Archive | August 2012

Panning for Gold

Celia goes to ‘Panning for Gold’ Edinburgh Festival

I’m not talking about the Olympics but the latest play I’ve just seen at The Edinburgh Festival. I suppose you could describe it as finding a little nuggget amongst everything the Festival has to offer. We had a lovely drive through The Borders to get to Edinburgh; I’d quite forgotten what a lovely city it was. Then we had a spot of lunch, in Jenners of course, and then it was off to find the venue of Panning for Gold which started at 2pm.

And the reason why we had singled out this particular production? Well, because it starred a very special person – actor Penny Lamport who plays me, in Celia – The Film (see sidebar right). It was very strange to see your other self performing in a very different role & testament to Penny’s professionalisn & versatility – she really carried it off.

The basement of The Phoenix Bar, Edinburgh Festival, venue for ‘Panning for Gold’ starting at 2pm every day except Tuesday

The venue was in the basement of the The Phoenix, Broughton Street near the city centre (venue 146) – and it was free.

We had to wait upstairs in the main pub bit whilst they got the room ready as there’s a quick turnround of different plays in the same spot. I wanted to tell everyone in the pub to come downstairs with us but Guy said best not to as they all seemed to be engrossed in some football match or other on the big screen. You’d think they’d fancy a change now & then. No wonder their wives get bored & mischievous.

Well, we went downstairs and could hear the actors warming up with all sorts of funny noises. Then we went in and it was really intimate – you felt as if you were right there in the room of the counsellor (the character played by Penny) with the 3 girls who had all been jilted at the altar (played suberbly by Anna Gillingham-Sutton, Charlee Lauren & Jasmine Smart who also wrote the play even though she’s only 21!) Of course there had been some infidelity involved, which in the interest of balance was viewed from both sides and of course I thought of me and Simon.

The intimate venue ‘Panning for Gold’

The cast of ‘Panning for Gold’

Although only an hour long, it was pretty powerful. I was worried that, being about the thoughts and feeling of 4 women, it might not be Guy’s cup of tea but no, afterwards he said that he’d really enjoyed it. Listenupnorth says that when you use the simplest of props & staging then you let the story speak for itself and I really think that was true with Panning for Gold.

And I really liked the selection of colourful scarves that Penny wore to denote a scene change; she has such good taste in clothes – very similar to my own actually. However, I do feel that the hessian bag with props that Penny carried really should have sported a Waitrose rather than a Tesco’s logo. That minor detail aside, it was all in all a brilliant little play so do go and see it & tell them ‘Celia sent you!’

Here are the details for Panning for Gold

Going for Gold & a Cold Shower!

Aug9

Home from my Lake District hols (A Postcard from Celia) & finding my waistbands a little tight, I realised that my exertion on the hills and in the bedroom did not quite counterbalance the calories gained by pub lunches, cream teas & bottles of Rioja.

Taking inspiration from the golden windfall of Team GB, I decided that a little exercise was in order. And at least my jogging pants had an expandable waistband & a degree of comfort.

One careful owner

Guy would insist in joining me despite my strong hints about the unsuitability of sporting baggy shorts and a faded polo shirt around the neighbourhood. And it has been at least 20 years since Guy has so much as run for a bus. Although I did manage to engineer passing by Simon’s house at the start of the run before I began to perspire too heavily.

One of Upper Welford’s leafy lanes

It’s a rather lovely here in Upper Welford and very nice to jog around the leafy lanes especially in the evening sun. It’s amazing how many other like-minded folk we found engaged in strenuous activity around the village; they were obviously quite taken with the idea of Boris’s Olympic Legacy.

Jogging past the Upper Welford Lawn Tennis Club, we spotted Jane Thornley-Whickham delivering a back hand. Call me a prude but I honestly don’t think she should wear skirts that short at her age. I was just about to ask Guy what he thought, but from the look on his face, I thought a cold shower might be in order.

Thinking about Simon in Lycra

We were just on the home straight when we met Simon whizzing by on a mountain bike clad in Lycra; honestly in that outfit he’d give Lynford Christie a run for his money. But poor Guy looked fit for a coronary by the time we got through the door. I helped him to the settee, switched on The Olympic highlights, put the remote in one hand and a beer in the other.

And me? Well, after the sight of Simon in lycra, I decided that a cold shower was in order.

A Postcard from Celia

Aug1

Greetings from the Lake District!

That’s the problem with chugging up mountains; your face radiates enough heat to power Blackpool illuminations and everyone automatically assumes it’s a hot flush. Guy usually gives me one of his understanding smiles which results in me feeling even more hot under the collar. Still I suppose it must be good for your pores and at least Guy gets a chance to give his GPS an airing.

We’re staying in the glorious Lake District with the boys. At a timeshare owned by Guy’s company – beautiful lodges in the grounds of a hotel and use of all the facilities. Yesterday I had a facial and an eyebrow shape. I do wish the beauticians wouldn’t guide me in the direction of treatments for mature skin.

And then there’s the swimming pool, a welcome dip after a day out, pity about the gorilla climbing out of the whirlpool bath sporting Man Utd tattoos on his shins but I’m loving the steam room – pure relaxation and those squelchy noises when you sit down on the hot marble.

Rain today, so a damp afternoon around the suits of armour in Sizergh Castle & then into the gardens where the sun was trying its best to be convincing on the crenellations and conical fir trees. I did try hard to pretend it was summer but I was really quite glad of socks with my sandals. Not that Guy worries about how uncool I might look because he does the same.

There’s a lovely old village pub nearby, with low sash windows and window boxes just on the village green, there was even some Morris Dancing there other night (who says the English don’t have a culture or a sense of humour!) I have to watch my youngest Julian though, always wanting to keep up with his big brother Jonathan and sample the local brew, I mean he’s only 16 & just done his GCSEs. Guy always insists on real ale, genuine hand pumped of course, nothing mechanical or battery operated for him.