Halstead Antiques Centre [click any pic to embiggen]
We had a splendid time staying with "our nieces" Baby Steve and Houseboy Alex in Braintree over the past few days - they did us proud!
We travelled up to Essex with them the day after our faboo Film Club/"New Year's Eve" party - at which we all got the heebie-jeebies for Cruella...
...and managed to "fill our boots" with a haul from the garden centres in the locality - a new blue Phlox, and another twelve new Fuchsia varieties (plus a couple of duplicates of ones we already had) to add to our collection (from our favourite specialist growers B & HM Baker at Bourne Brook Nursery) - and spent a day browsing through various antiques/junk shop emporia [I came away with an original film programme from the premiere of the film Cabaret in London in 1972, complete with ticket stub - for the grand sum of £2!].
But what did we miss while we were away?
Of course, the biggest (and saddest) news was the death of the lovely "national treasure" June Brown, a classical actress with the Royal Shakespeare Company who played Hedda Gabler and Lady Macbeth on stage, was an unforgettable "Nanny Slagg" in Gormenghast, and even played a nipple-tassel-twirling strippper in a sketch on the Lily Savage Show, but will forever be remembered as the fantabulosa "Dot Cotton" in Eastenders:
During our time away, the world also bade a sad farewell to Punk icon "Jordan", and to the 50s "Teen Idol" Bobby Rydell. Aside from the centenary of the saintly Miss Doris Day, other significant birthdays while we were away included the centenary of film composer Elmer Bernstein, what would have been the 90th of the lovely Anthony Perkins, the 80th(s) of film director Peter Greenaway, The Hollies founder and lead singer Allan Clarke and "Goodbye Girl" Marsha Mason (and also the birthdays of our Patron Saints Bette Davis, Abba icon Agnetha Fältskog and camp Disco legend Patrick Hernandez).
The news headlines were still aghast at the horrifying scenes from Ukraine, and other news included endless speculation about "Dishy" Rishi Sunak (our Chancellor)'s wife and her business deals in Russia; a mass walk-out of LGBT groups from a government conference on equality over the ongoing row about banning conversion therapy (the new Bill will criminalise it on the basis of sexuality, but not gender dysphoria); bedlam at airports as EasyJet blamed COVID-related staff shortages for flight cancellations and Manchester Airport's CEO resigned; the teeny-tiny republic of San Marino elected the world's first out-gay head of state; and, meanwhile in Montana, an owl poked its beak into a live traffic monitoring camera...
Unsurprisingly, our musical accompaniment during our stay was mainly a diet of Kylie, Steps, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, 80s synth-pop and 90s dance choons - such as this one!
Highly appropriate, given the mixed bag of sunshine, hail, high winds and torrential rain we've had in turn, over just a few days...
Jinny... both those voices can't possibly belong to her. I believe the second one, but not the first. Jocelyn Brown? Adored June Brown. So sad. I wished they'd filmed her as Hedda. It is a favorite of mine and I could see her doing a knockout job of it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia, the band used "Carryl Varley as a lip-synching model for the music videos", so it wasn't her on the single anyway [much like that skinny model in the video for Black Box Ride On Time]. It;s no clearer who actually sang on the choon at all, but (again Wikipedia) says it samples several other songs, so your guess is as good as mine.
DeleteJune Brown would have been superb in many, many roles, I'm sure - but once she'd become known for such an iconic role, I suppose she had very little option but to stick with it to the end... Jx
Where on earth are planning to put 12 more fuschia? Are you going to wear them on your head?
ReplyDeleteAnd Tony Perkins was one of the most beautiful men ever. Such beautiful big eyes.
We will make space for more fuchsias, even if it means demolition. It's a tiny garden, maybe - but always room for more, more, more! Jx
DeletePS I completely agree about Mr Perkins. Oh! to have ben a fly on the wall when he and Tab Hunter were shagging...
Original film programme and ticket stub! Please send them my way when you are bored with them. I love a rummage amongst the ephemera in junk shops.
ReplyDeleteSx
Me too! - you never know what you might unearth among the piles of biscuit tins, broken clocks, hideous ornaments, tatty toys and the like... Jx
DeleteIt looks like a great time! Hope to see those fuschias.
ReplyDeleteIn a few months, they should all be in bloom - and I have no doubt I will be featuring them here... Jx
DeleteBlimey, O'Reilly! I can't remember what I paid for cheap seat to see Cabaret, but it was more than 2 quid! You are a jammy rummager,Sir and I salute you.
ReplyDeleteWell... according to the brochure, if you wanted another copy it would cost the princely sum of 30p - so heaven only knows how much the (now demolished) Odeon Dalston would have charged for the film ticket! Jx
DeleteIt's scary, not knowing whether to be more scared of inflation or global warming! Still, I can always sing-along-Liza..."what good is sitting alone in your room..."
DeleteA mark, a yen, a buck or a pound
DeleteA buck or a yen
A buck or a pound.
Is all that makes the world go around
That clinking, clanking sound
Can make the world go 'round
Money money money money
Money money money money
Money money money
Indeed.
Jx
We did have a fab time didn't we and we will always find room for more fuchsias. I think we got some interesting ones in that haul.
ReplyDeleteVery sad news about June Brown though.
Maybe we should see if we can find a fuchsia named after her? Jx
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