Hello from England!
This week I’ve mainly been in the Brighton area – specifically a beautiful picturesque village called Rottingdean. I’ve mainly been focusing on writing my one-man show in the hopes of taking it to Edinburgh Fringe Festival next year. And although the South Coast is lovely I have had quite a few very drunken nights in London town. Thanks to my friends (who shall remain nameless) let’s just say, the famous Groucho Club won’t forget us in a hurry!
Visiting Brighton is a bit like stepping back in time. You could confuse the pier for the one in Santa Monica except the tourists here are all wearing heavy jackets and carrying umbrellas, Yes ladies and gentleman welcome to a very typical British Summer! Along the pier you can see a few restaurants and bars, and the boardwalk jammed with people eating candy floss, toffee apples or sticks of rock. Kids laughing, running in and out of the adults. Screams fill the air from the thrill seekers on the rides, while the talking DJ tells you to “scream louder if you want to go faster”. Not to mention the constant dinging sound of loose change from the penny arcade and of course the seagulls squawking while trying to nick your chips. All though I was quite disappointed not to see any ‘kiss me quick’ hats. I was surprised on this cold and blustery day to see there were quite a few brave souls sitting on the pebbly beach in striped deckchairs, determined to get as much vitamin D they could…
Bila reunited
In a bit of a spur of the moment visit my BILA partner Eileen joined me and my host, Mel Brown for an evening where we took in a local pub crawl at three of the four pubs in Rottingdean. We had a bite in the first one, The Black Horse, a quaint old world pub with very low ceilings and a tiny stage (well, more of a step, really) for the local crooners to perform the hits of Perry Como and Andy Williams. Eileen and Mel both had the steak and ale pie with chips and I opted for the classic fish and chips. As for the second pub – The White Horse (yes, really) we were the only ones in the place, it’s truly a wonder they can afford to stay open! We swiftly moved on to the last one to play an old-fashioned game of scrabble, but not before passing the charity shop, the dressmaker, Ye Olde Tea Shoppe and of course the very busy funeral arrangements store. It was really great to spend some quality time with Eileen, as when we’re back in LA it’s very easy to get so busy that you are constantly running out of time, and easy to take friendships for granted.
RIP Cilla and George
Britain lost two great legends this past week, The great Cilla Black, a young starlet back in the Sixties who went on to reinvent herself in later life as host of the wildly successful TV dating show Blind Date, and the hankies-at-the-ready show Surprise, Surprise. From cheeky Liver Bird to national institution, Cilla will be missed. Check out a great three part mini series on Netflix called Cilla starring Sheridan Smith. Just days later we also lost our beloved George Cole, the actor who starred in the St. Trinian’s films and the classic 1951 version of A Christmas Carol before gaining small screen immortality for his portrayal of Arthur Daley in Minder. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families at this time. May they both rest in peace.
Well, I’m off to Nottingham this weekend to hang out with my family and friends ‘Up North’ Where I’m sure my cholesterol intake will skyrocket and my liver won’t thank me. I’m off for a run along the promenade now in total preparation for what’s to come.
Hope you are having a fun summer in LA – miss you all – not to mention some real summer weather!
Cheers
Craig
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