Rambling on about books, baking and beauty…
This week is Suicide Prevention Week, today is World Suicide Prevention Day and as a supporter of non-profit organisation To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) which supports people dealing with addiction, self-harm, depression, other mental health issues and suicide ideation, I’ve got involved.
This year’s message is “We’ll see you tomorrow” – a pretty powerful statement. TWLOHA is asking people to post on social media in support. Life is worth living. Hope is real. #stayalive
ramblingmads
I went to state school, church school at that, but remain as obsessed with boarding school stories now as I was at 13 when I desperately wanted to be sent away to school as I was so unhappy where I was.
Malory Towers, the Chalet School, St Clare’s, these schools were what I dreamed of. Now I know that life is not all midnight feasts and hockey matches (or hiding from Nazis in the Alps).
But the magic of boarding school stories continues, and I am loving Robin Stevens’ Wells & Wong Mystery series, there are three books so far, inspired by Agatha Christie’s fantastic stories (I adore Monsieur Poirot).
These are aimed at the Young Adult market but since I dont believe there should be a cut off point for reading great books, I don’t care. The brightly coloured spines are smiling at me from the bookcase.
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are thirteen year old boarding school girls. Daisy from a posh English family and Hazel the daughter of a successful Hong Kong businessman. They are the founding members of the Detective Society, the Holmes and Watson of the bun break and prep set.
The books are funny, clever, well written, I haven’t yet guessed the identities of who dunnit? which is always a plus in a murder mystery.
ramblingmads
#blacklivesmatter
#transisbeautiful
#notallmuslims
What do those three hash tags have in common? They are the voice of the oppressed, the mistreated and derided. They are voices calling into the wilderness of ignorance and trying to show that human beings in all that varied forms are more than labels and are indeed precious and important.
I stand as an ally to anyone who is repressed, who is knocked down, insulted, mistreated or denied because of their perceived differences. I will speak up with you, I will be by your side, not in violence but in genuine honest protest and discussion. This is how I was raised and who I am.
I will go with you.
ramblingmads
You may remember my little ratties – Algernon and Justin. Well now they have three sisters.
We adopted three fluffy sisters, who needed to be re-homed ASAP. We’d been discussing getting some girls after having the boys neutered, rats are social creatures and need companionship.
We did rename them – Custard, Peaches and Cream (she’s camera shy) and they’ve been adjusting to each other.
Algernon is quite easy going and likes cuddling up with Peaches, while Justin seems unimpressed and would like them to stop eating ‘his’ food. Greedy chops.
Cream doesn’t like being handled and is a nervy thing, spends most of her time asleep or hiding. Peaches is more gregarious, and likes popping up to say hello. Custard is a bit bitey but I’m training her out of that. Unfortunately I’m not sure she’s completely healthy – she has a funny lump on her belly and makes an odd chuffing noise from time to time so I’ll be popping to the vet next week for a check up.
I keep trying to get a photo of them all together, but apart from Justin the poser, they all scatter when they see my phone!
If you want to see how they’re doing, I post pictures on instagram with the hash tag #fuzzyweirdos
ramblingmads
I am descended from warm blooded Nordic people (my dad looks like a grumpy Viking) and am not suited for this silly weather. Today it was as hot as last summer in Cyprus, but minus the handy swimming pool to cool off in.
I need a paddling pool, is that weird? I remember being a kid and spending hours in the garden in my cossie, splashing about and running around.
That or I’m going to do a Monica and sit in the fridge, even if there’s no Netflix and OITNB in the kitchen. It’s too hot.
ramblingmads
You are going to see a fair few of these posts over the next few months.
I am doing dreaded exercise but as it’s for a good cause, I am actually happy to do.
Walk4 Refuge is in September but I want to exceed my fundraising target so please, sponsor me and help women and children fleeing domestic violence.
Www.justgiving.com/madeleine-walk4
Thank you. Your support means a lot.
ramblingmads
You are…
Good
Clever
Beautiful
Talented
Fast
Intelligent
Kind
Pretty
…enough.
ramblingmads
I love music, I believe the right song at the right time can change your entire perspective. As someone with partial hearing loss (it’s genetic and will get worse) I try to make the most of the music I can still hear.
Tonight I went to Union Chapel in Islington, a beautiful church that also hosts concerts, to see Amanda Palmer perform on her last tour before she becomes someone’s mother (she’s 6 months pregnant).
I saw Amanda there about 4 or 5 years ago and that was amazing, tonight was even better. The acoustics and ambience of the building add a certain something to the proceedings.
Amanda’s shows don’t feel like a gig, more like An Evening With , as she introduces acts and brings her friend on stage to sing with her.
Kicking off proceedings is the joyful noise of London band Perhaps Contraption – a combination of a brass band with a punk aesthetic. They are tremendous fun.
Then comedian Andrew O’Neill comes on and does some very funny one liners, reads out some hilarious rejection letters and introduces Amanda.
She stands in the pulpit and sings ‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’ unaccompanied, it is beautiful.
Then she descends to the piano to kick things off with ‘Astronaut’ and ‘Ampersand’ from her ‘Who Killed Amanda Palmer?’ album.
She talks about the previous night’s show – webcast live to Patreon subscribers, soon to be free to stream to everyone. She tells us tonight will be better as she can relax more. She takes requests from the audience, I ask for ‘I Google You’, but sadly there isn’t enough time to do them all. She performs some of them with her ukelele.
She reads a random extract from her book ‘The Art of Asking’, selected by an audience member, she talks about writing and her infamous Kickstarter.
Her special guest is drag performer and cabaret star Le Gateau Chocolat, who is magnificent, funny, clever, joyous.
Then she brings her friend Whitney on and they do a Garfunkel and Oates song about how smug pregnant women are and a few Ask Amanda questions.
Then they do a Dresden Dolls classic – Delilah – I think I last heard her do this with Georgia from Bitter Ruin, it’s a great song.
There’s time for a Ben Folds cover and a riotous Leeds United featuring Perhaps Contraption, before the standing ovation.
The encore is a Kimya Dawson song and Ukelele Anthem.
Normally she stays and signs anything you like, but she’s pregnant, her feet are swollen and she hasn’t been off stage to pee once.
So, as this is technically a book tour, there’s a signing tomorrow evening in Waterstones.
I think it’s the relationship she has with her fans, old and new, that makes her shows feel more intimate, she’s joking and waving, knowing we’ll sing along, that we’re in on it, whatever it is.
I leave buzzing, music always seems to bring me alive a little more.
We walk to Kings Cross, down Pentonville Road, past the park where clown Joseph Grimaldi’s grave is sited, the evening faded and the wind picking up, talking about the show, about ideas it’s given us – things we’re mulling over.
The way you should be, electric from the crowd, from the rhythm. Not bad for a Tuesday.
ramblingmads
This is the kind of reminder I always need.
When you look at your body in the mirror or the bath,
It should make you smile, it should make you laugh,
Those stretch marks that you hate,
Remind you of the date your baby was born,
You grew an entire new person, that’s great,
That scar from falling off your bike,
Reminds you of being a little tike,
My broken toe never healed straight,
But I remember the fun I had the day it broke,
That weird lump or mark you’ve had all your life, that makes you self-conscious,
Marks you as an individual, as one of a kind,
So be kind to your body, be kind to your soul,
Honour your curves, or straight lines,
Stop worrying so much about what others think,
They’re all having the same anxious thoughts,
We spend all our time looking for flaws,
But you’re perfect just as you are.
Do something nice for yourself today. Remember that you are unique and wonderful, just like everyone else.
ramblingmads
One of my greatest loves in life is the theatre, I wanted to be an actress but have crippling stage fright so I have to settle for a seat in the audience.
Last night we went to the Lyric theatre in Hammersmith to see their fabulous production of Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone.
Previously thought to be un-stageable, the Lyric’s talented director Sean Hughes and his cast of future megastars proved that completely wrong.
As in the film that introduced Jodie Foster to the world, all the roles are played by child actors, and let me tell you, I highly expect these insanely talented kids to go far.
From their breathtaking dance routines, to the (mostly) flawless American accents, to the beautiful singing voices (the girl playing Blousey Brown stood out in particular) and the brilliant comic asides from Fat Sam himself, this was one hell of a show and they deserved every second of the standing ovation.
I wasn’t applauding because ‘Aww look at how cute they are’, I was applauding incredible talent, which comes in all shapes and sizes(and ages).
Yes, most of them attend drama classes or stage school (as I did for a bit) but so do dozens of other young performers, and sadly some of them will never stand on a professional stage.
So hats off to the cast of Bugsy, and if you’re in or near London, go, it’s a great theatre, a fantastic show, and the tickets are £15. What more could you want?
ramblingmads
ramblingmads 