Filming, A Wedding and other stuff

Well there has been a lamentable want of posting from this end recently – mostly because of the craziness of the wedding. So I am going to do a long post (with pictures to break up the Black & White!) about several things that have happened in the last weeks.

ROANOKE

I did a days filming on this Student Feature Film (yes, that’s right – a feature not a short) in West Stow at the Saxon village there. I had a blast – even getting up to drive there at 4am and finding the entrance to the most direct route there blocked for some reason and finding a back route!

It’s about the first colony of English settlers in America – who mysteriously disappeared when their governor had o return to England leaving his pregnant daughter in charge. The team making the film are lovely and have worked incredibly hard to get it all together, if the trailer is anything to go by (see it here) it will be incredibly professional and look fantastic when finished!

THE TOP OF THE CAKE

Mum asked me to make something to go on top of the cake. As the day was to be Jez’s (her Morris Minor) birthday too I thought it only fair to include her somehow so this is the result.

THE WEDDING

It was a wonderful day, everything went smoothly, many people commented on how nice and personal the service was, the meal was at The Bell in Welford-On-Avon – we got to pick from a menu and it was gorgeous  The evening do was at the local pub in Bidford and was great, so many people having such a good time!

THE HONEY MOON

Not much news on this – especially as it didn’t sort of happen! Jez broke down 40 miles outside of Tenby and had to be towed back. After an interesting interlude at a pub with the least friendly staff in the country - the cool tow truck guy let them have a party in the truck on the way back! Apparently it sounds expensive :(

MOVING HOME

Well, most of the furniture seems to be! Alan’s parents are moving house so this house has been donated some furniture and ours is going walkabouts to other places.

THE LAST WASP

Is it just me or are the insects (not to mention the fish in our pond) getting a little confused. This guy has been in our new bathroom for the last week – next time I spot him he’s going to have to go outside!

WORK

Well I was just coming to the conclusion I should get a job after Christmas (I didn’t get the job in London) when I got a phone call out of the blue from Caroline (of the Belgrade, Cov.) on Thursday.
It went a little like this:

CAZ: Are you working at the moment?....
ME: Nope
CAZ: Do you want a Job?....
Me:Yup
CAZ:OK, Can you get here (the Alex in B’ham) in 2 hours?...

So as I was walking up to the theatre before I realised that I didn’t even know what show it was. Expecting it to be a panto I was a little surprised – nicely , though, - when I discovered it was ‘Guys & Dolls’. So I am now Follow Spot 1 until the 6th of January at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.

It’s a fun show starring Nigel Harman, Bonnie Langford and Joe McGann (he would be the big draw for me! – ah memories of The Upper Hand – please someone bring it out on DVD!). However it is Nigel who gets all the whistles and whoops when he first walks on as Sky, and then can’t out to the pub without being mobbed! ah, bless.

rodrigo y gabriela

I have to dedicate this post to this amazing duo from Mexico. I walked into Fopp in Touchwood, Christmas shopping with a friend of mine and a track from their self-titled album was playing. For the first time ever I was actually paying attention to the track that was playing in a shop, and it rocked!

They play classical acoustic guitar in a style that I can only dream about managing with such rhythm, pulse and passion that you can't help feeling like you're in the middle of a fiesta! I immediately went to the guy behind the counter and inquired as to where I could find the album and promptly bought it.

I've read the slip inside and they've had an amazing journey - from their home country, to busking for their rent in Copenhagen to being 'discovered' and getting an album produced. They pay tribute to all the people who they've met on their way including a homeless guy in Copenhagen and the crocodile man from around where they live who is on a one man mission to save the local rare breed.

Anyhoo, I have an early start tomorrow, driving to Leeds to see some peeps so must go to bed. Please follow the links and listen to their music my favourite track at the moment is Orion but it changes every time I listen. Have Fun :)

Niamh Cusack, Jenna Russell, Felicity Kendal and other reasons to go to the theatre!*

Been back nearly 2 weeks now and definitely getting a sense of itchy feet/hands. Have finished sorting out the order of service for the wedding today - just got to find some suitable paper for the outside now (trip to Hobbycraft coming up - a dangerous place for me to enter!) and also to do the model for the top of the cake. The strange things one ends up doing for a wedding! I finally managed to get to the Dr's today to tell them about the beta-blocker period on the ship - now I have the joys of yet another ECG/EKG and a set of 'fasting' bloods on Monday - must remember "nil by mouth" :(

I was coming online tonight to check emails, send copies of the O.o.S to folks who need it and have a quick surf. However since I've been back I've had 'Born and Bred' on as a background/before sleep distraction and once again have felt the injustice at being denied another series. (Although I do understand the reasons - especially from a cast point of view - still a 'clear up' 2 episode special wouldn't go amiss ;) !)
Due being out of the country when it was on, I had to wait to see series 4 until it came out on DVD - which then took me a while to get round to watching because I knew what happened in the first episode, knew what my reaction would be and didn't really want my cabin mate walking in on me. (which she did any way - right at a crucial moment - love you LauraR :))

So I thought I'd have a look and see if anything was happening. Whilst rootling around I discovered that Jenna Russell is in a play at the mo called 'Amy's view' at the Garrick in London - which is starring.......Felicity Kendal

Well, I've now got a determination to go and see this as it stars 2 of my favourite actors, something I haven't felt about a play in a long time! It's a bit like the time Niamh Cusack was in 'As You Like It' at the RSC and I managed to persuade the Theatre Studies teacher to take the A-Level group and me to a pre-show talk - I was only in Year 11 and missed 3 classes to go! - Not a typical me thing to do but that's how determined I was! Also, as a result I have 2 David Tenant (Dr Who if anyone doesn't know) autographs from before he was all famous - nice bloke too :) (As well as attending that fabulous Uni the RSAMD!)**

The only problem is the getting back from London at that time of night and the £30 ticket price especially as I just spent my bonus on somChristmasas presents but mostly on getting my lovely Moffy back on the road. Still I am determined, and if I can persuade a school to let me miss 3 lessons I'm sure I can manage this!

*Yes this is the longest title ever
**Yes this is the longest post about my industry without it being something I'm involved with!

Edit: Here is "The Stage" review of the play with photo

The Dress

Here is a photo of the dress I bought (well paid for by me mum - the bride!) for the wedding. Still needing shoes and something warm (nearly bought a crush velvet midnight blue jacket!) to wear but we'll sort that out soon!

Edit:Oh yes...and I finished Geek cahse in about 3 & Half hours - well not all together - there's a reason for that- and if you're playing you'll know why!

diva droid a gogo!

A quick update:

Have bought a dress for the wedding - Is really nice. Sort of a darl claret colout with Flowetr embroidery on it.

and in complete contrast....

Have had RD "Beat the Geek" delivered and am now well on the way with the internet Geek Chase - sooo cool! And some very clever bits - now, to set my alarm or stay up....hmmmm (get the game to find out why!)

Home on the Range!

Yey, I'm home.......man...I'm bored!!

Although at the minute I'm nursing a stinking cold so am allowing myself to stay in bed a bit and generally mooch around!

Within the first 40 minutes of being home I discovered that:
I am the Chief Usher at the wedding ........."Bride or Groom"....
I'm designing the order of service
I'm designing a poster for the evening do to put up around the village
And I picked my flowers for my corsage - Jasmin, Stephanonsis and Ivy

Over the weekend I met the Groom and his kids - all cool - especially as I managed to drink my mum and Alan under the table - see I did learn something this season ;)

Still finding it diificult to adapt to being back - but it does take a while - I'm missing all the team being around - especially as I'm mostly home alone (which is also a nice thing - it's so confusing!)

And finally poor Moffy is VERY sick :( She failed her M.O.T (not a huge surprise - bless) and then the guy, Trevor Knight, who came to pick her up to fix her rang to tell me that there was a few other things aswell! It's going to cost somewhere between 'oich and sproooing'* to fix her and I won't get her back until the end of next week:( Still she's worth it and hopefully the old girl will have a garage soon!

Ah well, back to my 'bena and Sims2 :)

*'White Christmas' reference :)

Flying High...

Well, Folks, the season is over and I'm on my way home - in fact I'm sat in Sharm El Sheik airport utilising the free wireless internet to type this!

Has been an amazing summer and will be very strange to be home again - especially in the throws of wedding planning - but I'm pretty sure we'll all meet up at various points :) Mac and Simon are on my flight so at least I shouldn'r have a scary PAX next to me - see you on the other side (of a 6 hour flight!!!!!)

Adventure in the Red Sea!

WOW!!! What an amazing couple of weeks.

Today I came back from visiting Petra in Jordan. It's the canyon and tombs etc that they used to film Indiana Jones - amazing! 4 mile round walk in very hot sun but incredible to see.

Yesterday I went snorkelling for the fist time and had my first ever Scuba Diving experience!!! We went to a dive school close to the ship and snorkelled aroud the coral reef with the amazing fish. Then had our scuba intro in the swimming pool and then went into the sea by the reef and went down to about 12/13m it was incredible!! Definitely want to get my open watr certificate now!

Oh anmd to top it all off last week I went to Giza to see the Pyramids - sooo cool! (pic's link in the side bar) Also saw the falklen statue of Ramses II and the Step Pyramid of Zosser and the Sphinx. Am very tired - especially as the new team are on now and work patterns are all over the place but have had some trul unique experiences in the last coupl of weeks!

5 days to go!!!!

3 weeks and counting!!

OMW it's getting close!

The excitement and dread is beginning to build around the team but everything is still moving along pretty well. Have pretty musch finished all the paperwork I'm supposed to have done already so real free time is looming!

Have finally added the expantion pack (Open for business) for Sims2 that Laura baought me having finished Andy's Website (check it out here) and have spnt many happy hours on it over the last few days.

Should be going to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt - am so excited!!1 Have wanted ot see them ever since studying Egypt in school when I was about 10 :) Have watched "The Mummy" in honuor of the impending trip!

Really looking forward to being home and seeing everybody. This contract has shot by, the Fjords seem like an age ago but can't wait to get back have a break and then go visiting - who knows I might actually have a proper holiday for the first time in 5 years - wonders will never cease ;)

OK...who pulled the plug out?

Well now, that was an interesting evening!

We lost power on the WHOLE SHIP. Engines, Air Con EVERYTHING!!! Right in the middle of the biggest Dance number in the Gala Evening show everything (except of course for the emergency lighting! and the , thankfully, full moon outside) went black.

Tony's (SM) been working in ships for 8 years and that's the first time he's known it happen. It was pretty cool really it took about an hour for them to get the generator's working again meantime the ship took on a whole new feel! The PAX were cool and just stayed where they were mostly. The corridors were lit by the occasional overhead light and the emergency strip lighting (like green fairy lights!) on the floor, the outside by the moon and for once in the entire season the ship was quiet.
One of the things that is most difficult to adapt to when going home is the lack of background noise - the engines humming, things banging about ,the stabilizers going in and out, the anchor going up and down RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY WALL - OK the last one is a joy to get away from! So having the ship that quiet was very bizarre.

Anyhoo it finally came back up and we did the second show and most of us had forgotten about our little foray into a horror film by the next afternoon!

Only 4 1/2 weeks of the season left....Everyone's starting to feel a bit odd, it's that weird mixture of wanting to go home, needing a rest and yet loving the job and not wanting to leave the people here!

Oh, and I've designed a website for a company run by he ACD on here - it should be fully operational in a couple of days check it out here