hour 10 August 2009
Many thanks to all who took time out to say how much they enjoyed JAM AND JERUSALEM last night. I did too! I thought the hour’s length really really suited it. If you ever get a chance to tell the BBC that you like it, please do. The ratings were excellent and we won the top share of the audience (20%) for that slot so all’s good so far, but these days no one is sure if even that is enough…so, as I say, if you get a chance to let the ‘corporation’ know, do.
Myself and the G were a sorry enough looking pair today streeling around the house – I had some sort of annoying and nasty tummy thing and she’s just getting old and infirm (though happy enough when faced with some steak, even if she only ate a morselette of it). I picked her up the other day and was amazed at how little she weighs now compared to what she was, though she was never a big cat – still, she’s eating and drinking and complaining regularly, so there’s a bit of ‘go’ in her yet.
SHOWTIME 9 August 2009
Jam and Jerusalem starts TONIGHT on BBC1 – enjoy!!!!!!
Heard great thing from a woman I met in the (Thomas Crapper) loo last night. She said she met me once years ago in a supermarket and I used a brilliant line to deflect any awkwardness or intrusion (and I shall employ it again from here on out). Apparently I dropped something and while I was gathering it up she said ‘I know you from somewhere, don’t I?’ to which I smiled and cheerfully said ‘I used to work here’ and made my exit. Brilliant.
classical 9 August 2009
I was at a wonderful wedding today, full of delights and joy and LURV. At the church a soprano sang some beautiful classical music and the sight of the wedded couples little son’s face as he heard those sounds for the first time was a treat – he was a picture of astonishment and awe. Later the singer told me the words of the songs probably weren’t very weddingy but as they were in Italian no one noticed (and I don’t think there were any Italians in attendance).
The groom’s dad referred to his wife’s lovely outfit and the facilitator she was wearing on her head – he was quickly corrected and told it was, in fact, a fascinator.
The loos in the ancient and stately home we were in were all by a company called Thomas Crapper and, yes, I believe that is where the term comes from.
I have to admit I have dipped out early at a fresh 2am and the dancing is only just getting into full swing.
Great day – super occasion, food, company!
belfast 7 August 2009
Interweb thingy doing silly buggers last night so I took to me bed without telling you all about Belfast. The event was one of those days when it felt like a Saturday and that everyone was on the mitch from something else. Great atmosphere and good words bandied about by all. Then a lovely seafood dinner and home to a nice hotel with lovely sleeps. Grand altogether AND I can VAGUELY call it ‘work’ so hurrah all round.
Alexei Sayle was reading from his books and talking about writing at the event also and told a great story about ‘fame’ and how it’s a barbed thing. The actor John Simm was once in a (fab) drama called THE LAKES on tv and he was in a Liverpool club shortly after and a guy came up to him and said ‘you’re John Simm, right?’ and John Simm said ‘yes, I am’ and the guy said ‘you’re an actor, right? you were in THE LAKES?’ and John Simm said ‘yes’ and the guy said ‘SO?’ and walked off.
coincidence 5 August 2009
I’ve been happy with the coincidences that have come my way recently in relation to the latest book. Now, if ONLY a coincidence meant a chapter written automatically, of course, but it doesn’t, it just points in the direction of where the work must happen. But it’s nice to get the pointers all the same and I do like a nice ‘omen’. So, even programmes like Desperate Romantics on BBC1 about the pre Raphaelites, which I adore, has furnished a few things, and I saw a great picture of an animal in London Zoo in a paper yesterday (from the 19th century!) that has led me to a small fictional incident that I will now create.
I’m also back to reading again, properly, so that is most pleasing – I do find prose and poetry very helpful even if it’s just to fluff up my vocabulary or getting me thinking of phrases that I like the sound of that I can use at some stage in the work. All in all, though it’s going slowly, it IS GOING and I think I am pleased with what I have so far…oooh, fighting words…
Belfast tomorrow and surely I’ll come back with a clutch of inspirations from there!
The G cat seems well, as does The Husband. And the laptop which died is sort of back to life again but clearly we need a proper house computer – I am leaving all of that up to Himself as I have neither the patience nor the time to do the Wifelies on the situation (Richard, I know you will read this – please ACT UPON IT too…PLEASE)
The builders have disappeared again.
taxpayers 4 August 2009
I have hardly a moisture of spit left in me from the high talk about JAM AND JERUSALEM series 3 today (16 interviews all told), which will be available to all mortals this side of the pond on BBC1 this Sunday at 8pm. For our American and other brethren it’ll take a wee while longer before CLATTERFORD, as tis known to ye, will be with you but hopefully not too much longer. I’m also told series 2 is now out on DVD (as of this week) and that’s handy for me as I haven’t seen all of that series in finished form… I also have not seen this present one as yet and will be watching the tv with bated breath like everyone else – of course I’ll need to see it a few times so that I can relax and stop tutting at stuff I do but then I know I’ll enjoy it hugely – hope you all do too.
Top conspiracy formulated tonight about swine flu, which is this – it affects the elderly and the very young worst…and they are not tax payers…so, if I was a true conspiracy pusher I’d probably go for building up an argument that it is man made and genetically ‘programmed’ to target those not donating to the coffers…evil, yes, but it has the makings of a decent thriller surely…?
number 1 3 August 2009
I am so looking forward to seeing Sue Johnston tomorrow morning for the BBC Breakfast show!* She is one of the great and gentle ladies of showbiz and a total joy to work with. She is never in bad form (once, having had her back seen to IN HOSPITAL after work one evening and then back in to film again the following morning at 7am she told me she was a little cranky – eh, she was NOT, but even that sort of admission from Sue is HUGE!) and she smiles a LOT – nothing to complain about there, then, eh? She is number 1 on the Jam and Jerusalem cast list to my number 2 and we often refer to ourselves by these numbers while talking to one another – a flurry of texts tonight began with same…
There’s a new clan of magpies maturing nearby the Dublin abode. They are cheeky little blighters and no mistake. Hilariously, though, they look like teenagers – bit thin and cocky and straggly – the equivalent of the spotty adolescent of the bird world, I’m thinking.
*mind you, I’m not sure I am required as they announced today that Pauline McFinn would be appearing – there’s my bubble burst , I can tell you…
top 2 August 2009
Was told a lovely story last night about a small boy who asked his grandmother’s age and when he was told 84 it took him quite a while to recover his composure. Then he said ‘wow, that’s nearly at the top of the numbers!’
The poor old G cat did a lot of vomiting today, but doesn’t seem too poorly at the same time. Hard to know what to do, as she is old now and I don’t like upsetting her with visits to the vet if I don’t really have to. As long as she’s still eating and drinking I’m happy enough to leave her be. I wish I could actually talk cat at times like this and we could find out what exactly is wrong with her and what she’d like to do about it.
scribes 1 August 2009
I heard today about a friend’s elderly mother who has washed, dried, ironed and packed 4 sets of pyjamas in case she gets swine flu and has to go to hospital – now THAT’S planning. Me? I just know that I SO don’t want it and am hoping that amount of resolution will do as protection…
Housekeeping – I have called the festival in West Belfast by an incorrect name in Forthcoming Events, so here’s the actual info – next Thursday afternoon I will be taking part in Scribes at the West with Alexei Sayle and others as part of the Feile an Phobail Festival. We’ll be doing the event at the West Social Club on the Falls Road at 4pm (though the doors close at 3.45)
On Tuesday the wonderful Sue Johnston and myself are appearing on BBC Breakfast to talk about series 3 of JAM AND JERUSALEM – yes, transmission is nearly upon us…just a week to go…I’m as excited as anyone, I think, to see how it all turned out.
MISSING YOU ALREADY is number 7 in the Irish mass paperback charts this week, which is great – many thanks to all who have bought it – hope you are enjoying it too.
quiz 31 July 2009
The 3rd movie date with Himself has happened – at home this time (3 in such a short time!!!!! what the hell is going on????) – we got SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE out. I think I’d freeze totally when faced with choices in a quiz type situation, especially if it mattered (ie a prize was involved). Put it this way, I can know FOR SURE that I am right about something (though hopefully never Right…wing) and still doubt myself enough to change my mind and turn out to be wrong, then, ultimately, and a woman who should have stuck to what she knew…and then there are The Embarrassments…like…I corrected a word in a line of poetry on SHAMELESS recently and was wrong and only just lucky enough that we went to a 2nd day on the scene and I had had a niggling doubt and consulted a reliable source (thought I had in the first place mind…2 of them actually) and so got the thing back on track – I said to the script editor (with regret in my voice) ‘guess I’m not on the high ground anymore’ to which she replied ‘ you never were’ = EEEK!