To be honest Foxyferret I thought we’d got away with it, trust The Boss to notice. So, I’m a wise camel, and you’re a glittery woman with four legs, ok??? I’m sorry I wandered in before my scene, I just got excited…I’m not sure if it was the thought of the spider down JCJ’s bra or Foxy having a sex slave…or maybe it was the large swig of possibly out of date but tastes ok to me Baileys. Anyway, will behave better next time…although I did enjoy it when wise woman Foxy tried to give me a piggy back down the escalator. I’m sure maintenance will be able to fix it for Friday.
Pssstttttt…Foxy…I suspect I’m supposed to carry you…
Has anyone chatted to Nannabarb in the last couple of days? I don’t remember seeing her on here for a while
Firstly would like to say that the carols are maaaaaaaaaaaaaaarvellous, so talented, ladies 
!
Did nanna not move house recently Ali???
That was a fabuuuuuuulous rehearsal even though there seemed to be a couple of mix ups, costumes and make up gorgeous, throwing all that glitter and everyone jingling bells was a perfect ending to last nights rehearsal.
Dame Grumpy had to be impressed with our efforts and dedication.
I’m soooooo sorry for letting everyone down, basically skydiving off of JCJ’s back, think I was also overly excited 
!
May have to just walk down the escalators, can you manage the FB bench on your back??
Brick hard ice here and see snow forecast, yippeeeeeeeeee, can practise whenever I want, great job fellow LUVVIES xx
Oooh Katy we could bring this right into the 21st century with an eye popping opening scene, Bond style!
Cue music…strobe light on donkey, with mummy looking rather precarious in chair on donkey’s back, at the top of our lovely, long escalator! Drum roll thunder…Lightning flash…mummy leaps out of chair, aaaargh!!! But, phew, parachute made out of a large pair of bloomers borrowed from a Woodie’s tent opens, all a-spangle with excess glitter sparkling in the spot lights, and floats mummy safely down to the ice rink. All the excitement brings on her labour, waters gush dramatically across the ice, exit mummy stage right. Lovely. That should grab their attention!
Is there room up your jumper for a large balloon of water to pop at the appropriate moment? Cause if you pop it mid-air it will just look like you’ve peed yourself, and we don’t want that. Oh, and a bit of glitter in the water too I think, so it sparkles on the ice.
Of course this leaves donkey stranded at top of escalator…hmmm, needs a bit of work I think…
Ali, would def be up for that, have been worrying about all the pressure on JCJ’s back and that would solve the problem ! I LOVE IT!!
Do you think Dame Grumpy will give the go ahead??
Not sure if I have anymore room for a water balloon, will have to think hard about where I can put it.
Donkey can come down the escalator, singing (one of her special carols) whilst Mummy is giving birth to plastic baby doll, great audience distraction…
This is going to be the best ever, Ali you have excelled yourself
Do do doo do do do dooda doo dooda do xx
if you popped the water mid air, it would look as if your “waters had broken” and make it all the more important for Joseph to find you somewhere to stay… just a thought…
practising on snow and ice here too… yipeee!
splat!
Noooooooo!
Wish I had come to read these earlier they do cheer me up and make me laugh I really do need more laughter right now you ladies are amazing
Hello all, I have popped across from the Woods after hearing about the pantomime from some of the fabulous ladies on there.
Still going through chemo (FEC3 yesterday), with rads and tamoxifen to follow so a way to go before NEDland.
some of you worried about those going through treatment finding this thread too frivolous. Being honest if people don’t like it there are lots more serious threads they can join. My daughters worried when I said I was joining a forum that it would all be ‘doom and gloom’ and would depress me. They should read this thread Lol!
i read an earlier message that talked about keeping our sense of humour - that is soo true, I want to stay me with my sense of humour. My girls have geed me up a bit to stay ‘me’ , putting on makeup, dressing more like me etc and that was a bit of a wake up call for me as I realised I was slipping into ‘not bothering’ mode.
so after all that can I be an honorary visitor to the thread? Happy to help in the panto where I can, or just watch from a bench or a bed depending on when it is.
it all sounds fabulous Dame Grumpy - am looking forward to innovative choreography, stirring carols, scrumptious food and I know wonderful company.
If it helps I am not afraid of spiders and I can sew hems!
Kay x
Ha ha Kaytee I read that as ‘stew’ hems - one track mind. Everything has to be food-related! 
Of course you are welcome to “hover” or join in as much or little as you want. Find a comfy bench near the refreshments and enjoy.
Marvellous! Not only do I have to heft the FB (Fat B****ard) bench and a rotund Mummy, but now a large water filled balloon as well, only to be left stranded like a tw*tbloody lemon ejit at the top of the escalator, probably soaking wet from all that water. May even cause a fire, what with the electrics and everything!
As for singing - I’ve warned you: I WRITE them and MIME them, can’t hold a tune to save my (or anyone else’s) life!
Oh dear! Was I not supposed to model myself on Eeyore then? Humph!
evening all…
nasty weather here today, all snow, sl eet and rain, so had to miss appt with Talking Lady due to impassable roads!
Kay of course you can join in our panto - perhaps you could stand in the wings with sewing kit in case anyone needs running repairs to their costumes. Enthusiastic acting, singing and dancing can get out of hand at times…
GRUMPY DOES NOT SHOUT ITS A LIE…
see you all on Friday
grumpy
JCJ if you hang around till act 2 you can be an honorary camel and come down the escalator with us
Yippee sewing kit at the ready with needle threader (required due to age!), multiple spools of thread including camel colour and best scissors!
thank you Dame Grumpy!
JCJ - am with you on food, I hide some in my bedside table for when I get the munchies on an early night (most nights) , whilst OH watches football downstairs. hee hee!
am very sympathic to your plight JCJ. Are you training hard for this lifting (virtual of course), I will put a screwdriver in my sewing box in case I need to fix electrics. Am not qualified but enthusiastic.
be there on Friday
kay x
Doo doo doo doo dooda doo dooda doo, totally taking the “bond” theme to the max, can someone please bring the big, baggy knickers from the Woods? Really need to find the right technique, cross between abseiling and skydiving.
JCJ are you in a mood? cause when you “bucked” there I wasn’t quite ready, splat on ice really is not a good look and as I landed on the balloon am rather wet now… 
!
Kay, welcome to Benchland, really happy to see you are getting into the spirit of things, sewing, not scared of spiders and a would be electrician, well impressed now if you can sing you have the potential to be the total package??
Off now to dry my costume xx
pssssssssssssssst Almost forgot does anyone know when one of our esteemed Benchlanders birthday is? It’s the big 50 so a special celebration in her honour, if anyone can find out would be much appreciated, but we have to do it quietly so it’s a surprise, sleuthing required xx
Morning ladies, gents, animals and assorted mythical creatures!
I have just erected a huge table over there…> which is groaning under the weight of Chrstmas dinner (omnivore, veggie and vegan variarions) left from feeding the seven students last night. I have enough roast spuds for a small army of flushing soldiers, and sufficient brussels sprouts to create a fair old breeze… There’s only so much roast dinner a girl can eat! Also we have Christmas pud, cream, custard, mince pies, cheese board, fruit… and lashings of ginger beer and glitterberry juice. Bestest of all, any time can be dinner time and it’s all calories free in Benchland.
Off to do some sick visiting in Land of NED and then have a nice long snooze!!!
Ooh be there for lunch Revcat, thank you for thinking of us!
kay x
Bad News Grumpy, the sheep have a nasty touch of scab running through the flock so they need a good dipping and will be too wet for rehearsal this evening. I think we can work round it by using Indian Runner ducks, The punters won’t notice the difference will they?
If they do notice I can swing into a chorus of:
I saw three ducks come waddling in, waddling in, waddling in,
I saw three ducks come waddling in, on Christmas Day in the morning.
Now where are those Christmas quackers…
LOL Clunk that made me chuckle. How is Mrs Clunk doing? Please send her our love, we have a special VIP guest box where she can view the panto whilst partkaing of any Benchland goodies she wishes.
Nannabarb we are missing you, hope you are just really busy. May I ask after your friend? Lots of hugs and love to you.
Katy someone has scrawled a message on the iced over part of the lake (have to keep cutting a hole in it so guilt can be dumped) that says this -
The date you seek, is not this week, nor yet even the next
Piaf, Jackson, Hammond share the date, check then you won’t be vexed
Not sure I have a clue what it means, but maybe it means something to you?
WOW, Thank you for spotting the above clue RevCat, as you know through previous ventures in Benchland I am a bit of a super sleuth…detective work done!!
Now who left the clue??? Will there be anymore???
I just love a good mystery xx
I did go for a swim! Was rewarded by having the WHOLE 25m pool (and 4 lifesavers!) to myself for 10 minutes! There were only 6 of us in at any point during the hour. Bliss. Glad I went. Cream crackered (with cheese please!) bench now though!