Near social disaster and the Number One Talent Spotter

Thoroughly enjoyed last night’s opera at Glyndebourne – Carmen is one of my favourites and they did it fabulously. The best Don Jose ever, I thought – he certainly knew how to act. The woman playing Carmen was pretty good too. But the near social embarrassment of the season was that in the short interval (as opposed to the long interval ...) I was chatting to Lord H near the shop when I saw a woman standing nearby whom I vaguely recognised. I couldn’t remember whether I knew her from work and, if so, which job it had been, so rather than blanking her I gave a half-smile and took a couple of steps towards her to have a casual chat. Um. It was at that point that I realised it was actually Sheila Hancock. Arrgghhh!! Being the totally cool customer that I am of course, I gave a strangled squawk and veered off in another direction. Mind you, I suppose she must be used to that kind of thing. But can you imagine the trauma if I’d got so far as to start the conversation???

Had quite a strange dream last night too – Lord H and I were going to University and had our first day at Van Mildert College in Durham (weird, as I did go to Durham University, twice, but never to Van Mildert …). I was rushing up and down corridors, desperately trying to find out where to buy food from or whether they did meals in-house. I then went to see if there was any post for us and found that Mother had sent Lord H a mug and me a book, though we never unwrapped either. Lordy but it must mean something – but who knows what??? Mind you, this isn’t as scary as the dream Ruth apparently had about me last week in which I had a child – a child???! Lord help us all indeed …

Meanwhile back on the ranch, I am still chasing up Freshers’ Week arrangements, and my emails are getting slightly more strained and tearful now (hmm, does this link in with my dream, I ask myself??). Ah, there’ll be more of that in the next few weeks, believe me. However, to ease the stress of it all, I brought in cakes to celebrate my hole in one last week (did I mention that at all?...) so it’s easing the traumas of Monday for us. It is, after all, the last week of vacation hours so the last week we can leave at 5pm. It’s 5.30pm from next week till the finale, m’dears. Sigh. It’s that last half-hour that gets us every time, you know …

I’ve also sent off the review and complimentary copies of Maloney’s Law to all and sundry, so here’s hoping people enjoy it. Had my usual reflexology session at lunchtime, which was total bliss. I think Emily even came in specially, which was sweet of her. What a star.

Ooh, and I appear to be Joint Number One Talent Spotter on the new Harper Collins Authonomy website – but not for long, I’m sure. The books are doing pretty well in the gay charts too, but sadly not in the charts publishers actually read. Ah, ’twas ever thus … Still, I shall bask in my temporary glory while it lasts. And if you want to know what to read, hey, I’m the one to ask.

Tonight, I’m fighting my way through the shops, though thankfully the list isn’t as long as it usually is, and then it’s a repeat of “New Tricks” on TV, hurrah. They’re such class, you know.

Today’s nice things:

1. Not making a complete idjit of myself (for once) at the opera
2. Sending out Maloney into the big wide world
3. Cakes (for my hole in one, in case you’d forgotten …)
4. Reflexology
5. Being a Number One Talent Spotter – briefly
6. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website