Saturday 1 MarchDuffy is tiny, a slight figure in a black, nipped in, strapless cocktail dress with gorgeous red patent stilettos, but, boy, does she pack a punch! From the minute she steps on to the stage and throws single roses out to the audience, she has everyone eating out of her hand. Fresh, charming and clearly enjoying every moment she is a joy to watch. It feels churlish, therefore, to criticise but my slight niggle is that the material doesn’t quite live up to her performance. The stand-out tracks, when they come, are sublime. ‘Mercy’ sends the audience wild, indeed, squashed, as we are, in the moshpit there is some out and out bad behaviour which is downright annoying. But, my goodness, this girl is only twenty-three and bursting with talent – expect to see much more of her.
Monday 3 March
Ma rings and admits she is in pain with her back – quite extraordinary behaviour for her on both accounts. I question her closely, advise her as best I can from 250 miles away and ring again a little later to check progress. Ma says she’s fine and doesn’t need me to rush back to the south. She’s one of the strongest willed people I have ever met but her body is frail and it worries me to look too far into the future.
Here at Hotel H, Mil and Dil are our guests and Tom too is painfully aware of time passing. Amongst other mysterious ailments, Mil’s been experiencing heart palpitations for which there are no medical explanations but which make her anxious and fearful. How do you reassure someone who can’t be reassured?
Wednesday 5 March
Well I’ve had my fill of trying to soothe brows that can’t be soothed. FTT is frustratingly close to completion but I can’t write so I’m going outside to stain a fence. Says a lot, doesn’t it? However, in the midst of the doom and gloom about ageing P’s we have good news. The delightful Martin, who runs the Apple Gallery http://www.applegallery.co.uk/ Godalming, rings to say he has sold two of Tom’s large paintings. I’m so pleased for Tom who really deserves recognition. I hope the person who bought them enjoys them… and tells all their friends!
Gawd, I’m always banging on in this blog about my nearest and dearest and how proud I am of them. It’s not a question of showing off but about celebrating the fact that their hard work is being rewarded. Stepson Two’s band, Clocks, have a new full release single out on 7 April. ‘Old Valve Radio’ is a track I’ve been playing in the car a lot. A perfect pop song, it conjures up summer but remains edgy thanks to Stepson Two’s characteristic bittersweet lyrics. For music channel fans, the video, which is just terrific, is on ‘The Hits’ now and is also on the playlist for ‘Q’ and ‘The Box’.
Hwyl fawr!
Painting is 'October below Craig Cau' SOLD
Comments
How lovely to have paintings sold, and they are so evocative of your area too.
I love the the painting, the colours really appeal to me but after a little look further down my favourite would be the one of the chapel window.
I worry about my parents even though they are close enough to visit so I can imagine how much worse it must be when they are far away.
Hope the shoulder continues to improve.
Hope you Mum is ok - not good to be too stoic. I have no idea how you reassure someone who won't be - there is a kind of refuge in the not wanting to be reassured!
Hope your mum's back will be ok soon, such a worry when you are so far away, same here for me and my parents, can't just pop in to see if all is well , have to drive for 4 hrs.
Not boasting at all, lovely talented family, that's great!
You have every right to be proud and share your good news.
It's too chilly to do the fence - make a cuppa and get cracking with the writing!xx
And Milla's right, you never come across as boastful. You've obviously got a very talented family and it's only right that you should be proud of their achievements. And I'm so glad to hear of Tom's successes.
See you soon for that coffee, xx Mags.
Congratulations also to stepson 2 and Clocks. Sounds like they're really going places.
(it's never boasting btw. Hard work and talent should be celebrated and shouted from the rooftops)
You're almost there with FTT. Keep going Chris:-)