Shining a Light on the WW1 Gas Girls.

Thursday 12th June 2014.



acta Community Theatre are a charity who engage with members of the local community to create original plays and performance projects. Last year they received funding from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund to pursue telling the story of the WW1 'Gas Girls' focusing on those working in National Filling Factory No 23 – Chittening, a munitions factory in Avonmouth near Bristol. The group spent 12 months researching the history, trawling through the local and national archives. They then had the daunting task of whittling down the information, selecting which facts to include and finding the best way to raise all the issues they had been made aware of.

A few months ago I saw a photograph on the local news that was familiar to me – a black and white picture of the Chittening women's football team of which my great grandmother was a member. The news piece was about the creation and début of a new play based on the forgotten local history from WW1. Instantly I was intrigued to find out more as I hadn't heard about my Googie's part in this history which other people seemed to find just as fascinating as me. Unfortunately the initial run of the play was sold out but last night, after a long wait of a couple of months, I finally got to see acta's production of Gas Girls at the Avonmouth Community Centre and boy was it worth the wait. Billed as The Untold Story Of The Women Who Made Mustard Gas the play was just that and proved to be entertaining, informative and thought provoking.




Many people are unaware that Bristol played a role in the production and supply of mustard gas shells which were used on the front line in World War One. From May 1918 until the war ended in November the Chittening factory manufactured 154,148 six inch shells using the 453 tons of mustard gas produced down the road at the Avonmouth factory. The conditions were atrocious by today's standards. The hazardous chemicals that the workers encountered caused over 2,600 reported injuries and 7 fatalities in the 6 months the factories were operational. Mustard Gas was originally used by the Germans against the British and was incredibly effective, disabling the senses by liquefying any body tissue it came in contact with. It blinded, burnt and choked its victims rendering them ineffective soldiers (and had the same effects on the factory workers). The allied response to this chemical warfare was to investigate this weapon and commence manufacture as soon as possible. It is believed that this played no small role in contributing to the conclusion of the war.




The perils that faced the workers at Chittening and Avonmouth were great but not immediately apparent. By the time the factories opened most workers had lost family members and friends to the conflict and wanted to help in any way they could. There's little doubt that the men and women who entered into the employment of the Ministry of Munitions believed that they would contribute to the war effort in doing so. Very quickly the dangers of mustard gas production and shell manufacture became apparent to both the employers and employees yet the necessity of winning the war ensured that production continued at any cost. Working with such hazardous chemicals with inadequate machinery and very little protection touched the lives of all who spent time there and ensured that all workers' health was in some way effected. In time the psychological and emotional effects would also develop to their fullness but were then swept under the carpet and hidden from sight possibly out of shame and embarrassment, possibly because the horrors of others overshadowed them or possibly just because that was the only way to go on living, to forget the things they could not change.



Gas Girls takes the audience back to the factory floor and the medical hut of the Chittening factory and followed production there, through to the war's end. The range of characters gave credibility to the action on stage and the performers did credit to the people they were representing. The words of those in charge and those below them rang true with realistic emotional journeys. The final scene as war ended brought tears to my eyes and it took me a moment to compose myself before I could ask the people I was with what they thought. My husband simply said, “I didn't realize,” which I think was the overwhelming sentiment from all of us. None of us knew of the sacrifices made by those involved in the manufacture of munitions and the effects that the war had on home ground. There were some very deep philosophical questions raised by the play which were left hanging for the audience to consider and because of this I think Gas Girls will touch audiences of all ages. The issues raised were similar but subtly different to those addressed by the war poets I studied in school. I think it would be great if acta could take this play to schools in the future to help stimulate discussions about weapons of war and the effects they have on people all sides of the conflict; those who make them, those who use them and those they are used against.



The Gas Girls tour continues around Bristol and tickets can be purchased via the acta website:
www.acta-bristol.com

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Getting Crafty and Having Simple Fun

Monday 9th June 2014



Q. How much fun can you have with a bit of PVA glue and some tissue paper?
A. Quite a lot if you have young children and a spare half an hour!

I decided recently that I need to do more activities at home with the kids having seen how much fun they could have with a simple craft idea whilst at a festival last month (We spent two afternoons with Junkfish at Bristol Vegfest). As we're currently staying with my parents I've been reticent to make any mess crafting but the glue wipes up and off of most surfaces and really there's not much damage that can be done with tissue paper so I bit the bullet, put the housework to one side and sat down for a little bit of 'quality time' with my two and 4 year olds. The activity was such a success it inspired me to do it again and I've still more ideas for repeating the fun soon.







Our first time we made some beautiful butterfly suncatchers to hang in the window. They're so easy to make and give a beautiful stained glass effect.

For this you will need:
-some PVA glue,
-some cut up pieces of tissue paper or sweetie wrappers,
-a paintbrush or glue spreader,
-a clear plastic wallet,
-a butterfly outline drawn onto an A4 piece of paper,
-scissors.

Put the butterfly outline inside the clear plastic wallet then spread the glue onto the wallet and stick your tissue paper or sweetie wrappers on. You're trying to fill the area of the butterfly and the important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if you go outside the lines but it will matter is there are any gaps inside. You will need to add more glue on top of the pieces you have stuck on for this to work well. Once you have finished the gluing and sticking put the wallet to one side to dry. Wash out your brushes immediately to prevent them being ruined. Once dry you can carefully peel your 'stained glass' off the clear wallet backing and trim it back into the original butterfly shape which can then be attached to your window however you see fit.







Having had so much fun making the butterfies we decided to extend our skills to decoupage, which is basically the same activity on a 3D rather than a 2D surface. Our local craft shop (Hobbycraft) has a great choice of shapes but we settled on a peacock for them to give to their great-grandfather, mainly because I felt it would suit the kids crazy mosaic style! We made this activity last a couple of sessions because of the size, shape and allowing it to dry without sticking to anything. We used tissue paper for our basic layer and added a layer of tinted film pieces over the tail to give it a bit of a shimmer but you could add glitter, sequins, wool, ribbons or any thing else that can be fixed in place with a little bit of glue.







The kids and I were really pleased with the outcome of our peacock model. We had a great time making it and our butterfly suncatcher. The children always love getting crafty and there are so many ways they can get involved with gluing and sticking. Other ideas for things for us to make in the future include turning jam jars into candle holders, a chocolate box into a jewellery box, or biscuit tins into toy storage. As they get older they can take on more of the jobs themselves (such as cutting the paper) and can make more complicated patterns and designs. There's a lot of legs for this activity to run and run!

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Buddy - a man immortalised by his music.

Tuesday 3rd June 2014.



Last night I had the privilege of another trip to the theatre to see another musical I hadn't seen before. It's always a little difficult to get enthusiastic about a weeknight outing, especially on a Monday, mainly because of the rush to make sure everybody is fed before I leave the house but I'm so glad I went to this one.

Buddy follows the rise to fame of the legendary American Rock n' Roll singer Buddy Holly and showcases all his greatest hits played live on stage. The iconic figure, with his instantly recognisable glasses and guitar combo, shot to fame in the 1950s alongside his band the Crickets. The first half of the show charts his rise from obscurity to recording star with hits such as Peggy Sue, Everyday and Oh Boy. Recently married and expecting his first child Buddy heads off on 'The Winter Dance Party' tour in the second half of the show. Still rising in fame and popularity Buddy's life was unexpectedly cut short on February 3rd 1959 in a tragic plane crash which also took the lives of fellow singers Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”). Later remembered as “the day the music died” (by Don McLean in American Pie) in this spectacular stage show Buddy Holly's musical legacy lives on and continues to captivate and delight audiences to this day.

Now in its 25th year this supreme musical stage show is once again on tour around the UK. It has the audience singing and clapping along throughout as well as taking to their feet, moved by the energy of the wonderful catalogue of tunes. The Bristol Hippodrome was packed with people from all walks of life, many of whom (like me) never saw the rise of Rock n' Roll but who can appreciate the musical legacy of the early pioneers! The voices and performances of the actors were phenomenal and the songs spoke for themselves. Its not hard to entrance an audience when you have fantastic material to work with and it is no surprise to me that Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story has been such a fantastic success with audiences worldwide for a quarter of a century and is still going strong. If you ever get a chance to see the show I would wholeheartedly recommend going as its an engaging and uplifting night out.

You can find out more about Buddy The Musical at the official website
www.buddythemusical.com

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Teenage kicks stir my emotions
& give me some vivid dreams to boot.

Thursday 27th March 2014



Reading has always been one of the things that gives me pleasure in life, stretching my imagination and allowing me to escape from my reality for a little while. Having a 12 year old and two under fives to take care of I haven't had time to do any reading for the last couple of years now although my book shelves are still filling up in anticipation of the time when I do. Reading had always been a big part of my leisure time but these days my only regular fix is the nightly bedtime story with my kids!

A review of Goose, a novel by Dawn O'Porter.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be chosen via Twitter to be sent a pre-release copy of Dawn O'Porter's Goose. I've always enjoyed Dawn's TV programmes - her subjects are interesting and her presenting style is quirky, endearingly naive but utterly sympathetic – so I had hoped that her writing would show the same flare. When she re-tweeted her publisher, Hot Key Books, putting out a request for bloggers to review her second novel I practically threw my hand up in the air and shouted “Me! Me! Me! Please sir, pick me!” and it worked. A few days later a copy landed on my doormat, hot off the press.



Now they say don't judge a book by its cover but they (whoever that is) also say first impressions count so I will just remark that the fluorescent orange and decapitated figures on the front made me a little trepidatious about the standard of the contents. Was this going to be a throw-away novel, the sort you get free with a magazine, after all they had given it away to me? The look very much reminded me of books I read in my teens back in the 1990s but I'm a little older and wiser now and I like to think my taste has matured requiring a little more meat on the bones of my literature to keep me satisfied. How would the contents shape up?

The follow up story to her début Paper Aeroplanes, which I haven't read, I thought that maybe it would take me a little while to connect with the two protagonists, Renée and Flo, but I was wrong and instantly sympathised with both girls despite their differences and seemingly opposing personalities. There was something about each of them that resonated with my younger self; Renée brimming with confidence and Flo full of self-doubt. The story is told by alternately flipping between the perspectives of the two best friends as they are going through the final few months of sixth form, nearing the point of getting their A-levels and reaching the time when they can ultimately free themselves from what they believe to be the confines of their small world, the island of Guernsey.

Throughout Renée and Flo struggle to discover who they are as individuals and establish who they want to be, having the power to decide to act how they choose but also being subject to the behaviour of others and suffering from the implications of the past. Their friendship passes through the motions of drifting together and apart, often complicated by their interactions with the other people they encounter and their clashing needs and perspectives on the world they find themselves in. Its a subject that will be quite familiar to any teenager nearing the point of escape from the last confines of adolescence and also to those of us who have passed beyond that point only to emerge in the unexpected shackles of adulthood.

Dawn writes just as enthralling as I had hoped, totally captivating my imagination and throwing me back into the world of a teenager in the '90s that I once inhabited with perfectly placed cultural references. Reading mostly before bed I have had some of the most vivid flashback dreams and suffered both the pangs of longing to be young again and the sheer relief that time is over! Goose has had me laughing out loud (waking my husband up wondering what the hell I was reading about) and sobbing away as I empathised with the girls on a level I had never expected but am delighted to have experienced.

Dawn O'Porter's writing reminds of my favourite teenage author Judy Blume and the pleasure I got from reading her novel Forever at a time when I thought nobody understood how I felt. Goose is an honest and non-patronising account of the thoughts and strong emotions that drive teenage femininity when it is on the cusp of adult independence and I would thoroughly recommend it. My only criticism is that I wished it was longer, as it was so entertaining I was sad to reach the end, but now I shall just have to back-step and read Paper Aeroplanes whilst awaiting the next title in the series.

Dawn O'Porter's Goose is published by Hot Key Books and will be available to buy on 3rd April 2014 priced at £7.99

You can follow both Dawn and Hot Key Books on Twitter:
Dawn is @hotpatooties
Her publisher is @HotKeyBooks

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River Monsters Live at The Bristol Old Vic.

Sunday 23rd March 2014.



It was the show I'd been waiting for ever since I heard about it – a live talk by the man who makes River Monsters (produced by Bristol's Icon Film) so watchable, Jeremy Wade. Unfortunately I had a stonking cold that had totally wiped me out for days and made me feel ready for bed at 8pm for the past three days, keeping me in on my best friends' birthday, but I dragged myself down into town because this was one I wasn't prepared to miss.

We arrived in time to grab a quick drink from the bar and suss out the audience whilst taking our seats. There was a mix of ages, starting from around 5 years old and going all the way up, and a fair mix of the sexes. As my husband put it, “Its not the sausage fest I was expecting!” The lights dimmed and out Jeremy came, dressed modestly in a plain black t-shirt and some combat trousers. He did a quick reccy of the audience and established that the fishing to non-fishing contingency was around 50:50 and began talking to us in a very natural and easy manner.

For those of you who haven't seen the show on TV the basic premise is that each episode Jeremy travels to somewhere under the premise of investigating a 'fisherman's tale' which usually surrounds an unexplained or unattributed death in freshwater circumstances. In order to reasonably explain which culprit might be to blame he hooks and lands what he feels is the most likely suspect species of fish, always releasing it back unharmed afterwards. I am a totally ichthyophobic (terrified of fish) to the point where I cannot swim in wild waters or even visit an aquarium. I am ok being near ponds and fish tanks as long as I do not have to be too close to them and can get away if I need to. I started watching River Monsters as a way of proving to myself that in fact my fear was rational and there are things to worry about out there in the waters of the world. I was hooked in (pardon the pun) by the interesting stories and the natural history aspect of the show.



You might wonder, as we did, what River Monsters Live would be about. Would there be captive fish for us to gawk at as there quite often are on TV chat shows? Would it be a run-down of the most interesting investigations from the 5 series of River Monsters told in Jeremy's own words? Would it be really boring and ruin my admiration for him? What it was was a little unexpected but totally captivating.

Jeremy talked quite naturally about his back-story and how he got into fishing, from his earliest experiences to his travels around the world. We heard about his surprising encounter with the 'Amazon Nessie' in 1994 which is why he never dismisses the unusual and seemingly unbelievable stories he hears. He studied zoology at Bristol University and then went on to teach as a means to funding his global adventures. Jeremy started writing articles for fishing magazines and ended up as a TV presenter almost by accident.

River Monsters the show was seemingly organically conceived once he had made a couple of TV programmes. Jeremy went on to fill us in on some of the filming secrets and shenanigans and gave away some techniques and behind-the-scenes stories. At the end of the first and second halves there were a chance for questions and answers, which prompted a mix of interactivity from the audience– the most intelligent and genuinely interesting questions coming from the inquisitiveness of the children in the audience.

Following the show Jeremy came out to the foyer to sign autographs and have photographs taken with the well-mannered line of fans. My husband had bought me a copy of the River Monsters book in the interval so we jumped into the queue to get it signed however we nearly had a very public domestic row when I discovered he had let his battery run out on his smart phone and we would miss our photo opportunity! (I myself only have a basic mobile that can just call and text.) Luckily for him the couple ahead of us in the line were very kind and offered to take and email the pictures for us so marital crisis averted. When our moment came to meet Jeremy we were both a little star struck and hardly said anything except to tell him we are friends with one of his crew on the show and thank him for the autograph and photo! He was gracious, patient and made time for all of the people who had come to see him, no mater how overbearing or shy they were.

I came away feeling very pleased for having battled through my overwhelming cold and gone along on a chilly March evening. I could have listened to Jeremy talk for hours more about his experiences and adventures. It is undoubtable that he is the reason River Monsters has been such a success, with a 6th series having now been filmed (airing later this year). He has an obviously genuine interest and respect for the people, places and the creatures he encounters and this translates so well onto the screen. If you ever get the chance to hear him talk I would definitely recommend spending an evening with Jeremy Wade.

You can find out more about Jeremy Wade, his programmes and books on his website www.jeremywade.co.uk

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Only a Muppet takes a 4 year old to the cinema!

Sunday 23rd March 2014.



“Its time to play the music, its time to light the lights.
Its time to take my son to the cinema tonight!”

Well, almost. This morning, courtesy of Bristol's Jack FM, I took an excited 4 year old on his first cinema trip to see Muppets Most Wanted (U). We were up early as usual and as the ultra prepared mummy I popped a packet of microwave popcorn, gathered some drinks and put a little packet of sweeties into a bag to take with us and save us some money. Being a Sunday morning it was easy to get into town and a bonus that we could park for free on the single yellow lines around Portland Square. Our destination of the Showcase Cinema De Lux was two minutes walk away although having avoided the shopping centre that is Cabot Circus until now it took a little while to navigate our way up two floors to the cinema entrance.



Upon arriving we checked in with the Jack FM crew, who gave my little'un a Jack pirate hat and Muppets poster, then went to queue for refreshments. My son wouldn't have minded not having anything but I'm a sucker for an Ice Blast so we had two of them and two portions of chips (at 10am on a Sunday morning! No wonder my waist band is expanding at a rate of knots). I then had a panic about how to get ourselves down to the screen with our haul but the cinema staff were most helpful and offered to carry some of our things for us. Once we were seated Downsy and Simon from Jack FM's breakfast show (That Morning Thing) welcomed us all to the private screening and gave away some promo goodies to some of the kids. Luckily mine was content with his chips and drink and didn't kick off at not getting a Kermit cap or watch.

I wasn't sure how the film would go down with either of us and to be honest, expected boredom and disappointment. My son had previously seen a few Muppet films on the TV at home but they never really kept his interest that well, or mine for that matter. The only one I've ever rated was The Muppet's Christmas Carol - a Christmas classic among my family and friends. My son and I both enjoyed the Monsters Inc. short before the main feature began and I was particularly pleased at the lack of adverts as this is normally a horrific 15 minute slog at the start of any cinema experience.

The film began and although I was aware that the lead human role was played by Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras, The Invention of Lying) I wasn't aware of any of the other famous faces staring throughout; Ty Burrell, Tina Fey and (most excitingly for me) Danny Trejo who's other numerous films credits include Desperado, From Dusk til Dawn, Machete and just about any other Hollywood role that requires a machismo Mexican! Gervais plays Dominic Badguy, the Muppets' agent but also sidekick to Constantine, a Kermit look-a-like and criminal mastermind. A little staged in places, particularly his singing number, Gervais keeps it straight throughout and sticks to the character demanded by the film. Trejo has a prevalent backing part throughout the film (playing himself) as a convict in the Siberian Gulag where Kermit is mistakenly imprisoned and he acts this comical part as entertainingly as any of his more serious roles.

The cameo surprises continued to amuse me throughout the film in the usual Muppets' style; Lady Gaga, Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Concords), Sean Coombs (aka Puff Daddy), Usher, Miranda Richardson, Russell Tovey, James McAvoy, Ray Liotta, Josh Groban, Mackenzie Crook and Salma Hayek to name but a few. Another great traditional Muppets' feature was the musical cameo, this time a ballad featuring Celine Dion singing alongside Miss Piggy and shot in the style of one of Dion's music videos, which brought yet another smile to my face.

All in all I'd rate the film as a success - it kept both me and the 4 year old entertained throughout - and the trip as a whole was a triumphant one! We only required one toilet break which was a miracle considering the size of the Ice Blast consumed. There weren't any points during the show where I dozed off or thought to check my watch, and the storyline flowed nicely and wrapped up pretty neatly. The Muppets are back on track entertaining across the generations with this film (and the humans didn't do too badly either) so unusually for me its one I'd recommend.

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A Winter tree-thief gives me grief this Spring.

Monday 17th March 2014.



Is my emotional attachment to plants weird and unusual? This weekend I finally managed to get over to my allotment after having to leave it to its own devices through the Winter. To my dismay two of my 7 year old fruit trees had been stolen from their pots. Our site is very secure so it could only have been by a fellow plot-holder, which only adds to my dismay. Now I know that it is not unusual for jealous people to pilfer the odd piece of fruit or veg from someone else's plot but to steal two whole trees is taking this to another level! I spent my time digging over the weekend feeling quite awful, wondering which of the other green-fingered individuals there may also be light-fingered. I'm not sure who I should report the theft to. Do I phone the council? Do I try and contact the site representative or should I put a notice up? Is it better just to leave well alone and not attract attention? I'll probably end up doing the later, i.e. nothing, and letting my distrust for my neighbours fester.

What's the big deal? I hear you ask. Can't you just buy some more?
Nearly 4 years ago I had to leave the home I had lived in for the seven years prior to that (due to the terminal illness of my father-in-law). This meant abandoning the garden I had lovingly tended throughout that time. The first property we moved to had enough room for the potted plants I had salvaged and I kept the dream alive that I would get a garden of my own back again within a year or so. My plants came along to the second property we had to move to but when we unfortunately had to move to a third place with a much smaller garden 2 years later I had to put some of my pots on my allotment plot. They are not small pots, weighing a good 5 or 6 stone when they're at their driest, and my husband has often cursed me as I made him lumber and shunt them about from pillar to post.

More time has passed and now a further two years have elapsed. The dream of my own home and garden is rather battered, torn and faded but it is still alive (just). I have lovingly cared for my little potted treasures throughout the last few Summer's heatwaves. I have weeded and watered them as well as putting a lot of physical effort into moving the pots everywhere I go. They have given me moments of simple pleasure and enjoyment as well as marking the passing seasons in their ebb and flow. Their loss has riled me on a deeper level than the obvious annoyance at being the victim of such antisocial behaviour. My plants represent my dreams and hopes for my life: a life that I have had on hold for far longer than I ever intended (whilst my energy was directed into caring for my relatives at a time when they needed help). These trees represented my efforts to make my life fruitful. They give me a connection to the living things in this world that will become more permanent on this earth than I am.

I still have most of my original plants and trees in pots and I know I will buy more fruit trees to replace the stolen ones when I finally get a garden of my own again. I feel so sad that my sweat and toil over these particular trees has all been for the benefit of someone else, someone who evidently does not deserve them. I really do feel as if I am grieving their loss, especially as this is the time of year when they wake up and start to lift my spirits as they burst into blossom. From now on I hope their fruit turns as bitter as I feel towards their owner and that they give whoever has them one hell of a bellyache later this year! There should be no satisfaction in riding high on someone else's hard work and devotion.

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Two evenings out in one week!
What a treat, and a disappointment.

Saturday 8th March 2014.

This week I was privileged to get two evenings out – something that hasn't occurred in my life for some years – although with hindsight only the one night was really worth bothering with.

Mike Dilger talks about My Garden & Other Animals.

Tuesday evening saw myself and the better-half heading up to Bristol Zoo for a talk from TV presenter and nature enthusiast Mike Dilger. Most commonly known for his job as resident expert on The One Show (shown week-nights, 7pm on BBC1) Mike was there giving a talk on his self penned book My Garden & Other Animals, published by Collins in 2012. It cost £4 a ticket and the lecture theatre was filled with a mainly 50+ audience, although there were a few younger souls like ourselves peppered throughout the grey hair.

Mike spoke well, although unscripted he was a little less eloquent than on TV, and talked us all through the main premise of the book. In 2011 he moved to a village just outside of Bristol called Chew Stoke and the book is the story of his new garden's first year. There were excerpts and anecdotes to be told which were (a little disappointingly) illustrated by his wife's stylistic illustrations rather than photographs.

At the end Mike opened up for questions, which in some ways was just as entertaining as a procession of old ladies clamoured to boast about their garden wildlife under the loosely veiled guise of a question on his! Unfortunately we didn't have any cash on us so were unable to purchase a copy of the book at the end but I would definitely like to give it a read and will be keeping my eye open for a copy of it in the local charity shops.


Happy Days (the Touring Musical Production) at the Bristol Hippodrome.

Friday evening was a much more traditional form of entertainment; Happy Days (the musical) at the Bristol Hippodrome. This touring production was staring Cheryl Baker of Eurovision fame, Heidi Range formerly of the Sugarbabes, ex-Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman as the Fonz, but most excitingly for me my friend Alice Crocker (breakfast presenter on local radio station Jack FM) in a cameo role as TV announcer.

The highlight of the show was, rather unfortunately, Alice's one line wonder – had I sneezed at the crucial moment I'd have missed it! The major clue the show was going to be slightly less entertaining than the re-runs of the original TV show (repeated throughout my childhood in the '80s) was the almost empty auditorium - something I've never before seen at the Bristol Hippodrome. None-the-less I was prepared to give it a chance and kept myself open-minded as the curtain went up.

The cast were well chosen for their roles, closely resembling their TV counterparts, and the voices and dance routines were all faultless but unfortunately the original songs and music for the show were lacklustre and instantly forgettable. It was a brave attempt at originality but it just didn't live up to its potential. I don't see much of a future for this show so catch it while you can!

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What is your attitude to an addict's death?

Sunday 9th February 2014.

Following the very sad and untimely death of the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman on 2nd February the media has been awash with comments on the circumstances, which it is thought likely to be the result of an accidental heroin overdose (to be confirmed once the outcome of the autopsy is made public). An esteemed Hollywood actor and father of three it would seem that, for the most part, there is a feeling of massive personal loss and overwhelming sympathy for this 'tortured soul'. Personally I feel saddened that his talent has been lost forever more and I will never see it borne out again on the big screen (much as I have done when other actors I have greatly admired have passed away unexpectedly) but I acknowledge that this is reflection of my own selfish feelings about the matter. I mainly feel great sympathy for his family, especially his young children, mother and siblings – who wouldn't? I wonder if they had the news broken to them in a personal and dignified way or if they had to suffer the torture of hearing it on the TV or radio. I wonder if they are able to protect themselves from the persistent opinions of those who never knew the man as a person rather than a personality. Seeing images of his ex-partner and their three young children at his funeral I am struck by how hard it must be to have to live out your personal grief in the media spotlight simply because of your loved one's job.

The media and social networks have been filled with messages of support and sympathy. I haven't seen many negative comments, although they must be more out there somewhere, but this leads me on to the real point I'd like to make in response to this event. When an unknown (and generally disadvantaged) person from an ‘ordinary’ town is found dead in similar circumstances the reaction from society in general is never quite the same as when a big movie or music star dies in the same way. The tendency is to look down upon them, chastise their self-harming actions and berate the recently deceased for their ultimate foolishness/stupidity.

“If her mum was an alcoholic then she should have known better than to drink herself to death.”
“He had a loving wife, a good job and a nice house. I can't believe he would just throw it all away for a good time!”
“Why would he do that when he has kids? How selfish to leave them alone.”
“There's no excuse for not helping yourself. They chose to keep taking heroin and what good do you expect to come from that?”

Why are these uncaring reactions so commonplace? Why do people instantly feel so angry and aggressive with the faceless victims of addiction in their own towns? Why are people kinder to those in the spotlight?

Addiction does not recognise your wealth or status in the world. Rich or poor, famous or anonymous, the drive to change your state of mind and make yourself feel 'better' can grab hold of anyone and ultimately push that person too far regardless of what the outside world deems that their life has to offer them. When it is someone in the performing arts world who dies we feel a personal loss but we also feel that in some way this is expected, that they have become a victim of the system that made them and that we are partly responsible. Why can we not extend this thinking to people much closer to home, who suffer the effects of their own mental health problems with just as much brutality? We often feel that these unknown victims are the same as us where as the famous are elevated to a higher status, seen as something other. We can forgive those who we feel we have put pressure on in some way but we reject the notion that we have done the same for those closer to home. Is it out of shame or embarrassment that we become so cold and unsympathetic?

In my opinion anyone who is killed by their addictions is a victim of the human condition that drives us all to want to feel good and to dislike feeling bad. One out of every four people will suffer with mental health problems in any given year in the Western world. Addiction is a symptom of these afflictions. The next time you hear of somebody in your town dying in similar circumstances – found with a needle in their arm and bags of illegal drugs by their side – maybe the notion might occur to you that the world has lost someone with the same potential to bring joy to the lives of others as you felt when you heard of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, and so you might try to feel the same twinge of sadness within you and sympathy for their tragic loss of life. What have you got to lose by doing so? You may find that you have something to gain.

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West Side Story – a classic musical with a modern feel (and a twist of casual racism!)

Thursday 30th January 2014.

(*spoiler alert!* Do not read if you want to keep the storyline a surprise.)



Based on the tale of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet the story follows the romance that plays out between our young lovers, Tony and Maria. Two street gangs, the native Caucasian Jets and the immigrant Puerto Rican Sharks, are fighting a turf war- born out of the machismo of youth and intolerance of foreign cultures- which they are trying to keep hidden from from the watchful eye of the city's cops. At a dance one night our hero Tony (a lapsed Jet who stopped hanging out with the gang a month before we join them) sets eyes on the beautiful young Maria (the sister of the Shark's leader Bernardo) and the couple fall instantly head-over-heals in love which leads them into a frisson of an affair that can only end in tragedy. Maria believes Tony has the power to end the feud between the two gangs and sends him as a peace envoy, however when the Jets and Sharks finally clash in a pre-arranged fight, a balletic duel ensues culminating in a surprisingly modern-feeling knife fight. When Bernardo lunges and finally stabs Riff, Tony feels compelled to avenge his friend's death and reciprocates the gesture. Ultimately neither Jets nor Sharks are the victors as both their leaders are left dead and the repercussions echo through the second half of the show.

The news of her brother's death at her lover's hand filters back to Maria. Initially distraught she is overwhelmed by her love for Tony and forgives him. They then consummate their relationship and arrange to run away together but their plans are almost scuppered by Anita, Bernardo's fiancé. Once the police arrive and insist on questioning Maria (hindering her plans to leave immediately) Anita is persuaded to take a message to Tony informing him of the delay. In a twist of fate Anita is stopped by the surviving Jets, badly beaten, and ultimately raped. Distraught she lashes out telling them Maria has been killed by her betrothed because of her involvement with Tony. Upon hearing his love is lost Tony then offers himself up to the Sharks and just as he discovers that this was a lie, is shot by Maria's fiancé. After threatening to shoot herself Maria ends the play by proclaiming that the blood for these deaths lies on all their hands, Sharks and Jets alike. Members of the two gangs together carry Tony's body from the stage followed by the mourning Maria, and then that's it. The end!

West Side Story enthralled me from curtain up to the final bows. I was slightly trepidatious as I have been disappointed by poor quality productions in the past but the standard at this performance was exemplary all round. The cast were entrancing. The musical score demands such a wide vocal range of its stars that only extremely skilled vocalists could have full command of it. For this production I feel that special mention deserves to be given to the leading players, Louis Maskell for his mastery in the role of Tony and Katie Hall for her Maria, but also Djalenga Scott as Anita, Javier Cid as Bernardo, and Matthew Hawksley as the Jet Action for his performance in 'Officer Krupke'.

The story does not end as I expected, as Shakespeare's timeless tale does. I was anticipating the lovers double deaths and felt slightly cheated by the climax of the show, however a day later I can see that there are some difficult questions raised about the nature of urban conflicts which do not necessarily warrant 'tidying up' to fit with the Romeo & Juliet theme. The conflict ultimately stems from nothing or so we are lead to believe. Nobody knows why they are at war with each other but they all feel they have to save face. In fact endemic racism between the local unemployed youths and the immigrants is the cause and everyone knows it. Maybe this is what gives West Side Story that timeless feeling as these problems still plague our urban societies across the globe today.

The one thing I wasn't prepared for, maybe quite naively, was the casual racism. Obviously there were going to be themes based on the racial tension between the Sharks and the Jets but the outright racist lyrics of the song America shocked me as I sat there in the theatre. Was everybody else oblivious to it? I'm not sure. Even my friend didn't seem to notice (and we went our separate ways upon leaving the theatre so I haven't had a chance to have that discussion yet). When I got home I looked up the song on YouTube but what was instantly apparent was that the film had a very different version of the America, which on the face of it seemed slightly less obscene than the lyrics I heard. I sought out the original lyrics from the stage show (www.westsidestory.com) as I thought maybe I'd simply misheard them but alas I hadn't. Anita describes her home as “Puerto Rico, you ugly island, Island of tropic diseases. Always the hurricanes blowing, Always the population growing, And the money owing, And the babies crying, And the bullets flying.” Anita mocks and chastises her homesick fellow immigrant Rosalia for reminiscing of the beauty of her homeland and wanting to take the benefits of 'modern America' back to the people at home. It seems very odd for an Anita to do this unless you account for her words being put into her mouth by a non-Puerto Rican. Whilst there may have been problems in Puerto Rico it would be more likely for those who had emigrated to see these as stemming from the political and social climate at the time rather than being based on their geographical location or cultural heritage. It is also odd that whilst Anita and the fellow Puerto Ricans are living in the impoverished Manhattan and suffering the daily effects of deeply ingrained racism they would still be singing the praises of America at the expense of their motherland.

Overall I was blown away by the musical score of West Side Story and the performances I saw but shocked and stunned by the lyrics and racist overtones which left me shocked and saddened. I won't be seeing it again as I think that without radical updating it should remain consigned to the history vaults along with the attitudes it embodies.

If you would like to see this show for yourself you can book tickets for this touring production here www.atgtickets.com/shows/west-side-story

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A little bit or a lot better or worse George?

Sunday 26th January 2014

Bristol City Council and the Mayor George Ferguson have riled me this week with their advertising campaign for the new 20mph zones put into action across Bristol this month - “A little bit slower. A whole lot better.”

It has been decided that 30mph is no longer acceptable for the suburban streets of Bristol. Instead we are now expected to drive through vast areas of the city at a third of the speed previously deemed safe for decades, despite the increase in car breaking efficiency and design features specifically created to decrease the risk of injury over that time. Now whilst I can not argue that less damage will be done to a RTA victim at 10mph slower I do have a couple of points to raise about the campaign slogan.



A third of something is not 'a little bit' of it by any standard I know of. A quick straw poll of family and friends suggests that the general consensus is that less than 10% is a much more accurate representation of what is normally thought of as 'a little bit'. If I had baked a delicious Victoria sponge cake and then consumed a third of it, would it be fair to say that I had eaten 'a little bit' of it? I would have eaten nearer to half of it, wouldn't you say? Lets look at it another way. If I was driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone would anybody call that 'a little bit' over the limit? I can't see that they would and the chances are that neither would the law. The Association of Chief Police Officers recommend that just over 10% discretion is reasonable when enforcing fixed penalty notices for speeding so it would seem even they concur that 33.3% is not 'a little bit'.

My second point to pick up on is that the phrase 'A whole lot better' is a deliberately provocative term used in this latest rhetorical campaign. Ignoring the obvious question of what 'a whole lot' means I'd like to focus on the other part of the phrase. Better than what exactly, and for whom? As I have already stated I am not denying the evidence that the speed limit reduction decreases the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision from 20% to just 2.5%, however it is also worth noting that at 20mph a car in motion generally runs much less efficiently than at 30mph, increasing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Is this payoff a whole lot better for Bristolians on the whole? Is increasing journey time by up to 50% better for our city too when it already has massive problems with congestion? What exactly has been made 'a whole lot better' for us citizens because I can only see the negative effects upon my daily life that this move has caused.

What worries me the most about this on the whole is as follows. It seems evident to me that pedestrians are no longer aware of the dangers they face when crossing the road. Reducing the speed limits in this way only encourages their feelings of supremacy and invincibility against motorists. I have noticed a massive decline in road safety campaigns aimed at young pedestrians since the 1980s when I was a child. Media campaigns have targeted the driver and focused around 'Kill your speed, not a child'. It now seems totally normal for the parents and carers I encounter on a daily basis to lead their juvenile charges out across the roads without any thought for teaching them the essential skills of 'Stop, look and listen'. This change in emphasis has shifted any responsibility for personal safety from the pedestrian to the driver and it now seems perfectly reasonable to most people that motorists should be expected to avoid them and not the other way round. This may simply be a reflection of the shifting cultural norms of our society as a whole but at when its ultimately yours or your child's life at risk isn't it just good old-fashioned common sense to take all reasonable precautions to avoid becoming a victim? Stop, look and listen should still be drummed into all of us when crossing any road, at any time and in any place.

The 20mph campaign looks set to roll out to an even greater area of Bristol later on this year, with no plans to reduce speed limits proportionally on the 40mph and 50mph roads of the city. I will not be surprised if pedestrian and cyclist deaths in these areas actually increase as a result of reducing speeds elsewhere because of a reduced ability to judge when and where it's safe to cross and the speed of approaching traffic. Wouldn't the money it is costing to implement the city wide 20mph zones be better spent on education which would continue serve the individual Bristolians wherever in the world they happen to be in the future for the rest of their lives? I doubt common sense will prevail and the rhetoric of the mayor will continue but for now I've said my piece on the matter and will abide by the law, no matter how nonsensical. I do however hope that I'm proved wrong on all of this.

You can find out more about Bristol City Council's plans here www.bristol20mph.co.uk

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This Old Bird Has Started To Tweet

Saturday 25th January 2014

I've recently thrown myself into the world of Twitter, something I've been avoiding up until now. For me the idea of being restricted to 140 characters seems like pure frustration wrapped up in a website, harking back to the bad old days of early texting when you had to edit down what you wanted to say (in an attempt to keep it down to one SMS and save your credit) 'ntil it nolonger lkd nefin lik wt u wntd 2say' but instead resembled the early attempts of an infant school child to communicate with their class teacher in their homework book. This struggle hailed the mainstream acceptance of text speak and the death of the sanctity of proper English. Luckily this doesn't seem to have percolated into the Twitter world to such an extreme as I had thought, although it seems to have swept through youth culture like wildfire. Am I just getting too old to understand this trend? Maybe so, but as I started off by saying I've just begun to embrace the world of Twitter and Tweeting so there may be hope for me yet!

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A Barefooted Launch in to Books

Tuesday 15th October 2013

The big day for my Barefoot Books launch party. It had been a few weeks since I signed up as an ambassador but just a day since I received my starter kit in the post so I was raring to go and feeling a little under-prepared all at once. I'd watched all the online training videos and familiarised myself with the processes involved so I just needed some people to come so I could make my presentation. I started to set up my books half an hour before people were due to arrive but struggled to organise everything without any display stands. How do you make sure all your products are visible? Is it important for people to be able to see all the samples immediately? My own children have been reading Barefoot Books for years and so we have a fairly extensive library of Barefoot titles which I was able to put to good use as sample copies to show to my guests. The samples alongside the starter kit contents made for a pretty good range.

Twenty minutes into setting up the first guests arrived (10 minutes early!) and from then on there was no time for worrying about the layout. I had invited friends and family members come along to show their support and they were all greeted with drinks and biscuits when they arrived. Luckily everyone came within half an hour of each other and I was able to give my welcome speech and talk about living Barefoot to all the guests at once. I gathered up my prompt cards and notes, made sure I had my example books to show the group, took a deep breath, reminded myself to smile and just started talking.

I'm not really sure if I said everything I meant to but I was getting smiles and nods rather than confused looks so I took it as a good sign and just ploughed on through 'til the end. I spoke about why I decided to become an ambassador, what I love about Barefoot and their philosophy. The presentation tailed off towards the end as I handed round examples for people to look at and the questions started coming at me. I answered everything as best I could, went round gathering the orders and told everybody they could expect their orders to be delivered in a couple of weeks.

I was really pleased with how I managed. It felt good to have finally gotten off of the starting block and now I just hope to keep the momentum up in the run up to Christmas!

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London VegFest 2013

Monday 7th October 2013

Wow, London Vegfest (5th -_ 6th October) – what a weekend! It was the first time we've done a two day show away from home and the first time we'd left the children since before our daughter was born so we were very nervous and excited in the run up. The initial investment of time and money is a fairly large commitment for a fledgling business like Need Sweets and we didn't really know what to expect. Would the kids be ok with their grandparents? Would there be many people attending? Did we have enough stock and samples? Would people want to buy our sweets and marshmallows? Did we have all our passes and permits and know where we were going? Had we forgotten anything important? How would we cope?!


(Image Courtesy of london.vegfest.co.uk)

All week we worked to get everything ready for the stall and organize our stock. Friday night we packed the car and early Saturday morning we set off. On the drive into London we had a sudden panic that we hadn't checked if we we were going into the congestion charge zone. Neither of us had driven into London for some years so we had no idea where the charging started and no idea where we were headed as we had (against my preference) taken the sat-nav and not a map. I remembered why I'd taken the bus or train on my last few London trips! Luckily the motorway was clear and traffic was mild, Olympia was really easy to find and not in the charging zone, and unloading and set up went without a hitch.

The doors opened and the crowds poured in! Lots of veggies, vegans and curious people came over the weekend. The atmosphere was fantastic and our samples created a real buzz around our stall. There were lots of wide-eyed excited faces shouting, “ooo, can I have some?” and that was just the adults! We heard lots of our favourite customer exclamation too, “Brilliant! I haven't had these in so many years!” We ran out of smores, cola bottles and business cards on the first day as demand surpassed our expectations but we met so many friendly new people it was smiles all round.



On a personal note we did a little bit of spoiling ourselves. I particularly enjoyed some vegan chocolates made by artisan chocolatier Annesh Popat www.the-chocolatier.co.uk. His Aztec Spice Chocolate covered hazelnuts are incredible (and addictive). Exquisitely decadent, they've a wonderful combination of cinnamon which gives a beautiful aromatic note to the dark chocolate and chilli that adds a gentle warming kick at the end to remove any hint of bitterness. A really sumptuous indulgence, especially of accompanied by a steaming mug of their exquisite drinking chocolate. We're hoping to be able to bring these vegan cocoa delights to our customers at Need Sweets soon. Nick picked up a T-shirt from reggae star Macca B. “Wha me eat?” is his fantastic ditty about being vegan. Check out the official video on YouTube youtu.be/FLqjLn0W5K0

We arrived home on Sunday evening utterly exhausted and with very sore feet but feeling very happy with our weekend away. We had a lot of fun together and the support we got from other stall holders and the public gave us a fantastic boost. It may be an unconventional way to spend your first weekend away from the kids in three years but we had such a good time together we were so glad we did it. We'd definitely like to do it again next year.

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