Newton Hall and Hot Words at the Chilli

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The Jazz Man Go-eth

Pleased that this bloody cold has finally gone. 10 days over xmas of enforced lethargy. I became hooked on newspapers and tv. I have aquired the box set Star Wars, Men in Black, Eat Pray Love, and Prometheus. Pal P bought me The Ascent of Man 4 disc box set, he was going to loan me his book, but thought that this would make a good present. I missed xmas dinner at my sopn G and his partner E`s house, but was cheered up by the news that he had proposed to her on the day itself. He chose the ring himself which was a complete surprise to her. Next up is a trip to Newton Hall for one of those wedding fayres. Hope the weather is ok for this Saturday! Keith Crombie "The Jazz Man" died in hospital. He will be a big miss at the club and also I will miss the chats we had in and around town. He always gave me books that he thought I could use at my reminiscence sessions, particularly Geordie stuff. He knew when the charity shops put their rubbish out and once told me that he often went to the back door of certain shops in town, when I asked him where, he said "Oh, Yvonne I can`t tell you that becasue you will go and get the good stuff" I remember one Saturday night at the cafe, when the band finished he pulled a screen up and showed Tina Turner singing Nutbush City. I enjoyed the Pink Lane Poetry and Performance nights the second Tuesday every month, a time gone by. There will never be another cafe like this one. Folks gathered outside the cafe where his cortege left for St Thomas Martyr church at Haymarket. The horses were beautiful black creatures with plumes on their heads pulling a glass coach with two coachmen, wonderful tribute to the man. Around 400 people marched behind an Orleans style band. I was on the Tyne Idols touring bus behind and managed to get some snaps of the folks. At the church there were another couple of hundred people. Afterwards at Town House for the wake, it was good to hear memories. Two bands playing and people dancing. Keith would have loved this, what a shame that a party like this couldn`t have been staged during his lifetime to honour his contribution to this city. Ordered a new batik pot, I already have the chanting, silk paints and wooden frame to stretch the silk on. I went to stay with an old school pal K who lives in Woodbridge, Suffolk for 4 days in December. She was crotcheting snoods and cushions. This inspired me to seek out a piece of silk I had held on to since the 80`s. I had been working on a Tall Ships Race wall hanging and was using a piece if silk as a tester piece for colours. Usually I would throw testers out, but for some reason, I kept this one. When I got back from my stay, I sought it out and began embroidering and sewing beads on. It just needs to be framed now. Woodbridge is a lovely place, we took trips into Aldeburgh walked on the beach, visited Seckford Hall and Lavenham. Bought some xmas presents at Snape Maltings and ate lovely home cooked food around a roaring coal fire.

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Our event at Bar Loco went really well, we got dressed up and performed to a full house. Songs, comedy, burlesque and raffle. Between peformance sets I collected £27 for the raffle. Prize was a bottle of Champagne and chocolates. We didn`t get to put a show on at Pride Cafe, it will be rescheduled for later this year. Andrew Belshaw`s new photo exhibition is at Tyneside Coffee Rooms, check it out. He collaborated with writer in Residence Sheree Mack which resulted in a book launch at the Lit and Phil, great event. Next one will be on Thursday 24th Feb "Abstractions of Verse". Started a new batik today, an elephant with a monkey on it`s back, It`s meant to be Hanuman, the monkey god. I am interested in Indian art and Pre-Columbian art, will also make a representation of an Egyptian marble head. As if I haven`t enough to do, my publisher has asked if I would start a third book, Westenders 2, this really appeals to me and I have three stories already. Three interviews lined up and a visit to a Co-operators Guild, a group of women who still meet after having worked at the Co-op all their lives. I will take a group photo and one account from each person to make up a collective story. On the weather front, I am no longer afraid, I own a pair of pull on grippers for my boots and I haven`t slipped once. I scoff at folks wearing plaster casts on a leg or arm. I am turning into my mother in law "It wouldn`t have happened if you........" I watch people teetering around patches of ice, scuttling onto a piece of grass, sticking to the outskirts of the path or the road. I am striding along as my grippers slice through the ice like cheese wire, ah how liberating. Mind, I still had to drag the trolley through the snow yesterday full of random stuff on my way to hold a recycle project with families at Riverside.