APRIL

Jo Bell's workshop - Lydbrook

What an interesting month!  I had a personal birthday; a child's birthday; a wedding anniversary;

• two writing courses - one just outside Hereford (Jo Bell - excellent - she is doing a joint one with Bohdan Piasecki, he of the now famous Hit the Ode, on September 3rd and 4th in Lydbrook, Herefordshire) 
• and the other on-line;
• one workshop - Mark Neil - very good ) - part of the WLF events - see their website for details of future Learn, Eat Perform workshops) 
• and the NaPoWriMo challenge - catch up with Heather Wastie on Radio Wildfire on Monday next.. 
• I still manged to cook a few meals for my husband, at least I think it was my husband, I haven't met up with him for a while!;
• performed in two plays; attended one rehearsal;
• audience participated at the up and coming "jewel in Worcester" - Little Venice (next event Thursday, May 5th);
• went to the theatre - Swan Theatre, Hello Dolly;
• went to the NIA - Peter Kay;
• guested at the Birmingham Library Theatre with Roy Macfarlane's Mother' Day celebration (watch out for his Fathers' Day special in June);
• got my haircut and put a few plants in the garden.

Oh, and I went uniform shopping for my youngest granddaughter.  Goodness only knows how I would have made time for all these events if I had paid work!

Unfortunately, I ran out of steam for the Much Wenlock Festival which I am sure would have been brilliant with Spoz & Co. running the Slam.  Congratulations to my mate Emma Purshouse who won.  I also missed out on Hit the Ode which is obviously going from strength to strength and, from what I hear, the open mic section is rivalling the headliners - how's that for measuring success!

I am delighted to see that so many of my friends and colleagues are now publicising all kinds of events of interest to us arty types and am also thrilled to see a couple of us "oldies" venturing into the realms of cyber space.  I am particularly pleased to read the blog of my friend Marcus Moore, a blog I certainly recommend to all discerning readers.  If you want up-beat nostalgia, witty and dry observations mingled with a generous helping of mischief, or just plain old-fashioned good writing Marcus is your man.

Next month sees me and a friend (not my husband, he doesn't know a dandelion from a dinasaur), as invited guests to a QVC day out.  (QVC being the shopping channel which French and Saunders made famous!  Actually, it is rather good).  Although my garden is the size of a postage stamp according to one of my sons-in-law, I spend a fortune on it and have been rewarded by a champagne lunch and a trip around some beautiful gardens. 

But for now I have "homework" to do for my internet course and feel I have earned a mid-day drink in my postage stamp garden.