Grumpy, you did an amazing job coordinating the panto and I must say what a brainwave it was to allow the TV screen behind the scenes so that we could all keep up with the very important and exciting tennis match. It must be said tho that it can’t match the performance of ‘the cast’. I was pleased to note that no-one missed their cues cos they were into the tennis. The party is still in full swing and the OHs seem to have managed to provide the right mix of virtual tipples - and most are still sober too!
Teh director’s trophies have been awarded to just the right members of the cast but there is also a cast trophy to be awarded - very important director person, please step forward to take the most prestigious award in virtual panto land… the golden pumpkin. Well done!
Right…be glad to take all these instruments off me. Now where’s the party…oops, better round up the rabbits first! Not a bad sized audience tonight considering Murray was fighting to get through to the next round. Well done to the flushing chorus…Sally those cardies came off in perfect unison & not a bum note in the house. Feeling all emotional now it’s all over. Any volunteers for the clear up or shall we leave it until tomorrow?
Well done one & all
Twonky x
Welcome back J, just so sorry to hear your news, keeping my fingers crossed for your xrays and for your Mum, so very difficult for you both, will be thinking of you, lots of big hugs xx
WOWEEEE!!!
Fantastic performance by us all, bestest ever Panto, congratulations to grumpy for controlling us or should I say directing us.
Nerves gone, just adrenaline and pure excitement now, off to party party party!!!
See you in the morning for the reviews and all the gossip, will we really be global??? I simply can’t believe it. xx
PS FF, remember your poppers!
THE PAPERS ARE IN… OH THE SUSPENSE…
Well, we’ve done it - I quote
‘visually stunning - fans on fans a stroke of genius’
‘synchronised dancing and flushing as never seen before’
‘stupendous partnership between wimmin and companion animals’
‘make-up and blinged up costumes could teach Cameron Macintosh a thing or two for his next mega-production’
‘set imaginatively designed and constructed’
‘an evening’s entertainment such as we’ve never seen before’
‘a bunch of amateurs who show the professionals how to put a REAL show’
Oh Ladies, we did it!!! And thank you so much for the Golden Pumpkin, it’s in pride of place next to the Retirement Gold Clock!
Now going to the Snoozy Bench, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Love to you all my darlings (gracious wave)
grumpy
Whoopee, such rave reviews! Munching my breakfast and reading the headlines, how wonderful
The Golden Pumpkin Award so richly deserved by you Grumpy (did you find the bouquet that arrived for you a few posts ago too). Enjoy a quieter day basking in your glory.
All rubbish has been gathered and taken to the shed where I am using Katy’s transmat beam to send it to the relevant recycling centres. Not so sure about those abandoned sweaty black joggers though… yuck! OK, glasss… zzzzzap; paper… zzzzzzap! That’s better.
Now off for a quiet day’s w-o-r-k! Meanwhile Pukey is snoozing gently and refusing to answer al the phone calls from glossy magazines…
Bye for now.
Well! What a triumph! That showed the professionals a thing or two??
Spoons, spoons, we all need spoons! Rumages frantically in RevCat’s thoughtfully provided supply.
__________________{ I bent a thwacking ladle bashing an over excited alligator on the nose - he seemed to have designs on a certain large pumpkin!
As for bum notes, Twinky… what do you think the explosions were then?? 
Groan…partied too much…need a cure for a virtual hangover so I’m fit for my bandrehearsal tonight. Big milestone for me next Saturday as I play with them for the first time this year at my local carnival. Missed them so much. I won’t be back with them properly until September as I have rads to contend with next but I feel like I’m on my way. Got lots of friends & family coming to see me so very excited/nervous! Anyone who fancies a night out in Warwickshire to see me perform please pm me for details.
Well done for the fantastic reviews ladies. Lays a good foundation for a possible Christmas Panto?
Twinky x
Well finally surfaced after being exhausted from the GREAT SHOW we gave last night. Glad it all went so well and the reviews are great too, have just seen one praising the timing of Pukey the cat - a maze zingggg as CRH says on stictly.
Katy - we have made it we are global!!
Back in reality - Hi J, although I am a newbie to benchland I am so sorry to hear your news about your mum and I hope your scan is all clear. Sending you thoughts of strength and hugs in this difficult time (( xx))
Twinky - good luck with the carnival next week,if I lived nearer I would pop along but I am on the opposite side of the widest part of the country.
If anyone thinks I’m going through this again, they can take a running jump into the lake full of alligators!!!
You have all been amazing, and I just love the Golden Pumpkin, and the Bouquet - thank you so much.
Rita (Support Group of One) is overjoyed at how well we did - even though she can’t quite get her head round it: Benchland isn’t an easy concept to grasp is it…
Had a very nice gentle walk round the Langdale Gala today (with two grumpy pupkins), came home for a tincture or two (or three or four…) so now it’s sausage and mash with grumpy’s famous onion gravy, followed by slumping in front of the TV and the fire
and lots more zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
must go to the loo - alcohol is a diuretic!
And tomorrow I shall be on the Real Life Bench- hope it’s not TOO boring!!!
grumpy
Wow, what a night that was!! Amazing all of you. Thanks to whoever shoved me back on the broomstick ,i sooooo nearly fell off and ruined the production!! Thank you so much Grumpy for the make-up award, I will always treasure it.
I have greatly enjoyed my first foray into panto land.
I’ve done absolutely nothing today,preparing for another week of rads. As Grumpy said back on the Real Life Bench and not looking forward to it. I shall miss the excitement of the last weeks!!
On the kn*ckered bench after the band rehearsal today but I’m ready for the Carnival next week. Ad I managed to play through the entire 1.5 hour set list today I should definitely be ok for next weekend when I will have had a few more days to recover from the last Tax. Felt so good to play with the band again. Made me forget all about what I’ve been going through this year…sigh.
Might need to go on the reflective bench though as Clare’s funeral is the day before the Carnival. Shall be glad to have ChoccieMuffin & Vercors there with me.
Twinky x
Twinky, well done on the band practice, I bet it felt SOOOO good to be doing regular fun stuff again. You did the right thing by stepping back for a few months, and with your SEs you wouldn’t have been up to it for some of the time at least, and would have felt bad letting them down. This way, you didn’t.
Glad you’re feeling better today. Must have been the excitement of the panto. I was very impressed with the way you played those cymbals with your knees, while squeezing that accordian, blowing the harmonica and banging the bass drum on your back, all while herding two recalcitrant rabbits away from the lake. You did a sterling job of keeping the cardi removals in perfect synchronisation, very impressive.
Grumpy (no doubt soon to be DAME Grumpy, in recognition of your services to lunacy and the theatrical arts) your Golden Pumpkin was well deserved. As the best would say, “we couldn’t have done it without you!”
The Real World bench tomorrow includes a German exchange student, so this week’s going to be interesting in so many ways. I’m not the best of cooks, and this young lady is also a veggie, so there’s an extra challenge for me.
J, yes of course I remember you, and I’m so sorry you’ve had more bad news in your family. Here’s hoping the medics can find suitable treatment for your mum to keep symptoms under control for a long time. That news has to be our deepest fear and one that walks beside us every day. Here’s keeping things crossed for your own tests, no wonder your poor daughter’s so upset.
Right then, off to my pit. I’ve spent the weekend trying to blitz the place, have made about 6 trips to the dump with my car filled to the roof and you’d hardly notice the difference, the house is still stuffed with stuff. Ho hum, next weekend for more trips to the dump I think.
Night all, and I will bask in the reflected glory of that pumpkin.
I’m so proud to know you all… it was fabulous! and Soddit had a wonderful time (sorry he chased the rabbits at the wrong moment…)
CM - veggie risotto is easy… fry onions & garlic, add risotto rice and slowly add veggie stock (from cube), throw in whatever veggies you have - mushrooms, asparagus (at this time of year) etc… A spoonful of Philly at the end is lovely, or if you don’t want to do that, stir in some healthy butter and parmesan (& leave it to stand for a few mins)
Real World Bench calls…
Oh dear woke up yesterday with a raging throat infection, ouchy ouch (like swallowing glass) so have popped over to the “feeling c***” bench.
Well. wasn’t that all fabulous darlings, reviews were totally fantastic, loved the Golden Pumpkin Award so well deserved grumpy! I noticed your knees buckled a little when you picked the pumpkin up so when you nxt bring it back into Benchland we’ll put it on the transmat, between the huge bouquet and pumpkin we were unable to see you for a while.
FF glad you received make-up award, very well deserved, you just managed to get the right redness, well done you.
As for RevCat’s cat she almost stole the show!
The after party was wonderful, laughed, drank, ate and was still dancing towards the end!!!
pargayan, did you see the black tracksuit bottoms lying in front of the stage?? I could swear saw someone running around again in the black speedos!!!
Still pouring with rain here, have to get moving or should I have another cup of tea???xx
Poor you Katytc…send you a hug & prescription for lots of lovely ice cream to soothe the throat!
Hi CM…never a dull moment in your household! I too need to slowly ( withemphasis on the word slowly)need to clean up the house before 5 members of my family arrive to stay next weekend! Got lotslog people coming to see the band so am quite excited!
Anyone else feeling a bit lost now the show is over? You sure you don’t want to do another one at some point Grumpy…
Twinky x
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
AND MORE ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
grumpy
Sorry Katy, I have spoken to him and he holds his hands up and admmits to being guilty. He had a few too many at the after show party and was carried away with the success of raining men. He also apologises that the speedos were 1 size too small. I have banned him from any other pantos and being on the bar.
Hope your throat does not develop into anythig else and you recover quickly. Am feeling a little rough myself, cannot put my finger on it but know my neuts were low on thurs so wonder if they are still not right. Will find out on weds.
Enjoy your snooze grumpy.
Rain not yet reached us.
LOST:
Energy, Appetite & Sense of Humour
Last seen during first chemo session 8 days ago.
If found, please return asap.
You find me on the CBA beanbag unless I am feeling too sorry for myself envying everybody who has their OH or other family taking care of them right now…
Congrats on the performance everybody! Sorry, I was missing in action…
xx
Aw, Evie. Sending hugs. I hope your sense of humour, energy and appetite return soon. Can’t speak from experience, but I’ve read from others that the 1st week after each juicing is the worst, so hopefully you’ll start to feel better soon.
Sending you spoons and virtual cake (no appetite required - and it ALWAYS tastes just great!!)
xxx
Hi,
I have a PhD in Feeling Guilty and would like to take up a place on the feeling guilty bench.
I have been feeling guilty about:
- Disrupting the lives of my family, friends and work colleagues by getting cancer,
- Not telling people I have cancer,
- Telling people I have cancer,
- My cancer apparently responding to chemo so far when other people’s might not have,
- Not having as bad chemo side effects as other people,
- Writing posts that make other people feel guilty.
I will try not to take up too much space.
Many thanks
Squeakymouse.