Weird World

Welcome to newsletter number 4.

I’ve just finished the brilliant The Gran Tour book by Ben Aitkin (mentioned in an earlier newsletter) which was heartwarming and fun as my breakfast go-to instead of news/doom scrolling. It has been replaced by the fascinating and truly terrifying account by Sarah Wynn-Williams of her time at facebook. I absolutely recommend this book but it is not getting my day off to a bright and happy start. Shocking doesn’t cover it. I might go back to looking at the world news…

Since I last gave an update I’ve done two book events. One at Kirkcudbright for their book week, thanks to my friend, the author John Dean who look up to, as you can see! Last night I also spoke at the Little Felton Book Festival with the thriller writer Lucy Roth. It was billed at Women, Wisdom and Wit, which near the time I found very stressful due to the need to be funny. Good news, people did have a chuckle. Big relief.

The roller coaster of self-publishing continues though… I felt positive after last night and got an email that an event at The Word in South Shields in late April has only two people booked on. Swings and roundabouts.

Thanks to my daughter I had a whirlwind time in London and bust the budget as well as the step counter… over 30k most days, even when we went to see the Harry Potter play where we sat down for six hours.

I’ve never worked in London and it is a huge regret, even though it would have been expensive, the choice of entertainment is mindblowing.

We saw the Inside No 9 play which was great and I didn’t jump as much as my whole family had anticipated, so that’s a result. Standing tickets were £20 which was great value.  Harry Potter The Cursed Child was also good with amazing special effects and performances. The final show I saw was the live recording of Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail podcast, at the Barbican Centre, where she interviewed the actor who plays a Rupert Campbell Black in TV’s Rivals. Her podcasts are my favourite thing, where celebrities talk about their failures and how it helped their success.

I also saw the Tim Burton exhibition charting his career from sketches as a teenager to creating Edward Scissorhands and so many other brilliant movies like Beetlejuice. The most fascinating thing for me was the display of napkins where he had doodled brilliant characters when having his tea – or breakfast!

Over 30 years since we first met I also had a great catch up with Uni friends at Herne Hill park which is recommended. The catch up, Utter Waffle, (a cafe not our chat) and ice cream from -12 degrees (incl mascopone and caramelised figs.. lovely all round.

Reading and watching

I have loved the TV show about stand up comedians trying not to laugh at each other. It’s called Last One Laughing and Bob Mortimer is in it so what could be better?

I had a thought for a stand up joke as I’m in a singing group doing Hey Mr Tambourine Man and I keep wanting to sing Hey Mr Tangerine Man and make up lyrics about Trump but haven’t been able to finish it yet!

The North East poet Steve Urwin had a launch of his new pamphlet Letting the Minimalism Slip which I went along to and I’m looking forward to reading them. His work is so thought-provoking and punchy.

As well as the Facebook book I’m reading The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine, told from the point of view of unborn babies, watching their mothers’ lives and I love it. The author, Laura Pearson, has had serious challenges in her life. I interviewed her for my blog, you can read it here. Her own story is as inspirational as I’m finding her novel.

Thanks very much for reading this newsletter. Any suggestions and comments always welcome.