London with Tamara

When I feel inspired to write a post here I find myself swerving toward the positive. I guess I keep my sad times to myself. They still happen and they usually take the form of NOT writing on the blog. Conspicuous by my absence I guess.
I also find that I often use this platform as a method of giving thanks, usually for great friends helping me out in various ways.
One of those helping me out at the moment is the wonderful Tamara. I met Tamara recently when I found myself talking nervously to her husband in a Ryanair queue on my recent visit to Rome. He tucked me under his wing and took me home to meet his wife Tamara and their kids. We got on famously. We are the same age and both have a creative streak. It's amazing to have a partner in crime of exactly the same age to compare all sorts of things from hair removal tips to musical taste.
Tamara rang a week or so ago and asked if I'd like to accompany her to the Paris Open! I must admit I was at a very low ebb and saw nothing but fear in going so far from home. She coaxed and cajoled and I tried my best to get her to come closer to me this time. I finally wore her down and even got her to come to East Harling on the promise of that most English of experiences...the inauguration of a new village vicar, complete with 40 strong robed choir, Bishops, bell ringing and a fabulous supper. She was a very gracious and enthusiastic guest.
After I'd fed her a few meals and felt I'd evened up the score of hospitality a bit, I let her take me to London for an all expenses paid birthday treat. Phew. Just in the nick of time as my confidence in my abilities and my creativity was waning. We walked and walked and I felt I earned a small amount of kudos by being the map reader and guide. Tamara has a keen interest in street art and seeing it through her eyes I became a huge fan too of this most optimistic of creative pursuits. The first piece we saw was this incredible and huge heron on the side of a wall in Bricklane It must have been 30 feet high and when we came around the corner it made me catch my breath and brought tears to my eyes. How on earth did they get it here?
Walking around this East London area was amazing; another planet compared to what I see normally here in Norfolk. The artwork seemed so cheeky and easy, painted on scraps of newspaper or chiseled out of the fabric of the wall itself.
Most of my time is spent franticly trying to make money out of my creativity and to see it thrown onto a wall for everyone to see and enjoy was such a breath of fresh air. No tickets to buy, no strings attached, just Art for Arts sake.
Kooky and beautifully vibrant.
Sad and political.



Exuberant and full of colour.

Pretty
and textured.
Hilarious
and downright clever

So thanks Tamara for a truly amazing few days in one of the most amazing cities in the world. No need to be scared of weazels any more!

Birthday lunch

Another of the anniversaries that I wasn't really looking forward to lately was my birthday. In the end it was truly wonderful. It kept on and on over the whole weekend and beyond with time spent with my lovely friends. On Friday, the day before my birthday, Clarissa and Lisa had organised champagne and cake in the backyard of Lisa's house, with bunting and sunshine.
The sun shone and a LOT of cake was consumed. Having a serious effect on my cleavage!
After I came home from the party, a large box was sitting on my doorstep with this bunch of spectacular flowers from my Sister Suez. How often do you get a bunch like this. Peonies, pink hydrangeas and pink roses with pale green edges.
Then on the saturday of my actual birthday, we went to a sculpture trail at a small village called Burgh Apton with Clarissa and Zebby and my gorgeous little buddy Grace. A picnic was prepared.
and a lot more cake was consumed.
The sun shone AGAIN and the air around the gardens smelled strongly of mock orange.
and cow parsley.

This was my favourite sculpture of all.
and here's Clarissa giving it all she's got. There is no way I can do this yoga move.
a long and tiring day but completely wonderful. Thanks gang.

Race for life

I had no idea what to expect at a huge charity fundraiser. I don't really like large organised events. However I was humbled and bowled over by the feeling of heartfelt respect and the sheer numbers that attended this race for life at the Norwich Showgrounds. This was one of 4 races this weekend and there were thousands of people there. It makes you realise what an epidemic cancer is. My best buddy and a few other lovely friends were making it real in a most outrageous way. Here's Sarah (with Clarissa and Zebbie) in her burlesque outfit (plus last minute t-shirt purchase!)

and Kerry looking immaculate at the end of the race.
I was number one Zebbie wrangler so I saw quite a bit of the bouncy castle, but the signs on peoples backs brought tears and a huge lump in my throat that stayed with me the whole day. Big or small, fat or thin, old or young, everyone was there with a huge sense of purpose.
Richard would have been very proud of you lovelies. Thanks Clarry for battling through even with a bad back.
and Big daddy Russ, we couldn't have done it without your motivational moves!


As a

Clarribelle

My amazing friend and all-round wonder-woman, Clarissa is running for Richard in the Norwich race for life next Sunday. If you would like to sponsor her and really blow her out of the water then go here now

Royal wedding

This morning at Church, I bumped into my lovely friend Chris Tagg. She stayed up last night until 2am reading the blog and I promised her a new post today about my Royal Wedding Day out a couple of Fridays ago. Here we are Chris, this ones for you....
I went to the village of Banham which is close by as they were having a party on the green. By the time I got to my friends' Kate and David's house at about 10.30, I was really excited. On the way over, I'd been listening to BBC radio 2 and they had had great music playing, culminating in the fabulous wedding anthem by that raucous soul belter, Yvonne Fair 'It should have been me'.
I'd been singing along so loudly that I didn't realise until I got out of the car that all six bells at Banham Church were ringing. (You'll just have to imagine the sound ... actually if you listen here you might be able to hear something similar). This is Banham Church where our friend David Hill is Rector.This is David with his son Cuthbert... Bertie has inherited his Father's love of dressing up.This is his beautiful wife Kate, standing with Cuthbert and I resplendant in our matching Union-Jack-tea-towel aprons. Banham had put on a wonderful show and this is what greeted us as we walked over to the Green.People had gone to a lot of trouble to dress up. There was a wonderful Queen Elizabeth the First, as well as this woman dressed as Emmeline Pankhurst who stayed in the role all day shouting "Votes for women" at frequent intervals.
Kate had gone to a lot of trouble to make a picnic with roast beef sandwiches and strawberries & cream. We drank champagne (it had its inevitable results of giving me an instant headache.)
Then back to the green for races. There weren't enough grown-ups to compete in the wheelbarrow races so this clown juggled instead!winning by a narrow margin...
Although the judge had imbibed a lot of Champagne by then!
The lovely Owen had organised his horse Kahn and cart (yes it's the one we had for Richard's funeral)
A grand day out indeed. It seems to have lifted everone's spirits to have some sunshine and a wedding.