Thanks for Nothing by Jack Dee. Book review.

Hello. Jack Dee always makes me titter so when I saw this book in the library I thought it would be an interesting read. I love his deadpan look, and his sarcastic observational comedy. It was first published in 2009, and covers his early life of disastrous day jobs, and finishes when he finally makes it as a paid stand up comedian on the comedy circuit. 

Jack talks about many of his unskilled jobs, including working in an artificial leg factory, delivering incontinence pads, waiting at tables and bar work. As I was reading it I could hear his voice in my head. He shares his views on everything, from personal trainers, boutique hotels, to people who hold their cutlery the wrong way. He is a brilliant story teller and made me laugh out loud.

At the back of the book, as usual, is the index page. A typical example of Jack humour, just two words. . You've got to laugh at that, haven't you.

It's a funny book if you like Jack Dee humour. You might like to look at this funny clip from yoootooob



Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Toni My Story, by Toni Mascolo. Book review.

Hello. A book is a good place to get lost in, and I'm afraid that I don't always make time to read. I pick books from the library and often they only get a skim read, picking out a few pages. The last couple of weeks though I have needed to fill my brain with distractions and a book is a good way to do that. 

I like rags to riches stories, and I had heard of Toni & Guy the famous hairdressing conglomerate, but knew nothing about it's origins, so I chose this book. 

Toni Mascolo was born in a small town near Pompeii in 1942. His father was a barber. The whole family moved lock stock and barrel to London when Toni was 14 years old. They rented rooms in a large house which was occupied by several other Italian families. Toni's first recollections of an English school was to find no order or discipline, noise and wild behaviour was normal. He was shocked at the difference to his previous school in Italy. 

When he left school he worked with his father in a hairdressing salon. At the age of twenty he was devastated by the early death of his mother, and being the eldest son, he took over the role of keeping the family together. 

Jumping ahead a few years, Toni and his brother Guy opened their first salon in 1963, in Clapham Park Road. In ten years they bought two more salons, at Streatham and Mitcham, and realized that to establish themselves as leading London hairdressers, they had to move to the city. It's interesting to note that he said no one wanted to publicise a suburban salon, and the area around their salons was changing with a huge influx of immigrants moving into that part of South London. He said it was like introducing a nation into a nation when they all arrived at the same time. Funny how this is a talking point at the moment, history moves in circles.  Now, after half a century of amazing expansion, there are more than 500 salons across the world. 

On the whole I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed reading about the early years, the last few chapters focus mainly on the expansion of the company, which would be of particular interest to anyone looking for lessons on how to grow a business. Give it a go.

Yesterdays dinner. Onions, chick peas, mushrooms, half a tin of tomatoes, and Quorn sausages, on two microwaved potatoes. I made two portions and about to have the second for lunch today. 

The sun is shining and I'm off to road test the boots shortly, so I'll say tatty byes for now.
Toodle pip

Playing to the Gallery by Grayson Perry. Book review

Hello. I have been hanging on to this book for several weeks now, keep picking it up and finding more little gems of wisdom. I like Grayson Perry, his art, his humour, and his cross dressing. In this book he tells it like it is, the art world stripped bare according to the Perry ethos. 

He chose this title for a reason, it could have been entitled, 'Sucking up to the Academic Elite', but he has based it on some of his popular Reith Lectures. He answers some of the basic questions about art, but are too embarrassed to ask, such as what counts as quality art, and how do you become a contemporary artist.

A few interesting and amusing snippets. What is quality art? Validation is the key point, who is doing the validating? Quite often you can't tell if something is a piece of art apart from the fact that people are standing around looking at it. How can you tell if a photo is art? He says we live in an age when photography rains on us like sewage from above. That made me laugh.

This is Grayson Perry's personal journey through the art world, helping contemporary art in it's struggle to be understood. He asks if it has become mainstream, and says anyone is eligible to enjoy art or become an artist. He also says, very few artists make art to make money, they do it because they are driven, or they love to look at it, or to be around artists. People think it's fun to be an artist, but it takes a lot of hours to produce an artwork.

This book is a refreshing look at the art world in a direct and no claptrap pretentious waffling way. Read it if you enjoy art, but also read it if you are baffled by art and are looking for a simple way of understanding it.

Plenty of reviews on Amazon here. 

If you've got nine minutes to spare take a look at this yooootoooob video. He talks about his preparation for the Reith Lectures.



Right, I'll toddle off, things to do. A new exhibition at our 20 21 Arts Centre has started and the artist is there in person today, so I want to go and meet her.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Susan Boyle by John McShane. Book review.

Hello. I've actually found time to read a book. It's been in my possession for eight weeks, and is now due back at the library. It will be returned on Tuesday to Stan in the mobile van. He used to be here on a Monday, but has had to change days because parking at the Health Centre was blocking some of the car parking spaces. They thought it better to change to Tuesday afternoon when the Centre is closed. He is still in the village for the whole day, and people can catch him at any of the five locations. 

So what did I think of the book? I have been watching Susan's progress ever since she was discovered on Britain's Got Talent, reading newspaper articles and watching video's on yoootoooob, and was looking forward to reading this book. As I got into it I realized that most of it was a rehash of what I had already read. The author appears to have trawled through numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and bodged together what he calls an Autobiography. It isn't. Most of what I read in the book, I already knew about, so if you are a Susan fan, I wouldn't bother buying it. His writing is very repetitive, the same quotes over and over again. I wanted to shout, 'you've already said that six times'.

I did finish it to the end, although I almost gave up half way through it. The book was published in 2010, so there is nothing beyond that. It left me thinking I needn't have bothered.

For those who don't know the story it might be an interesting read, but unless you have been on planet Mars for the last few years, you will have already picked up most of the story in the press.

It seems I am not alone in my opinion. Reading the reviews on Amazon there are nine positive and six negative reviews. Get it from the library if you want to read it, but I wouldn't bother buying it.

Thanks for popping in. Life gets back to normal, everything in the garden is growing madly and needs keeping under control. I want to get my walled garden picture finished by the middle of June ready for the art exhibition in the Village Hall. I'll pop back here when I can.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Toodle pip.

Jo Brand - book review, and other stuff.

Hello. What a disappointment today. I was all ready for the BBC with my notes and I got a phone call saying the interview on the Jeremy Vine Show was off. Too much going on, couldn't fit me in. I got shunted into the sidings. Oh well, that's how it goes. In the meantime I have been communicating with someone from Channel 5 television, they want me on their magazine programme on Saturday morning. I am not able to go to London so they asked if I have Skype. I know I deleted it off this big computer, but it is still installed on the small laptop, and after testing it still works. They are going to let me know if they want to go ahead with that. 

In the meantime.....here is my breakfast. The bran flakes and moooozleee (can't spell that word), topper is swamped by the rice milk. I have some strawberries left from Saturday night shopping and they are still fine. There are some left to finish tomorrow. 

There you are, I do put some heating on sometime. Bugsy snuggled close to the gas fire in his suitcase bed, getting some warm rays on his back. I must check his age, he will be about 20 now.

I had to use some mushrooms up so here is tonight's dinner. Garlic mushrooms on a microwaved spud with a bit of salad. All yellow sticker except for the blob of cream cheese I put in the mushrooms. I just lurv garlic mushrooms, this is how I make it. Slice mushrooms into a smallish pan, add butter, margarine, or oil, or all of them if you like. Add garlic powder and vegetable granules, half a teaspoon of each. Add soft cheese, I use the Value 49p one. When almost done add a couple of spoons of plain yogurt. Sorry it looks a bit messy, I didn't take the photo until after I had dived into it.

I've just finished this book, I started it ages ago. Things got busy and I had to put it to one side. This is the story of how Jo started off in the entertainment industry, how she became famous, and how she managed to persuade someone to marry her and have some children. This is the second volume of her memoirs. Her take on life is really funny, and as I read I could hear the words come out of her mouth. She writes as she speaks and it was just like watching one of her stand up routines.

The book is divided up into lots of short chapters and the format is ideal to pick up if you only have 20 minutes to spare.I found one chapter particularly interesting, entitled Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. It's  what she has learnt about dealing with the media. Pity I hadn't read it before my little dabble into the world of minuscule celebrity. She says she thinks it doesn't even occur to a lot of people how obsessionally selective different papers are about what is 'the news' and how they present it. At least we have something in common, we have both been ripped apart by a Daily Mail journalist.

Jo talks about the comedy circuits, the stand up gigs, writing her material, finding a man and getting married and having children, her charity work and her telly work. It's a very entertaining book, she says it like it is, with some colourful language thrown in for good measure. Pity I didn't take it with me and get her to sign it when I met her.

I sent a link to my trucking story to Leicester Heavy Haulage, and had a nice email back from Paul Rodwell. The company is run by four brothers, who's father Brian, my boss, started it. Sadly Brian passed away in 2014. He was a smashing boss, I'll always be grateful to him for giving me a chance.

I'll just copy part of a recent comment here, which arrived on a previous post. It has cheered me up no end. She found the blog through the Daily Mail article and lives in the south of France, and is now following.

You give lots of important information about how to save money when shopping for meals. The thing that helped me the most is to adapt your meals to the bargains in the supermarkets. I bought carrots and potatoes at a very cheap price, and I include them in my meals this week. I never did that before, I used to make a list first, decide on a menu and then go shopping...now I go shopping first, get the bargains and then prepare my menu. 
Very valuable information, mainly for me, I'm a single mother with 3 children and it's difficult to make ends meet. Marce. 

Now haven't I been saying that all along. Don't menu plan then shop, do it the other way round. Buy the best you can afford at the lowest prices, then plan your meals around that. YAY, go Marce, and I hope you save lots of money doing it that way.

Thank you all for your comments, I love to read them. Crikey, look at the time. I must get off my backside and do my three miles. Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Survivor by Fatima Whitbread. Book review

Hello. My book reviews never get a lot of comments. I suppose that's understandable because everyone has different tastes in what they like reading. What I read may not be your cup of tea, but it helps me to remember what I've read if I record it here, and if you fancy giving it a go you might find my review helpful. 

I'm not a sporty person and I wouldn't normally pick up a book about a sports person, but the blurb on the back ignited my interest in the woman behind the gold medalist. 

Fatima Whitbread had a terrible start in life, at three months old she was abandoned in a council flat in London by her birth mother. Alone for two days she began to cry, she had nothing to eat or drink, she was filthy, and she was ill. A neighbour called the police and they broke the door down to discover her, any longer and she could have died.

After being taken into care she was sent to a childrens home, where the regime was cold and uncaring. Fatima desperately needed to be loved but for many years no love came. She always refers to her birth mother as the woman who gave birth to her, and her father was a passing boyfriend.

She became a bit of a rebel at school, she had a disruptive streak to her, and was often in trouble. But then she discovered a passion for sport, which eventually helped her to turn her life around. Eventually she found her loving family and was adopted by Margaret Whitbread who was to become her coach.

Once I started this book I found it hard to put down. This inspirational woman has had a traumatic and shocking life, but she went on to become a world champion. The first part is about her life in various childrens homes, and her search for love. After many years of hard work she triumphs on the athletics field, but  after her retirement there were more tragedies to come. One good thing did come out of it was having her son. I won't tell you any more, but just to say, this book is well worth reading. It will sadden you, but you will also share her joy as she wins her medals and becomes world champion. It's an easy read written with sensitivity and passion.

Here she is winning her gold medal.


Thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

Tokyo Hostess by Clare Campbell. Book review

Hello. My reading usually takes place last thing at night when I am settled down in bed. Sometimes when I am well into a book, I will make a mug of coffee in the morning and go back to bed for an hours read before I get up. This latest one took me a week from start to finish, though I have to admit I did skim read a section of it in the middle. 

I remember the Lucie Blackman story in the media in 2000, blimey was it that long ago. She went to Tokyo with a friend to work as a hostess in a seedy part of Tokyo to earn extra money to pay off her car loan. It seemed easy money to sit around and drink with rich business men in a nightclub. One day she went missing, and all efforts to trace her hit a dead end, eventually the clues took the police back to a cave which they had previously searched and found nothing. This time they looked further into the cave and found a dismembered body badly decomposed wrapped in bin bags.

Clare Campbell is a journalist who writes regularly for the Daily Mail, and is a contributing editor for a womens magazine. Although this book is not an autobiography and not even a biography, it is a true story, which drew me to pick it up from the library in the first place.

This book delves into the background of Tokyo club life in far more detail than the newspaper articles. There are first hand accounts from other hostesses, and interviews with Lucie's friends, plus extracts from her personal diaries. Some of the details about the hostess way of life and the customers using their services was a bit repetitive, hence my skim reading in the middle.

I felt it was a typical, albeit rather lengthy and elaborately embroidered newspaper article written by a journalist, rather than from a first hand witness who had gone through the experience and could report exactly how it worked. Saying that, it opened my eyes to a different kind of lifestyle on another continent, giving me a peek into another world. The book satisfies my curiosity as to how differently some people organize their lives, which are a world away from my own life. All part of a rich tapestry.

It's a sunny morning, make the most of it, going out. Catch you soon. Toodle pip.

Moving On by Kevin Lewis. Book review

Hello, I've had a busy day, Crafty Club, and a talk for a smashing bunch of ladies. We had a lot of fun. I don't think they quite believed what they were hearing when I enthused about my passion for skip diving and buying second hand. Ha ha. 

I've been saving this book review for a few days, and will now slot it in to fill a gap. As you know, I like autobiographies, an interesting true story beats anything made up I reckon. This book held my attention till the end, it's the second book from Kevin Lewis, the first one was about his early life in a dysfunctional family. I did wonder if I should have read that one first, but there are plenty of references in this one about his harrowing early life at the hands of an unstable mother who regularly beat and tortured him.  

Moving On, starts at the time when Kevin has just finished his first book. By then he was married to Jackie with two children of his own. Jackie had no knowledge of Kevin's childhood, as he has refused to speak about it, but now everything was recorded on paper and Jackie could read it. After much soul searching the decision to publish The Kid, was taken. Old childhood memories resurfaced and he was forced to face up to his demons. 

Moving on is a powerful and moving memoir, he describes going back to face Gloria and Dennis, he always called them by their first names, never mother and father. 

Finally he talks about his hopes and dreams and ambitions for the future. Moving On is about making positive use of his past, to enable him to build a new life for him and his family.

I found the book interesting and inspiring, to read about how one man has managed to make a good life for himself after such a rotten start. Reading the reviews on Amazon, it seems that a few people who read the first book, found this one disappointing, which I was surprised about, as I thought it was a good read. I don't feel the need to now read the first one, this book gives a complete picture of the whole story. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

The Unmarried Mother by Sheila Tofield. Book review

Hello. I've been a lazy beggar this morning, missed most of the Sounds of the Sixties on the radio, to stay in bed and finish this book. I briefly got up to make a coffee and open the back door so the kitties could go out, then it was back into my pit for the last few chapters of The Unmarried Mother, by Sheila Tofield. Another random pic from the mobile library van. 

Sheila grew up in Rotherham, the daughter of an uncaring mother who made her believe she was useless, stupid, and unlovable. Born in February 1931, her unhappy childhood had the effect of destroying her self esteem, the only respite being a nine month stay in hospital under the care of the nursing staff. 

Her first boyfriend dumped her with no explanation, which made her vulnerable to the advances of someone who took advantage of her need to be loved. When she became pregnant by this cad of a boyfriend, he did a runner when she told him of her condition. In those days it was seen as a sin to have a child outside of wedlock and she became a 'fallen woman'. A place was found for her to go away and have the baby, and return as if nothing had happened. Her mother told her she would have to have it adopted, but on baby Pat's arrival, Sheila vowed to keep her no matter how impossible that might be.

The book is an interesting insight into how attitudes have changed throughout the past decades, though there is little difference between family dynamics of then and now, it's just they didn't have Jeremy Kyle then. Disputes were pushed under the carpet rather than being aired in public. I had a pregnancy scare when I was 19, the first time I had a proper boyfriend. Thankfully it was a false alarm and I never took that chance again. S'funny how things turn out, how one error of judgement can have such far reaching repercussions. Throughout my life I have listened to my head rather than my heart, ah yes, I have fallen hook line and sinker at times, there's been more than one instance when my heart was broken, but in the end my head has taken over when common sense kicked in.

I digress, no two lives should ever be compared, the book is a good read. The story drew me in, wanting to know what happened next. Here is a short synopsis, courtesy of the Daily Express.

Must go, things to do. Have a nice weekend
Toodle pip

Steps in the Dark by Joe Willisch. Book review

Good morning. It's chucking it down outside, best stay indoors for a while. I want to get on with fixing up a door for the summer house, got a good idea, but it will have to wait till the rain stops. Yesterday I cut a piece of the plasticky roof stuff to fit a window hole just above the door. I didn't cut it from a roof panel, but from a smaller piece I already had. Blimey, sawing plastic is much harder than sawing through wood. I'm glad I didn't attempt to trim the roof panels, it would have taken me ages, with a lot of cursing. I think a special saw is needed for that job, and I am not prepared to spend money on more that the basic tools I already have. 

Right, lets get on, I have plenty to do today. First off a book review. I have just finished Steps in the Dark, by Joe Willish. It was a random pick from the mobile library. It was a fascinating read. I don't know why but I am becoming more interested in the times around the first and second world war. Could be something to do with the passing of time, and the fact that the end of the war has just been celebrated. Ancient history has never interested me, but anything to do with the time my mother was living in bombed out Hamburg seems to be drawing me in. 

Reinhold Joseph Willish was born in 1924 in the small Czechoslovakian village of Partschendorf. The simple life he had until his teens revolved around family, friends, and a passion for learning. When he was 18 years old he was forced to leave his home and family to face the fallout of Hitlers tyranny in Europe. It was a treacherous journey that led to hardship, and heartache, which eventually led to him changing homeland and nationality. 

It took many years for him to write this book because he wanted to forget everything, but his children urged him to do so. Since it has been published Joe and his family have spent some time in Czechoslovakia visiting many of the places mentioned in the book.  

Joe tells it how it really was. His warts and all tales of a tank commander on front line battles, his time in a labour camp, really brings it home on the horrors of war. Despite the content, it's an easy to read book.

A quote from Joe. "When you hide things away and keep them secret, they have power. Eventually you have to open them up, face them and lay them to rest."

This book ties in with some programmes I have been watching on BBC iplayer. There are three programmes currently, called 'Britain's Greatest Generation.' They look at stories of extraordinary courage, terrible suffering, and miraculous survival from service men and women between 1942 and 1945. I won't embed them all here, but they are on yooootooob if you want to look. Each one is around one hour long. well worth a look. 

Episode 1. Britain's Greatest generation.

A quick look at my food. Yesterday I had some cooked pasta to use up, so I put it in a pan with a knob of olive spread and warmed it up. Then I added two eggs and scrambled them, and some leaves of spinach. Served on a bed of fresh spinach with beetroot. A loverly lunch.

Breakfast this morning. In the mini chopper went dried fruit, almonds, two dessertspoons of porridge oats, and three prunes. Under this is Special K, I bought a box from the cash and carry at a cheap price. Won't bother again, it's like eating sawdust, but palatable with the topping and soya milk and plain yogurt.

Well it's still raining, I think I'll crack on with the shopping bags. No one has contacted me about a meet up at either Haworth or Saltaire, so I assume no one will be around. Arrangements are made to meet Simplesista at Saltaire, looking forward to that. Thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

Unbreakable by Sharon Osbourne. Book review

Good Morning, or Good Evening, whichever it is on your side of the world. The sun's out and I was up early at 6am, well I did get up briefly, to make a mug of coffee then I went back to bed to finish this book. 

Sharon Osbourne has had a rollercoaster of a life, the blurb on the back states it has always been an extreme rollercoaster ride, and it's not hard to understand after reading this book. There were times of joy, the birth of her first granddaughter, and being there for her children in their times of need and seeing them come through testing situations. The battle to save her marriage, her health issues and her addiction to fame and fortune, all form the highs and lows of a rollercoaster ride.

Although I didn't see it, the full 'warts and all', of her life was played out in a television series a few years back. It was never particularly appealing to me. The bits I saw before I turned off showed a dysfunctional family in the throes of one crisis after another. Not something I need to know.

I did manage to read this book from cover to cover, but it was like trawling through endless copies of trashy celeb magazines, albeit more eloquently written despite the shed loads of swearing. It sort of reminded me of back to back Jeremy Kyle, with an endless stream of marital problems being churned out conveyor belt style, with  emotions running high between the many ordinary people who are prepared to air their dirty washing in public.

To sum up, it's about a famous rocker and his manager wife who takes a left turn and becomes a celebrity in her own right. Their life has been one big juggling act which has taken them to all corners of the globe, many times over. They have two kids who have caused them a lot of angst, but have found a way through their own particular jungle and at last seem to be on the right track. Celeb Sharon has turned into a Granny which pleases her greatly. Now she is sixty she has at last found some peace, yes, it comes to us all eventually, even those who have have the cushion of great wealth. As Sharon found out there is a price to pay.

If you are fascinated by the warts and all of celebrity life, read this. Me? I needn't have bothered, I have become immune to gossipy shock horror celeb stuff. I would have preferred to read more about her early professional life, how she rose to the top, but that part might have been in a previous autobiography, which I missed.

Right. I've a load of washing to hang on the line, oooh the excitement, ha ha, then off to Crafty Club.
Have a great day. Toodle pip.

PS. Since writing this I have had a look at the reviews for the book on Amazon. Seems I am in the minority, and most people love it.

Torvill and Dean, Our Life on Ice. Book review

Hello. That's another book read, I don't know how I find the time. This is a really interesting book to read, I think everyone has fond memories of that magical moment when the scoreboard hit those nine perfect 6.0's  after that superb performance of the breathtaking Bolero. I was glued to the screen and gave a big cheer when it happened. 

This book is easy to read, it delves into the real story behind their amazing win. Torvill and Dean relive the drama, hard work, and the pressure which came with it, and which drove them on to a long and successful career.

They first danced together in 1975 and were soon winning prizes. The book goes behind the scenes and looks at the way the partnership developed, both professionally and personally. For two people to have worked so closely together for so long the inevitable question often pops up, were they in a relationship. I remember Piers Morgan asking them that in a TV interview a few years back. They didn't give much away in their answer.

While reading the book the differences in their personalities gives an insight into why their partnership worked so well. They are opposites in some ways, but when they come together they compliment each other. I think that says a lot about their personal relationship.The times they were apart they missed each other, and when they each found a partner they wondered if their career would survive. I drew my own conclusions. Although they live apart now, Jayne is married with two children and lives in East Sussex, and Chris lives in Colorado USA with his two children, I am a romantic who likes happy endings and would love to see them happy together in their twilight years.

The book is beautifully written, not by themselves, but by a ghost writer. I felt slightly disappointed at this, though I suppose that's what a lot of people do these days when they have a story to tell but don't have the time to sit down and write it themselves. I must say though that while reading I could almost hear the words come out of their mouths, and it didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. A book to enjoy, I recommend it.

Not many people know this but I was an ice skater in my late teens early twenties, nothing fancy, but I went on the ice three of four times a week. I worked in the Ice Drome at Blackpool Pleasure beach, saw the shows, met the skaters, I loved it there. I still have my boots, don't want to give them up just yet. Happy times.

The wind is blowing a gale today, it has been snowing on and off, very unpredictable at the moment. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.  

Sentenced to Hell, by Natalie Welsh. Book review.

Hello. I've been a bookworm for a week, it hasn't taken me long to read, 'Sentenced to Hell', by Natalie Welsh. Another quick pick from the library van. Wasn't sure I really wanted to know about Venezuela's notorious prison system, but I thought, give it a try, it's a true story. 

 The story pulled me in right from the start, it begins with the authors attempts to board a plane at Margarita Airport, carrying a doctored suitcase with five kilo's of cocaine with a street value of £325,000, hidden inside. She was a naive 21 year old single mum who had dabbled with drugs in the past, now she was looking to make big money in the smuggling game.

After a very quick trial she was sentenced to ten years in prison. Her daughter who was travelling with her was shipped back to England alone to live with a friend. The first chapters look back over her early childhood, how she got into trouble, didn't get on with her step dad, and ended up in a children's home, mainly through choice because she had more freedom there than she did at home. The familiar story of getting in with a bad crowd, she started experimenting with drugs.

As I was reading I felt that there were parts of the story that didn't add up, like there was a lot more going on than she was revealing. However, it is a book which keeps your interest because you want to know what happens next. It was a hellish prison system, where guards were too powerless or corrupt to control the escalating violence. Murders, rapes, and all out gang warfare were carried out by the armed and powerful inmates. In four years she spent time in three prisons, each time learning the new ways to keep herself out of trouble.

Her escape came about with the help of her Venezuelan boyfriend, and the fact that she was successful in applying for day release from prison so she could work in the town. I won't reveal any more of the story, in case you want to read the book, but if you want more background to her, there was a lot of publicity in the press when the book came out. Natalie's escape is not the end of the story, it's a wonderful thing this internet. I Googlied her name and found out what has happened since then. Read this article from May 2010 in the Guardian to reveal more of the story. Or this one in the Mail. Sadly the horrors of the four years she spent in prison was soon forgotten, she was caught again with drugs and at the time of the articles was awaiting sentencing, this time in an English prison. A sad ending, but a good read.

Right, what was for lunch today. I had this pack of Butternut squash and sweet potato to use up. I fancied soup.

Chop into small pieces, (cooks quicker), add spices, garlic powder, bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes. Zap with a stick blender, add some cream cheese with garlic, and two spoons of plain yogurt. 

Lunch for 15p, and it was lovely. There was enough for two portions, but I scoffed the lot with a slice of wholemeal bread.

It was a day at home today, with a walk in the park this afternoon. I'm eating some chargrilled vegetable cous cous for dinner, straight out of the plastic tub. No shopping needed this week.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.

Wave, by Sonali Deraniyagala. Book review

Hello. I am writing this book review even though I am only half way through it. I was running out of time on the mobile library van, Stan wanted to move off and park up for his lunch break, so I made a quick choice. I got the gist of the story from the back cover, and thought I would give it a try. Last night in bed, I picked it up again to carry on reading, but I found myself skimming through the pages, it wasn't really grabbing my attention. I skipped ahead a few pages, then more skipping, and eventually decided I didn't want to read any more, so I have given up. 

Wave is the story of one woman, Sonali Deraniyagala, who lost her whole family in the 2004 tsunami. Her parents, husband, and sons were all swept away when it hit the beach of Yala, Sri Lanka. They left the hotel where they were staying in order to escape, but the waves were too big and too strong, and came in at such a speed, they had no chance of reaching a safe place. Sonali herself only survived by hanging onto the branch of a tree.

Her recollections of what happened during and immediately after the disaster make harrowing reading, it made me wonder how anyone can carry on with their life after that. The book is an account of how she did manage to carry on, the last chapter taking her to June 2012. It's mostly a diary, recalling thousands of memories of her life with her family before it happened. Every tiny detail is remembered and recorded.

As I was reading it I thought I shouldn't be. This is someones private thoughts, a private diary, an account of the authors emotions and feelings locked deep inside her head. She has no need to share this with me, and I have no need to read it. I'm not sure why I feel this way, I have read many intimate and emotional life stories before. Perhaps it's because most of the characters in this story are dead.

Some words from the reviews inside the book.  'Bringing those she loved to life so completely that they breathe on the page' - Vanity Fair. 'Relentless in it's explication of grief'' - More magazine. 'Deraniyagala's family spring from these pages with an exuberance and dimensionality that lifts Wave from memoir into some virtual realm of documentation' - The Boston Globe.

You might like to read a review of this book by Guardian writer, William Dalrymple. It goes into a lot more detail than I have done here. For unbiased opinions read the comments on Amazon.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.

Tales of a Tiller Girl by Irene Holland. Book review

Hello, Here is a blast from the past, does anyone remember The Tiller Girls? I remember them from Sunday Night at the London Palladium, mum would let us watch it, then it was straight off to bed afterwards, school in the morning.



I thought they were marvelous, and would often copy them doing the high kicks, I could never keep up though without losing my balance. I could see myself on the stage, but the nearest I ever got to a dancing career was three months with Mavis and the Silver Stars, but had to give up because mum couldn't afford the lessons, the shoes, and costumes.

I digress. I've just finished reading a smashing book written by Irene Holland, who started life as Irene Bott, but she was asked to change it when she became a Tiller Girl. She chose to dance under the name of Irene Starr. Her book, Tales of a Tiller Girl, is an amazing account of her early life in London, through to the the present day. She was born in 1930 near Wandsworth Commomn, but sadly her father died when she was two years old, so she grew up with her brother and mother. Dancing was always her passion from an early age, and her mother who was a musician went off touring with a band just so she could afford to send Irene to Italia Conti stage school. In three years she was trained in all types of dancing and singing.

Things didn't always go smoothly though, her height she wasn't tall enough for the Blueball Girls, she sustained back injuries, and the war got in the way, but at the age of eighteen she was accepted into the world famous high kick dancing troupe, the Tiller Girls.

Irene has so many incredible stories to tell, from the stars she performed with at the Palladium, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Danny Kaye, to entertaining the soldiers and becoming their pin up. The book is also an interesting insight into war torn Britain, and how it affected ordinary working people.

Irene is now 84 and lives in Devon. I've found this short biography about her, if you are going to read the book you might not want to read this, as it gives away the ending of her story. I must say, from a tough start in war torn London, her story has a wonderful heartwarming ending.

I have found this ITV news report from July 2014, about her returning to The London Palladium. There is a short video to click on. All that dancing must have been good for her, she certainly doesn't look 84.

Give this book a try if you like autobiographies, it's an easy read, and entertaining.

Welcome to the new readers, I hope you enjoy your visits. We've had snow here, and I hear there's going to be more, so I won't be going far. Keep snug, wrap up, and watch tele.
Toodle pip

Sort of a book review, and other stuff

Hello. I didn't get much sewing done at the craft club this morning, spent the first hour nattering. I took the Hudl with me, to show the ladies who didn't come to the Christmas Fair, the pics from Saturday. But I clumsily swiped the screen and lost the blog page. I couldn't pull it out of the history list either because I wasn't online. I noticed that a lot of my older photo's have ended up on the Hudl, a bit annoying because I have no need for them to be there. As I flicked through them, like looking through an old photograph album, I forgot I was supposed to be sewing. I picked a few out to show the ladies, hey look at this one. It was a laugh. 

Right, what's on the agenda tonight. I was going to do a post about a book I am reading by Barbel Mohr, called The 21 Golden Rules for Cosmic Ordering, but I got waylaid on the internet doing some research on the author. A lot of what I found is in German, there are videos of her on yoootooob, but I can't find a button to translate. 

Ok I'll write a bit about the book now, but my brain is not fresh at this time of night, so it may be a bit garbled. Does anyone know anything about Cosmic Ordering? I know Noel Edmonds was talking about it a few years back, he said it worked for him. In the introduction it says it's asking the whole of creation for help when you have a problem you can't solve yourself. 

It goes on to say that the more you are thankful for and value life, the happier and more childishly unself-conscious you are, and the easier it is for you to automatically allow life to direct and lead you. Anyone who incorporates singing, dancing, and childish play in their life is being led by the cosmos and can hear the answers it provides. This person probably does not need to read this book, as they will already communicate with the cosmos. 

Well that's flippin amazing. I sing all the time around the house, I dance in the kitchen, and I like acting like a big kid. It's nice to know there is nothing wrong in being childish. Then it goes on to say the more we lose our joy in existing in the present moment, or the stiffer, more blunted and joyless we have already become in our daily lives, the more practice we will need to find our way back to our true natures.

I've picked out a couple of quotes which I find interesting. 'Being thankful and making the most of each moment is like turning your inner navigation system to the autopilot for happiness setting'. 'If all you do is whinge about the way your life is at present, you are criticizing the godliness within you'. 

The first rule in the book says, 'The world around you reflects the world inside you.' Hmmm, this needs further investigation. There are some very interesting messages coming through. Sadly Barbel Mohr passed away in 2010, but her husband Manfred is carrying on with her work. The English version of her web site is here. 

On a completely different note, I'm getting to the end of this bottle of moisturizer. It must be about four years old, don't splash it on willy nilly, I use all my lotions and potions sparingly. The bottle stands upside down so the contents run to the top. I've been scooping it out with a tooth pick, but now I need to do something else to use the last drop. The top doesn't screw off....

so the only thing to do is to cut around it with a stanley knife. There is another months worth of face cream here.

The label on this baby lotion has faded, it's been in the bathroom window sill. It must be old because they changed the labeling a couple of years ago. I still have half the bottle left. You can tell I don't go overboard spending on toiletries, ha ha.

It was very cold this afternoon, but nevertheless I still went for a walk in the park. Here are a few pics. Thorns sticking out of a tree trunk so I stuck three leaves on them. Tree art. 

Reflections in a pond.

Teeny weeny mushrooms on a tree stump.

Yes Rocky came, didn't bother taking a pic of him, you're not that interested are you  ;o))
Wind down time. Toodle pip

Katie Piper, Things Get Better. Book review

Hello, I haven't had much time for reading but I like to have a book or two close at hand so I can sit in a comfy chair and wander through someone else's life. Autobiographies are my thing. I picked up Katie Pipers book, Things Get Better, at the library van last week. Most of you will have heard of her, in 2008 she survived a rape and an acid attack that left her face and body severely disfigured. Her moving story was shown in a Channel 4 documentary, Katie, My Beautiful Face. 

She went on to make other documentaries, one of which was about the pioneering stem cell treatment which restored her sight. Katie is now a TV presenter, public speaker, and campaigner. She started the Katie Piper Foundation to give support to other people living with burns and scars.  

I was looking forward to reading this book, thinking that there might be more to her life story than what we have seen on the television. It is hard to imagine what it must be like to go through such a life changing brutal attack. Katie had everything going for her, at 24 she was working as a model and TV presenter, she was beautiful and ambitious. In an instant that was taken away from her. Her ex boyfriend, and the man he paid  to throw acid over her, are now serving prison sentences. 

The book. I was hoping that it might have been about her life before the attack, and how she has managed to rebuild it, but it turns out that it is more of a self help book for people who find themselves going through a difficult time in their life. She talks with oodles of compassion. The biographical side of it is only a small part of the book, it tells of  how she dealt with what happened. The larger part is the self help part, and outlines lots of case studies of people who are going through difficult times. 

I have to admit I didn't read every word, (a) because my life is fine, and (b) because at times I thought I was reading a manual written by a Counselor/Psychologist. I can't deny that Katie is an amazing inspirational woman, to have gone through so much and come out the other end is unbelievable. The good advice administered in the book, in my opinion, is spot on. 

Here is the link to the Katie Piper Foundation.

And here is a video of Katie as she was going through her treatment. The pictures are quite upsetting. 

Thanks for visiting. I have a busy day tomorrow, Toodle pip.

Lost and Found. Book review

Another book finished, this one definitely has the aaaahhh factor. I was a bit apprehensive about taking it out. I don't want to read about animal cruelty, I have a pretty good idea what goes on. It would upset me to read all the details, but thankfully this book has none of that. If it had gone into the background of how the animals came to be in the care of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, I would not have been able to read it. Thankfully though, it is stories about the people who were looking to adopt a dog or a cat, how they found the perfect pet for them, and in the end how they all lived happily ever after.  

There are twelve chapters on twelve successful rehomings. Some of the stories are quite amazing, and all are very heartwarming. Bryn the collie went on to become a search and rescue dog with his new owner. Johnie Reggae was a little terrier of seventeen years old, no one wanted to take on an old dog, then Stephanie came along and fell in love with him. Ice, an English bull terrier was adopted by Ulla who took him home to Denmark for his new life. Wriggler was one of eight tiny kittens who were dumped at Battersea at only one day old. They were hand reared by staff members, sadly the girls didn't make it but Wriggler was adopted by his foster mum.

Each chapter is a separate story, so it's easy to spend a spare half hour reading one story, and not have to pick up where you left off when you next pick the book up. Definitely a book to give you a warm fuzzy feeling, with happy endings. If you are an animal lover you will love this book.  

Jeremy Kyle, I'm only being honest. Book review.

Hiya, yes I do find time to read occasionally, not very often though. I've never been what you might call an avid reader, I can take them or leave them. As  a child I read The Famous Five, and The Secret Seven, after that I moved onto magazines. Jackie was my favourite. I remember a relative buying me Nicholas Nickleby, for Christmas once, I never did read it. 

Today I own hardly any books, I have given them all away. Except a few travel books, and I think I might have a cookbook somewhere. I think it's really strange that some people have hundreds of books all neatly lined up on bookshelves. I wonder if they ever read them more than once. These days the library is where I keep my books. If I want to keep them for longer than the allotted time I just renew them. 

My choice of reading is autobiographies, and non fiction.  I can't get into fiction, I can't bring myself to read stories that are made up. Strange really when I prefer modern and contemporary art, which is mostly the figment of someone's imagination. The mobile library has a very small non fiction section, so sometimes I am struggling to find something to read. I often take the same book out several times if it is a particularly interesting book. 

The Jeremy Kyle show on the tele may not be everyone's cup of tea, it definitely isn't mine. I have caught bits of  it on occasions, usually when I have been at someone's house and they have had it on. The whole thing makes me cringe. I probably think the same as everyone else, how can people go on there and tell the whole wide world what is wrong with their dysfunctional family. Shouting and swearing are the norm, as is throwing the odd punch now and then, though this behaviour is quickly defused. Fancy having big and burly security guards on duty in case it gets out of hand. Shocking really. 

Anyway, curiosity got the better of me when I spotted this book, I wondered whether it would give an insight as to what goes on behind the scenes. It does, Jeremy Kyle writes exactly how he speaks, direct and to the point. He has a bit of a colourful past himself, and draws on his own experiences to dish out advice. He is an agony uncle with balls, and tells it like it is. No pussyfooting around, he gives it to his guests straight and shoots from the hip. This style may not be to everyone's liking, but for me, I like a bit of common sense, and he has got plenty. 

He had a happy upbringing in a loving supportive family, and admits to being a recovering gambling addict. His daily struggles with OCD still affect him, and he has been twice married, he has four children.

In this book he takes a hard look at the social problems blighting modern Britain, and looks for solutions to repair what is damaged. He maps out an agenda for change, insisting that personal responsibility and a strong government is the key to the way forward.

His show is on the tv every weekday morning, and contrary to popular belief people are not cajoled into appearing on it, they are queuing to get in. Everyone appearing who wants to sort their lives out are offered support through relationship counselling, addiction counselling and detox. Sometimes the investment of months of work follow an appearance on the show for some of the guests.

Jeremy Kyle, although he has a direct and confrontational approach towards his guests, comes across as someone who genuinely cares in this book. Yes, he is a showman, but he has some good old fashioned down to earth common sense solutions to today's problems. I would suggest that some of the out of touch politicians who live in their ivory towers should read it. Jeremy Kyle for President I say. I enjoyed the book.
Toodle pip.

Growing Old Outrageously. Book review.

I have just finished this delightful book. Hilary Linstead and Elisabeth Davies are two old school friends who unexpectedly met up again 35 years later to find that they both love travelling, and the more exotic and far flung places the better. They went on a trial holiday to Morocco to see whether they would get along together. They did, which was surprising because they are as different as chalk and cheese. Never the less that was the start of a series of wonderfully unusual holidays, and Hil and Liz have been travelling around the globe ever since. 

Among many other destinations, they have taken in Marrakech, Fez and the Atlas Mountains, Patagonia, and Istanbul. They've been on Safari in Namibia, Botswana, and the Serengeti. Been to Naples and Prague, Mull and Iona.

I really enjoyed reading about the adventures of these two crazy ladies. Miriam Margolynes says it all on the back cover, 'You'll never be the same after reading this.....It's completely original - insightful, moving and very funny, a glorious experience proving for always, that if you seize the day and have the courage, you need never grow old.' I can echo that.

I was disappointed to read quite a lot of negative reviews on a couple of web sites. Maybe I'm easily pleased, but I liked the quirkiness of it, and didn't take it too seriously. I don't think it was meant to be a serious travel book, it was about two women of a certain age having fun, which I found very entertaining.
Toodle pip.