Back to The Future! Launch of Voices of Barnsley CD

Hello everybody! Well, it's been a while, but I am surfacing at last. You could say I took a short sabbatical. But I'm here now, and hope all my readers have not forgotten me.

So, onwards and upwards. I am going straight into future events, because there are exciting times ahead. First of all this weekend sees the launch of the Voices of Barnsley CD. Here is the poster. I have a 7 minute slot, which I am really looking forward to.

I doubt many of you will be able to get to this event so watch out for photos next week.

I have not submitted anything for publication for months but have been writing, and not only that, I have been painting. This is my most recent effort. I am learning all the time.

My lovely Daddy. It's not perfect, but it does look like him.

Next week I will be busy putting a programme together for an afternoon of fun on the 24th November, in Penge. Poet, Christine Pope and I are going to entertain again, and hopefully making people laugh at our Prosecco and Poetry afternoon at Holy Trinity Church.

A BREEZE ABOVE OUR HEaDS

Christine Pope has lived in the South East for most of her life and has been writing poetry for about the last 15 years. She is a member of the Shortlands Poetry Circle and a speaker/entertainer for the WI and other organisations. In 2017 she was winner of the Walter de la Mare Poetry Prize.
Contact: 020 8464 9810 or christinepope@talktalk.net
Jane Sharp was born in Yorkshire and now shares her time between Yorkshire and Penge. She has won awards both in England and Crete, where she lived for 18 years. Her work has been broadcast on BBC radio and is included in a Yorkshire Anthology. As a member of the Poetry Society’s South East Stanza, she has performed at Covent Garden and other local venues.

PoETRY TO
TICKLE YOUR

FUNNY BOne

on
Saturday 24 November
2.00–3.30 pm
at
Holy Trinity Church 66 Leonard Avenue, Penge SE20 7LX
Tickets £10 (including wine and light refreshments)
From Christine Pope 020 8464 9810 

So you see, I am thrusting forward into the future. It has been a strange year, but I have survived, and consider myself very lucky and very grateful for all I have, that includes, health and friendship. 

Here are a few pictures of the summer months just to show you that I didn't spend the whole time in bed.

The Fountain, Long Preston

Morris Men in Newark on Trent

Celebration Dinner

Family Celebration and Cake

A Glorious day for our Golden Wedding Celebration

The National Mining Museum, Wakefield

Afternoon Tea in London

The Best Scones I've Ever Tasted

Playing the Organ for Church Service

A Weekend in Buxton

Down the Blue John Cave

I am so looking forward to more adventures. Bring it on!
Again, sorry for the absence, but everyone needs a break now and then. I'm off to learn my lines now, for Sunday's reading. Talk to you all soon. Oh, and Happy Halloween!

Love and hugs, Jane xx

A SUMMER FROLIC IN BECKENHAM

 TAKE ME AWAY BEFORE I DO SOMETHING SILLY!!!!!

The photos are not the best in the world, but there was a lot of laughter-shake going on. It was fun!

We survived the show!

As you can see, low budget props.

Aunt Martha on the bus

The River Song - Music written by my friend Mary Sawyer.

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Christine's Hat poem.

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Joan, singing while I change behind the screen.

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Yet another hat!

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The End! What a birthday that was! It's been quite a week. Now to get back north for a bit of dark satanic, a good pint of Barnsley bitter, and the sanctuary of my back garden.

Day Out in Barnsley

SUNSHINE ALL THE WAY!

Last week we had record high temperatures in England. Here in Birdwell and around we enjoyed 28/30 degrees, and our little garden came into it's own. We sat in the shade of our tree (unknown variety), sipped cool beer, and watched the world go by. At one side of us, neighbours were busy getting ready to go to Skegness for their annual holiday. At the other side, our neighbour was rushing here and there with his two young girls, as mum had just given birth to their son. It was all happening around us, while we lazed through the hot sunny days.

We did manage a trip to Barnsley, to do a bit of shopping, and had a lovely day. While we were out and about we called into the Oak Star Cafe at the Civic Theatre. It was brilliant! Even though it was 3 p.m. we were able to choose from the lunch menu. David had Thai curry, and I had Cod and mashed potatoes. It was inexpensive, and very good. We will definitely be back.

On our second trip into Barnsley, to the market, I bought a new dress for our production, next week. Yes, it is getting very close now, rehearsals have hotted up a pace.

I'm really looking forward to a good laugh, on the night. Especially as I'm celebrating my birthday at the weekend, too.

On the day that Princess Charlotte has been Christened, and the Chancellor has been working on his budget benefit cuts, the Greek people have been voting in their referendum to either accept the stringent austerity measures that have been imposed on them by the European union, or to say NO, and try to renegotiate a new deal. It is all very tense as to what is going to happen next. All I can say is that I am glad I don't have any euros, as the euro may not be worth much in Greece after today. As I write the likelihood of a NO vote is forecast.

So, July romps on in quite a dramatic way. (Excuse the pun)

I'm going back to learning my lines now. It would be fantastic if you could get along to share in our Summer Frolic. Just turn up at the door.

Bye for now,
Love and hugs, Jane x

This is a poem I wrote about the suffering of the Greek people.

Greek Voices

Yianni, out of work, hunched in a doorway,

sucks the last smoke from his precious roll-up,

feels the thin cloth of his empty pockets,

and stamps his dead-man’s shoes on the pavement.

He doesn’t want to queue for potatoes

in the open streets of Athens, or take

his wife a bundle of clothes from the church.

He doesn’t want to sit at a table

like a monk from Athos waiting for bells.

So he goes to his mother, who welcomes

him, open arms, to her bare house, and shares

a pot of boiled greens she picked on the hill.

He returns home blasting the sweet Virgin.

His wife shouts back, not because there is no

meat on her plate (or hope of any), but

because the sound of their voices creates

paradise in a vacuum of silence.

They want their voices to be heard: they want

to rattle the glass of a thousand panes.

Catch Up Time!

What's on in Barnsley!

Well, plenty! Click on the link and check it out.

Tonight I am just back from rehearsal of a play that is to be performed in November, and guess what? I have a part. I have joined the local drama group in Birdwell, and it's such fun. It is wall to wall Carry on Comedy. Just up my street! I'm working on my Barnsley accent, it's not quite there tha knows. More field work require.

My latest poem went down well at the Poetry Circle meeting yesterday, and we now have a programme for our next Breeze Above Our Heads production in Bromley on 11th July. This time we have a good mix of music and words, with the emphasis on Summer. Aunt Martha has a tale to tell, as usual. And I'm sure the blow up doll we bought for the last show, will be making an appearance.

Since I last wrote this blog, the Nation has elected a new government, so now we have a totally Tory parliament. Will this affect my life in any way? Well, let's hope it does. Let's hope the country prospers, as is the plan, and we all have a bit more of the pie. I'm ever optimistic!

Game of Thrones has had me hooked on its weekly medieval soap of sex and violence, for the past month or more. I've even started to play the theme music on the cello. I don't think it is quite as good as when it first started, but I need by weekly fix. I love the northernness of it.

Meanwhile, David has taken to cultivating a few plants. He will have to buy a spade, though!

So, that's it for now, remember, never cast a clout till May is out. In other words, don't discard your vest just yet, there are sneaky winds about.

Love and hugs,
Jane x

  

No gold medal at Chelsea Flower Show this year!

Move Over Margo!!!!!!

Sometimes you've just got to go for it! - sorry about the blurred photo, I think the photographer had a fit of the giggles.

What fun! From beginning to end a laugh a minute. I knew there was a ballet dancer lurking inside me. Well, we proved ourselves to be entertainers, so if you have, or know of an organisation who would benefit from an evening of poetical fun,  with the odd sketch thrown in, do get in touch with me.

It's Show Time!

A Breeze Above Our Heads

An evening of poetical fun

with

Jane Sharp, Christine Pope and Mary Sawyer

Saturday 7 Feb at 7.30 p.m.

Beckenham Methodist Church

Bromley Road

Beckenham

Tickets £5.00 (includes refreshment) on the door.

Please come and support us, we promise a unique evening of words and music. I am so looking forward to this event. It's a first for Beckenham, and a first for, 'A Breeze Above Our Heads.'

Now, as you can imagine I have been very busy over the past few weeks, preparing for our debut show. Since Christmas I have not had a free day. One thing though, I have been able to cosy up in the flat and learn my lines (well, sort of). I've also done a bit of baking. I've made love heart biscuits for our audience on the 7th Feb. And today I tried out a new recipe which I got out of a magazine. It was for apple cookies. Unfortunately they didn't turn out anything like a cookie, more sort of soft, spongy, eggy type, scone type, unsweet, cocoa-nutty, keep you alive stodge. David and I will probably eat them, they are not too bad with a spoon of jam on the top, but I won't make them again. Oh, well, nothing new there then.

We had a slight shower of snow today, it started just after I had stepped out of the front door for a short constitutional, managed to wet me through as I determinately strode out, and cleared up the minute I got back to the flat. Cold air is very refreshing in the lungs after a day inside.

I hope you are keeping warm, dear reader, and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday 7 Feb.

And now for a bit of telly, it's nearly time for 'Death in Paradise' a little programme which amuses me.

Take care on the icy roads,

Love and hugs,

Jane x