-attach the lead to his happy, little, golden pug.
A flurry of colours swirling around them in the Autumn wind.
If this wasn't reality I would take a picture.
A snapshot.
He seems so sad.
His eyes are suck quite far into his skull leaving dark circles under his eyes.
He gives the sweet pug a rub behind the ears and says "It's time to go home".
No happiness in that voice.
I can't help but feel for this man.
They slowly follow the path round to the park gates.
And the man with his dog are gone.

Winter Is Coming

Winter is coming. Those from the north in game of thrones couldn't be more right. The days are getting shorter and the air is turning colder day by day. But let's just take a minute to talk about the understated season of Autumn. No one seems to love this beautiful season as much as myself. Spring is lived for the coming of the summer season and the bringing of new life. Summer brings the warmth and laughter which everyone needs after a long winter and winter is loved for Christmas celebrations and the start of a new year. But Autumn? Everyone starts to get moody because they know that the warmth of summer is leaving us and winter is coming.

So let me tell you why I love autumn so much....

1. The beautiful colours everywhere you look- reds, yellows, greens, orange, it is like looking at Joseph's technicoloured dream coat

2. Who doesn't like to run through those glorious crunching leaves kicking them up into the air?

3. The celebration of Hallows eve where you can stuff your face with sweets and chocolate. In fact, children are encouraged to do so

4. The food- pumpkin pie, squash salad, hearty soups, fresh crusty bread, toffee apples, cinder toffee, heavy creamy dishes and any excuse to eat a roast dinner, the list in endless in the autumn months

5. And most importantly in my eyes, the fashion! In summer you are forced to wear barely anything just so you don't faint with heat exhaustion on the tube but Autumn you can bring out hats, scarves, belts, layer clothing up, tights, boots and you can still look great with out having to look like snowman as you do in winter.

So to those who dislike Autumn, I ask you to take a second look around at how beautiful this earth looks this season, heck, even London has a charm about it and I don't say that often! Take a look in your wardrobe and fill it with tan, burgundy, navy blue, cream, olive and emerald. Get out your silk scarves, hats and most of all go and pick up a lovely pair of boots and enjoy every moment of the fashion of Autumn. And to top it off? A lovely trench coat.

Enjoy Autumn lovely people and see you on the other side of winter

Edinburgh '14 Wrapped Into One

Another Fringe over

The Snow Dog has gone home

The cars are packed and ready

How this year has flown....by

An 8am start and we say our farewells

Hat and I set off, coffee in hand

The Carpenters on CD

All packed up in the van

5 hours later, we cross the border 

It's raining, what a shock....

Eventually we're here in Edinburgh

To the Pleasance is our next stop

The wings are tiny with no space to move

Where will the sofa and bed go?

And what about the 4 huge masks?

4 actors, a husky? Hang on, and me though?

It's midnight now and no time to think

Tomorrow we shall finish up here

A restless night and another early start

The tech is over, time for beer!!

The month is filled with lots of promo

Handing out flyers, meeting the dog

Dressed as an Inuit giving kids balloons

Up to the Royal Mile we jogged

We have seen a lot of shows

Some good some bad

Comedians who made us laugh

And theatre which made us sad

The last few days have been just great

The get-out went really well

The sun was finally shining

And which made our last day swell!

Last night we went to dinner

The cast, the crew and friends

Hat and Ben gave us presents 

None of us were ready for the end

We then went to karaoke 

And sang the night away

We danced and drank, then danced some more

The time we had was great.

I'm going to miss this company 

For all it's quirks and charms

The month has been quite mental

Here, there is no such word as 'calm'

To Hat and Ben I say thank you

For giving me a job

You both are simply amazing

As I write I'm trying no to sob

Because this month has had highs and lows

Yet you have made it fun

It's great being part of the Flouse family

And I am sad it is now done.

To Charlotte, Becky and Colin

3 more great friends I have made

You are wonderful in every way

My sanity you have saved!

So thank you all for the memories

Of geography, colours and food

The laughs, support and a damn good show

Snow Dog '14 I LOVE YOU!!!

I Know My Opinion Doesn't Count But: Part 5 Odd Shaped Balls

Odd Shaped Balls: * * * * *

Today I went to see a WONDERFUL show written by Richard d Sheridan, and performed by his brother Chris Sheridan. This magical, brotherly duo have done an incredible job. This show deserves every single on the the 4-5 star reviews it has received, and there are a lot of them.

One reviewer describes this show as one he has waited to see "my entire life" and I think this comment is extremely justifiable! A one man show about a Rugby player who is outted by his ex-boyfriend and has to face his coach, his team, the media but ultimately has to face up to it himself.

I found this play extremely inspiring; not only for the fact that it shows the unfortunate reality of homophobia within sports, but also for the incredible performance by Chris Sheridan. He pulled all of the stops out physically (it was a small space to work in as well but it was used extremely wisely) and vocally using a variety of accents to differentiate the many characters he plays and the many emotions he portrays throughout the piece. 

His versatility is incredible; a one man show is hard enough but add in a variety of different characters in both genders for a 55 minute show, I was completely blown away by the amazing talent in front of me and I was absorbed into the piece from the off set. 

Great comedy mixed with a very strong underlying message to people of all ages made this show completely incredible. I loved every second of it and think anyone up here should really go and watch this incredible piece of theatre. Lots of love to the Sheridan brothers and a big congrats to you both for an amazing show! 

#HowTheNHSSavedMyLife

This evening, Neil and I went to see the wonderful and forever gorgeous Tiff Stevenson at 9.15pm at the Gilded Balloon. Tiff is a comedian that, not only will have you rolling around with tears streaming down your face, but is one that will CHANGE THE WORLD....and has wanted to ever since she was 14 (watch her show and find out just how she did just this).

Tiff said something in her set today that I think is a very worthwhile and great cause; she has set up the hashtag #howthenhssavedmylife and I wanted to share my story as I am one of many who have had their life saved by the NHS and its wonders.

When I was younger I was a very clumsy child and was certain I had broken a mirror;

Aged 9 I broke me little toe and the NHS made me cool by giving me crutches 

Aged 10 I dropped a plate on my big toe and the NHS bandaged me up

Aged 11 I over stretched ligaments in my knee and yet again was given crutches 

Aged 12 I had my tonsils removed and they provided me with endless amounts of ice-cream 

Aged 13 a lump in my neck of suspected cancer with a tail spiraling down my spine was removed and a beautiful scar remains

......5 years, so surely only 2 more to go and my broken mirror days would be over 

But alas, no such thing has happened....

When I was 14 I started to get severe stomach pains and no-one could tell me what the problem was until 4 years later when I finally got sent to a specialist having lost around 2 stone in a month, just a bag of bones and was told I have something called Crohn's Disease. I pretty much fell apart there and then but thank God I have the NHS there to support me.

Things don't always go right in the NHS and probably never will do, but having been in and out of hospital for the last 4 years, I have been treated with the utmost respect by the staff and doctors, been given free medication every other month which helps me to become a (nearly) normal human being so without the NHS I would probably not be how I am today. I am extremely lucky to live in this country and be offered free medication. by the NHS.

But the best part? They have helped my lovely boyfriend Neil STOP SNORING so, yes I shall be forever in their debt!! 

I Know My Opinion Doesn't Count But: Part 4 Vikki Stone: Instrumental

Vikki Stone: Instrumental * * * * 

Vikki Stone is a woman of comedic brilliance, lyrical genius and music extraordinaire! Vikki takes us through some of the moments in her life which inspired her splash of musicality from school to becoming a backing singer to Elton John and ending of something I was not expecting.

I was gutted I actually missed the opening to her show but as I walked in she was rapping in the style of "we didn't start the fire" about where all of her musical instruments came from and some interesting stories behind them; very amusing and I was also completely blown away by the fact that she could speak so fast, I am pretty sure I didn't hear her catch her breath at all during the entire song.

She made light of the fact that one of her instruments wasn't working well which I actually thought was a lovely touch to the show with the occasional "F**k* and "Oh S**t" thrown into her never ending hilarious speech. 

The section of audience participation was absolutely cry with laughter funny!! The man she got up on stage to play Elton John was bloody brilliant and a great sport as was the man forced to dress up in a dog costume and I was howling with laughter the entire time. Vikki has a great nac for story telling in a way that is both very fun and engaging and then she flawlessly steps into song making me wish my life was actually a musical and wanting her to follow me around everywhere making this weird and wonderful dream come true.

At the end of the show, she sat down at her piano and starting singing a song about her dad who recently passed away. About half way through the song, tears started streaming down my face as anything relating to dads is very close to my heart because I am lucky enough to have a dad that is also my best friend (I can't even listen to the song "Wake Me Up when September Ends" by Green Day without blubbing- I may have to take the American Idiot album out of my car before I have a crash.....). So when she started singing about her dad and his support for her and how he passed away I couldn't stop myself, I was a wreck! 

Vikki Stone is a wonderful singer and song writer and I would love to go and watch her again and I think anyone up at the fringe should go and support such an amazing woman. She is on at Cowgate Udderbelly at 7:30pm 

I Know My Opinion Doesn't Count But: Part 3 #meetandtweet

#meetandtweet * * * *

At 3am I finally got to sleep having fixed everything for the show and I was up again at 8am ready for our show at 11am sow when 2pm hit I was ready for bed, a lovely cat nap to keep me going for the rest of the day. So when I got dragged out at 2.30 to go and watch a show in the pouring rain I really did NOT want to leave the apartment.

"We are going to watch a show about Twitter" 

"I can just sit at home and go on Twitter, why do I need to watch a show about it?"

Puppy dog eyes and a big grin on my friends face and I get blackmailed out of the door in the rain to watch some show about Twitter....

Well, it was brilliant!! It made me look at my life in a slightly different way. Upon walking in, we got handed a piece of paper and a pen and were asked to write down our twitter handles and put it into a bucket. A man, Declan the magician and writer, with 161 Twitter followers decided to try and meet 150 of them and so #meetandtweet started. He traveled all over the UK meeting so many weird and wonderful people including a woman who spent her days in prisons and rehab centers teaching women how to gain their self confidence back again. 

When the BBC got hold of the story of the man who wanted to meet his Twitter followers, something wonderful happened; the power of the internet took over and Declan became an internet sensation over night! 12,000 followers in half an hour, people from all over the globe inviting him to interviews and all because one wet Sunday afternoon he was bored and created a tweet wondering if anyone had or could meet their twitter followers. 

I went into his show feeling tired and begrudging my friend from dragging me out in the rain, and came out feeling uplifted and wanted to take part in something bigger myself. So when he offered out the bucket of twitter handles at the end, daring people to meet up and follow suit, I couldn't resist and now I am waiting to hear back from @evejepson to see if she wants to carry on the #meetandtweet with a coffee and interesting chat with someone I have never met before but could potential know all about me!! Exciting world we live in, especially when engrossed in the internet. 

I Know My Opinion Doesn't Count But......: Part 2 The Greatest Liar In The World

The Greatest Liar In The World: * * * * *

We all know the beloved Disney film about Pinocchio but what happens to him when he has grown up and is a real boy? Well, this middle aged show man known as the "Greatest Liar In The World" decides that on his final night of the show he wants to tell everyone the truth about where he came from and why he is the way he is.

This 5 person show was magical to say the least; the musician with one arm I was completely mesmerized by for the first 5 minutes, the mime artist/clown was so beautiful in her movement the entire way through that every time she was on stage I was completely enthralled, the girl who did a lot of the puppet manipulation (a hard thing to get right and she became invisible throughout the puppet sequence which was great), the 'liar' of the show, Pinocchio if you will had such great stage presence that I found myself wanting him to catch my eye so I could see what he was really thinking about and the comedy guy- his timing was perfect and his oh so cheesy jokes cracked me up throughout. A very strong and tight-knit cast, very enjoyable to watch.

The costumes were amazing, had a really great through line, the set was simple yet effective, the lighting was really lovely when is was being operated correctly (sometimes I found myself looking at the girl operating the show to see what was going on), the props were all essential, nothing put in there for no apparent reason which I strongly agree with as a designer myself, the writing was great and the direction of the show was outstanding.

The girl in blue; the use of the umbrella and flowers was so simple yet effective and had me sobbing by the end. The puppets, especially the shadow puppets were phenomenal, I loved every second of their manipulation that it felt like I was watching a really slick part of a Tim Burton film. And the comedy throughout; wow, it had me leaning forward in my seat waiting for the next punchline.

Overall, I LOVED THIS SHOW!! It was completely amazing and I shall most definitely be going to watch it again and hopefully pick up bits I didn't notice before. 3.30 pm Pleasance Beside, Familia De La Noche--- storytelling at it's best!

I Know My Opinion Doesn't Count But..... : Part 1 VocaPeople

So, up here in "Sunny" Edinburgh I have the privileged of going to watch loads of shows, some free, some paid for and thought, just for fun, why not do my own reviews:

VocaPeople * * * * * 

When I saw the poster of a bunch of people wearing what can only be described as human condoms (or aliens of you will) not being able to speak but can only sing, I wanted to run a million miles away. I am SORRY but it sounded like one of those shows where the director said "OK guys, I want to make something weird this year, something that will stand out at the fringe, something so odd that people will want to watch it just because you are all wearing condoms for hats" however.,... 

HOLY CRAP!!! It was AMAZING!! I can't even begin to explain to you how much I loved it. And the other 500 people in the auditorium. 8 aliens come down from the planet Voca and crash into planet Earth. They need to recharge their space batteries and the only way they can do it is by making music with their mouths.  

The cast as a whole are both very talented and funny. They kind of reminded me of Jim Carey meets Pitch Perfect. They had a great relationship the entire way through with each other and with the audience. Audience participation is a necessity and everyone in there was up for a good laugh.

The poor girl with blue hair from another show at The Pleasance  got dragged up onto stage to have 5 men dressed entirely in white with jet black eyebrows that you can't really trust and had song after song dedicated to her. What a great sport! 

I loved absolutely EVERYTHING about this show and think everyone should come and see it at The Pleasance Grand at 6pm, but hurry, I think this will be a sell out show before we all know it.

The Sounds Of The City

Over the last few weeks I have been spending most of my time in my home town, a quiet little village in the heart of Bedfordshire, so coming back to my little place in London for the night feels strange. 

It a nearly midnight and I can hear the continuous sound of traffic; cars, trains and planes alike. I forgot about the hustle and bustle of the city! The drone in the background where I can almost hear taxi drivers swearing at other drivers on the road, lorry drivers beeping incessantly at one another and the tinkle of bike bells as they dodge red traffic lights thinking they own the roads here. And when I wake up in the morning the same sounds will be being made and won't have stopped all night. 

In clophill I have been falling asleep to the sounds of wind chimes blowing in the breeze and the continuous flow of water from our waterfall in the garden. The serene sounds that people pay for on a CD (unless they wanted dolphins mating of course) and it has been so peaceful that I have dropped off in minutes but here I am, nearing midnight, still awake feeling like I am a million miles away from home when in fact it's only 45 minutes by car. 

It's amazing how the sounds of London are so busy and rushed, people always in a hurry with no time to themselves, angry at those who want to take their time in life. I admit I am one of these londeners at times, yelling in my head at "those bloody tourists, why can't they either walk faster or just damn well move!" so it has been rather wonderful being away from it all soaking in the calmness of the countryside. Being back is a strange feeling, so for one night only I will let the lullaby of London sing me to sleep until I get back to my little piece of stillness tomorrow night. Until tomorrow folks, goodnight! 

"I'm Fine Thank You"

My Norwegian friend once said to me 

"When I first moved to England the one thing I found really strange was how people greet each other with; Hey, you alright?--- that's so odd, you are the only place I know that do that"

And as I was walking back from a very pissed off appointment which was cancelled and I wasn't told about and they decided to change it to a date I told them I couldn't do and on top of that I wasted money getting to said appointment AND I had to get up early....yep safe to say I wasn't a happy bunny, but when I was asked by a random person on the street "You alright?" My reply? "Morning, yer good thanks, you?"

WHAT?!?!?

I am very clearly in a bad mood and yet I STILL reply "good thanks, you?" WHAAATTTT?!?! 

Such a strange society that we feel like we have to say "good thanks, you?" out of politeness because who wants to hear "Oh bloody hell, worst morning ever....." and going off on a rant, I certainly would feel like replying with "oh, umm ok, I was just being polite...." So if someone could please tell me why we have to ask "How are you?" and reply with "Good thanks" I would be most grateful for an answer!! 

Peace and love fellow bloggers

xxx

The People's Choice!

Wow! What a night! Last minute yesterday, I got a phone-call from Neil asking if I wanted to go to the short film awards for reed.co.uk as his brother, Andrew, had been nominated. How could I turn down a night of free booze, a chance to mingle with some real talent and what girl doesn't love getting  dressed up to go out for the night?

When we got there, we all felt pretty out of our league and intimidated by all the cameras, Alex Zain floating about and so many 'Big Wigs' from TV world, but a couple of flutes of champagne later and we were ready to go, Andrew looking pretty nervous, and we head on up to the theatre to watch all of the films nominated. 

They were all pretty awesome, some funny, others brought a tear to your eye, they were fab, and then it came to finding out our winners. the under 25's category was won by a gorgeous girl who hadn't even finished her A-Levels- her film was really moving and was sickened that this 17 year old had so much talent!! Then it was People's Choice and BOOM Well done Andrew, we were all so thrilled!!

Then it was time to go down and mingle our little tooshies off and drink copious amounts of free booze (I have to say I am regretting it a little right now...). As Neil and I were stood by a table eating mini burgers and shot glasses of chips chatting away with Andrew and his girlfriend having a jolly good time, people were coming up to ask Andrew for interviews and photos, it was great! I then nipped off to the bathroom and came back to find Eugene Simon was stood talking to Neil....For those of you who watch Game Of Thrones, you will know his as Lancel Lanister, the squire to King Barathion.

As I walked up to them I heard Neil saying "my girlfriend loves Game of Thrones, can I get a picture with you two?" 

Me: YES YOU CAN

Eugene: well you must be said lovely girlfriend

Me: This is going in my blog (CRINGE---WHY DID I SAY THAT?!?!)

Eugene: Then I will put this in my blog

Neil: get out of each other's blogs!

Neil then proceeded to steal Eugene's watch and baffle him with mind blowing magic and I think we pretty quickly became his favourite people in the room. All-in-all he is a pretty awesome guy and I am glad I got to chat with him.

I had such an amazing night, thank you so much for the invite Andrew, so happy for you and your girlfriend is awesome!! Until my next weird and wonderful adventure my friends xx

4 People And A Funeral

When Neil rang me a few days ago to say that we were having a funeral for his rat, Rosie, I thought he was joking.....how very wrong I was. 

Yesterday evening, I went out to the car so Neil and I could go to his friends house for dinner and sat in the passenger seat was a tiny wreath of flowers. That was it, I was gone!! I collapsed on the floor in absolute hysterics, this was too much, I wasn't sure how I was going to take this seriously and I really didn't want to offend anyone so was hoping the giggles would get out of my system pretty quickly!! 

When we got to Neil's friends house, we bought a bottle of wine and first-things-first, we toasted to the lovely rat that was (who was now in a shoe box in the fridge). After dinner and a lot of wine, we got ready to head up to Ally Pally for the funeral so Neil and D put their suit jackets on, picked up Rosie's box and held her on their shoulders as if starting the funeral march....as you can imagine I really tried hard to keep it together and felt very lucky I was the one standing behind the camera so that I could concentrate on something else. Beauty was though, D and Neil also struggled to keep a straight face and after taking about 25 pictures, we finally got a good one:

Then we all headed up to Ally Pally to say goodbye to the lovely Rosie. A hole was dug under a really big and beautiful tree, and the diva that was Rosie got placed gently inside accompanied by a Cath Kidston baby blanket and her 'packed lunch'. D said a really lovely poem about her and we all put a handful of dirt in and buried her up wishing her a safe journey, leaving the wreath on top. Having been laughing all evening, it now was actually rather sad. M, D and Neil all had a moment together and I think they all found it hard to leave, because although I have been joking the entire way through, Rosie was a big part of theirs lives; they told me hundreds of stories about times she had made them laugh, she sounded like she had a really great personality and was so human that she even offered them kisses. I have to admit, even I found it moving.

Farewell Rosie, as D would say "The best rat that ever was". Sleep well xxx

P.T.X

"PTX! PTX! PTX!" was being chanted as we walked into the O2 empire in Shepherds Bush and Dani and I couldn't help but join in. The atmosphere was full of energy and excitement. People from all over London came to see one of the best Acapella groups in the world; stood in front of us in the queue was a gentleman of about 60 or so reading a newspaper, as we rounded the corner to get into the venue, a group of 14 year old girls were all squeeling with excitement and standing next to us waiting for Pentatonix, was a family- the 'kids' must have been mid-20's! It was great to see such a large range of people there.

I digress--- so we are stood maybe 10 rows of people from the front cheering PTX to the stage, the lights went dark and BOOM there they were, all 5 of them singing in perfect harmony and both Dani and myself became 15 again. The family next to us looked a little concerned at first by the two 20-somethings jumping up and down like loony-toons and screaming our little hearts out. Having waited 5 months for this moment to come, and here it was, PTX standing just a few metres away blowing the crowd away with their mutant lungs, we couldn't have been happier even if we tried. 

Let me take you back a few years when we first found them; we were doing a show at Uni and the song of the moment was "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore so Dani went on YouTube and came across this gorgeous little group doing an AMAZING rendition (take a listen) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0qJdShOL_s 

and that was it....we were OBSESSED and started to look up every song they had ever done and we discovered 2 that really stuck with us. 'Run To You' which is an original song written by the bassist Avi, and 'Evolution of Music' which is just pure brilliance! Leading up to their show last Thursday, Dani and I were both tweeting them asking to sing 'Run To You' so every time a new song started we were praying it would be this one so when Avi announced them doing an original our hearts jumped and we reached out for each other whisper-squeeling "oh my god, oh my god, this is it, oh my god" and the 15 year old in me got a little too carried away and screamed out "I LOVE YOU AVI!!!"....maybe not an appropriate time but it just happened.

Standing in a triangle formation, a spotlight hit the 5 of them and the beautiful sounds of 'Run To You' started to wash over us. We stood there holding hands, staring up at the stage as if they were some form of demi-gods, mouthing every word along with them. At the end of the song, we turned to each other with tears in our eyes and big grins on our faces feeling like they had been singing just to us. 

We knew that the gig was coming to a close which made our hearts sink and wish for more, so when they sang their final song 'Carry You Home Tonight', we danced til our feet couldn't take anymore and sang to each other. For you best friends out there, you will understand me when I say it was a moment neither of us will ever forget; just us two, in a moment of pure brilliance loving every second. As we left to get the tube home, arm in arm, we couldn't stop grinning knowing our faces would hurt in the morning from our crazy smiles feeling incredibly happy and satisfied with life. Thank you to my gorgeous best friend for an amazing night which I shall never forget. xxx

 

The Keys To Happiness

Someone said to me today "Why are you always so happy and what's with this #100happydays thing you are doing? If I could just have one of those days it would last me a lifetime" and it got me thinking about all the things that makes me happy and how I can help everyone else around me get a dose of the happy pill, so here I give you a few cheeky tips on how to make your life a happier place;

1. Music and Dancing- listen to songs that make you happy; there are so many online soundtracks you can download. I always like to put on the soundtrack to the film Footloose and before you know it I am up on my feet dancing in my room without a care in the world. Challenge for you; when you are next out in a club, dance like there is no-one watching---it's amazing how good it will make you feel

2. FOOD! 

3. Get Creative- making something out of nothing is such a satisfactory thing whether it is an item of clothing, a card or a cake, create something and it will make you smile.

4. Love- I think this is one of the most important keys to happiness. It doesn't have to be the lustful or sexual kind of love that you have for a partner, remember your love for your friends and family and the way they love you back, it's such a great thought. Here's an idea; think about someone you love and admire, write a letter to them and post it. Making someone else smile will make you smile too!

 5. Silliness- being silly can really get your heart pumping and helps you feel like a child again

 How am I always happy? The answer is I just let myself be; let your inhibitions go, run like Phoebe from Friends, dance like the drunk uncle at a wedding and love with every part of your body. 

I shall leave you with this; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOH_mioL3TU 

For My Friends...

I want to take you on a journey. I want you to take 20 minutes out of your day to appreciate the world around you. But most of all, I want you to use today as a wake up call; today will never be again so use it wisely.

Before we start I want you to click on this link and press play.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y58M8VFiIIA

Step out of your front door, take a deep breath of fresh lovely air and before you set off, look at the trees and the flowers and appreciate the beauty of Spring, new life and thank the skies that Winter is over. 

Turn left and head down your street. You come to a rickety, muddy, old path on your right so head down it. You see horses hoof prints in the mud and try not to ruin the continuity of it's pattern so skip over each step and laugh at yourself knowing how silly you must look. You come out to another road and are met by a couple with a dog. You wave hello and are greeted by smiles and a very happy puppy at your feet wanting attention so give him a stroke before saying your farewells, heading on your way.

You decide to turn left again and go through a gate. There are trees all around you creating a beautiful tunnel. The sun is shining through the trees above you, it's rays creating tiny paths of light dancing over the pathway showing you the way to go. You feel the warmth on your face and take off your jacket, slinging it over your shoulder letting those pools of light seep into your skin. Take a moment, close your eyes and look up to the sky and allow a smile to creep onto your face before carrying on.

You come out into a clearing and you realise you are stood on a hill looking out over hundreds of fields full of lush green, trees blooming with blossom, horses and cows grazing in the sun and you see no-one, it's perfect and peaceful. Head over to the fallen tree to your right, sit down and absorb in the beautiful scene around you, listening to the birds in the trees and you can smell the flowers all around you. 

Before leaving to go home, take a mental picture and every time you feel down or alone, take yourself back to this place and remember that no matter what happens, there is always peace and love in the world and no matter who you are, nature will always provide this for you.

Happy Spring Everyone xxx

I Love Me A Bit Of Sushi

Having been brought up vegetarian, the idea of eating raw fish made me want to cry for about a year so when I first stepped foot into Yo! Sushi, I was more surprised than anyone and wanted to start on a very safe level of....well, not eating fish. 

5 years on and I ca safely say I have found my favourite food IN THE WORLD!! I would happily eat it all day every day. Its so fresh and beautifully tasty and stunningly presented and I'm not allergic to it so that's a bonus. So I thought I would write my own little review of some of my favourite sushi restaurants I have been to;

For my birthday the other day, Neil took me out for sushi to a restaurant in Crouch End called WOW-Simply Japanese. 

http://www.wowsimplyjapanese.co.uk/

We ordered Dragon Roll (a favourite of ours which we first tried in Florida this year), Crispy Salmon Skin Roll, Edamame Beans and a dish called Nasu Dengkaku; this dish is described as grilled aubergine with miso so we thought why not try it? DEAR LORD--- it was so good that we ordered another one as pudding! I highly recommend this restaurant; the food was 4.5/5 stars as it arrived quickly, looked and smelt beautiful and tasted heavenly. The staff were friendly and banterful and the restaurant was packed within minutes of opening. The reason I can't give it 5 stars is for the few simply facts of they didn't have Wakame Salad and the view consists of a pub across the street but apart from that it was wonderful.

I love Yo! Sushi for its convenience and cheapness but it's by far not the best sushi out there, I would say the same for the chain Wasabi; I really enjoy the food here, it's easy to pick and choose what you want, you can have hot or cold or a mix of both and the price is pretty good so I would give it 3/5 as it's great for when you are on the move but there isn't as much variety as a sit down restaurant. 

My favourite BY A MILLION MILES is the Buddha Sky Bar in Florida;

http://buddhaskybardelraybeach.com/

From the minute we walked in until the minute we left we were treated like royalty. We were given the only table outside on the top floor, our own waiter and waitress (yes that's right, we got 2) and a menu to die for. The entire meal was top of the notch, I made little "mmm" noises involuntarily after every mouthful, we were there for about 2 and a half hours and to make it even better? Everything was half price as it was Happy Hour. I cannot fault anything about this restaurant at all so if you find yourself in Delray Florida, look up The Buddha Sky Bar and enjoy the best meal you will ever eat. 5/5 stars! 

Ikea Madness

With my date with Chelsea approaching, I thought I should divulge a wonderful story with you all about our last 'day out' together just in case I go missing Wednesday night...this could be an in sight as to why!

Chelsea is a wonderful friend, very dippy, always making me laugh and continuously comes up with the most inspiring one liners, so when she asked if I would take her to Ikea to pick up a set of draws and a desk I thought it would be good fun, especially seeing as she had never been to Ikea before. So I drove over to her house in Francis, my little red smart car, to pick her up.

First thing we did was the standard Ikea luxury of stealing lots of little pencils and then made our way round looking for the desk she had picked out. We got to the end before realizing that the desk was actually right near the front of the store so we back tracked disobeying the arrows and ran back to find it. When we got the right number we needed we headed down to the warehouse to pick up the flat pack, only to find it was twice the length of my car. Crap!

We take it back to my car and just stare blankly at it for a couple of minutes wondering how the hell we are going to get it back to her house in one piece. We had a solution! Luckily, my car was a soft top so I put down the roof. No what? 

"I got it" Chelsea said and hollered at a man walking past. "could you help us?" I had no idea what this was going.... "If I get in the car and push the seat right back, could you please put the flat pack through the roof and lean it against me?" Oh Jeez, here we go....a Chelsea plan.

So she got in the car and this bewildered looking man did as she requested, we thanked him and then taking one glance at Chelsea stuck behind a flat pack, quite literally squashed into place not being able to move or see I couldn't get in the car, I sat on the floor crying with laughter. This was the most absurd thing I had ever seen. I pulled it together and we set off.

Then I made a big mistake.... "Ummm, Chelsea"
"What?"
"I think I just went on the M1"
"WHAT?!?!" 

For the next 4 miles I was cracking up, apologizing profusely, wondering if I was going to get pulled over by the police which made it even funnier and all the while Chelsea saying "Are we off the M1 yet?"

Eventually we made it back to her house, in one piece (I was at least, Chelsea had major cramp in her legs and was doing that weird laugh/cry thing) so I knocked on her door and her housemate answered. "Where's Chels?" 
"You see that big box in the car?"
"Yer"
"She's under it" 

So if I get arrested or you find me on the side of the road laughing hysterically, don't be alarmed, just blame Chels! 

100 Happy Days

I am now 43 days into #100happydays and loving the power of positivity and how sharing 1 photo a day can make you feel just the little bit happier so I thought I would share some of my photos and talk a little bit about my happy....

Day 7. This is a picture of Neil and myself in Delray, Florida. We went to visit Neil's Grandma for 10 days and they were the most wonderful, chilled out, happy days. We ate great food, caught some sun, waded through 18 inches of water to go and get Cheetos, went swimming, to the beach....everything was fabulous and I miss it so much however I will look back at these photos and have a smile on my face from the perfect memories created.

Day 20. This is a photo of Deco Boco, a theatre group of a few friends of mine having our first meeting and in celebration of that I made flapjack! This makes me smile so much because these people are the most genuine, lovely and funny group. We always have such a giggle with each other and I love them all dearly and am very blessed to have such good friends.

Day 30. I have been really poorly over the last 2 weeks and on day 30 Neil came over to my house with this card and a funny electric fish that swims when you put it in water! These happy owls just make me smile, I mean look at them, they are adorable!!

Day 41. Neil. I don't know what else I need to say really? He is such a happy and positive person, knows how to make me smile (or at least roll my eyes with his puns) and above all he is a walking smile and I am very lucky to have him in my life.

I hope you enjoyed my selection of happy photos and I look forward to the finished product in 57 days time :) 

Snuggled On A Winters Day

Well it seems I haven't done a blog in quite some time, to be honest with you, it isn't because I haven't had the time, it was just through lack of inspiration and motivation. However, having had a productive afternoon I feel the need to play catch up and what better way than to talk about the beauty of a crisp winter day.

Picture this; 

The light slowly fading outside, the sky a wash of different shades of blue with jet black trees silhouetted in front and inside I am tucked up on the sofa with a blanket knitted by my Nan, the fire crackling away next to me and a pot of tea on the go, eating marmite on toast Pure bliss. 

As a rule I am not a fan of winter as you get runny noses and blue fingertips, and it being English weather, very wet feet!! But even with these nasties lingering just outside, winter can still have its inspiration on some, you just have to go and look for it. My inspiration tonight is found in marshmallows on a stick, slowly becoming gooey and hot over the flames. It reminds me of being young and care free, of family in America making smores with them and just gives me a happy glow in my tummy. Throw away your winter blues and find that silver lining, only 30 days until spring!

New York Granny X2

The gossips of the village, our dear new friends seem to have taken us in as their adopted English grandchildren.... 

As we walk into the pool today we hear 'pip pip, how ya doin?' This is going to be a funny day. Andy and Michelle, our grannys from New york, were telling us all about their kids

Michelle "well my boys are gorgeous and my eldest just had his first"

Me "Aw Michelle that's lovely congrats! What's your boys names?" 

Michelle "haemma and roid"

Andy "yer and mine are called pain and ass" 

We quickly learnt they like to be brilliantly rude as Michelle looks over and sees me reading 'fifty shades of grey' and remarks "ooh pip, you're getting lucky tonight" having blinked a few times and sat with my mouth open in shock I crack up, not quite believing I heard that!! The poem about the old lady in purple spitting and running her stick along the rails comes to mind.... They have a right to say and do as they please, good for them and funny for us!

Andy then went on to tell us that in New York, hardware stores were selling twice as much rope after the book came out, herself included in the buying of it. Oh. Dear. Lord. I cannot bring myself to think about this lovely New Yorker tying up her poor husband.... I'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack!! I pray she was pulling my leg..... 

Moving on from these , umm, how to put it, interesting images, they asked if we knew the queen and if we rode tandem bikes around westminter Abbey eating scones and jam and drinking tea out of China cups... How disgustingly British and all said in an attempted English accent. Palm to face moment. 

As we leave the pool that day we get a wave from them as they say "bye cutie and cuter, pip and longstockings! Oh ain't they adorable" watch out Michelle and Andy, you will see us again!!

Where The Sun Always Shines

"We are going to the place that never rains" he said, "the place that is always hot" he said. 

18inches of rain 6 hours later. Sunny my arse!! 

Let me take you back a few days where rain clouds covered the sky so Neil says to me "let's go to Wakadahatchee" "wakadahooha what?" we went to a swamp. How romantic. Upon arrival we see the sign "beware the alligators" and walk up a wooden slope over swamp land and low and behold, first thing we see? A log. Or what I thought was a log, it was in fact a swimming log! Bingo! Hello Mrs alligator, please don't eat me...

We walk around the corner and see a spectacular sight. Mummy gator I. The water right next to the path and 15 or so babies making their way into the water, it was amazing, no more than 10 ft away. A sight I certainly won't forget. 

That night we are sat around the kitchen table at grandma Lee's, when the power completely cut out half way through a game of rummykub. We didn't really think anything of it until we woke up the next morning to see, not a car park but a river running just outside the front of the building.... "Florida is so dry" he said....

However, we took this as a little adventure and decided to go for a walk. Turns out it became more like a swim. We walked around the corner to find the entrance to the community flooded and cars abandoned. "It will be fun to wade through" he said and my gosh he was right!! As Neil and I hoiked our shorts up higher , the water lapping at our knees "beware the alligators". Oh cripes, here we go. Our slow pace turns into high knee kicks through the water to the path on the other side. What should have taken 10 mind took us an hour. But heck, it was most certainly a good giggle!!

Beauty of a storm is the sun that follows and my goodness what a sun!! 28 degrees Celsius and yes, we are by the pool lapping up the rays in true British fashion and our day has certainly been one of hilarity. 

Any Brit who has been to the states will know that the phrase "oh my god I love your accent" will be heard daily and today has been no different. We have been befriended by the local gossip clan of ladies who love a good chinwag and find it hilarious to say goodbye saying "pip pip cheerio" because of course we are all Dick van dyke in 19th century Britain!! So as they were leaving today they gave us both a Nick name. Pip ans Ronny. Oh my..... 

Pip pip cheerio for now

Boozing In The Air

Free champagne, free movies, free food, what better way to spend 9 hours. Not really free though is it? But for 500 pounds I can't really complain

I remember the days where flying made me want to claw my face off and hide in a pillow lying on the tray in front of me for hours on end just to get it over and done with. The days where I ripped the skin off the person's hand next to me during take off and trying not to cry during landing. Thinking back to those times its strange because I'm not really afraid of flying....as a certain comedian Al Lubel says 'you aren't afraid of flying, that's not what you need to worry about, it's the NOT flying that gets you'. And thinking about the logistics of flying I am more safe up here than I am in London waiting for a banana spider to attack me.

And then i think of all of those films that made me wet myself like bridesmaids.... and i kinda feel like right now that is me. Slightly tipsy trying not to walk into business class saying "help me I'm poor"! Heck, free booze, so sue me if I make a fool of myself.

However i am refraining from doing just that and instead am currently listening to Muse on demand waiting for my ears to pop and I have realised (thanks mainly to the most optimistic man in the world, my lovely fella, sat next to me watching Gary Oldman and having a damn good time) that flying is fun, what isn't to love? We are on our way to an amazing place for 10 days of sun and fun. See you on the flip side rain!!