Mid-month ramblings....

I've realised that no blogging has occurred since the beginning of April.  Were you concerned Frock Fans?  My silence is probably due to "not doing very much of interest" and "mostly doing work this weekend".  Boo I hear you say.

Was expecting great things from a soul night advertised at the 100 Club the other day.  Gary Crowley and Ady Croasdell down as djs?  A couple of mod bands?  Couldn't go wrong surely?  If a room packed full of drunk annoying students was your thing, you'd have loved it.  We, however, didn't.  Perhaps I was drunk and annoying once too but that's just no excuse.  Kids - I have personal space issues and a hatred for rucksacks. Please stay at home next time.  Shame about the audience as the music was good and I'd have quite liked to have a dance.  As my fellow 100 clubber that night commented "Thank god I didn't open a new pair of tights"!!!!!!

Easter weekend continued with a visit from a Brighton friend.  We had a quick look round Barboot in Crouch End and ended up in Kiss the Sky for a couple of cheeky Espresso Martinis.  The music in Kiss the Sky was pretty good - Two Tone and Soul, but the Martinis were better.  Note for self - must go during happy hour the next time.

It turned out to be a pretty quiet Easter due to the weather being rubbish, not having much money and there not being much on.  In consolation, we went to check out a new restaurant in Crouch End for a well-deserved lunch - The Blue Legume.  We were pretty impressed with the place - the food was delicious (they had halloumi on the menu - nuff said) and they gave me a discount card for the next time we visit.  The next time we visit, dessert!

Back to the Society Club Shop this week for yet another excellent exhibition/book launch.  This time round - "Punks Dead".  Gorgeous, gorgeous pics of Siouxsie etc.  Siouxsie apparently made an appearance, as did Mark Moore - I didn't see either but wish I had as it would have made my latest "Celebrity Spot of the Day" top quality.  The Society Club Shop & Film Club have been quite a big part of my social life in the past year - thanks Babette, Carrie & Robert!  Long may it continue.

....and maybe next time I write this waffle, it might be half interesting.

Happy April.....

It's gone mid-day so I can't even make up an "ever so hilarious" April Fools blog for you.  Instead, a few rambling paragraphs about nothing in particular.

Since I last rambled, the clocks have changed, I've lost more weight, gained some more (work) clients and not done much else.

I went for a casting to be a Cilla Black looky likey for a Simian Mobile Disco video.  (Nope, I'm not 100% sure who they are either!).  I knew straight away that I wasn't in with a chance when they asked me to do acting type things and talk about religion on camera.  As my entire "acting" experience consists of standing around in bad wigs, generally with "husbands" that are 30 years older than me, I didn't really have a hope in hell.  What I'm looking for, dear casting agencies, is a part where I can keep my hair as it is and wear something resembling normality.  Thanks.

Mother and a friend came to visit for a few hours the other day and we went to Highgate Village to partake in a spot of lunch.  Spotted:  One Mr Diggle, plus a few North London posh folk. 

Society Film Club on Monday showed one of my favourites - Absolute Beginners.  Watching the film when it came out in the early 80s made me want to move to London.  Not that I really considered living in something resembling a squat off the Portobello Road and keeping my clothes in the fridge, but the overall feeling of the film definitely had something to do with me wanting to escape the countryside back then.  The soundtrack is fantastic and includes one of the best Style Council tracks made - Have You Ever Had it Blue?  I seem to remember the film wasn't everyones' cup of tea but it was mine!  Well done lovely Eve Ferret for her part as Big Jill.

And bringing me back up-to-date - I'm here in deepest, darkest, Wiltshire at the moment, for my Gran's 89th birthday.  The said Gran has just cooked a top notch Sunday lunch and refuses to let me do the same until she's lost the use of all four of her limbs.  I'll let her carry on as her Sunday lunches would always be better than mine.  Happy Birthday Gran!

The trip to Grans was the usual eventful affair - having to use the local community bus service which makes me feel positively posh and urban.  Every passenger a character out of League of Gentlemen.  Two mad men commented on my hair colour and no doubt continued to comment after I'd got off.  I'm a sight in these 'ere parts you know.

Wiltshire this time has basically consisted of eating out.  A Lee family meal to celebrate Rays' birthday in Marlborough on Friday, and an English family meal yesterday to celebrate Grans.  I will now live off dust for the rest of the week, to make room for Easter Weekend shenanigans.

Is it cocktail time yet?

Busy times....

but good times. 

Spring has sprung (for the moment anyway).  The sun has come out, the trees outside my flat have pink blossom on them, and the fake fur coat is very close to being put away until next Winter.

Anyone that knows me well will know I'd been counting down the days until my evening out last Tuesday.  The lovely Mr Ant was doing a short, intimate gig at Proud in Camden.  Tied in with this was an exhibition of black & white photos (Dandy in the Underworld) taken by various (probably) famous folk.  Lots of beautiful pictures I'd have liked to take home if I'd had the money.  I managed to get a fairly decent view at the gig.  Being tall-ish has it's benefits in these situations.  Although not a very long gig, he did play some of my favourite older tracks (Car Trouble, Young Parisians etc), as well as the predictable T-Rex covers.

Thursday saw a night out in Old Street with my red-haired twin.  First stop - The Book Club for a viewing of Dean Chalkleys' short film "The New Faces" (a black & white 20 min film featuring a few of the new young mods).  Sorry Dean (and sorry Scott who was in the film) but I wasn't overly impressed.  Maybe a soundtrack was needed but after 5 mins of rambling and silent dancing, I was bored.  I would have preferred a documentary showing their day to day lives, clubbing, shopping etc. but instead it just dragged on a bit.  And.....where were the free drinks?  Thursday (as you know folks) is free night in London!!!!!  http://vimeo.com/37107257

We escaped The Book Club and headed off to 33ft East to see The Sonic Jewels.  The band deserved better than they got.  A big fail on the promotors' part again perhaps?  Fun was still had regardless.
Thanks for a nice night Laurence, Justin & Danny.  We enjoyed it anyway!

I did a days' extra work on The King of Soho on Sunday...in Soho strangely enough.  As I was dreading, my age meant I was given the worlds' most hideous outfits.  Not enough that I had a hideous 1970s outfit to begin with but the swines thought I should keep the said hideous outfit to cover the 60s too (a change of coat makes all the difference you know).  My red hair meant having to wear a wig which turned me into Hayley from Coronation Street or a very bad transvestite.  I will not be pointing myself out to anyone during these scenes.  I finally rid myself of the wig and was given a slightly less hideous 80s outfit to wear and had my hair sprayed into huge flicks....think Toyah meets Maggie Thatcher.  Unfortunately more Maggie Thatcher than Toyah.  We spent the day filming in Rupert Street, Old Compton Street and in and around The French House - all regular haunts of mine.  I met some fantastic people and laughed til I cried....so perhaps I'll forgive the hideous clothes...perhaps.

....which brings me up to this week and possibly a quietish one.  I started off the week with "Lolita" at the Society Film Club.  A great film but incredibly long.  I get twitchy after an hour and a half or so, so perhaps this wasn't the best choice for me.

I've got an appointment with a spag bol and a hair-dyeing friend now so toodle pip!

Spring has sprung....

although you'd hardly think so today. I've just come back from Kings Cross, in a soggy snorkel jacket (yes I am a 1970s schoolboy).  You know it's serious weather when the snorkel jacket comes out - a snorkel jacket with the world's biggest hood and which prevents you from seeing or hearing anything. 

It's been a busy old week but a fun week.  Mondays' film was the 1963 "The World Ten Times Over", starring Sylvia Syms as a "hostess" or posh prostitute if you'd rather.  A great film with a 60s Soho backdrop and some great clothes.  I'm easily pleased. 

Thursday was another "free things to do in London" event...i.e a discount night at Uniqlo on Oxford Street.  I wasn't expecting great things from the clothing range (I was right - pretty much the blandest items in Central London) but was expecting great things from the freebies!  The clothes might be ugly but Uniqlo know how to hold a great party.  We snacked on mini pesto/brie bread rolls and red velvet cupcakes, and drank vodka & chambord cocktails out of china cups, served from teapots.  Gizzi Erskine (tv chef/vintage fan) djayed and actually played some great 50s/early 60s stuff.  Dear Uniqlo, I'm sorry I didn't buy a single thing but thanks for the snackettes.  Love Cath x

Out again on Friday, to see a lovely little play called "Northern Soul" at Jacksons Lane Arts Centre in Highgate.  "Northern Soul" is performed (and about) a Brighton-based comedienne called Victoria Melody who wanted to investigate the attraction of pigeon fancying in the North of England.  She went to live with some pigeon fanciers and, at the same time, learnt to dance to Northern Soul.  The play, as well as being about those things, is about her "trying to fit in" and quite often failing.  I loved the play - it was clever, funny & sweet, with great music and a finale of Ms. Melody doing a full on Northern Soul dancing session to "Turning my Heartbeat Up", complete with spins & backflips.  Well done you!

And finally for this week, and on the wettest/coldest day in a long time, I did a stall at the Wills Moody Jumble Sale again.  Although the weather was horrendous with a capital H, I still managed to sell most of my bag of vintage tat and came home with £37 which is better than nowt I'd say.  I even managed to NOT buy a single thing.  However, next time....I might.

Oh and before I sign off.....I got the King of Soho gig...so next time you read this little blog thing, I'll no doubt be ranting about some 60 year old womans' outfit that I was forced to wear.

Ramblings due to a broken tv......

Today could be a day for going insane.  It seems there's a problem with the aerial on the roof, meaning no tv for me.  Anyone that knows me well, knows this is a serious matter!  Listening to the radio or watching things on the laptop just isn't the same.  I know it's unhealthy being addicted to rubbish tv but I'm afraid I am, and today is proving a difficult day!!!!!!  Is it time for bed yet?

So, what's been happening since my last blog?

I got good news.  My lease on the flat is being extended for another 18 months.  Having a landlord who moved to Canada for work meant never really knowing if he'd want to come back and live here, but apparently I'm a good tenant and can stay.  Crouch End - you're stuck with me.

With free time on my hands a bit more these days, I've decided to sign up with an Extras agency.  Not anticipating too much unless anyone is specifically looking for middle-aged woman with bright red hair but I guess you never know!  5 days on Brighton Rock gave me a taste for more extras work but the next time, I'm praying for clothes that fit me and don't make me look an absolute idiot.  Not too much to ask.  I went to the casting for The King of Soho (a film about Paul Raymond and starring Steve Coogan) but as I havn't heard yet, I'm not really expecting to now.  Perhaps the wardrobe department actually knew their stuff this time and realised that there weren't any women in the 60s with hair my colour!

Film club is definitely back on track with some great nights on again.  We went to see The Small World of Sammy Lee last week, a 60s film about a gambler in Soho - where else?  No visit to the roof terrace bar as planned as London Fashion Week folk had taken over.  You know it's London Fashion Week when you see people wearing Mickey Mouse ears as if it's a completely normal thing.  It isn't - please stop.

Back to Soho again on Wednesday to (another) launch of the We Can Be Heroes book about London Clubland 1976 - 1984.  An interesting night in the basement of the Sun & 13 Cantons on Beak Street.  Great little venue and the usual fascinating crowd turned up - Rusty Egan, Philip Salon, Mark Powell etc.  More exciting to me though was the fact that Adam Ant's hat-maker Mich Dulce turned up.  Very sweet she was too.  The book is beautiful and I'm wondering if a kindly Mother might buy it for me at some point for a birthday present!  I was too young to be part of the London club scene during the time the book covered.....except that I did visit the Wag Club in the early 80s, when it was a dark, dingy jazz club, full of people in black roll necks.  (I was one of those people).

I'm off to find a ladder and fix our tv aerial....or maybe just complain quite a bit on Facebook.  Ciao for now darlings.

Crouch End days, Soho nights

More snow this week meant the wearing of ugly boots out in public.  Please note the word 'ugly' not Ugg...that would be a step too far for me.  I'm very much looking forward to Spring when I will be surgically removed from my cheap fur coat and Gran-style hat.  My macs are feeling all forgotten in the back of my wardrobe.

I've realised that my blog is probably of no interest whatsoever to anyone but myself but it takes the place of a diary that I wrote for years, and is a written reminder of all the things I do these days.

Film Club continues and a packed house on Monday for a night celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Windmill Theatre.  Lots of the original Windmill Girls were in attendance and it was very sweet to see them altogether, for probably what was the first time in decades for some of them.  For ladies, some of which were in their late 70s/80s, they're looking good for their age!  I think if any more red wine had been consumed, we may have been treated to a spur of the moment tableaux performance.  ("If you moved, it's rude"). 

This week has been a good week as far as charity shop purchases go - a "Junior Miss Nylon" M&S flowery dress that fits perfectly from Crouch End, and an animal print cardigan from Muswell Hill.  I feel twitchy if I don't do the charity shop rounds regularly but am cheap these days and put more back than I buy.  It would of course been rude not to have a danish bacon roll in our favourite cafe' in Muswell Hill yesterday, Nyborgs.  I realised yesterday they have a bookcase full of lovely books that you can take home for free, if you leave a book in it's place. I've made a mental note of this and will be picking up the "Swedish cakes & cookies" book next time I visit.

A night out in Soho last night which took in many bars along the way, finishing up in Camden.  First stop, The Sun & 13 Cantons in Beak Street for a book reading from "The Great Rolling Stones Drug Bust" (& a complementary Jack Daniels cocktail - thank you Babette & Robert!), The Star Bar next for a Baileys latte (as you do), Phoenix Theatre Bar for old time's sake - members only after 8pm darlink but the extremely posh doorman liked our coats obviously (plus it was half empty).  Half the bar was reserved for the cast of Jersey Boys and we had Frankie Valli as a soundtrack.  Could be worse - could have been reserved for the cast of Glee (or something).  Coach & Horses (another old haunt) where a full blown piano singalong was going on....and finally (phew!) Mind Yuh Business at Bar Solo which was a fairly enjoyable experience and I even had a dance.  It's very rare to do so much on a Saturday night these days but it's good once in a while.  Thanks to our guide for the night - Little Paul.

Freezing February....

Only yesterday I commented how I hoped we'd got away with snow this year....an hour later, down it came.  I woke up to a deadly silent road...even the owls had hibernated.  A good few inches of snow must have fallen since 5pm yesterday and I'm looking out at small children on sledges and my neighbours (donning Percy Pig wellingtons) building a snowman.  I'm disappointed with their efforts I have to say.  I was hoping for a full adult size snowman which I was going to ask if I could dress in my 60s flowery rain mac and one of my collection of 60s hat....just for photographic opportunites you understand.

It's been a quietish week but I was very happy to get back to the Society Film Club again....back at the Sanctum Hotel.  (I cheered a little cheer at this news).  This weeks' offering was all about a collection of drag queens (gay and straight) & generally bizarre but fascinating folk in late 60s/early 70s San Francisco called The Cockettes (formed by an amazing character called Hibiscus).  They performed what could only be described as their own version of show tunes....random, chaotic and out of tune!  Back then, you could apparently claim benefits if you were deemed mentally unstable so these characters, with their glittery beards and outlandish outfits, lived off the State is communes, took a lot of LSD and became infamous for their shows.  Eventually the group all went off into different directions and disbanded.  It was interesting to see what had happened to The Cockettes but sadly several of the members had died from Aids.  They live on, however, through the Society Film Club!

I went to my first Vintage Fair of the year yesterday in Islington.  It's a sad state of affairs when all you can find to buy is a cupcake but as it was the best (rose) cupcake I've ever tasted, it was still worth a look.  Lunch this Saturday was in Stiles Bakery in Chapel Market.  Don't let the outside put you off - yes, it is a cheap cafe' but a cheap cafe' of the best kind - proper freshly cooked meals including a drink for probably less than £6.  We had a mushroom omelette, chips & salad, and a full English brekkie, plus very good coffees, which might not sound thrilling but it was top quality and worth writing about on here. 

A trip to Covent Garden in arctic conditions after leaving the cosy Stiles Bakery, to carry out a secret mission.  I'm not a fan of Covent Garden at the weekend these days....it's impossible to navigate and you could wander aimlessly for ages.  Next time I'll be armed with a compass and an A-Z.  Alternatively, if someone could leave a trail of biscuit crumbs back to the tube, I'd be grateful.

Keep warm everyone & pray that London Transport runs normally tomorrow!