Goodbye, Dolly

Not being right fond of playing with dolls as a child, my collection was limited to those bought for me as I never bought any myself. I had a brief moment one weekend where I quite liked my Sindy and had a bit of a fling with Pippa but hated with a vengeance the needy Teeny-tiny Tears I woke up one Christmas morning to find. Father Christmas didn't know me very well that year.

One doll I did like was a big, hard, plastic brute of a doll almost a metre high. My grandma knit clothes for it and I called the doll Judith, the name of my uncle's then girlfriend who I remember I admired a lot, but can't even recall her face now.  Anyway, me and Judith the doll were inseperable and I even gave her a haircut one day with blunt scissors - which were all I was allowed at the time. And then I scribbled on her face with blue pen. She looked smashing.

So when we were told at infant school to bring our favourite toy in for display on the stage at the Harvest Festival, I trundled Judith down to school and gave her to the teacher to put on the stage with all the other toys.  Later, we all trooped into the hall for the Harvest Festival assembly to do a bit of singing and hear a speech about harvests and festivals (I'm assuming this, as I can't remember what was said, being overcome with grief). I was near the front of the stage and my eyes desperately darted around turnips and baskets of fruit, looking for Judith.  I couldn't see he anywhere but other kids' toys were there, dolls in pink satin with angel smiling faces, bloody Teeny-tiny Tears tucked in with displays of potatoes, boy cars and trains lined the front of the stage. But no Judith.  After the service, I asked my teacher where my doll was. She went round to the back of the stage, pulled Judith up by what was left of her hair and explained that as my toy was clearly not my favourite otherwise I wouldn't have cut her hair off or scribbled all over her face, she wasn't going on show and hadn't I better think on and take better care of my things?  I don't think I ever spoke to that teacher again.  Judith was - and remains - my favourite toy. Mind you, she's still got scribble on her face and her hair never grew back.

Anyway, I'm wittering on about dolls because this week I sold three childhood dolls on ebay.  Not Judith. I could never sell Judith. These three dolls were ones I've never played with, three dolls in a box of many who have been stuck in the loft for 40+ years. Three dolls with little monetary worth, wearing frilly frocks with simpering grins. And now they've all gone to homes, to people who want them, and that's more than I ever did.

18 miles high

To the banks of the Wear and bits of Sunderland I'd never seen before as I took part in my first ever Sunderland Big Bike Ride.

As a relative beginner, I did the easier route of 14 miles which turned into 18 miles as we cycled to the start point and then home at the end.

There are pictures from the Sunderland Big Bike Ride at the Sunderland Council website, and I'm on three of those pics. If you know me, you'll spot me. If you don't know me, see if you can guess which one I am. 

And to think I only started cycling earlier this year. 

Next year I'll be up for the longer 35 miles route of the 'Tour de Sunderland'. And then, who knows, perhaps the C2C for my, er, 50th birthday in a (cough) few years time?

Coronation Street weekly update, May 28 2012

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, Kirsty didn't take well to her surprise birthday party.

Wear writer

  
I've just had an article published in the shiny, new, Sunderland magazine called R&R Life.

The article's called From Wearside to Weatherfield and details Sunderland's connections to Coronation Street.

I'm on pages 8 and 9 here, have a look.

Coronation Street weekly update, May 21 2012

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, it all bubbles over at the Bistro.

Corrie Karma

I'm not one to hold much with superstition or belief in things you can't see but I do like a nice bit of Karma every now and then.

In the week when I turned down a media company who wanted to cover my Coronation Street fan website in adverts, I was given a worldwide exclusive press release for the site. Ok, so it was just about a Corrie actor joining panto but it was ours and it was exclusive and it was given because the person who runs the theatre is a huge fan of the Blog.

And, get this, in the same week the website goes on to make headlines itself.

As I said, I do like a nice bit of Karma.

Coronation Street weekly update, May 14 2012

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, just when you think Eileen can't look any more miserable than she does, she does.

Great gigs and theatrical treats

In the spirit of making the most of gigs and nights out, it's been a busy May with two gigs and two theatre nights. Not bad for just half-way through the month.

So, to the Newcastle 02 to see Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets. It was the first night of their tour in very many years, so was popular, to say the least.

A decent night, full of energy, which is more than can be said for the second night there this month when we saw New Order.  The gig was spoiled by dreaful sound problems that saw the band strop off stage after just one song at the encore.

To the theatre then with my first ever visit to Northern Stage in Newcastle, where there's a fab restaurant in the foyer where we had our tea. Or dinner, if you want to be posh.  The play we saw was wonderful, Alan Plater's Close the Coalhouse Door, brought up to date by Lee Hall.  An emotive play and still topical politically, all too sadly.

And then to my local theatre, the Sunderland Empire to see South Pacific. I'm a huge fan of musicals and enjoyed this a lot. The leading lady was great, the leading man not so much. It was a long play at almost three hours, and after two and a half I'd kind of stopped enjoying it and just wanted to leave.  But still, a decent night out.

Coronation Street weekly update, May 7 2012

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week the baby with very shifty-looking eyes is still there, staring and stuff.

Coronation Street weekly update, April 30 2012

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here 

This week there was a baby with very shifty-looking eyes.