(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life

Thursday evening, 17:25 outside Newcastle City Hall a crowd is beginning to form. Inside the stars of the show (David Gest’s tour with the title above) are getting ready for the meet and greet. All the blurb says the doors are going to open at 17:30 but that time passes and they are calling for the ticket holders from Smooth Radio. We are still waiting to go in at 18:00 when the Smooth Radio ticket holders finally arrive and are shown in first.

18:10, cold and miserable we are finally allowed in but only 12 at a time. We walk down to the front of the theatre and wait to be introduced to David Gest and I notice Dorothy Moore walking slowly over. I’ve been a huge fan of most of the stars on here tonight but Dorothy is a living legend, if she had only ever recorded Misty Blue that would have been enough but that was only her first hit. After shaking hands with David Gest and asking him to sign our programme we went over to Dorothy and I got my picture taken with her, asked her to sign my programme as well and then got pushed away to meet The Tymes. Those guys really look good even when chilling out and meeting fans.

After them came Freda Payne, I spoke to her for a little while (not a huge fan but I do enjoy her voice), Deniece Williams was next and boy does she look great still I am such a huge fan I couldn’t speak other than to ask her for an autograph. The rest of the cast were amazing and CeCe Peniston and Sheila Ferguson were like two old friends when I got to them. CeCe looks even younger than she did when I first saw her on Top Of The Pops in the 80’s. Sheila looks exactly the same as she did last time I saw her perform. We were pushed down the line by the people following us through, and the last but one person (Bill Medley) had a blonde lady sitting next to him who didn’t introduce herself. I’ve been a fan of Bill’s since the 1960’s so it was a great honour to meet him finally. The last person wasn’t someone I recognised (turned out to be Gregory Abbott) but I spoke to him and asked for his autograph. After, when I was going out I realised I hadn’t asked a few people for theirs so went to the back of them and tapped them on their shoulders at an opportune moment and they were very obliging. I haven’t got their permission to show their photographs (which I took) so I won’t include them all here just a few from the meet and greet.

The stars of the show.

Sorry the pictures are on their sides, not sure how that happened as they are fine when I open them in my viewer (the storage area has them on the side so that may be how this happened.)

One-Minute Book Reviews, vol. 11

Interesting book reviews, Townshend is one of my heroes and is the reason for this reblog. H.P. Lovecraft isn’t easy to fathom and although I’ve never read this book, the summation of Lovecraft echoes my impression. Comments should be posted on the original not this copy.

brainsnorts inc.

Hey howdy hey!  I’ll warn you up front, the first review has somewhat of a spoiler.  It’s not that I tell you what happens but more like what doesn’t happen.  In this month’s lineup, two are really good, but two are not so good, and one is okay as long as you can accept a suspense story that never really explains what the suspense is all about.  Oh well.  Read and learn.

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Bird Box
By Josh Malerman (2014)

Have I mentioned that I’m tired of post-apocalyptic stories?  I think so.  Have I pointed out being annoyed by first-person present tense?  Pretty sure. So why would I read Bird Box if it’s both and more that I don’t like?  Because my kid, who reads more than most people I know, enjoyed it.  Good enough reason for me.  Unfortunately, as close as I was to enjoying it, Bird Box falls short in the…

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You Would Be Missed

A quick word from me to you with love.

surviving the specter

PLEASE share this with others who need to hear it. Thank you, friends.

X Chris

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Comparative racism part 2: What’s it like in Britain?

Notes from the U.K.

After writing a guest post about American racism I don’t seem to be ready to leave the topic. My mind keeps circling back to something I’ve avoided writing about until now: British racism.

Why am I avoiding this? Tact? Nah. I have the occasional moment of tact, but as a rule I’m not paralyzed by it. That it’s a hard topic to be funny about? In part, but I hope to manage a bright spot here and there. Ignorance? Well, yeah, there is that. I’ve lived in the U.K. for nine years. That doesn’t make me an expert. It’s a huge, sprawling topic. Plus I live in an absurdly white part of the country. Although my friends and family are a multi-hued (and multi-many other thinged) group, my friends in this country, for the most part, are not.

But still, I listen. I hear things.

Beyond irrelevant photo: grasses after…

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Just 17 more to go…..

Here’s someone we can help dear reader, please follow and help Jen pass her 200 target

Motivation for today's REALITY

I need only 17 more followers to reach my goal of 200.

I ask my current followers/readers what they think I should do to gain more followers to join this great community?

XOXO -Jen

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Dear Death~!

This letter is amazing. As a friend of Death, having met him a few times already, I can understand people’s fear of dying. There’s really no need, Death when he calls, will take the pain away. I’m looking forward to living my life as I want without fear of meeting my friend again, maybe you can do that too?

The happy Quitter!

A good of friend of mine passed away recently. She was 95 1/2 years old and it wasn’t unexpected, but still death left a mark once again. I met her when she was in her late 80’s and fell instantly in love with the little, stubborn, old Lady, who became our neighbor.

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Cyprus In The Sun

We arrived in Cyprus at 22:00 on Saturday but by the time we picked up the luggage up, found the rep and left the airport it was after 23:00. We were dropped off at the hotel just before midnight but by the time we checked in, found the room unpacked and went to bed it was almost time to get up for breakfast before the welcome chat with our local rep.

The hotel is in 2 parts, the other part has a restaurant for all meals, rooms and a huge pool with a small kids pool, our part contains apartments, a smaller pool and another kids pool. It also houses the Lollo and Bernie children’s club, where the grandchildren have spent many hours in safe hands. There are 2 bars near the pools where drinks are served during the day, the one by the big pool serves snacks as well. This and the one by our pool close at 17:30 every day which leaves the other bar open until 23:00 for drinks, as it’s right by the entertainment. There are a lot of shops nearby selling “cheap tat” for souvenirs and presents for those left at home.

We went on 3 excursions, first to Nicosia, a city divided since the occupation by Turkish forces in 1974, but the history and shops make it a pleasant day out. The next trip was on the original red bus, we went to the Northern part of Cyprus to visit the town of Famagusta. First we went inside the ancient walled city and saw what life was like when the Ottoman Empire held the city under siege. We then went to an old deserted suburb of Famagusta which hasn’t changed since the 1974 invasion. It’s been left as it was, deserted with clothes in wardrobes, cars on showroom forecourts and washing on lines.

We visited the beach and walked as far as possible to the “ghost town” where binoculars were provided so we could see the devastation to the hotels and one or two Turkish service personnel with their families on the otherwise deserted beach. Both of these were well worth the money paid for the days out. However, today we visited a market (a flea pit of a dive) and the Camel Park. We were led to believe the fee paid included a camel ride (it didn’t) and the market provided reasonable value for money (it didn’t either). A very disappointing day for all concerned.

Hope you like the pics, if you visit this wonderful island in the Mediterranean Sea, the Original Red Bus with English guide and driver is highly recommended. Beware of the Russian imitation bus.

31 August can’t wait to get home now for a good nights sleep, the bed here is lumpy and uncomfortable as is the sofa. After more than a week tossing and wakeful it’s going to be good to sleep. Two more sleeps and then back home and this can get posted without any pics which will follow later.

1 September and one more uncomfortable night before travelling home tomorrow, pick up is at 10:30 local time and the countdown has begun. The holiday has been good for recharging the batteries but time for a good nights sleep is upon us all, children included.

2 September home again, tired and ready for bed, enjoyed the break now time to get sorted and ready to get back to work on Monday.