'A Long Overdue Update'

 In case any of you have been wondering why this blog has fallen silent since Christmas 2020 I thought it time to post an update about just what has happened in my life since then.

Firstly, I lost my lovely Mum, Margaret Rose May on Nov 5th 2021 during the Covid pandemic. The stress of that entire 'lockdown' period and having to deal with both my Mum's illness and my Dad's battle with serious mental heath issues took its toll on me and I 'lost my mind' and ended up in a Mental Hospital...

I was in one of the two different Hospitals that I ended up in all over Christmas 2011 and had no access to the outside world at all. I am not a mobile phone user (HATE them!) and had no money on me so was 'completely out of the loop' throughout that whole period. 

The horrific things that happened to me and that I saw and felt during that period of eight weeks - I was released on 14th of Jan 2022 - will stay with me always. Though (thankfully!) most of them were hallucinations (brought on (I assume) by my illness and the drugs I was on to cure me) and not actually real they WERE real to me and I can still remember pretty much exactly what happened, who I was with, what I said etc from that period. It was all pretty scarey stuff and I believed I was 'Jack The Ripper' at one point and heard a dear female friend of mine being raped by two men multiple times and murdered (whilst she screamed my name through the walls but I could not go to her aid) on another occasion...

As you can well imagine (though I am much better now thank God!) these experiences have taken a huge toll on me and to some extent are things I feel I am unlikely to ever fully recover from...

Since that time I have been unable to function in any kind of emotional way really. Even writing birthday cards I find unpleasant! I guess it's because - having been so damaged by loss - my mind thinks it better not to get so fond of anyone anymore. However silly that is and sounds I can understand why I am that way because no-one would ever want to go through what I have been through again. I no longer watch any news reports nor read any newspapers either because it is all bad news, lies (in my opinion!) and negative stuff that either makes you feel unsafe, frustrated, angry or scared and I need to keep well away from all of those kind of feelings!

Sadly, since Mum died I haven't really been able to 'do Christmas' and have not written a single card nor bought any presents for anyone since that time. I really understand now how Ebeneezer Scrooge felt when he lost his beloved sister but unlike him I do hold hopes of one-day getting my 'festive mojo back'. For now though it all seems 'too soon' and the way that the world has changed so dramatically for me since I was ill ( I also lost my best friend, Keith Tooke 5 months after Mum died when he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly) has done a lot of emotional damage. So much so that the 'thrill' I used to get each year as the festive season approached has gone. I seem incapable of being touched now by the spirit of Christmas and all the joy of giving and receiving has simply died...

It is all very sad (if understandable) and I have lost touch with lots of people since my illness. This is in part down to the fact that (ironically!) I am not having to act as a carer for my Dad who is 87 and cannot do many of the things he used to be able to for himself anymore. I am grateful though that I am seemingly coping o.k. with that task and doing a good job in a tough situation but life is a VERY long way from what it was! You only get one Mum in this world and she is the best friend you will ever have so even if you lose her in ordinary circumstances it is life changing!

Anyway, I thought I'd post here (finally) to let you all know what the situation is (for now)...

I do send all of you my love and pray that life will be much kinder to you than it has been to me this last 4 or 5 years but then I WAS so lucky to have such a happy childhood and home life for so many years and I try to remember that...

You are all in my prayers,

Love, Tony May xx

'A Sort Out Brings Back Memories'

 Lockdown is not the most riveting way to live nor is it great for putting you in a festive mood but one of the things it is good for is inspiring a person to have a sort out a clean up or both!

Now, my room is perpetually a 'total bombsite'. I may well be 'The Clean Up Man' and thus a  'champion of the litter picker' but I am also fiercely sentimental and HATE getting rid of things! (lol) Such a trait is often like a ball and chain around your leg because if you don't throw things away it means you have to find somewhere to put them! I guess in many ways it is one of the reasons I love my favourite shop, 'Teddy Tinkers' in London Rd, Hastings so much. My friend Kate's shop often reminds me of my bedroom in the respect that it is full of memories, curiosities and reminders of the past. Kate does keep the stock in her shop in a much more orderly fashion than I do though, I hasten to add!

Anyway, with blogging on my mind today I decided to try and find a 'curiosity from a Christmas long ago' that I was recently given to show you all but (as usual) was unable to locate it and instead found something completely different!

Tucked down the side of an otterman that 'Lord Lucan could have hidden in this last 50 years' (so little have I 'reached' it!) I came across a plastic bag with some old stamp albums, birthday and Christmas cards in. Now, when I say 'old' I mean from the 1970's and early 80's - though the plastic bag they were in had 'Sounds Exciting From Decca - An Outstanding Series Of Records To Suit All Tastes' written on it - so we could even be talking early 1970's!

One of the items inside the bag was this sweet little Christmas card I drew and coloured in as a kid! 'To Nanny May' said the blue envelope it was in and inside in my handwriting it simply says 'Happy Xmas from Tony'. Well, seeing as I am 55 now this little card must be approaching 50 years old! Amazing really seeing as it is still in such good condition... Sadly, I lost 'Nanny May' in 2014 (aged 104!) but she is often in my thoughts and I expect I 'got the card back' when she died and we were clearing her house.

 

In lots of ways I don't see this discovery as 'sad' thought because it proves how much my Nan loved my 'rather basic' effort - keeping it for the rest of her life - far better then than any of the 'swanky' type Christmas cards we all buy (well, used to!) each year

Talking of which, the bag also contained a selection of VERY NAFF 1970's Christmas cards! If you think today's 'Deluxe' Christmas cards that you can buy for about 99p a box (of 12) are poor quality you should have been around in the early 70's and bought some of the 'shockers' people used to order packs of from their Kays Catalogue! Thin! By gum, Charles Hawtrey was a body building champion compared to them! (lol) In spite of their 'budget element' though I have to say that they too have stood the test of time rather well in this plastic bag. 'Printed in U.K.' or 'Printed in Great Britain' was always on the back of these cards, which if nothing else proved that a) we used to manufacture something here then and b) that people were much more patriotic than they are today. The fact that the cards were of REALLY awful quality didn't seem to matter to people it was all about 'buying British'!

I don't know about you but I would LOVE to be able to flick through some of those old Kays and Littlewoods catalogues from that time again now - not only would it be fun to laugh at the 'fashions' it would be fascinating 'drooling' over the toys & games section! I still have a few of my 1970's boxed games (like 'On The Buses', 'Movie Maker' and 'Exploration' but none are in great condition and I saw one of those 'antique selling shows' on T.V. the other day where a man was having a 'Dr. Who & The Daleks' boxed game valued. £40-50 it was worth and I used to have one! (sob) 

If you are willing to 'pay through the teeth' for retro replicas you can get 70's toys like the 'Scepter Interceptor' from 'Space 1999' on the Internet (Gerry Anderson Official Website) but at £125 a go I think I will stick with my memories!

As far as the stamp albums I found they were dated 1977. I used to buy them from 'The Stamp & Coin Shop' in Norman Road, St Leonards - where I also bought most of my stamps. Obviously, all of the stamps inside are now almost 50 years old but I doubt very much if any are worth a great deal.

One of the stamp albums even has a few of the little packets that the Stamp & Coin Shop used to sell their stamps in - all good for bringing back memories of school  and of 'fun and adventures on our bikes' (mine was a 'Chopper') - like the time we rode to West Ham (near Pevensey) and back with my mates Norman Crouch, Gary Willis, and Paul Jenner. I wonder if any of them still have their old stamp albums? I doubt it - I do tend to be a bit of a 'one off' when it comes to hoarding! 

'Dear Old Des'

 I was so very sad to hear of the death of Des O’ Connor on the 14th of November. Des was such a wonderful entertainer and someone whose ‘twinkle in his eye’ and infectious laugh made you feel better just watching. So much of T.V. today is made up of programmes that either ‘have something to say’, are controversial, show life in its harshest terms (and therefore scare the living daylights out of you like ‘Cant Pay, We’ll Take It Away’) or feature ‘comedy’ that revolves around smug, middle aged journalist types making sarcastic comments about celebrities. How I miss ‘gentle humour’ on television and shows like ‘Play Your Cards Right’, ‘The Price Is Right’ ‘3-2-1’, and ‘The Generation Game’ that were just fun, frivolous and about as far away from politics as you can get! T.V. in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s was designed to cheer you up and make you feel better about your lot - however rotten that may have been with constant strikes, power cuts, the cold war, The Berlin wall and the threat of nuclear war with Russia! 

Where has our ability to laugh at ourselves gone? No-one was better at that than Des! The ‘stick’ that he perpetually got about his singing from Morecambe & Wise would have been the cause of one of the longest court cases of all time today! ‘Leg-pulling’ used to be a fundamental part of British life and in many cases we only knew who our real friends were by the apparent severity of their ‘insults’ when speaking to us! (lol) Humour used to be the ‘backbone of the British stiff upper lip’ and yet today you really have to stop and think twice before saying anything to some people….

Nah, give me the Des O’ Connor show any day! What with madcap antics from guest Freddie Starr, music, showbiz and some fascinating celebrity interviews full of laughter and ‘stories from inside the business’ we would otherwise never have heard Des and his smile were the perfect accompaniment to the twinkle of our Christmas tree lights and the sparkling tinsel reflected in our sherry glasses.

Fortunately, I will be able to spend a little time with Des this Christmas as I have his Christmas album on vinyl! Sadly, it doesn’t feature his festive single on Pye records from 1978 ‘Yes, There Is A Santa Claus/ At Christmas’ - that can be found on the Hallmark compilation Lp ‘Christmas With The Stars’ - but it is full of the ‘usual Christmas songs’ and will serve as a nice reminder for me this year of Des spreading his typical ray of sunshine on everything.

Images courtesy of Discogs.com

As if to provide long-suffering Des with ‘one last parting insult’ it ‘tickled’ me to discover on Discogs.com  that not a single person owns ‘Yes, There Is A Santa Claus’ on 7” on the site nor has anyone said that they want one! What Eric Morecambe would have made out of that ‘ammunition’ is anyones guess! (lol) I’m willing to bet though that Des himself would think it both funny and in a perverse way quite fitting and would most likely have come out with a quip like ‘I knew it would be popular when I was making the album! as his response.

R.I. P. Des and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the happy memories - if I can find a copy of ‘Yes, There Is A Santa Claus’ on CD in time I promise I will play it on my old mate Jeff Belton’s C.H.R. (Conquest Hospital Radio) Christmas show on the 23rd of December (9A.m-12 midday U.K. time)…it should do more to solve the problem of bed blocking than coronavirus ever will!

'Shops! Glorious Shops!'

 It’s amazing how life in lockdown effects different people in different ways. I am lucky in many respects to be living with two other people - so I am never on my own for very long - but even then I feel ‘cut off’ from society.

The last 4-5 months aside from missing my lovely friends it is SHOPPING that I have missed the most! By that I mean I miss the fun of ‘pottering around the town’ browsing in charity shops looking for a bargain or thumbing through the second hand records and CD’s. With little money to spend these days I can fill a carrier bag sometimes with purchases from charity shops and even if I don’t find a single thing I always have fun looking and chatting with strangers…

Last night I had a ‘double whammy’ dream! I dream’t I was in a large shop of the type ‘Woolworths’ used to be!

Woolies Last Days In 2008

I was browsing the isles and got chatting to a very beautiful female member of staff! She had long blonde hair and a pony tail and had one of ‘Woolies’ old ‘slip on over the head fasten at the side’ style tops. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about now but the ‘essence of Woolies’ has been with me all day today because of it! How I would love to be able to visit Woolworths toy department this Christmas! I’d deliberately use the escalator if I could just because the whole ‘department store experience’ is dying out now. I am VERY attached to Debenhams and have been keeping everything crossed this year that they will find a way to survive the pandemic but even if they do online shopping has become pretty much the ‘go to default’ for most people nowadays, hasn’t it?

There used to be something quite magical about shopping in Hastings town centre for Christmas presents in December. Sure, the crowds and subsequent queue’s at the till could be a bit wearying but seeing people everywhere carrying lots of carrier bags and boxes really brought home to you that Christmas was coming! Bobble hats, scarves and wooly gloves were all regular sights and having to ‘do the rounds’ to try and get the present you wanted when W.H. Smith’s or Wollies had sold out was all part of it! Not only was high street shopping good for retailers and the local Council it also helped keep you fit! With Hastings town centre being ‘spaced out a bit’ (an under-statement!) by the time you had trudged to

Debenhams, W.H. Smith’s, Woolworths and maybe Argos and then either decided to ‘head up Queens Rd’ or ‘make for the specialist shops along the Old Town’ you had done a few miles! Tired and thirsty a good cuppa and a rest when you got home (unless you popped into ‘Dimarcos’ of course!) was like the holy grail itself!

Now, as easy as it is to find what you are looking for, a ‘click here and a click, click there’ on Amazon is o.k. but it doesn’t really make you feel Christmassy nor do you feel as if you’ve ‘gone out of your way to find that special someone exactly the right gift’ either. It’s all very impersonal and functional - a bit like a visit to the Doctors surgery these days where the ‘receptionist’ is often a screen who BEEEP’S when ‘it wants to alert you’ that the Doctor (FAT CHANCE!) or ‘Nurse Practitioner’ is ready for you!

In truth, I think my dream last night was my subconscious minds way of telling me that ‘it’s about time you got married mate’ because ‘your era’ has kind of passed! (lol) As you get older you need someone to confide in about your ‘hopes & dreams and someone who is happy to listen to you ‘chuntle on’ about your memories, don’t you?  For now I only have you lot - my readers! 

Stay happy! x 

'A Virtual Christmas!'

 Hello again!

Well, what a ‘rotten tomato’ of a year 2020 has turned out to be, eh? I tell you what if I’d known on New Years Eve last year when I posted my last post to you all I would have made sure to tell you all to have a few more drinks - stiff drinks!

Still, ‘it is what it is’ and considering the situation regarding the worldwide pandemic no matter where you are in the world reading this my message to you is this… that we owe it not only to ourselves, our families and to those we may have lost this year but to Christmas itself to make Christmas 2020 every bit as festive and Christmassy as every other year! if anything we all need to make this Christmas even more special - even if we have to end up with a ‘virtual Christmas’.

With that in mind I hope to ‘lead the charge’ myself with this blog and over the next two months I shall be posting all kinds of ‘festive goodies’ to keep you entertained, informed and (hopefully) smiling!

Jeff Belton & Ernie The Elf & Friend In The CHR Studio

To start with today why not put the 23rd of December at 9 A.M. (U.K. time) in your diary! Why? Well, my mate Jeff Belton will be on the radio doing our annual ‘Christmas Breakfast Show’ on Conquest Hospital Radio then and it will be a whole lot of fun! No matter where you are it is free to tune in online - just search for Conquest Hospital Radio and click on the ‘listen live’ box on the website and you are in! Jeff and I always have lots of laughs, crack madcap jokes, talk about ‘the old days’ and play a fabulously festive selection of records! You might even get to hear one of my own Christmas songs - though I doubt it will be a new recording unless I win the lottery between now and then! Still, if you’ve not heard ‘If Santa Was A D.J’ or ‘The Toy Museum’ you are surely missing out (even if I do say so myself!) and need to arrest that situation to satisfy your ‘bucket list’! (lol)

Another thing to look out for if you are in ‘my neck of the woods’ in Hastings is a special Covid 19 Christmas story that I have written. It is due to be published in the December/January edition of ‘Hastings Town’ magazine out on December the 5th.

It might be ‘covid themed’ but is not a miserable tale and is one I hope to brighten your day whether you are 3 or 93! ‘Hastings Town’ magazine can easily be found on Facebook so if you are not local but would like a copy drop the magazine’s Editor Jim Hollands a line there or for U.K. customers call 01303 814874 to secure a copy for yourself in the post. 

Right then, that’s it for now but keep your eyes peeled as I will be back soon with more Christmassy chat and fun!

Toodle pip!

'Happy New Year!'

Well, this is going to be my last post for this year. I hope you have had a great Christmas and intend to see the new year in tonight in a fun way. As usual, Christmas Day was for me an essentially quiet day and one spent with just my Mum and Dad but I did get out of the house on the 28th as I was invited to a lovely 'Cheese & Wine Party' at my friend, Kate's house. The pics of me you can see here were taken that night by Kate...

Kate put on a smashing spread of delicious cheeses and 'nibbles' and I met some nice, friendly people - one of whom was even kind enough to give me a lift home afterwards.

That's what Christmas is all about!

Going forwards though I have to say that I fear 2020. My life situation

is not a settled one and I don't know how much longer I will be able to 'live in the little bubble of air' I have at present. I do not see myself working again in any paid capacity now and even when I was at work the most that I ever managed to earn in a year was £15,500. The National Average wage was over £25.000 then and now it stands at £36.000! If I could not afford to live then I certainly won't be able to now! New Years Eve is always an emotive day, which is why the tone of this last post of the year is somewhat 'reflective'. DO look out for friends and neighbours tonight and try to include as many people as you can in your celebrations. We all need some love and support sometimes and New Years Eve can be a difficult hurdle to jump if you are feeling lonely or helpless.

So, what would I wish for in 2020 if I could have my way? Well, on a personal level I would like some security in life and a return to better health. Just to have somewhere to call home that is MINE would be a HUGE relief and a weight off my mind. I think that a lot of the niggling health issues I am having are born out of stress and anxiety about the future as much as the fact that I'm getting old!

For the world in general I would like to see us all 'revert more back to type'. By that I mean be happy to be who we are rather than all try to 'fit in' with this culture or that culture. Whatever country you are in anywhere in the world should reflect that countries personality and culture first and foremost! It's not about being racist or 'against other people' its about 'home being home' and feeling like home! Sure, we all appreciate a kind smile and an invite to someone else's home but I would not dream of re-arranging the furniture or taking down 'offensive paintings' etc when a guest because it is not my place to do so! Let people be free again from all the ridiculous 'catch words' like 'inclusivity', positive discrimination' and 'diversity' and lets all learn to be proud once more to be different and celebrate our differences! Different can be good as well as bad, you know!

Oh well, that's my idea of 'a world in harmony' anyway. GOOD LUCK and GOOD HEALTH for 2020 and as the old carol says 'the fates allowing' I will be back again with more festive blogging next year. xx

'Thank Goodness For Two Lovely Christmassy People!'

I know 2019 has not been the most 'harmonious' year but the level of MISERY and MISERABLE people I have encountered this year has definitely gone up!

I had a smashing time with my old mate, Jeff Belton doing our Christmas Special show on C.H.R. yesterday and went dressed as a Christmas Tree! (lol) Yep, you get the picture a CHRISTMAS TREE!

Jeff, Clyde The Clown and Me

Standing at the end of my street I looked a right festive twit wearing a special Christmas jumper that has tinsel and baubles already attached to it, LARGE green and black Elf 'boots', a Christmas tree hat complete with baubles, sparkly tinsel and with a star on top AND a Christmas stocking dangling down my leg that I had looped through the belt in my trousers!

Now, surely just the thought of seeing someone looking THAT daft makes you smile or laugh, doesn't it? Not most people today though! Only the bus drivers who went past me waved or smiled at me bar one lady who 'couldn't believe her eyes' everyone else either blanked me or drove past unimpressed!

Jeff and Ernie

'Sir Belton' and his good lady wife, Wendy, however LOVED my look and Jeff burst out laughing when he clapped eyes on me waving and wiggling an Elf boot (with bells on the end) at him and Wendy as they drove up the hill! "What have you got on!" He exclaimed when I got into the car!

When we got to the Conquest it was mainly 'more of the same'. Those waiting outside looked as grim as my bank account statement and while no one is likely to be 'bouncing off the walls with joy' at Christmas if they are either in hospital or visiting someone you'd think that the site of Jeff dressed up as Santa and me as a Christmas Tree walking 'casually' past might raise a titter!

But as dear old, Frankie Howerd would say 'not a titter I heard! Not a big titter nor even a little titter - I was well and truly titterless! Ooohhh Missus! (lol)

A festive looking Wogan!

The ladies upstairs in the offices near to the radio station studio though were much more responsive and that at least put us into the right mood to do our show in. You can see a few pics of us 'in action' here including 'Ernie the Elf Belton', who if you remember I got Jeff to adopt live on air last Christmas. I also brought my mate, 'Clyde The Clown' to say hello to the listeners and to give Ernie someone to talk to while me and Jeff did the show...

Three hours on the radio seem to FLY by and as soon as we started it seemed it was time to finish! I am really proud of the selection of music that Jeff and I put together and I think the mixture of well known classic Christmas songs and 'unknown gems' that we played was great! Jeff is always a big supporter of my music as well and he played three or four of the tracks from my festive collection 'A Nod To Mr.Dickens' including everyone's favourite of mine 'The Toy Museum' - twice!

Two Christmas nutters in their element!

I do miss my 'recording career' and the wonderful Mr. Harvey Summers with whom I wrote all of my songs but every time I get a chance like this and I see or hear anyone playing any of my stuff I know that every penny that I spent was well worth the money. Ironically, all of my recordings are likely to become collectible in the future as they are all extremely rare!

Maybe one day if 'my boat comes in' I will see the inside of Broadoak Studios again, who knows?

'A Simple Chatty One!'

Well, I don't know about you but I don't think I have ever seen as wet a Christmas as this one! My friends at Horam who run 'The Steelyards Collective' have seen the little stream that runs through their property become a raging torrent of flood water! All of the lawn and some of their driveway is now under water and yet it STILL keeps raining! I sincerely hope that the wet weather 'gives over' soon else even the house will be under threat...

I'm relaxing today (at last) and listening to one of the best Christmas albums ever recorded - 'Wilde Winter Songbook' by Kim Wilde. I LOVE tracks like 'Hope' and Kim is so obviously a 'Christmas person' that her love of the season, of family and of Christmas comes through in every word she sings. I used to 'have a thing' for Kim when I was a teenager and would still LOVE to meet her!

Funny how Christmas always makes you think about people isn't it? Some are of course sadly missed but others come into what I call the 'Rupert Holmes bracket'. By that I mean that Rupert wrote a song called 'The People That You Never Get To Love' (from the LP 'Partners In Crime') which is about how we all potentially miss out on a lifetimes happiness by either being shy and missing an opportunity or by just missing someone who makes your heart skip a beat in silly ways like she is in the 'up' escalator while you are traveling in the 'down' one!

Two Christmas Trees & Two Santas!

There are a few 'celebrities' I would so dearly love to be able to spend a 'quality hour' with for a chat and a coffee and Kim Wilde is one of them. I'd LOVE to tell her (going red, no doubt!) how I used to gaze lovingly at her photos for ages and how she is the writer of one of the songs I want played at my funeral ('Someday') because I feel it sums my inner self up better than any other song I've ever heard...

If I did have just one precious hour with Kim I would want it to be at Christmas time and in the foyer of the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton.

The comfy and Christmassy Rendezvous Hotel foyer.

 I LOVED my stay at that hotel whilst visiting my beloved 'Grassington Dickensian Festival' as the owner has a real sense of both 'showbiz' and Christmas. It would be so lovely to sit and talk quietly with Kim about hopes, dreams, fame, family and to swop 'Christmas stories'. Sadly, 'my hour' would be up before I'd know it and I would then leave Kim knowing pretty much that we would never meet again. What special memories I would have to replay EVERY Christmas though, eh? And I'd have the chance to recount the story of 'how I met Kim Wilde' to everyone willing to listen for the rest of my days! (lol)

It's Ho Ho Ho all the way at the Rendezvous Hotel!

So, who would you want to meet if you had just one hour this Christmas? Others I would love to spend some time with would be, Claudia Winkleman and of course my beloved, Marilyn Monroe but purely for an interesting chat I would also love to meet and spend an hour with, Trevor Horn (Buggles), Tony Mansfield (New Musik), Bruce Forsyth, Donny Hathaway & Geoffrey Williams.

As is, I am just going to be thankful this year that a) I have lovely memories of The Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton and b) I have some AMAZING people in my life that I DO know who love me and look out for me. Hopefully, 'I'm worth it' as the ad says!

Finally, I cant end without saying a few words about Harrods. I saw a fascinating documentary on T.V. the other day about Harrods at Christmas and have to say that I was blown away by it for a number of reasons. Sure, Harrods is EXPENSIVE and realistically mainly a 'playground for the mega rich' BUT they really do put the pizzazz into Christmas and do a lot for under privileged kids each year with some of their profits. Old Charlie Dickens would certainly approve of them for that even if some of the obscene amounts of money their customers spend on ridiculous items is harder to justify. At least the store is no 'Scrooge' though and their staff certainly genuinely seem to LOVE working there and care deeply about how Harrods is a British Institution. In these days of failing High Streets everywhere I'm actually very pleased that Harrods is still as profitable and popular as it has always been. I don't mind people making a profit if they do something to the best of their ability, work hard for their customers and genuinely care about others at Christmas. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all at Harrods, all who get a buzz out of shopping there and all who benefit from their charitable acts each Christmas...

'Arts On Prescription Bring Festive Cheer!'

I had a swell time this morning at the Christmas get-together organised by 'Arts On Prescription' in Warrior Square! If you are on your own and are feeling lonely are unemployed and a little lost or suffering with mental heath, anxiety or depression then you should look into joining some of the brilliant 'arty' courses put on by Arts On Prescription next year!

2019 has not been 'all sunshine and roses' for me and I have felt quite down and hopeless at times. Now, I know from experience that when I feel that way it is time to DO SOMETHING different to give my life a fresh perspective. With that in mind I decided to look online to see if I might find anything 'going on' in my local area that might suit me? It wasn't long before I found the Arts On Prescription website www.artsonprescription.org and saw that there was a free 'Creative Writing' session coming up shortly! Well, as writing is 'right up my street' I thought that such a session would be a good way of 'testing the water' in order to see if the whole set up was 'my scene'.

As the old saying goes, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' and after contacting, Tara Ready - the lady who runs the sessions it wasn't long before I had booked my place on the writing session and had it to look forward to! When you are lonely you need 'something to look forward to' and so its always a good idea to 'line a few things up on the calendar' to keep you going.

Well, the time eventually came for the day of the session and so I went along to see how it went? Tara is lovely, warm, friendly and welcoming and as the session (usually 2 hours long) wore on I began to feel at home and started to get talking to some of the other people there. One really nice chap who is known by the group as 'Jeff' let me into the secret that he is really SANTA and me being a Christmas nut we had a lovely conversation swapping stories about our adventures at Christmas time! I liked 'Jeff' so much in fact that I gave him a complimentary copy of my 'Timeless' CD and told him to 'have a listen to 'The Toy Museum' as being Santa I thought he'd appreciate it.

Well, I'm glad to say that 'Jeff' did have a listen to my album. Better still he told me today that he really liked it! He also proved that he really IS Santa - turning up (as you can see here) in full robes and boots! I happened to go as an Elf 'for a bit of jolly' and one of the ladies present ( THANK YOU, Mandy!) thought we looked like a team and took the photo you see here! Santa was in his element throughout the morning telling us all a few festive tales and dishing out presents! I helped him with that to make sure that everyone present got something and both of us joined in with the carol singing  as well - though I think both Santa and I prefer the sound of other voices at this time of year. It's kind of nice to listen to other people singing Christmas carols etc because that way you get a real sense of belonging and feel for a short time at least that you are all 'singing from the same hymn sheet' and celebrating the same thing for once!

Such 'togetherness' is sadly in VERY short reply these days and so Christmas needs to play its part ever more to calm the world down a bit and get us all thinking of others and not just our own needs and wants...

If you are interested in finding our more about Arts On Prescription you can either contact Tara through the website or see your GP and ask to be referred. You don't have to be 'ill' and you can do what I have done and refer yourself so there is no pressure! Go on! Give it a try! No good staring at four walls - I know! (lol)

'Much Merriment At Meet Of The Tongue & The Steelyards Collective'

Things have been pretty full on this last few weeks so apologies for my lack of posts this year. Sadly, much of what I have been up to has had little or nothing to do with Christmas mores the pity other than searching for Christmas presents/writing/delivering/sending cards and the like.

I did manage to get away from the stress for a bit though last Sunday at a 'Winter Get Together' at  Horam. Jane and Keith Trott have a lovely home there with plenty of grounds and a nice, warm stone barn that is ideal for Storytelling/Poetry & Song evenings. Jane is a 'creative sort' who writes a lot of poetry and Keith loves his old Penny Farthing bicycles and loves to listen (as well as ably preparing the mid-interval refreshments) so its always nice to see them both and feel 'part of something', you know?

Jane Trott (left) and Yvonne Rees

Yvonne Rees, who was given the task of hosting the dual event, is another well-known local Poet and Artist and is always good for a giggle with her witty, observational poetry. As for the other 'acts' well, that's where you and I come in! Both The Steelyards Collective and Meet Of The Tongue are rather like old time family Christmas gatherings because the idea behind both is that people meet up for an evening and provide their own entertainment - taking it in turn to sing/read/perform their work or just listen to others or maybe provide a bit of something by someone who has inspired them. It never really matters who does what because we ALWAYS have a good time and each others company no matter what!

Wendy is all smiles telling her tale!

I chose to read out a Christmas story of mine called 'The Cellar Door'. It was written more with children in mind but seeing as some of the pieces before it had been a little 'dark' in theme for the time of year I thought it might help to re-connect people with the wonder of Christmas that only kids really ever feel. It is such a shame as we grow older that we seem to lose the ability to get excited 'wide-eyed and open mouthed' about anything and I love thinking back to when I was small and how even the simplest thing then seemed to have a sprinkle of magic about it when it was associated with Santa, Tinsel and twinkling fairy lights... 

Lorne plays Christmas Carols on his flute.

What made this particular afternoon so nice was the fact that, due to one thing and another, both 'Meet Of The Tongue' and 'The Steelyards Collective' have not been able to hold their usual regular monthly meetings for a few months this year. Seeing everyone again and feeling the sense of community that these meetings help to re-instate in todays rather isolating society was really nice and I even 'threw in' a little 'surprise' for hosts, Jane and Yvonne at the end of the evening to make everyone smile!

I don't want to say too much more about that here because I am hoping to repeat the feat when doing my Christmas Radio show with, Jeff Belton next Monday! Yes, folks! The 23rd is only 6 days away now!

If you think you would like the kind of traditional evening that I talk about here why not come along to one of either 'Meet of the Tongue' or 'The Steelyards Collective' (hopefully) monthly meetings in 2020? You will be ever so welcome and it does not matter a jot if all you want to do is sit at the back and listen - ears are as welcome as voices! You can see photos of some of the 'performers' and performances here...

'A Lovely Day In Dickensian Rochester'

I had a great time yesterday during my visit to the Dickensian Festival in Rochester!

Thanks to the SUPERB Clive Richardson Coach Tours I found myself effortlessly 'whisked away' to a town with a great many connection to, Charles Dickens and the books he wrote.

If you've not been before the great thing about the festival is that the High Street in Rochester is pretty much the only main street in the town centre so anything and everything that happens during the day is in relatively easy reach from there. There is so much to do and take part in throughout the day once you are there! As well as the usual street performers & characters dressed in Dickensian costumes to meet, greet and have a photo taken with there are processions, stall holders, carol singing sessions, craft fairs a LOVELY fair ground full of fun AND 'oddities' like an ice sculpting demonstration, the chance to try your hand at bell ringing and the odd impromptu theatre re-inaction of 'A Christmas Carol' which also calls for a lot of audience participation! That's without the usual array of interesting 'curiosity' shops, museums and Churches to explore.

I got a VERY 'warm glow' whilst visiting a craft fair that was being held in (hilariously) a 'Gentleman's Night Club' (not sure what either Santa or Charles Dickens would make of that!) that was very sparkly and (ironically) Christmassy when I found just the right Christmas Present for a special friend! The lady who sold it to me was lovely and even modelled the item for me. We got on very well and she told me that she had imported the item from Dubai after holidaying there. I asked her if she liked poetry? To which she said enthusiastically that she was and was a 'creative sort'. Because it is Christmas and I liked her I then offered her a free copy of my 'In Words, In Music...Of Life, Of Death' CD. She was very surprised at this but accepted gratefully (she hasn't heard it yet! - I hear you, Ro Gardner! (lol) and we then shared a few more words. She told me that my lovely gesture was very kind and helped make up for the fact that she was actually having to sell the items I had bought one off at a loss. I'm so glad that we shared a few 'nice moments' together and I hope she enjoys at least some of my CD. I did explain a bit about a couple of the tracks because I recorded a tribute to Top Of The Pops on that Cd on which I (unfortunately as it later turned out) do a Jimmy Savile impression on! Trust me to record a 'tribute' to an iconic character who turns out to be a vile 'wrong un'! I won't forget that lady and I really hope that she had a good day at the craft fair and made a lot of money...

Scrooge is that way, I shouted! (lol)

What made going with Clive so brilliant is that we had plenty of time (about 5 hours) to be able to take our time looking around the shops, taking part in the carol singing or just soaking up the atmosphere! I hate it when you go on a Coach trip to something special and then all you have is 2 hours to 'whip round it'. Christmas is such a 'stressy' time anyway that its great when you can just 'chill' and 'watch the world go by' if you want to for a bit. I met a few nice ladies at the Carol singing session in front of Rochester Castle and even took the mic and told the crowd my 'heartwarming Christmas story' of the day I dressed up in full Santa Claus outfit (boots, bells, sack of presents, bear, bell - you name it!) and was then subsequently LET DOWN by a friend who'd promised to give me a lift to my 'newly joined' writing clubs Christmas do. Did I get a taxi? NO! I walked the mile and a quarter from my house to hilarious effect! (lol)

That was a 'long time ago' now and it's been a while since I have 'sprung' one of my festive tricks on the universe but I'm planning one for my old mate, Mr.Belton and all at The Conquest Hospital come our radio show on the 23rd!!! HA HA HA

Back to Rochester though and I have to say that the most magical part for me of the day was when I visited the huge craft fair and fairground situated in the middle of Rochester Castle! Once the light began to dim and the thousands of fairy lights and fairground ride bulbs could be seen in their full glory it was just like taking a trip back in time to my childhood!

Spinning Magic!

Standing in front of one of the loveliest of old Traction engine powered Carousel rides I was simply in heaven seeing the Carousel spin, the fairground music blaring out and breathing in that distinctive white smoke that blooms out of the top of a Traction Engine chimney along with a 'toot toot' of its whistle when its at full power! I could have stood there like a little boy for hours had I the time just watching the Mum's and Dad's take the kids for rides on it! So many HAPPY faces, giggles and pointing and bobble hats 'rushing past in a blur' to enjoy! I shall never forget how full of love my heart felt for those three or more minutes, I can tell you!

As much fun as I had though, not all of the things I saw and witnessed in Rochester made me happy. There were quite a few homeless people about and many looked so down trodden and ignored that I could hardly bear to look at them. Charles Dickens would be gutted I feel to think how, all these many years later, there are STILL people living in such a way in our country. Shamefully, the pain of engaging with these poor souls frightens the hell out of most of us and so - as thousands (for it was pretty packed) passed them by few took any notice of them. I also noted one or two 'dodgy characters' hanging around - probably looking to pick-pockets. I would not say that they were homeless but instead seemed to trying hard to dress as if they were. How rotten can you get to not only pick a persons pocket but in the same breathe try to blame it on a homeless person? Then there was a certain amount of 'disturbing graffiti' about the place. Rochester is so old fashioned and historic that to see horrid graffiti daubed about the place was deeply upsetting - especially as some of it was political and  so one- sided in its view. Councils everywhere need to do more to clamp down on Graffiti and see that it is REMOVED as quickly as possible because there is nothing more unwelcoming for a visitor to see vile, biased slogans written on walls and (in one or two cases) left to stand on raised banners.

Overall though, if Charles Dickens and the story of 'A Christmas Carol' is your thing then you should definitely make sure to visit the Rochester Dickensian Festival at least once in your life. It does get a bit too busy at times during the day and I did find it hard to find a reasonably priced place to get something to eat but the spirit of Dickens, of Bob Cratchit - and occasionally of Scrooge seeps out of every pore at this time of year and helps to bring the true meaning of Christmas to life...

'The Glory Of St Clements Church Christmas Fair!'

I went to my favourite Christmas Fair of them all yesterday namely the one at St Clements Church, High Street, Hastings!

I ALWAYS have a lovely time there meeting old friends (some from my school days whom I never seem to 'bump into' at any other time?) and so it is something I look forward to every year at this time.

I was the very first person through the doors this year as I got to the church about 25 minutes early! I love to chat with the people behind me in the queue as its an opportunity to soak up some Christmas atmosphere, share a few laughs and help promote the festive spirit!

Me doing just that! (lol)

The queue this year was not as long as in previous years but then, as I reported at St Luke's a while back, this is the trend these days with the generations that love actually doing this kind of thing dying off!

This said, I was heartened to see a number of kids being brought to the fair by their parents. It is vital for the very survival of Christmas itself that we all do our bit to keep introducing Christmas to the next generation you know!

As you may already know, I LOVE the £1 a go prize every time stall and usually make a bee line for it as soon as I enter the church. For some reason though this year I didn't - deciding to browse through some of the bric-a-brac and craft stalls first. I bought a lovely Debenhams Christmas Tree broach (all sparkly!) that I shall wear myself (and blow the damage to my reputation!) in December and found the PERFECT present for a friend as well that I won't reveal the nature of here just in case they read this!

Sadly though when I did finally arrive at my beloved £1 a go stall I noticed that some of the familiar faces that I usually share some fun with were missing. I've never been one for remembering names ( unless you've ever had a record out!) but usually remember faces and some the elderly 'stalwarts' of the event I was hoping to see were definitely not there...

Thankfully one of the ladies I was hoping to see was there and she told me the sad news that the other lady I had expected to see had died recently and that her husband, with whom I often share some laughs, was in hospital at the moment. I felt so sad hearing the news because every year when I go back I fear hearing this kind of thing and up until now have always been pleasantly surprised to see them all smiling back at me for another year.

Pic courtesy of, Keith Leech.

The GOOD side of such sad news though was that the lady I spoke with had her DAUGHTER running the stall for her with a friend this year. At least if the tradition is 'handed down' so to speak it will help St Clements continue to put on such events!

After I 'bought my fill' of presents to open on Christmas Day from the stall I went for a cup of tea and a mince pie with my school-friend, Paul. He is a really nice, gentle bloke and said he would treat me this year so that was even better! (lol) We sat down and spent a good half an hour catching up on stuff and chatting about Christmas and there was only a smidgen of politics, honest guv! (lol)

I then saw the lady who organises the Fair every year. She is a marvellous lady, who at 78 is an incredible asset to the church. She was dressed with her usual festive hat on and a tiny mince pie hanging down (not a real one!) but was not quite as bright and smiley as usual I detected. It turned out that her brother passed away last week quite suddenly (though they knew he was terminally ill) which was why. What a STAR she is to STILL turn up, help out and be as Christmassy as ever in such sad circumstances, eh?

People often ask me why I love The Old Town and Old Towners particularly - well that's why! They are made of sterner stuff and do all they can for their community even in their own darkest hours. If only the people of other areas in Hastings & St Leonards would take a leaf out of their book!

I felt very honoured talking to her as well because she recounted to me how special it was to read the 'lovely story' I wrote about the Fair for 'Hastings Town' magazine a few years ago. That was probably more than 'a few' years ago now so it is nice for me to think that someone still remembers my efforts!
I really hope that this lady reached her fund-raising target from the Fair this year. The number of stalls was down a little on previous years but there was a 'Mulled Wine' seller this time around and of course the HUGE raffle!

It always pains me that I am invariably MEGA busy at this time of the year and so can not stay right until the end but I really enjoyed myself (as ever) again and came away with a bag full of presents and 'goodies' as I always do to help make mine and those I buy for's Christmas Day special.

Oh and I also bought 4 lovely home made cakes that were divine! I took a pic of them for you before sharing them with family and a friend. They look a bit 'sickly' but actually weren't as the sponge inside them was as 'light as a feather'!

Who needs 'Red Bull' to give them wings, eh? (lol)

God bless all at St Clement's Church - I wish them all a SMASHING Christmas and a very HAPPY new year xxx

'The Thursford Christmas Spectacular'

Well, they say that Christmas is the time of year to think about giving and I am very glad to say that a friend of mine has done a LOT of that in regard to me this year! The result of which being that I had an unexpected chance to visit the Thursford Christmas Spectacular last week!

Now, if you have not heard about the show before it is a three hour variety type stage show that features over 150 people and incorporates, music, dance, acrobatics & comedy in such a way as to paint as many beautiful, emotive and funny pictures of the festive season as possible. In many ways its a bit like crossing the Circus with 'Saturday Night At The London Palladium' and as such is a fun experience for all the family!

I went by coach with Clive Richardson Tours (thoroughly recommended!) and stayed in the Comfort Hotel in Great Yarmouth. Thursford is about a 75 minute drive from Great Yarmouth but the Spectacular has grown so popular now that it is hard to find a hotel much closer than that with enough room for a coach party at a reasonable cost. The staff at the hotel were lovely actually - full of fun and prepared to do anything for you AND the food was good - so whatever the inconvenience of the location I was well satisfied!

Sadly, you are not allowed to take any photos of the performance itself nor take any videos or record any sounds so I can't show you anything here but I will say that, as long as you can put up with being seated in fairly narrow seats for three hours (there is a 25 minute interval to help give your knees a break) then the show itself is a 10/10 experience and well worth a visit - especially as not all of the show takes place on the stage - some of the performers actually stand in the aisles and perform making it rather an 'immersive' show rather than a 'spectators only' one. I did make sure to ask if photos in the other areas on the site are permitted though and was told 'Yes' - hence the pics you can see here.

The Entrance To 'Fantasy Land'

The site itself has plenty of other attractions aside from the Spectacular including some lovely, Christmassy places to eat, a few gift-shops and a TOTAL delight for you and the kids in the shape of 'Fantasy Land' where you can meet Santa, get a glimpse into the work he and his elves do in the run up to Christmas and see a 10 minute Christmas cartoon in 4D! That's quite an experience I can tell you!

A Glimpse Inside 'Fantasy Land'

It does cost £5 to visit 'Fantasy Land' but that includes the 4D Cartoon experience. BIG kids will LOVE glimpsing Santa's little helpers at work, listening to his singing and dancing penguins and dodging the snowballs thrown at you by naughty Polar Bears! I have no idea though how much it costs to visit Santa as, obviously as I am he, the man is an imposter! (lol)

If you go to the afternoon performance it is well worth taking your time AFTER the show to soak up some of the festive atmosphere! The shops on-site close after half time in the Spectacular but once it gets dark the whole site becomes a festive fairyland and you will only take an age to get out of the car park anyway because of the amount of coaches trying to get away before the next set arrive for the evening performance. Kids will LOVE the twinkling Reindeers and the multi coloured bulbs that make the Christmas trees look AMAZING!

'The Thursford Spectacular Site After Dark'

If you are reading this in East Sussex I would also recommend you go with Clive Richardson Tours. While some of Clive's jokes may have 'retired from Christmas crackers' he is a great bloke and knows a lot of interesting things about places, buildings, traditions and the Spectacular itself that he tells you from time to time to make the traveling itself less dull. There is also a wonderful sense of community on Clive's coach and no 'nasty' technology on the backs of the seats to 'drag you back to the life you should be trying to get away from', either. No, everything about a Clive Richardson Tour is about 'being a part of it' and having fun as much as possible as a group and that is lovely, if like me, you are on your own and can use the camaraderie.

I know from speaking to, Clive that this tour gets booked up really quickly each year so my advice if you want to have the 2020 show to look forward to is to book your place a.s.a.p.

If you'd like to find out more - go to Clive's website here http://cliverichardsontours.com where you can download his latest brochure/s for free!

'Under A Week To Go!'

Not long until the big day now! The weather is 'suitably un-festive' though (as usual) and its teeming down with rain again this morning. My cold is also hanging on longer than those 'friends & relatives' that come to stay at Christmas each year and has now gone on to my chest! (lol)

The smiley, Kate Rosie from 'Teddy Tinkers' in London Rd

OTHER THAN THAT (lol) I have been enjoying the run up to Christmas Day and attended a Christmas Barbeque Party thrown by the very FABULOUS, Kate Rosie from 'Teddy Tinkers'. As you might expect in mid December we had LOVELY weather and Kate said the burgers were lovely (if you could catch them) and the sausages divine (as long as you could lift your snorkel out of the way enough to take a bite).

So it rained then?

Oh yes! Just a tad! But it didn't dampen the Christmas spirit and everyone had a great time. I got three 'very dubious considering my single status' presents on the night as well. Three boxes of 'lucky dip presents' had been put together and we all had to choose one at random times during the evening. The three boxes were entitled 'Boys', 'Girls' and 'Not Sure' and I (without consciously thinking) picked my first gift from the 'Not Sure' box. Well! I got a small metal SHEEP for my pains made by Kate's hubbie, Alex!

The irony of these gifts will not be lost on the universe!

Now, most of you who know me will have burst out laughing at this - you rotten swines! (lol) The next 'random gift' I got turned out to be 11,000 of toy pirate money! You can buy a LOT of metal SHEEP with that, oh yes! (lol) Thankfully, the final gift I received was a simple biro with a football on the top - nothing 'double entendre' about that you might say but I would point out that potentially all three gifts involve playing with balls! (lol)

Oh dear, that REALLY is a GRIM joke, isn't it? By gum, you can soon tell reading this blog how far 'stuck up my own era' I am, can't you? My one defence being that if you can't have a bit of fun and 'let your hair down' (FAT CHANCE OF THAT!) at Christmas then when can you?

Talking of people 'having a bit of fun' I saw a chap in the street the other day wearing a suit made to look like Christmas wrapping paper! Bright red it was and he had a 'sparkly' sequinned red hat on as well. The suit was quite well made as well - not a 'home-made' job and he told me when I stopped him to say "well done and Happy Christmas" that there is a company now selling them on the Internet.

GREAT to see a few PRO Christmas things coming from the digital age and i really hope more people will decide to buy one to wear 'for a laugh' at Christmas! I would have asked him for a photo but he was with a lady and she was a 'vulnerable adult' and so I didn't think it appropriate. He must be a 'good lad' I reckon as he probably works in the care industry - Santa won't forget him on December the 25th, I'm sure of that!

I did my bit later that day to 'spread the insanity of Christmas' when with my friend, Stephanie in the Hanushka Coffee House in George Street (Hastings Old Town). Sitting there wearing my Christmas jumper that makes me look as if I am wearing a Santa suit I asked Stephanie whether she was 'suitably humiliated to be seen with me in public yet or not?' Stephanie (who knows me of old) grinned and denied that she was - so to make sure of it I opened my shoulder bag and pulled out a large Elf hat with a bell on the end and sat there wearing that as well! To say that I got a few "Oh, GOD PLEEEESSSE' looks from the 'miserable git community' was an understatement but quite a few people who were in the shop already or who walked in and spotted me thought it was fun!

I LOVE spreading a bit of good cheer and insanity at this time of year and for every person who thinks its 'pathetic for a man of my age' there are two (or more) who smile. Smiles are what we need more than ever in the world at the moment and so I shall continue to be as 'daft as a brush' in public places at Christmastime no matter what!

Love Tony xxx

'Back From Grassington With A Filthy Cold!'

It was great to make the 'pilgrimage' back to Grassington in Yorkshire for their annual Dickensian Festival but I have returned home with a filthy cold!

The weather 'up north' was appalling while I was there with high winds and plenty of rain. Luckily though, I only really got one 'drenching' and that was during my last half an hour in Grassington.

One of the oh so Christmassy shop windows in Grassington

Things did not work out 'to plan' on a number of levels as far as my holiday was concerned. It took over 13 hours to get to our hotel in Skipton from Hastings because of bad weather, people not turning up at the collection points and the plethora of accidents on the roads. We were supposed to 'pop in' to Newark on the way up for our lunch stop but got 're-directed' to Melton Mowbray instead as the motorway was backed up due to an accident. Our driver then told us when we got back on the coach that according to his sat nav EVERY possible route from Melton Mowbray to where we wanted to go had an accident on it somewhere!

To make matters worse, our party (only 15 of us) were due to attend a 'Christmas Party' at the hotel that evening and so being constantly held up meant that when we FINALLY arrived the Hotel manager was under pressure to start serving the Christmas meals to the other guests! In the end we had 30 mins to basically 'chuck our bags ion our rooms, beautify ourselves and get down to the function room'. It wasn't ideal but I still enjoyed myself! In all there was about 20 tables of people to serve and with about 8-10 per table I could see why our being so late was giving the poor hotel manager the jitters!

I tell you what though, I was THRILLED with the hotel itself! The Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton may only have a three star rating but when you walk into the 'hospitality' area and see TWO FULL -SIZED REAL CHRISTMAS TREES adorned with lights, baubles and with presents underneath to your left it makes a BIG impact upon you - especially if you are a 'Christmas person', like me!

With an 'imposter' at the Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton.

In fact, what with the friendly, smiley staff and the VERY comfortable seating areas (both in the foyer and about the upstairs bar) the Rendezvous Hotel has a 'showbizzy glitz' about it. All of the staff are 'well drilled' and the way that the waitering was done with 'military precision' at the Christmas Party was impressive! As far as the food goes, I didn't eat anything that I didn't like during my stay though I can imagine a 'proper foodie' picking one or two holes re the odd 'potato that was not cooked properly' or similar. Re- Craig Revel Horwood and his infamous '10 paddle' you do have to be ULTRA-PICKY to find real fault though.  

After the main lunch some of the staff engaged their guests in some 'party games' (which was fun - even if people were reluctant to take part at first) with prizes of bottles of bubbly for the winners and then the D.J. handed over to a great duo who played guitars and sang along to backing tracks. That makes them sound 'naff' but they were actually very good and I danced to 'Let's Dance' by Bowie and their rocky version of 'Sweet Child Of Mine' by Guns n 'Roses. They also did a lot of other 80's classics by Erasure, Tears For Fears and Soft Cell, which was unusual...

Many of the other guests were dressed up in fancy dress and I (complete with my Christmas Elf jumper and soft pointed Elf slippers with bells on the end) thus didn't look quite the 'prat' I would have otherwise!(lol) I got to dance with 'Wonder Woman' as well!!!

Maybe because of the weather on arrival in Grassington I did not find quite so many 'hardy souls' dressed up in Dickensian costume as last year. The pretty lady who played the flute dressed as a fairy wasn't there nor were the two ladies who 'manned' the 'crumble and custard' stall but the village was every bit as festive and Christmassy looking as I remembered it.

Sadly, this year we had only 4 hours to enjoy ourselves as opposed to 6 last year. I fully understand how 6 hours at a place smaller than Rye might be a problem for most (especially the elderly) but for a Christmas fool like me who loves nothing more than staring 'gooey eyed' into Christmassy toyshop windows or staring lovingly at fairy lights it was no time at all!

'Scrooge' and his helper plug my album!

I DID manage to have a brief chat this time though with the man who plays 'Scrooge' and his accomplice. I thanked him for the wonderful effort he puts in each year and told him I had come all the way from Hastings to savour more of his antics. He said that he hadn't played in Hastings for an age but had some knowledge of the area. I gave him a copy of my 'A Nod To Mr. Dickens' CD and explained that only 100 had every been made and that I had decided to give some of them to people like him who really go in for the traditional meaning of Christmas and give so much joy to others. he and his mate (who pulls him along in his barrow) seemed genuinely touched by this gesture and agreed to pose for a couple of photos for me as a result.

More from my adventures in Grassington next time! x