Darren Black

Posted on 01/02/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

Talk about a day of two halves! Straight after the Bob Chilcott Workshop ended I headed out to Winchester to a launch gig for Darren Black’s new Album “Rise Above the Mumblings”.

Darren’s genre of music is folk however with a spirit and poetry edge. I’ve known Darren for over 10 years and have seen his music evolve in that time. As part of other bands and perhaps a more commercial sound in his earlier work but now with a confidence to expand his own work in his solo career.

The venue was packed and it was wonderful to see so much support for his work.

There are a few sound clips on Darren’s website, so please do have a listen (and purchase the album too!).

Personally, it was also such a pleasure to catch up with many old friends who I’d not seen in a long while. Sometimes ‘life’ gets in the way of meeting up more often but I’m always so reminded of great friendships when we do.

Bob Chilcott Workshop in Teddington

Posted on 01/02/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog for a while will know that I attended a Bob Chilcott workshop in Kingston last year… and loved it.

Clearly, one of the other attendees of the Kingston workshop, Anne, was also super excited about the event. She was so excited she encouraged her church in Teddington to host Bob Chilcott for another workshop today. I was, again, very excited to receive an invitation to attend. However was then disappointed that despite my eagerness to return my application and cheque, I was beaten by others to attend and I was put on the waiting list for tickets. However ‘Postive-Spin Wallace’ put it in her diary anyway and waited for a call to say that I’d been moved off the reserve bench and had a ticket… a few weeks ago the call came and today was the day of the Workshop.

I’m sure there are some reading this that don’t sing and perhaps think I’m a dullard to do so. Truly I was in your camp not that many years ago and used to wonder what Mum got out of the choirs she was a member of. I joined the Rock Choir for many reasons but one reason was so that for an hour and a half each week all I thought about, was singing. It truly lifted my spirits in doing so. I met a new group of enthusiastic people who laughed – a lot. People who appeared (at least for 1.5 hours) to be carefree and this rubbed off on me. ‘Carefree’ is a feeling that I lost when I was diagnosed with an unsure rare cancer. I hadn’t realised that I missed it nor that everything I did, thought or felt appears now to be planned, considered or reserved. So to be ‘carefree’ again has been a joy.

At Rock Choir we learn songs with only the lyric sheets. No music. We learn by ear and eventually without any lyric sheets too. At first I found it hard to not see and read the music but realise that this makes it ‘all inclusive’ and that noone is disadvantaged if they don’t read music. The music choices are contemporary – such as Adele, Beegees, Olly Murs, Amy Winehouse etc.

I signed up for the first Bob Chilcott workshop in Kingston as I wanted to challenge myself further. Learn to sing reading music. More choral and classical pieces and demanding a more precise method of singing with more vocal parts in the choir.

Today’s workshop once again challenged but was sooo enjoyable. During the day we learnt the following pieces:

Five days that changed the world (3 movements) – The Invention of Printing; The Abolition of Slavery; The First Powered Flight. (Sung here at in Worcester for the first time in 2013 –
Chilcott Anthems – God so loved the World; Be Thou my Vision
Chilcott Requiem – Thou Knowest Lord.

The workshop attendees were once again a wonderful mixture of people from different choirs, choral societies and Rock Choir. It was lovely to have so many men singing in the bass and tenor sections. As always, I enjoyed speaking to lots of new people and discussing how we each worked with our choirs to learn new songs. Listening to people talk animatedly about their choirs. What they enjoyed about being part of a choir. I was also surprised to hear from a couple of people that they were envious of our singing without music as they felt that it was really difficult to then sing without the score. Whereas I said that I’d love to see the musical score and to be able to learn or re-learn the back catalogue of Rock Choir songs from the music score. There is probably a happy medium for us all!

Although we learnt so many pieces during the one day – OK perhaps there was a lot of finessing that was still required (!) – I was once again encouraged by Bob Chilcott’s teaching style. YouTube clip. He has the ability to encourage everyone to sing. To hear where there can be improvements or tweaks required. He tells us why he wrote the piece that particular way, the inspiration behind it and who’s previously sung it. We are then able to understand further what we are singing and, I hope, interpret the emotion through our collective voices. There are lots of laughs throughout the day too.

At the end of our day’s Workshop we headed over to the Church to put on a short concert of the pieces we had learnt to anyone who had turned up…mostly family and friends. Here’s a YouTube clip of us performing one of the pieces. I’m quite impressed!

If you’re encouraged to attend a workshop or perhaps to listen to Bob Chilcott in concert, keep an eye on his website for opportunities.

Menopause results

Posted on 31/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

I received a call today from the GP with the results of my blood test. She told me that the blood test showed that I wasn’t anywhere on the menopause spectrum. So that doesn’t explain the extreme headaches at all. A small part of me wanted it to be that (only a very small part) as it would explain them.

Anyway I was more than a little confused when I asked what next. Her reply was that we’d do the test again in a couple of months!

Surely if we keep taking the test every few months, eventually it will show that I’m menopausal – but does that explain my headaches???

I’m tired of it. Will head back to the GPs in a couple of months and in the meantime keep a diary of headaches and other symptoms so that I can pursue it further.

Dr and Hospital re headaches

Posted on 24/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

It’s no word of a lie that I’ve not been coping well with these headaches. I hadn’t realised how debilitating headaches could be until the past couple of years. At different times it’s all I can do is to close my eyes and lie-down. I’ve only had a couple of visual migranes in the past few months but find myself popping pills almost daily so that my headaches are quietened and I can get on with things.

I’m fed up though with being woken at 6am by my headache. A couple of neurofen and water and back to bed until the drugs start working. Usually a migraleve at lunchtime which wears off by late afternoon. Then something in the evening or at bedtime so I can go to sleep without my head banging.

I’m also conscious that taking this many pills isn’t great for me either… so I’m having days when I can rest up with my eyes closed!

So this morning I headed off to my GP. Just because the neurologist couldn’t find anything, doesn’t mean it isn’t stopping me from moving on. He said quite firmly that it must be menopausal but I’m not sure it is.. I don’t feel old enough for that, right? And if it is, does that mean that I’ve got to put up with headaches for years? I can’t do that.

My GP referred me today to the hospital for a blood test. Apparently one blood test can tell where I am within the menopausal spectrum. Why couldn’t this have been done before the neurologist?

Anyway, quick sharp up to the Queen Mary’s for a blood test. Results in by the end of the week.

Dressmaking

Posted on 17/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

Today saw a foray into dressmaking. Or perhaps a return to sewing? As a child I loved making things, sewing, embroidering, stitching, crocheting etc etc (although I never understood how to knit!). I loved it and made endless things or enhanced things with little embroidery stitches. For my Father’s 40th birthday gift to him, I embroidered numbers 1-40 on 40 white handkerchiefs. Many many hours of stitching but he loved those hankies and still has a threadbare one or two some 30several years later.

I remember Mum making things at home. In latter years to earn ‘a few pennies’ she set up a little home business making and selling things that we’d long forgotten we needed, such as ham bags, jelly strainers and steam pudding covers. She even sold to Harrods and Elizabeth David. As this home business grew she employed stay at home, retired and housebound people to do some sewing and earn themselves ‘a few pennies’. I used to help her make and sell some of these items, as did my Grandmother… and the little business was called ‘Relative Ideas’.

My Grandmother, Jet, was truly gifted and made lots of her own dresses, jackets, coats and other items. In her younger years she had studied dressmaking and textiles and indeed had designed a few pieces for others too. I have a few of her creations in my wardrobe that I occasionally wear and think of all her hard work in designing and making them.

So given my rich history of sewing skills, I really should have been stitching and sewing my own clothes for years. Except I haven’t. Sadly, despite owning a sewing machine, I haven’t used it in decades (apart from briefly helping my friend’s daughter make a patchwork cushion for her Granny when I was living there following my Phyllodes surgeries). My sewing skills needed a refresh and my confidence to make things needed a right jolly good kick up the ***.

So I didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’ when a friend of mine from Rock Choir, Miranda, asked several months ago if I’d be interested in doing a dressmaking course with her. We found out a course nearby and looked at those on offer and the prices – eek! Although committed to doing something, the cost was putting us off. We wanted to do a dressmaking course but first needed (apparently) to do a refresher/foundation course before the dressmaking course which added another £180.

Then along came an offer on Groupon. Make a dress in a day for the offer price of £49 with London Textiles Studios. Brilliant. This would be a test to see if we were capable. To see if the enthusiasm was more than ‘just one dress’. It would also work as the ‘foundation’ course required to do the original course that we’d found, if we felt the urge.

Without further ado we signed up and we also encouraged my friend MC and Miranda’s friend, Natalie to sign up with us.

An early start this morning to pick up our group of 4 and drive over to Bow, East London. However it was an easy drive and free to park on a Saturday near the London Textiles Studios.

There were 12 people in our class. Some with previous experience, some not. Most of us had done some sewing at school but with differing quantity of intervening years. There was a choice of fabric available to buy cheaply and some dull grey material free for the course. MC and I chose the grey and thought we’d use our ‘design’ as a template to recreate the dress into many more. Miranda and Natalie used fabric they’d purchased at Fabrics Galore in Battersea.

The dress pattern we were using was a fairly simple shift dress design and one that suited most body shapes.

The morning was mostly the preparation. Learning about the sewing machines. An overview of dressmaking. Measuring ourselves and then cutting out our pieces of fabric for sewing. (Frustratingly there wasn’t quite enough room for us all to cut at the same time so MC and I cut her dress pieces first on a small desk and didn’t manage to get mine cut by lunchtime. Our tutor, Carmen, cut mine out after sending us off for some lunch). We cut out the back, the front and two facing panels for the neckline.

We discovered a small cafe a short walk away (The Carmelite Cafe at The Nunnery)
that served a small selection of delicious lunchtime meals and some of the best coffee I’ve had since Melbourne!

Our afternoon was sewing! Eeek it was now time to put the dresses together. Inside Out…

Under instruction we first sewed darts.
Next we edged the bottom and sides of the facing panels.
A little like a jigsaw puzzle we put the facing panels to the dress and stitched the necklines.
Then from the armpit down to the bottom edge (edging and stitching).
Next was the top of the straps.
Then the armpits (in order to get some movement into the curves and corners of the dress, on the inside, we cut little nics into the stitching and sliced fabric off at the corners);
and having turned the dress the right way, i.e. Outside Out, and with a final check on length we then hemmed (double) the bottom line of our dresses.

Voila!

Sadly my dress is too tight over the bust but as it was only using the freebie (Nun’s habit material), I plan on remaking it ensuring my measurements are correct and to practice the cutting out myself. But I think you’ll agree we all did an amazing job… in a day!

We learnt how:

To understand dress patterns.
To take our own measurements for dressmaking (adding 2cm to the breast measurement and length) (on the fold of material & folding the tape measure into 4 against the pattern and adding 3 fingers to the measurement).
About selvedge, grain and bias.
To prepare and cut out our fabric.
About notches and nics.
To thread and refill the bobbin.
To prepare the sewing machine and troubleshoot when problems occur with tension.
To use running stitch and the measuring lines for distance from the edge of material.
To use zigzag stitch to stop the material from fraying and again how to measure our stitches to run over the edge.
To sew darts and hems.
To (via a demo) stitch in zips.

Girls weekend

Posted on 12/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

What an incredibly fabulous treat this past weekend has been. My flat has been super busy filled with fabulous people.

I have been playing host to my friend Jen who has flown in from Ithaca, NY, USA to in turn catch up with her old school friend, Susie. Susie was diagnosed a few years ago with a brain tumour. She’s an amazing lady and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting her when she was admitted to hospital in London – I was the ‘courier’ for the safe delivery of goodies such as garibaldi biscuits on behalf of Jen. From the very first visit we’ve had a jolly good giggle and I felt that I’d known Susie for years too! Susie and I have kept in touch via email when she went back to the ‘country’.

So in order that Jen could make the most of her short time in the UK and see Susie for as long as possible, I hosted the weekend for them both. Of course, selfishly it was also utterly brilliant that I could see them both and join in on the laughter, giggles and tears.

Poor Jen had a hairy journey though starting with the cancellation of her flight from Ithaca to New York! So, stalwart that she is, she jumped in the car and drove to NYC, stayed in a hotel for 2 hours (the most expensive hotel stay ever!) and meet her “connecting” flight to London Heathrow. Poor love doesn’t sleep on planes so was utterly exhausted when she was met by me on Thursday evening at Heathrow. She’ll hate me for posting this… but the ‘sleep-deprived arrival’ photo.

A short time for gossip and catch up on the journey home and cups of tea before collapsing into our beds. Hehe Jen awarded me a 4.5* rating for my accommodation when I presented her with freshly ironed bedsheets, fluffy towels, hot water bottle and dressing gown… but I lost half a star when we could only find one slipper!

Friday was a late start, a lot of tea and gossip and then headed out to the tube station to collect Susie, who had set out early from the country to travel to London. A late lunch, plenty more tea and gossip and we headed into Victoria where we met up with another old friend of Jen’s from University for a quick drink. Susie and I then headed off to Waterloo to meet up with some friends of mine and to see Fascinating Aida. What a total tonic that show was for us all.

After the show Jen met up with us and joined our party for dinner before heading home in a taxi and quickly to bed.

On Saturday morning I was first up and eager to try out my new waffle maker. When I stayed in Ithaca last year Jen’s daughter surprised me when she made waffles all on her own. They were, quite frankly, blooming spectacular. No mean feat for a young girl and I aspire to be as good as Ruby one day. I had asked and she’d sent me her recipe. The new waffle maker had arrived on Wednesday. I was ready to go. Inevitably I need more lessons to perfect the Ruby-Waffle but I did OK. Enjoyed by us all over a lovely long breakfast with yet more pots of tea and coffee.

Saturday afternoon we’d arranged to meet another old school friend of Jen and Susie and another University friend of Jen at London Bridge. We set out and caught a train to Waterloo in favour of a sunny winter walk along the Southbank. Sadly full of tourists but a beautiful walk nonetheless. We managed just enough time to nip into an small art gallery enroute and see some wonderful pieces. We met up on time and then decided to see if we could get a coffee/tea in the bar up the Shard. We weren’t going to be paying the ridiculous cost to go up to the viewing platform on the 72nd floor and are quite content with the view from the 32nd floor. Only a short wait in line and we were on our way.

I think we also chose the perfect time of day to arrive as the daylight was leaving us and the London lights were beginning to sparkle. Looking down on London as the light changed was mesmerising.

I think, if you’re thinking of going to the Shard and to avoid the queues I’d consider booking afternoon tea for the princely sum of £35. Not cheap but if you time it right you’ve got your table guaranteed for the time of your tea, no queuing and a tip-top tea into the bargain. I think the 72nd floor viewing deck ticket at £25 for a timed visit is overpriced. For £10 more you’ve got an afternoon tea and an incredible view – who needs those extra 40 floors – London looks great from 32! (£0.35p/floor Shard -v- $0.31/floor Empire State Building).

After our ‘drinks with a view’ we made our way back along the Southbank, stopping only for a quick bite to eat at the best Pizza Express venue with views over the river to Londontown.

Exhausted we all fell into our beds shortly after making it home.

Sunday was a very slow start. Us all in our PJs, cups of tea in hand, chatter and breakfast. The reality was that the weekend was drawing to a close and still there was so much to say, share and listen. So very difficult sometimes to be true to what you want to say when discussion are held over Skype or the telephone at other times. As an observer to some of the conversation though I can see the true friendship between Jen and Susie that has spanned 40+ years since primary school, childhood friends and close neighbours. To listen to their stories about cycling to school together and the mischief that they caused and their shared experiences and adventures – magical and I was honoured to listen in. Never long enough to say it all but so very easy to see the love shared.

We drove Susie to Paddington to catch her train home, stopping briefly for a cuppa and final farewells. Jen came back with me for a while, a delivered English curry meal and then I put her on the tube to her brothers for a final 2 nights in London.

Given that Jen was on a different timezone, my constant fatigue and with Susie’s treatment, we all did remarkably well fitting everything in and to keep going. I’m know, like me, the others also slept well when they both made it home.

No matter how long it’s never long enough. However we’ve learnt to treasure every moment, every laughter, every view and every memory.

I’m going Old Skool

Posted on 12/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

I’m going Old Skool.

I’m NOT going to run a marathon (or a 10K);
I’m NOT going to climb Everest (or Kilimanjaro);
I’m NOT going to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall (or do the MoonWalk); and
I’m NOT going to scale up the Shard (or abseil down it).

I AM going to do a sponsored weight-loss!

TARGET LOSS: 25 kilo
TIME: 13 January to 20 April (Easter Day)
AIM: Lose weight and also raise funds for Penny Brohn Cancer Care

With your sponsorship, I would receive not only support but also motivation and encouragement. I need to know that you’ll be monitoring my progress. I need to know that I’ll be sharing my success and that it won’t just be me who benefits. The more kilos I lose, the more money will go to Penny Brohn Cancer Care.

So how about it? What will you pledge per kilo lost?

TO PLEDGE:
In the Comment/Reply box below:
Enter your name and the £/$/Euro per kilo pledged
Add your email address and TICK the box “Notify me of follow-up comments via email” to get my progress reports. I will post my weight loss (as tracked on Withings scales) regularly, with the final weigh-in being on Easter Day.

Once the challenge is over and my weight-loss has been calculated, I will then ask you to make your donation directly to Penny Brohn Cancer Care via their donation page. I’ve chosen not to set this up via JustGiving or other fundraising sites so that every penny goes to the charity not to admin costs.

Wish me luck and tonight I’ll be enjoying my last takeaway curry for a while!!!!

Hehe told you it was ‘old skool’ fundraising.

20/01/14 – UPDATE – 1 week in and 4kg lost… great start!
27/01/14 – UPDATE – Disappointed with only 0.3kg lost this week. Must try harder!
03/02/14 – UPDATE – Going in the right direction… slowly – 0.3kg lost again.
10/02/14 – UPDATE – Still losing (a little bit) – 0.7kg lost this week.
17/02/14 – UPDATE – Fed up as gained 1.1kg!
24/02/14 – UPDATE – Yippee lost 2.1kg.
03/03/14 – UPDATE – A dramatic weightloss of 0.3kg!
10/03/14 – UPDATE – Consistent eh? Weightloss of 0.6kg
17/03/14 – UPDATE – Whooohooo another (drumroll) 0.3kg lost
22/03/14 – UPDATE – Drumroll… a whole 0.3kg lost
31/03/14 – UPDATE – Whooohooo 0.8kg lost this week
04/04/14 – UPDATE – Earlier than normal but after my 5 day detox juicing – loss of 2.3kg
14/04/14 – UPDATE – 0.2kg lost but 28cm! See Juicy Oasis post.
19/04/14 – UPDATE – 0.3kg
Total lost at the end of the challenge: 11.7kg which in ‘old money’ is 25.8lbs or 1.8st

Fascinating Aida

Posted on 10/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

We’ve just got in from seeing Fascinating Aida perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank. What a scream. Laugh out loud (or for you young ones LOL) humour. Blinking brilliant.

You may have heard of them from their YouTube clip ‘Cheap Flights for 50p‘ which went viral on social media and I often see posted again and again.

The whole show consisted of similar short sketches. Each one of them topical, edgy, funny and more than often a little rude! I particularly loved that some of their ‘ditties’ said exactly what I’d love to say but never have as I thought it may offend! The audience was made up of all age groups and both sexes in pretty equal proportion. I did worry a little when they performed ‘Dogging’ but as they were quick to point out if you’ve bought a ticket to see them you probably know what dogging is!

Oh and remember what OFSTED stands for – Overpaid Fuckers Shafting Teachers Every Day.

I was very grateful for the intermission though as my cheeks hurt from laughing so much.

They’re on tour for a few more months, so if you can get to see them DO IT! You’ll love it.

If you can’t get to see them live, then do take a minute to look through their clips on YouTube. It’ll lift your day!

Enjoy x

Consultant results appt

Posted on 09/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

Visiting the Royal Marsden today. Always love that they have a wing named the ‘Wallace Wing’.

I’m loitering in the waiting room and it slowly empties… I’m still sat there. Eventually it was only myself and one other lady waiting to see a consultant. Even the receptionists had gone home!

My appointment was second to last… I waved at the other lady as I went in and we laughed!

My consultant was lovely. She said that there was nothing to worry about on either my chest x-ray nor the ultrasound results. I’m signed off from scans for another 6 months, whoohoo.

She asked about my general health and I mentioned the headaches. I told her that the neurologist had said it must be the menopause. Haha she asked instantly how young the male consultant was! Anyway after a brief conversation about them, about MRIs, symptoms and tests, she said I should head back to the GP to investigate further. She was adamant that it would be unusual at my age to be menopause related… but perhaps. Sadly I was asked again when Mum started her menopause – usually the pattern follows mother -> daughter. Sad because I don’t know and Sad because I can’t ask her.

Great news about the scans though.

Ultrasound and chest x-ray

Posted on 03/01/2014 by AnnaGoAnna

No matter how many times I do this, my ‘active monitoring’ scans are always anxiety making. Today is the six monthly ultrasound and chest x-ray.

Ultrasound – Quickly seen and the scans are looking OK (according to the lovely consultant).

Chest-xRay – In and out quickly. All done. Now to wait to see the sarcoma consultant with my results next week.

But that annoying little voice in my head is still saying ‘aha, the little calcifications didn’t show up on the ultrasound’! I only have a mammogram every year as the exposure to radiation needs also to be limited and the risks weighed up against everything else.

I’ll quiet that little voice – SHUT UP!