Bluesky vs X (I'm finding it as bland as a Mormon over here). I'm sure this says terrible things about me.

"Girl in Pool" (uranium glass pin tray) — Henrich Hoffman, c. 1928

A new poem. Who will be the first to tell me that I've spelled awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom wrong? Should it be hyphenated??

An Orphan’s Guide to Celebrating Christmas www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/w...

Don & Phil. Their sad songs are cut with joy and their happy songs are laced with sadness 🎄 music.youtube.com/watch?v=2KE2...

Leonard was a dog man.

We watched Maestro. How very sweet to see Lenny in action again. And if the wardrobe people don't win multiple awards, then something is very wrong. Every Lenny look is entirely perfect.

Roseanne was trending yesterday and I hoped it was this Rosanne, on account of that performance of hers with Kristoffersson. Sadly, it was the other Roseanne. What a mighty song this is. What a doll Rosanne Cash is. music.youtube.com/watch?v=miIq...

We watched The Witches of Eastwick last night. Can't believe I haven't read the 📖. Updike is my main squeeze. Apparently, the director called Cher after her audition to say that, at 40yrs, she was too old & not sexy enough for the role. Good lord, she even looked🔥🔥in those greige pants.

Must we say farewell to Kris? ❤️ It's too much. "...dreaming was as easy as believing it was never going to end". americansongwriter.com/emotions-flo...

We're having one of our regular Diana Dors things. We watched that great Arena documentary about Dors yesterday. It's on Youtube. PJ Proby & Billie Davis appear. What a weird & racy time in British society that was, when cads had names like Dandy Kim. www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2...

Tommy Steele's birthday today. What a trouper. I only just read the tale Bill Kenwright told about Elvis meeting Tommy in London before heading to Germany. Could it be true??

We just watched Cabaret. Liza out-Garlanded Garland, didn't she? On 🔥 in every single scene. Also, I think she was bra-less for the whole movie. There's something to be admired in that. Also, do you reckon she owns this dress? And do you think she would lend it to me? 💜

We were planning to go into town today but we got as far as Morrisons, bought a bottle of Advocaat, then headed home because priorities🍹

Who started the trend for the Rock Star Skinny Scarf? Was it Ronnie Lane, David Essex, Keith Richards? It has become such sartorial shorthand.

Morning #collage (12-15-23)

I should know by now not to trust Mary Berry. I just made her self-saucing lemon pudding and it emerged from the oven as some sort of very sloppy citrus soufflé* I'm sticking with Nigel from now on. *we ate it anyway 😆

Say what? You can touch the hem of his garment for 4,000 dollars? I'm pretty sure Jesus charged nothing.

Ralph Fiennes teaches Shakespeare in Liverpool school

Even if you have concerns about the UK's unregulated immigration problem, as I do, the Government is clutching at the wrong straw with this proposal and ministers know it.

I cooked fried avocado (shallow fried in breadcrumbs) for dinner this week, with cornbread & black beans. Ronny said:" This is the best meal I've ever had. It's like something you'd get at the fair". 😅🤭😍

Vera isn't quite ready to sparkle. "It's 7.20am. You start without me."

We're having an Indian tonight. (I ❤️ the fact that there's a portrait of Sabu in the National Portrait Gallery) 📷 unknown.

2: the News Ed rushed into the Ed's office. "She's on the ☎️. She appears to be flirting & enjoying herself. I think it's a boyfriend." The Ed marches out as I put the phone down. "Personal calls are forbidden. Who was that?" 😡 Me:"Bill Bailey"

While working my first 🗞 job the editor took a shine to me and he got freaky/obsessive. He would get the News Ed to listen in on my conversations & report back to him with any salient details - in particular, was I dating someone? One day I was doing a ☎️ interview and I was laughing a lot. 1/1

If the US gifts Ukraine to Putin will the EU step up or drop them like a hot rock? Either way it is a world war now or a world war in a year's time when Russia has been rearmed by Trump's party.

My plans for today. (🎨Vittorio Reggianini)

I'm on my third ballet class. I move horribly, but the music is pretty and I'm quite fascinated by my teacher. She's so very neat & scrubbed. She has tiny muscles in her neck that I didn't even know about. Imagine moving through the world like a perfectly calibrated machine.

Winter by the water.

Always loved Andy's version of this song. I had no idea it was written for King Creole (🖊Sid Tepper/Roy Bennett) but it didn't make the cut. Dwight Yoakam should record this, don't you think? "I'm a hoot and a holler away from paradise..." youtu.be/-dRib4JEpc4?...

Guys, I starting to think commodifying every single aspect of existence into for profit ventures might have some downsides.

If anyone is spending Christmas alone this year, please do reach out & let me know. I need to borrow some chairs

I have no unpleasant people in my life. Not a single one. I'm pretty sure this is a better feeling than owning untold riches. I may never know.

We watched Gosford Park. A combination of: No subtitles, oodles of posh voices & it being a Robert Altman🎬 made it tough for Ronny. But good lord, Kristin Scott Thomas😘❤️. Imagine spending much of your movie career wearing gowns fashioned from single cream. How unforgiving they are. How🔥she looks.

I've been working on a painting project that we're certain is going to make us our fortune. It isn't going entirely as planned, if I'm honest.

Oh. Ryan O'Neal 💙 He was perfect at that dazed, coltish, Cary Grant-style physical comedy. Pretty, too. "You are not Burnsy. Burnsy is Burnsy, I mean Eunice is Burnsy, I mean she isn't Burnsy. Nobody is Burnsy." "Whatever you say, Steve".

The Irish enjoy a good funeral.

Mahalia is a big Tom Waits fan. One year she drew him a birthday card. Well, this year we did a photo shoot since we happen to have the same toy piano featured in these pics of Tom. Mahalia did her best to imitate his poses, her facial expressions are priceless. Happy Birthday, #TomWaits!!

I made lasagne with ricotta & spinach instead of making bechemal sauce. I've never been able to bring myself to do this before - it feels like cheating. (I can sense my mother looking over my shoulder and raising an eyebrow at the singular lack of effort 😄). However, it was quite marvellous.

Hugh Grant donates £20k to free Burnley plumbing service

Still a Reading (Reddin') girl.

We have just enjoyed our first snowball of the season 🙂🍸

Once again, I'm experiencing hostility over my front lawn nativity tableau. But my point is that in olden days shepherds got lonely, and might have developed tender feelings for their favourite sheep. I believe I have portrayed this eventuality very tastefully, despite what the police are saying.

Luke Wright, killing me softly as usual. 💙 "...balanced out the seesaw of the dinner table, stepped in to let me take a breath, took their side, or took mine, or laughed at all of us."

Sad to see Benjamin Zephaniah leave us. He was one of those radio & TV regulars who fascinated me as a kid, and who made me think of Birmingham as some kind of grubby Emerald City 💚

Any line from Moby Dick sounds as if it is being proffered to Andrew Lloyd Webber by Tim Rice.

Everyone's cooking would be greatly improved if they would learn to fry onions properly, for goodness sake. This goes double for chefs. Feel free to follow me for more culinary tips. (Yes, I said TIPS) 😉

Only today did I notice that dear Colin has a smidgen of the Kate Bush histrionics. However, I still love him. Apparently, Denny Laine wrote this one for him. Denny's version is great, too. youtu.be/fBgFNxdLYbA?...

Cher, on The Graham Norton Show, was talking about Bogdanovich wasn't she? (It's not about you, it's about the boy")Dammit. I ❤️ him.I cannot cope with him being rude to Cher.She was so fine in that 🎬 (I realise she's been singing the same loop of nothingness for 30yrs, but she used to be Cher. ❤️