Tuesday of this week marked the anniversary of the first lockdown here in the UK and the colour chosen was yellow. You may be wondering why I chose a picture of daffodils? Simple answer really… although individually daffodils are beautiful, they make more of an impact when there are a ‘host’ of them as Wordsworth suggested in his poem. I’m sure very few of us could have imagined that a year on we would be in lockdown number three. My heart goes out to everyone who has battled this dreadful pandemic and to all who have lost someone to it, but hopefully, thanks to the vaccine and sticking to the rules, the end is in sight. Like the daffodils, our strength is in numbers and we can win this war against Covid 19 if we stay patient and keep doing what we’ve been doing to protect each other.
There was another anniversary earlier this week too. March 24th 1984 was the first showing on UK television of the gameshow, The Price is Right. I mention it because I was in the original line-up of hostesses alongside the wonderful Leslie Crowther. I can hardly believe that was thirty-seven years ago and that throughout the period since I’ve have remained best friends with one of the other hostesses, Denise Kelly.
This photo was taken while we were working together on the show, but she has been a constant in my life even if we don’t see each other as often as we would like. She visited when each of my two children were born, and when my mum and dad were down (or technically up) from Nottingham and we’ve enjoyed many meals out together. We gate-crashed a holiday she and her long-time partner, Steve went on to Dubai after she’d casually said, ‘you should come’. In fact, on that holiday it was Denise who suggested adding the ‘and then’ onto the title of my first novel, Life’s a Beach and Then… do I owe her royalties I wonder?
She even flew out to Spain when we rented a house for a holiday to celebrate my 60th birthday …. If you screw your eyes up a bit we’ve hardly changed!!! And she was the only person, family aside who visited after I’d had my ankle surgery last January. As I posted on Instagram earlier this week, ‘Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart’ (Eleanor Roosevelt). I’m pleased to say my heart is imprinted with Denise-size footprints.
Not only is she a kind, caring, supportive friend, Denise also loves cats which leads me nicely into introducing Wilfie. He was about five weeks old when this photo was taken. Our daughter had rescued him along with his siblings who she then found homes for. Technically, Wilfie is our son, Dan’s cat, but he has lived seven of his seven and a half years with us. Dan has been with us on and off throughout but was unable to have him in rented accommodation when he was working away from home for long periods.
Wilfie has grown into a wonderfully handsome cat and before you judge me, I know he shouldn’t have been on the dining table, but I’d been writing for hours and he’d come to remind me that it was time for his lunch. Dan and his girlfriend, Katie will be moving into their first home together soon, so of course I’m going to miss him terribly… Wilfie that is!!! I’m only joking.
So, on next week’s blog I’m starting a new feature which will appear on the first blog of each month. It’s called ‘Between the Lines’ and will be a Q&A with author’s who have new books out. My first guest author is Kim Nash, pictured above with her first novel, Amazing Grace.
I’ve known Kim since she organised a blog tour for me for my second novel, If He Really Loved Me… back in 2015, but how much do I really know about her? If you’d like to find out more about Kim and her new book, Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove, out on the 30th March, check in next week.
Have a great weekend
Much love
Julia xx
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