A poem written by my great Uncle a few days before his passing.

"It was beautiful as long as it lasted

The journey of life

I have no regrets whatsoever save

The pain I'll leave behind

Those dear hearts who love and care...

And the strings pulling at heart and soul...

The strong arms that held me up

When my own strength let me down

At every turning of my life I came across Good Friends,

Friends who stood by me even when time raced me by

Farewell, farewell my friends I smile and bid you goodbye,

No, shed no tears for I need them not

All I need is your smile.

If you feel sad do think of me for that's what I'll like

When you live in the hearts of those you love

Remember then, you never Die."

A very loved man... Gone, but not forgotten.

We will miss you so.

Today is the 4th/2nd/2007

Mission 1 of 2007: Wear more mini-skirts.

Okay, so from the title you may have been expecting something a little more interesting than my choice of bottom-half garment, but that's what having a blog is about isn't it?; being self-centered, self-loving and generally self-obsessed (and trust me, it's a big deal for someone who has practically lived in jeans for the best part of their life).

So how did it all happen?

It all started with an episode of '10 years younger'. Admittedly this television program was intended to satifsy an audience of perhaps 20/30 years older than myself, but it makes for interesting viewing all the same. On the show, Fashion expert, Dawinder Bansal stated that the mini-skirt was a must-have for anyone who has recently discovered a fettish for high heeled shoes. Of course, being the stereo typical girl that I am, I completely fell for the idea.

So, that same week I stepped out in a brand new mini-skirt and black high heels to match. Feeling somewhat taller and more confident, I realised how easy it is to completely change how you see yourself.

Unfortuantely, the excitement of the whole ordeal soon died down when the rain came... Why the hell did no one remind me it was winter?

And in other (slightly more morbid) news; I have just been told I have to deliver a speech in the funeral tomorrow. Let's just hope I remember the water-proof mascara. 

Today is the 22nd/1st/2007

And I'm here to tell you about my somewhat unforgettable night in London...

...it all started with the train. My initial feelings of 'God, I'd kill to go back to bed' soon died down, and I actually found myself enjoying the 6 hour journey.

On arrival at the glorious, fit-for-a-king Hotel, my class mates and I spent approximately two hours 'making ourselves at home' (which of course means half-naked pillow fights, getting locked out of our Hotel room, and generally making every effort to be hated by the Hotel staff).

I was somewhat offended however, when I was approached by a gang of aggressive German Hotel receptionists who said it was against the rules to patrol the corridors in my pajamas. (don't get me wrong, I don't object to the rule, I was simply upset because the garments in question were my everyday clothing.)

So after a somewhat sleepless night, my fellow holiday-makers and I made our way to the infamous 'Square Pie' restaurant. Here we were served largely over priced breakfast, and Coffee from a machine which we were certain contained a small leprechaun who urinated into each of the mugs before Coffee was served in them. Appetising?

So, with our tummies full and our eyes heavy, we made our way into the London town.

Call me paranoid, but I was certain a rather unnatural number of old men were staring at me. I confided in my friend Nicola who assured me there was nothing to worry about. It wasn't until I found a mirror however, that I discovered the reason for their interest. My beautiful black shirt had unfortunately unbuttoned itself almost completely, leaving extremely little of my chest to the imagination. I must say I was rather upset.

And unfortunately for me, this wasn't all that ate into my dignity that day.

Part 2 came when my dear friends Tom and Jay, along with myself, entered an adorable village by the name of 'Chinatown'. Desperate for somewhere to *ahem* piss, we dashed into the nearest toilets. Of course, when I asked Jay to wait outside the door of the cubicle due to the door having no lock, I did actually expect her to do so. Unfortunately, I had foolishly forgotten how little Jay can be trusted with such matters. Of course, she walked off, and let's just say a certain Chinese woman probably got a rather disturbing view when she entered the cubicle... Need I elaborate?

Still, the highlight of the holiday came that evening when we enjoyed 3 hours of Monty Python's 'Spamalot' which stole many a laugh, and left us feeling rather dizzy, (sat on the top balcony, practically vertically) and heavily exhausted. I can honestly say i probably would have dropped off if it wasn't for the irritating woman behind me who continued to kick my head through the entire duration of the show - I owe her a lot.

So that night we caught our train home, and gave an 'up yours' to London as we finally settled down with a nice discussion over where on earth all our spending money had dissapeared to, and shared a laugh over an old lady falling off a bike. Possibly the way I most like to end all holidays.

Anyone up for going again?!

Today is the 15th/1st/2007

Well, after the mind-numbing madness of the Shiphay Panto, (which whilst we're on the topic, caused Rachael much grief this week; especially when a gang of agressive Brownies began hurling random abuse at her) I think it's time to take a break... And what better way to do so than to spend a night in a luxurious 5-star Hotel in the oh-so infamous London?! (Cue dramatic 'wooooooooooooooo')

I can only hope that I don't miss the train. After all, they have been noted as being the single most sickeningly un-reliable means of transportation.

Today is the 6th/1st/2007

I don't know about you, but I begin to panic when a show is scaringly closely around the corner and I haven't actually much confidence in it at all.

Fortunately, the prospect of after-show alcoholic beverages has been mentioned just the right amount of times to whet my appetite for acting, and encourage an outstanding performance on my part (Let's just hope SADs audiences enjoy watching 'Cinderella Goes West' with a pang of actor-awkwardness and crumbling confidence),

Well, hopefully 'it'll be alright on the night', otherwise the evening may just see Rachael drinking herself to sleep in an ill-fitting, frighteningly gothic red dress, and net velvet gloves, with a somewhat suspicious number of holes in them.

Today is the 18th/11th/2006

Well, most of Rachael's afternoon has been occupied by a few of those irritating internet 'Personality Quizzes'. You know, the ones which claim to tell you an in depth review of exactly who you are and where you're going to go in life, and actually simply twist the answers that you've just given.

As it turns out, tonight's result was not quite so accurate. When the review came back, I was shocked to read that my dear old granny is actually having a secret internet relationship.

Who knows? Perhaps the above is true. However, I must still recommend that one exercises caution when browsing the internet. Never know what you may end up finding!   

Today is the 4th/11th/2006

Only 8 days til showtime!

'The Gathering' is finally starting to take shape. Only problem is Rachael attempting to learn her dance moves. Never has so complicated a dance been attempted by so amateur a dancer.

Still, the acting and singing elements of the show seem to be coming along nicely.

In other news, Rachael has been offered a column in her local magazine, 'The Shiphay news' for which she has to write an article once a month. Doesn't sound too taxing, I guess.