Money for Nothing and Chicks for Free

At last the third book in the series is now finished and out of my hair. The launch went well with 65 people attending and a sell out event at Central Library for my part in the Books on Tyne event. Since the Evening Chronicle requested my publisher to supply them with all three, sales are going extremely well. Now for the next project in the new year which is The Grainger Market. I have spoken to civic centre staff who are really supportive. Looking forward to meeting new people, Taking photos and working with artist Paul Goldsmith who has offered to supply his art work for the front cover and illustrations. It`s been busy the past few weeks meeting up with old pals. The Station Hotel offers a three course lunch for £10, so we took advantage of this for a couple of get togethers and afterwards at one of our favourite haunts, Las Iguana`s. Have four of my drawings and batik silks in Laughing Cat Café in town. The café supports local artists and a few of us, who have had exhibitions here, have been given 3-4 spaces for the next couple of months. When a piece is sold, we can replace. I`ve sold one so far and have two new ones on the go. I`m ashamed to say that I spent my first time at Derwent reservoir this month. Work started here in 1960 and there`s something quite spooky to know that cottages once stood on the spot where this teeming mass resides now. I stayed with an old school pal in her parents cottage for a few days and we drove there to walk. We were lucky enough to witness the decent of a flock of Canadian Geese which was amazing. A few gorgeous black bulls became very nosey at out approach and a delightful bullock accepted our offer of fresh grass. Why have I left it so long to visit here? We walked for four miles and I loved every minute. My new year resolution? A group of us attended the Richard Burton Diaries lecture at Newcastle Unversity. It was excellent and focused more on Burton`s academic life rather than going over old ground with Lizzy. Afterwards we called in to Quilliam Brothers Tea Rooms at Haymarket. It wasn`t a cold night and no ice to be seen, but I cut through Eldon Square on my way through town, slipped and fell flat on my back. Luckily I was wearing my haversack and it broke my fall. The only thing I can think of where this ice came from was from the overwatered plant stands which were in the shadow of the George and Dragon statue. My camera would usually be in my back pack, but I had been using it at an event earlier that day and it was in my shopping bag. In the past, I might have moaned regarding my sore wrist and embarrassment, but now that I`m getting older I`m so grateful that I didn`t knock myself out or break something! I supported my friend and fellow writer, James Fisher by reading at his book launch of Downstream, Andrew Belshaw provided his own photos to illustrate the book. A group of us also read at the Literary and Philosophical Society to raise funds for the Phillipines, wittily named The Lit and Phillipines, over £200 was raised and we all enjoyed mulled wine and cakes. Another excellent event was held by the Heaton History Group at the Corner House on the Cullercoats Fish Wives. The team who delivered the talk complimented it with slides, clog dancing, poems and singing. Keith Fisher`s new book Castle on the Corner was available for sale and will be of great interest to residents and ex residents of the Heaton area who want to discover the history of Heaton Hall Estate and the secrets of King John's Palace. The book is made up of photos, drawings, maps and a very well written historical and social account of this area. Xmas lunch - for the fourth year running at eldest son`s home with a houseful of adults and kids. Looking forward to the day. Have applied for my state pension and free bus pass. Because the dates have changed from automatically receiving said funds at age 60 have changed, I have had to wait 1 year and 10 months before being in receipt. I apreciate that there has to be a cut off point, but surely if a body has paid into the system for over 40 years this should figure? A woman only need have contributed 35 years of full stamp to obtain full pension, so why discriminate with state pension and bus pass by setting unrealistic dates? Women who have had children and received family allowance will have had 15 years of full stamp already paid for them, so I suppose there is some justice here, but we certainly get nothing for free. Poster in West End Library

Fat, Hiking Hillbilly

After watching a programme on the 10 creatures David Attenborough would save from extinction I was taken by a little fella, a Solenodon. I keyed in the name, hoping to see some photographs, spelled the way I half heard it - Selenodon - and pages of Celine Dion stuff came up. This has been happening on my mobile, due to too fast typing and it`s amusing to see what the spell check intercepts. Keyed in fast wrongly - fatty. Hiking - hillbilly. I want to shout at it "I didn`t mean that!" Must switch off predictive text. I digress, the Solenodon - a rat like ant eater looking creature with cute ears. They live in caves most of the time, so have an albino appearance. Never seen one of these before. Also the Cane Toad - very impressive creature. The male does his bit for women`s lib as he gives birth to the young from his mouth. The egg is held in a chamber by the male in his mouth after the female has given him responsibility for the egg. It must be our age, but my spam e mails are full of casino adverts while my husband`s continue to be bombarded by viagra ads. Maybe they imagine that I am striking the slot machines to start a new life and he needs more life in...well. whatever. Mails which are more insidious are when I receive a message from a pal who I know for a fact doesn`t travel abroad. It informs me that she has been mugged in Sierra Leone and has no money to fly home, can I just pop some cash over there to help? Should have told them to try their luck on a slot machine. I can point them in the direction of countless gambling joints.

Cuts in Newcastle upon Tyne (March to Civic Centre)

Bar Loco Performance Event

Mark Gibson - Art Exhibition at Bede`s World Jarrow

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.