FLASH MEN AND FIREPLACES.

Flashman had died. Or rather the wonderful actor Richard Morant who played the character of Flashman in Tom Brown School Days has tragically died. I never met him, but I had recently met his stunning wife Valerie, who is the kindest person you could ever wish to meet. My heart goes out to her and her family.

Morant also played a handsome character in Poldark although I was never a Poldark groupie like my teenage peers at the time. But I remember at the age of seven, while other girls were role playing as nurses and dancers, I was role playing as Tom Brown being tied up to a fireplace by Flashman. It may have been broadcast at four pm on a Sunday afternoon but that series was definitely pseudo erotic. I didn't care if I ever met Tom Brown, its Flashman I wanted to meet. And that was at seven. The character of Flashman was the bully, the attractive bounder, the dark side of Jane Austen's Darcey - an author who never got why women are so attracted to wankers. Forty years later the idea still has it's appeal. Although knowing the flash men I've met over the years, they are nothing like the Flashman of those school days. Today, these men invariably have insurmountable self esteem issues, and are invariably the ones who would prefer to be tied to the fireplace.

sanity in her madness...

Recently visited Petersham Nurseries, the beautiful, imaginative, over priced and slightly pretentious garden centre and restaurant where they charge £4 for a slice of beetroot cake.

First for a Halloween event where there were lots of actors wafting around Petersham House, draped in smoke and mirrors, pretending to be mad and deranged, and guests had to guess who done it, how it was done, and why it was done. I am still not sure who did it but think it was to do with money being gained dishonestly by the master of the house, and payback. Everyone was scared, laughing nervously, feeling slightly unsafe but impressed by the performance. Hoping it wasn't real.

And last night, I visited the same house, to watch Ruby Wax and Judith Watson in their funny and poignant two woman show 'Losing it' sitting amidst actors, models and psychoanalysts who were there to watch a play about...madness and suicidal thoughts and how the usual middle class response to people having breakdowns is to either ignore them hoping it or they will go away or tell them to 'perk up, have a cup of tea and if your insurance allows head for a 'spa break' in the Priory. It was slightly unnerving as at the Halloween event in the same room, on the same stage, an actress had hung from the rafters, a noose round her neck exactly where Ruby talked about her 'voices' and suicidal thoughts. Everyone was scared, laughing nervously, feeling slightly unsafe but impressed by the performance. Hoping it wasn't real.

Spooky huh?

THE DOUBTING THOMAS COLLECTIONS and POETRY IN EMOTION

Please check out my latest two publications! The Doubting Thomas collection which is a series of stories for three to six year olds. There will be more out just before Christmas. And the other is a collection of poems, some of which are rather naughty.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-DOUBTING-THOMAS-STORIES-ebook/dp/B005Z4A088

http://www.amazon.co.uk/POETRY-IN-EMOTION-ebook