So Christmas Eve and we're all set to go. the presents are wrapped, the Yorkshire Mother is ensconced on the sofa, Rich is having a nap in the bedroom and the sky is darkening outside. I remember how, as a child, this was always the longest day of the year. A day of anticipation and longing and it seemed to go on for ever. Today, a visit to Croydon retail Park, the preparation of three party games to play at Janet's after lunch tomorrow and the prospect of Mum joining our pub quiz team tonight have Christmas hurtling towards us. We are current pub quiz champions. We don't go every week just to give the other teams a chance and I am sure there is a collective sigh of resignation from the other regulars on the weeks that we do go. Richard's friend Charlotte introduced us to The Park in West Norwood where we go and we love it. Tonight if there is a round on the War we are quids in - Mum's specialist subject - though I may have to eat my words as once she can contact he
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Christmas has started. For me it has always started with putting up the tree and Rich and I traditionally do ours on the Sunday before Christmas. It's one of the nicest moments of the year doing this together. I remember as a child opening the box of decorations and getting them out each year, remembering which ones one liked and where they had come from. Mum had some that came from before the Second world war and Rich and I have tried to build a collection from over the years. Friends have brought us a guardsman, two reindeers. We have kangaroos and koalas that we have bought in Australia. Glass icicles from Chicago, Twirlers from Toronto and Glass stars and some penguins from Macy's in New York. And taking them out of the tissue paper and hanging them on our tree - a bargain several years ago from the Christmas shop at London Bridge - helps one think through all the nice times we have spent together. It's traditional, which for me is what Christmas is. Time to wallow in t
So Christmas approaches and quite frankly with the weather as it is at the moment - very cold and threatening snow - I just want to close the door and stay in and not come out until we go to the airport on the 28th to head off to new York. Sadly that is not going to be the case as there are things to do of course as part of the festive routine. A final mornings work tomorrow with some role-play. Hopefully not made more problematic by the threatened snow. this time though, London is ready for it we are told so of course it probably wont happen. Mum is a bit unwell again. same problem as two years ago, feeling tired and doesn't want to get up. So hard to deal with it from down here. She is due her vitamin injection on 2nd January and obviously needs it now but her doctor is away so doctor who is seeing her at the moment insists on blood test etc before letting her halve on. meanwhile each day she doesn't feel like getting up. We have our fingers crossed its not going to spoil her
Christmas is coming and even if you didn't have a calendar you'd know by the number of people littering the streets in the evenings as remnants of office parties try to find their way home. The big party season seems quieter this year, usually I get booked at this time of year to MC at least one big Christmas party, but not this year and from colleagues who do the same thing, it seems to be across the board. No big parties. Most people seem to have smaller ones or just letting the staff out on drunken benders. People drinking to try and hide what a terrible year its been for most people. We were at a drinks party on Sunday evening and commenting on that fact with the lovely Lynne Miller. At least five of my friends have lost one or both parents this year. I suppose we are of an age where that happens now, but coming along in quick succession as it has done has been hard to watch. Coupled with the fact that work has been a struggle this year and every job seems to have had to h
Last night was the first night of Scene and Heard s Christmas show "Jumping off the Cliff- the Brave Plays" I've ben ding Scene and Heard for ten years now and its been a huge amount of fun but I have decided that this is to be my last one. All things need refreshing and new inputs and although I have enjoyed being on stage and doing the play and working with Ben and gaby, some of the process irritates me now. There have ben problems on this one - a designer who lives in Cloud Cuckoo land and has no conception of schedules. Last night for the opening night lots of items of costume were still missing - she doesn't seem to have any concept that that is a problem. The worth of the project is unquestionable and as ten year old Emmanuel who had written our play joined ben and I on stage for his bow last night my heart did the usual thing of swelling to burst. A boy of few words in conversation he seems genuinely pleased by Ben and I in the play and managed to stump up what
As an actor one doesn't really have to do meetings. The meetings I attend for corporate work for conferences and for shows etc are usually very practical. Things to organise, decisions to make. For the last eighteen months I have been on the board of the Actors centre and as such attend board meetings. Very nice people, but I suddenly am not sure what a board does. We certainly don't seem to take any decisions other than say yes as to what we are told and ask a few questions and then say yes. All of which never seems to take less than a few hours. Puzzles me really. I'm honoured to be part of it all, but I'm not really sure what I do. When Rich now tells me has four meetings tomorrow, I am much more sympathetic.