It was so glad to get some lovely sunshine in the bluebell woods near me this week, I always love going on the long walk where I see carving like this one. Very decorative! See vlog below for more.
Mind you it was still quite cold. See below for when I had to show some people round the flats this week! It had turned bitter.
But not as bitter as the Christmas of 1976, when I was away – the only time in my life I’ve ever been away from my family on Christmas Day. I was reminded of it when I met up with one of my oldest school friends this week for a catch up.
The reason we were away was that my friend Denise and I went with our high school and some other schools in our borough, Merton, to a skiing trip in Andalo, in Italy. For some reason which I can’t remember, they had booked it to straddle Christmas! But along with a dozen or so fellow Willows girls, we joined a boys school, Rutlish, and had the time of our lives, such a laugh! Well I went to see Denise this week and afterwards, having forgotten to get a picture of her and me, she sent me these from her archives. She looks so stylish, she always, always was, although she never wore make up and still doesn’t! Look at the beautiful village behind us. It was so picturesque.
Oh my goodness, look at my 70s eyebrows! And look at my tooth, this was when I was 14 – nine years before I got my slanted front tooth fixed. (Actually that’s jogged a memory – it was fixed during my time presenting children’s BBC when one day Biddy Baxter asked to see me. The first thing she said after hello, was, “you’d have to get that tooth fixed!“ Well, I got my tooth fixed, but I still didn’t get a job on Blue Peter LOL – but that was the nearest I came. She wouldn’t be able to get away with saying things like that at an interview, nowadays, would she!) Anyway my tooth has been nicer looking ever since!
I think my eyes were a little bit puffy because of the sun, when that photo was taken. (I’ve got a DNA genetic skin thing that flares up if I stay in the Sun too long) and of course there was bright sunshine up on the ski slopes, I wore a hat down to my eyebrows and a balaclava up to the edge of my glasses – even when I wasn’t skiing. My memories of that trip include crying with laughter when Janet Devine skied straight into a snowbank at the side of the slope and couldn’t get up because her skis were twisted. Plus all of us trying to feel all grown up, and feeling terribly out of place. But then I was a teenager – didn’t everybody feel awkward back then! Especially because boys from the nearby boys school were also on the trip.
I got a proper boyfriend called Rob Cuthbert, from that boys school, not long after that; it didn’t last long, but it was good fun and he had a motorbike which was terribly grown up!
Anyway, so much for nostalgia. It was lovely having a big, big catch up with my lovely friend Denise when I visited their flat in Surbiton this week. We are due to meet with two other school friends Sharon and Dawn again at the end of April. It’s funny how revisiting certain parts of your mind, pings off a whole load of memories you thought you’d forgotten! Looking forward to it!
SNIPPETS
Showing off the Estate!
It’s a new era as of the 20th of April because this little team takeover the property management of our estate! Yay! Wildheart are very impressive, so are their systems, and so are their people. Regulars to my #Thursdaybantz will know how much of my bandwidth and headspace this topic has taken up over the last two years, as a director of my flats. So I am utterly delighted to have reached this stage now. Looking forward to working with lovely Veena and co, going forward 🙂
Nostalgic TV
Talking of flashbacks, nostalgia and children’s TV, this post got a lot of traction this week when 22 people left comments talking about their memories of watching these programs. Black and white, ‘Watch with mother’ featured string puppets ‘the wooden tops’, ‘Andy Pandy’ and more. When we were children, this is all we had to watch! If you look on YouTube now at clips of these shows, they were so slow – almost pedestrian, especially compared with today’s TV. But I know what I prefer, don’t you! I’m glad in my childhood we had these shows. In my young mind, my favourite character Bizzy Lizzy, from ‘ragtag and bobtail’, was as real as anything AI can create today. I used to pretend I was her, wearing a sunflower dress and touching the flower on the pocket to make my little dolls come to life – the same way she did with little Mo, her doll. Imagination was everything! Memories…
Bathtime Bliss
Phoebe and Jasper have a lot of imagination as well, especially Phoebe with her picture of me and her – somewhere on this wall – can you spot it! LOL. Yes, after the kids went home recently, I decided not to wash off their “artwork“ on my bathroom wall – now every time I walk in there, it reminds me of when they were here and makes me smile. Does anyone else do this? Sweet.
Watch – Well, ‘Josh Must Win’, ended, and guess what… He won! Very good show, don’t think they’ll be able to repeat it easily though, now the concept of a decoy show within a show is out in the open. See it on Channel 4 catch up if you’re interested in a bit of a reality TV human experiment with a twist!
On TV I watched an excellent docudrama, ‘Scoop’, The Newsnight / Prince Andrew interview, following the story of Sam McAllister, the feisty determined single mum and part-time guest booker/producer and how she got the scoop. Some excellent prosthetics and great performances, particularly by Billie Piper as Sam, Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis, and Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew!
Funny – a funny thing happened to me at the garden centre… it wasn’t caught on camera (fortunately?!), But when I went to the coffee shop and garden centre with my mum this week, I was pushing the trolley and the little greenhouse thing in a box which I had jammed into the bottom of the trolley, jutted out just a bit too far. As I went past a particularly precarious display of tall, upright plant supports, made of rusted metal with little finials on top, you can guess what happened! They went down like dominoes! Fortunately there were only a few of them, there was a big gap for them to fall into, and a lot of noise but nobody was hurt LOL! Had a lovely time with mum, didn’t get any pictures, sadly (I’ve been a bit zoned out this week!) But we had a nice mosey around the garden centre, (Dobbies, near me), and a lovely cup of tea. So nice to spend time with my mum. Her knee is recovering well and she’s starting to get a bit more mobile on her crutches :-). After all, it’s only been three weeks since her knee replacement operation, and she’s doing well. I bought her some bone broth online after she raved about a portion she was given, which seems to be a good fit for what she’s prepared to take (she’s pretty reluctant to take and use most things I recommend , I’ve got to be honest!). So this was a bit of a win!
Podcast – Go here to get the latest Inside QVC podcast from Will, and the current one if you haven’t listened yet :-). Don’t forget there’s a massive back list to catch up on, too!
This week Will talks to Theo Michaels – chef, author, and previous MasterChef contestant, about his passion for Greek food and how lockdown left him positive!
Vlog – nice long one out in Banstead Woods on one of the nicest days this week! Follow my social media to see all my updates in between Friday blogs! See it here.
Book of the Week – ‘Still Life’ by Sarah Winman. This Sunday Times best seller, popped up on my Audible app as a recommended title and I thought I would give it a go. It is an enchanting saga over several years, spanning the second world war and long afterwards, following a soldier who comes home after Italian occupation duties, to a troubled wife in the rough and ready East End of London and how his life changes when he’s left a very important item in someone’s will. But basically it is full of wonderful characters, extremely well written dialogue and brilliant narration by the author herself. Very, very funny moments, too. I’m enjoying every minute spending time with these people, finding out what happens next. I hope it will be a happy ending! Highly recommended 🙂
QVC TOP DEALS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Friday (today) – go to qvcuk.com and search ‘today’s special value’ to see and buy what’s left of the Paul Costelloe dressage multiway leather satchel.
Saturday – the amazing Margaret Dabbs London three-piece supersize for hands legs and feet, oh my gosh this is one of the best deals I’ve ever seen and has one of my top products ever probably in the top 10, the foot hygiene cream.
My heels and soles of my feet have never been so good! Try it!
Sunday – can’t wait to launch this on Saturday night at 9 o’clock, the garden reflections set of 10 colour changing classy stake lights that also have a dual function of just white! It will be phenomenal because Lorna has shown me the pictures. And less than £30, it will be so popular. definitely going to get some 🙂
Big deals ending Sunday night
Go to this section of our website each week to discover the current ones which often end on Sunday nights if there are any stocks left!
Big deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. Occasionally they last a couple of weeks but there are new ones every Sunday night so come back again and see them on the link above.
Next week should include:
– style – Scholl leather double strap sandal
– garden – grumpy gardener two in one sprinkler and hose gun
– digital – Periea set of seven assorted collapsible storage boxes!
– extra – future you magnesium+ duo eight week supply – I take magnesium every night and have never slept better :-). That’s my story, what will yours be?
– beauty – Gatineau age benefit collection
– main – ultrasun SPF 50 essentials duo
Now back to the today’s special values for the rest of the week –
Monday – it’s a biggie from Geller! Look at this set featuring the supersize balance and Brighten foundation in a three-piece collection.
Phenomenal value!
Tuesday – Australian body care or back with a four piece skin wash favourites collection, again really good values so stock up!
Wednesday – Lock n Lock with a 10-piece nesting set with a measuring tool!
Thursday – L’occitane 4pc shea moisturising collection! My goodness we’ve got some good deals in beauty this week!
Friday – a mini celebrity event on Friday featuring some of our stars of fashion so there is a Ruth Langford double breasted blazer on offer!
Friday 9 pm – it’s my long week off so I won’t be back, actually until Monday next weekend, but you can always check out the “my garden stories” multifunctional garden storage bench with two chairs.
And guess what’s back, ninja! Going on sale earlier in the week, the Woodfire outdoor pizza oven and smoker, pizza peel and cover! Launches Saturday night with Alex and on all day Sunday or whilst stocks last 🙂
A big garden event that weekend!
Next week – I’ll be kicking off on Monday the 15th, running another writing retreat at my guesthouse Retreats for You, down in Devon and a lot of spring jobs to do! Plus if I can fit it in, a VIP dinner this Friday night. And seeing Ghostbusters at the cinema with my ex-sister-in-law Alison!
Btw, on this week’s newsletter, (delivered into your email inbox every weekend, if you sign up by pressing the word newsletter at the bottom of this page) the exclusive is the picture of me at the hairdressers this week! And little Jasper on his favourite thing… Feel free to sign up and check your spam box if you don’t get it, just in case.
Best wishes and have a great week.
Debs
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