Ongoing Life Saga

A funeral and a wedding - all in one week. I'm very tired.

8 Mile Midnight Walk

I'm raising funds for Hospiscare please visit here to donate if you can.

Doris

I remember you coming back to live in London and dancing me around the front room.

I remember when you caught me smoking you made me sit on a stool in the shop and smoke the rest of your B&H.

I remember you laughing because I was so scared of the eels in the fish shop down the road.

I remember you buying me the biggest ice cream I've ever seen when we went on holiday.

I remember Grandad, Dash and me hiding those morning choc ices from you.

As you said to me on recent occasions in pure understatement; your dying yesterday is a bit of blow.

The Creation

Yesterday, I listened to the rehearsals of Haydn's The Creation in Sheffield Cathedral. For those of you who like to know about these things it was the Sheffield Oratorio Chorus and the South Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alan Eost.

Soprano, Elizabeth Watts
Tenor, Joseph Cornwall
Bass, Paul Carey-Jones

Rather enjoyable.

Let me die a young man's death
Roger McGough 1937-

Let me die a young man's death
not a clean and inbetween
the sheets holywater death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death

When I'm 73
and in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an allnight party

Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
and sitting in a barber's chair
may rival gangsters
with hamfisted tommyguns
burst in and give me a short back and insides

Or when I'm 104
and banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catching me in bed with her daughter
and fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
and throw away every piece but one

Let me die a young man's death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
'what a nice way to go' death

Word of the Day

conniption - a fit of violent emotion, such as anger or panic.

(and then I sicked it up...evil bad...)

Of Late...

...you may have noticed that I rarely update on personal things. There are numerous factors for this but what's generally going on is this:

Downs
Cancer, Jan's been going through 26 weeks of chemotherapy. It's been very difficult for us all, we're not sure if it's working well enough, it may have spread again but to the bones this time. She'll be scanned soon but until then I hold my breathe and try not to cry.

Ups
Loving my job/s - agency work is really interesting and the freelance stuff is great.
Making new friends in Exeter.
Buying a different house to the previous one I wrote about - we're actually talking about exchanging contracts soon so fingers crossed.
The lovely Joe, keeping me sane and down to earth.

(Creative) Producer

A fantastic debate has just begun on The Guardian blogs:

Lyn Gardner here
Laura Baggaley here

A great Monday inspiring quote to keep me going:

"creative producers are potentially artists' best allies as they combine a highly developed aesthetic with the kind of resourceful, tenacious and innovative behaviour that theatre desperately needs if it is to thrive and flourish." Lyn Gardner

Jolly interesting...plus today a previous favourite tutor of mine suggested that I do a project based producing MA.

Curate your own festival

Guardian blog here.

Some friends of mine are currently hovering between 3rd (which means yes) and 4th (which means no) for My Fierce Festival. The show is 'Playing The Victim'. If it takes your fancy please vote for it...If not, just vote as it's such an interesting idea.

Website for My Fierce Festival here.

SQUEE...Christmas Cranford

Sometimes, I feel so bloody old.

Kevin Spacey attacks BBC Talent Shows

While supping coffee and eating muesli this really cheered me up this morning.

The Stage article here.

The Guardian article here.

"I felt that was essentially a 13-week promotion for a musical - where's our 13-week programme?"

Arts Taskforce

Today I will be mainly reading the "A New Landscape For The Arts"

The taskforce is an independent body and has been set up by the Conservatives to consider arts policy ahead of the next general election.

Quote

"I'm creating rituals to make sense of a world that scares the shit out of me." Philip Ridley

Arthur C Clarke, writer and futurist, dies at 90

"Life is just one big banana. Science fiction allows us all to peel open the reality and discover the yellow truth inside."

Captain Birdseye

God rest his fishy soul (or that should be sole? BOOM TISH!)

Genista McIntosh to investigate ACE's spending review

More info at The Stage here.

Apparently nothing to do with the recent controversy - they were going to do it anyway.

This Morning

"There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it..."

Reminder to self: don't go to sleep with the Sweeny Todd soundtrack on repeat.

To balance out the Sweeney Todd hatred of the world:

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.