Ninfield and Hooe

Well, they say be careful what you wish for!!: But firstly, how was your Christmas?! Hopefully it exceeded all your expectations and wasn't half as stressful as you feared!! And then.. there it was, gone! '˜Just like that' as Tommy Cooper would say! And next on the agenda is New Year, a mixed bag of emotions to say the least, and a time for reflections and resolutions, parties and presentations, or, for some, quietness and contemplation. I have to say, I've never been a great fan of the big New Year do's, except when I lived in London, when going through Trafalgar Square after a show and joining in with different groups of jolly people was great fun.. Nowadays I prefer something more locally orientated, friends and family, and with the Fireworks on TV as the top of the bill! However.. you might remember me mentioning a couple of weeks ago, that I was resting, unwillingly!,(i.e unemployed!) from Pantomime...?..that I was vaguely getting used to it..NOT!.. Well, on the Wednesday before Christmas, I had just finished teaching the last Dance class of the year, and had decided to finally go into unwind mode, with Christmas Crafts next on the agenda, getting ready for the big day. Esteemed Mama and I had completed '˜presents and bits' shopping, had had soup and a sherry en route, and I was back home to unpack all the goodies....and then, the phone went. My friend and producer Chris J., with whom I'd previously worked for the last 5 years, and who I've known for 25, was suddenly on the line relaying an awful emergency situation in one of his shows. One lovely actress had to leave the show immediately as her sister had fallen gravely ill and had been rushed into hospital. There being no cover within the cast, he asked if I could get up to the theatre to take over, from the next day...!! Now, this is basically what I'd been wishing for... getting back into Panto, but obviously not at someone else's health expense... and all would have been absolutely Dandy if it had been a part I'd played before. But no!, it was