Day 95 - There Once Was an Ugly Duckling

I am so sorry, It's been a while, Cassidy and I have been ill, it was really quite sad the two of us trying to look after each other, we have slept a lot and cried a lot too but today, she made it into school today as she was the Queen Caterpillar in her Assembly and they just couldn't do without her.  So Cassidy, dosed up with Calpol and me in a blur drugged with Syndol, off we went to watch the Ugly Bug Ball!

It reminded me of when I was a ballerina as a little girl.  I was quite circular and dressed in a pink leotard, pink leggings and a little Tu Tu was not the prettiest of sights in the world.  I was in the Ugly Duckling!!!

This is not really me!

I remember there being four of us little ducks at the very front of the stage, doing "our thing", two little ducks had to jump one way flapping their little feathers behind them, and two of us were supposed to jump the other way with our hands imitating feathers behind us too!  Only trouble was, that although I went the right way, my partner went the wrong way and I looked like a lost fairy elephant all on my own... I hopped around to face the other way in an attempt to stop the audience from laughing so hard, with a little hop and a jump, they also turned the other way once again revealing that I had no clue which way was left or right and looking and feeling like a rather stupid.

I remember having a terrible cough too which didn't go down well with the ballet teacher (Mrs Pear - and she did have a pair, I can tell you!). It was my last performance on stage as a ballerina (quite clearly) and my Nana gave me £5.00 when I came off stage.  That was a heck of a lot of money really (don't tell Savannah it would be the equivalent of about £50 now I guess!!!) Not that I am that old of course but inflation and all that, you know!


Savannah's show however was in complete contrast to my one and only debut on stage.  Her show was something else... for an amateur production it was outstanding.  Savannah took lead role as Deloris (Whoopy Goldberg) in Sister Act and she smashed it (as they say).  She sang three massive songs that were worthy of the West End - mark my words, that girl will be Centre Stage one day soon.

The rest of the cast was also phenomenal,  Congratulations to all of you and also to Dave for all his hard work.  Looking forward to next years production which indeed will be in the West End!


I had a fantastic day at Wimbledon last Friday with my dear friend Jane from Oxford, Jane and I have knownn each other for many years, we met on the phone when I was arranging her relocation from Brussels to the UK when I worked for Sterling International... I went "above and beyond" and offered to look after her cat who was in a cattery and unwell.  So, 7 months pregnant (we both were - me and Jane, not me and the cat!), I nursed the cat back to health and we have been brilliant friends ever since, over 20 years.

Jane had won a ballot for the tickets and invited me along to Court 1 to watch some fantastic tennis.  The last time I was at Wimbledon was in the days of Bjorn Borg, Mcenroe and Connors in 1984 when my Brother and I camped outside for Centre Court tickets!


We had excellent seats, purchased the mandatory Strawberries drowning in Cream and found ourselves sitting next to a couple who were sipping copious amounts of Champagne and clearly having an affair, the conversation was not dissimilar to Chapter 12 of 50 Shades Darker!!! (most off putting when trying to concentrate on the game).  I did however, marvel at the lady in front of us, every time I looked she was pulling something else out of her bag!  She was like Mary Poppins, bottles of Champagne, flute glasses, crisps, chocolate bars and what seemed like an entire isle of Marks & Spencer, her buttocks were protruding through the sides and back of the chair and I had to resist squishing it with my foot!

We watched Sharapova (or Shut-up-a-Pova) win her game along with Sam Querrey and Milos Raonic (he is fit), Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva and Nicolas Almagro v Richard Gasquet. We then sat on Murray Mount (well, Murray step actually as the Mount was packed out) to watch Federer's game... great day!  One thing I did notice from the days of 1984 was that the ball sped past so quickly that you don't have time to look from side to side but just glance your eyes, the speed was just incredible!

So, since all this excitement I have been laid up in bed with my little girl but feeling a little better today managed a coffee and cake at Massimo which always make's me feel a little more human and now back to bed for sleep......