So, Christmas is almost upon us and I am indulging in what has become an Elaine Christmas Tradition: a cold! Every year I go down with something coldish or fluish just in the run up to the Big Day. So, today I am having a Duvet Day. Until five o’clock when I have to wend my way to the Brookside for Cinderella. The feedback from our audiences has been really fab; they are all really enjoying it, as are the cast who boo, hiss, aahh, joke, sing, dance and act their way through two hours of great fun. The only complaint so far has been the price of the ice-creams. As a writer, I’m always looking at situations with a ‘plot-development’ eye and there’s definitely a book in putting on a panto – watch this space!
Last Saturday some of the cast, myself included, manned a stall in the centre of the Liberty Centre, Romford, talking to shoppers and giving out our flyers. It was great fun, not least of all because of the way the public approached us. Now, some really threw themselves into it, coming over and chatting and asking questions and taking for photos with us. Then there were those who, politely said, ‘No thank you,’ and moved on. I never have a problem with people who are polite. Next came those who recoiled and shrank back as if you were offering them a dose of the clap instead of a flyer. Then there were those who almost knocked us over as they barged past. We simply concluded they were probably having a bad day. But for me, the funniest were those who acted as if we were invisible. I mean, there we all were, dressed up, myself in an 18″ high purple wig, yet they pretended they hadn’t seen us! Hilarious! Great fun, though, as I say, and here is the photo to prove it:
Me manning the Melabeau Cinderella stand in Romford last week.
I also released my free Christmas novella last week: The Christmas Queen. I was thrilled and delighted to see there were over 2,500 downloads of it, five star reviews, and it’s still being downloaded as fast as hot mince pies even though readers now have to pay 79pence for it (as Kindle won’t let you offer anything free for more than 5 days in every 90). Thank you to all those who downloaded it and posted reviews and who retweeted and shared about it. Much appreciated.
I am a person who always tries to practise gratitude and today I am especially thankful to the Universe for sending me a very honest person. Yesterday I went all the way to Southend to Christmas shop. After going through the process of buying some vouchers at the cinema, I went to pay for them, only to discover that my purse wasn’t in my handbag. I went cold. The last time I’d had it had been at the theatre the previous evening. I rang to ask if it had been found but there was no reply. I didn’t want to cancel my cards in case the purse was lying on the floor either at home or the theatre, but neither did I want someone running up a huge bill on my cards. Frantically – and starving because I now couldn’t buy any lunch! – I drove home, only to discover a note from a neighbour telling me she had something belonging to me. It was my purse. She’d found it on the pathway by the car parks and because my driving licence was in it she knew where I lived. What an honest woman!!! And how lucky am I! And extremely grateful. My cards were all safe, I hadn’t been mugged, I’d simply dropped it when I’d been carrying too much stuff. Thank you, Universe! And thank you, lovely neighbour!
I’ve also become aware in the last week or so of how terrible mental illness can be, and the way it can affect all those on the periphery of the sufferer. I wish the person concerned peace, especially at this time of year.
