Had a great evening at the Hackney Empire last night, a tribute to Shakespeare, brilliant compare actor Michael Maloney. Recording of ‘Friday Night is Music Night’.
Beautiful mixture of classical, jazz and chamber singing, provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra, National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the National Youth Chamber Choir.
Still haunted by those strings..amazing. My friend and I were in the second row and had a great view and experienced a really great musical event.
Can’t beat live music.
I am always in full support of awareness days to bring focused attention and acknowledgement of specific illnesses. However, there are very few families that will not have been touched by cancer.
We are continually seeing more and more positive statistics for recovery on certain types of cancers and why we must all support the fabulous Cancer research charities.
I reflected on some of my own family members that we have lost to cancer and one very special gentleman and a gentle man was my amazing stepfather Billy.
Oddly enough today is his birthday and I remember him with great affection and will fly the flag that not all step parents are bad as they do receive bad press, albeit some deservedly so too!
I also salute the amazing cancer support and caring nurses such as Macmillan who have cared for several of my loved ones, including Billy and of course our amazing Mother.
Cancer awareness.. yes I am aware.
I have been asked to help with awareness both for oesophageal cancer awareness and the great organisations that support and increase awareness. Information is power remember.
Too often people are fobbed off with indigestion diagnosis when something more serious may be the cause of their symptoms. I remember only too well when clearing my beloved mother’s house there wasn’t a handbag or drawer that didn’t have a well-know brand of indigestion remedies… when in fact she had cancer…don’t ask!
I have just learned of : The Michael Blake Foundation
Below is their piece about the awareness month:-
‘February is National Oesophageal Cancer month which was introduced by the Michael Blake Foundation. As a charity we focus on raising awareness in order to save lives. We are asking you all to help us with this year by sharing the symptoms below with as many people as possible and these are:
Difficulty in Swallowing, Weight loss, Pain or discomfort-In the throat or back / behind the breastbone, or between the shoulder blades, Acid Indigestion or Heartburn, Vomiting, Coughing up blood, Hoarseness, or chronic cough,
Please Remember: Contemporary treatments are improving all the time along with survival rates. So please, if you have any of the above symptoms do see your GP as soon as possible.’
Keep well, keep safe and my advice has always been ask the GP for a referral if not happy with their response, some GPs are more aware than others.
Stay positive; not every diagnosis is something sinister and if caught in time and with the right care there can be a positive outcome, but don’t ignore symptoms.
I try where possible to help charities with awareness, especially cancer associated ones and newer organisations dedicated to awareness and support.
February is oesophageal cancer awareness month.
As somebody who has had oesophageal problems in the past (but was lucky enough to get the right treatment), I am aware these issues so often get missed or misdiagnosed and why I support the OPA (Oesophageal Patients Association):–
Helpline 0121 704 9860 9- 3 weekdays
email: enquiries@opa.org.uk
The OPA is a caring organisation offering advice and support to patients, carers and their families affected my oesophageal or gastric cancers.
They understand the fears and worries of undergoing treatement and help patients at whatever stage whether recently diagnosed or receiving longterm treatment.
Helping to improve quality of life for those suffering from these conditions.
Please visit their website http://www.OPA.org.uk for newsletters, latest news and to locate support groups local to your area.
So often one hears people saying how they have lost their sense of purpose, more often than not it is a feeling of bewilderment following the death of somebody close.
Are we really lost, or, are we just overcome with grief? Probably a bit of both I suspect.
Many of my close friends are either nursing and/or losing their parents and elderly relatives and gradually joining the bereavement club.
Working with the elderly I know they are often depressed and with good cause as they see their close friends sadly pass away and they wonder if they are going to be next.
This feeling to a certain extent hits us all as bereavement makes us question our own mortality. All the more reason why we should really live our life one day at a time and make the best of each day.
When I spout such words of wisdom I get accused of being happy clappy and religious which I am most definitely not…just being positive and grateful, religious no spiritual yes!
Keep smiling..that too keeps people guessing!
Optimists gosh we are so annoying!!
Anniversaries are a mixed blessing they can be a good reason to celebrate or a time for reflection. Today is the 50th anniversary since my father died suddenly, I was seven.
Speaking this morning with my brother we both agreed it is a shame we didn’t have the opportunity to do and share things in our lives with him. He was 17 when dad died and revealed how he would liked to have had a beer with dad.
My own book on bereavement ‘Dancing in my Dreams’ (which I hope will get published this year) was called so having had a dream I was ballroom dancing with him…which alas I never did.
I remember my Mother saying how she had regretted that us children never knew Eric the man, just dad the provider.
So if you are reading this and have a dad make a point of telling him how much you care and consider yourself extremely lucky.
P.S. Dad…thanks for the white feather which arrived this morning!
Cyber bullying is on the increase and the fallout is something which schools are having to deal with on a daily basis.
“What many people fail to realise is that some cyber bullying activities could be criminal offences under a range of different laws, including the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.”
A few surprising / alarming statistics, taken from Anti-bullying Alliance:
Please see my full article on Innovate My School’s website:
Don’t forget February 9th is Safer Internet day and may be an excellent opportunity for parents and schools to approach this subject and help children/students who may be suffering in silence.
Fellow spiritual folk, had an amazing dream last night in which I saw my beloved mum (Dolly). I was watching a huge musical extravaganza where the singers were singing ‘hello dolly’. I was singing along and remembering my lovely mum singing along to Frankie Vaughan singing that song on the radio.
Suddenly I was looking through a window…she was on the other side and we were looking at each other and smiling as the singers sang loudly ‘you’re looking swell dolly…’ and I thought yeah mum looks really well.
I woke myself up shouting, singing and trying to wave at her and speak to her. Wide awake I felt really good and happy, bathing in the warmth of her love…gone but not forgotten.
I read this morning that tomorrow is ‘Global belly laugh day’ which made me chuckle my funny mum could make me really belly laugh and not just one day a year! She often said how a good laugh is as good as a tonic…and of course laughter is one of the best medicines.
This week for one good reason or another I have been feeling ‘thoughtful and reflecting’ and know it’s best to try and keep a sense of humour and perspective whenever possible.
Get laughing!
Please, please don’t forget to support the Students Union and lobby your local MP’s to work towards saving this necessary educational support.
These monies are truly essential to a lot of full term students of any age, but remember our children are the future for this country and as such their university education should be a top priority and not on the list of cutbacks.
We want our government to look elsewhere for ‘savings’ they certainly know how to waste it!
I was sitting in the Accident and Emergency department with a friend when the news flashed across the TV screen that Alan Rickman had died and I am shamefully behind with my blog.
A superb actor, who I remember fondly from ‘Truly, Madly Deeply’ a brilliant film where he played the ghost returning to help his partner cope with her bereavement. The beautiful scene of him playing ‘The sun ain’t gonna shine any more’ singing with Juliet Stevenson and I guess the words from that song ring true now he has died.
He went on to play such a convincing baddie in ‘Robin Hood Prince of thieves’ and my daughter’s generation of course know him as Severus Snape from the Harry Potter films. There have been such heartfelt and respectful comments from his fellow actors of his generous spirit and encouragement for younger stars.
You hear so often how top actors have such huge egos but we get the feeling he was a real gentleman, kind and not the baddie he portrayed in his roles.
How sad that we have now lost two great guys age 69 this week and both from cancer. I like to think the overwhelming love of their fans helps the families in some way with their grief…as long as their privacy is respected.
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