" Home SWEET Home!! "

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY

"Home Sweet Home" - Well, here I am after a week at being at home - where I
have been able to return to my regime of "Counting Calories" and practicing
the 5/2 Diet - I am happy to report a Weight Loss of 3lbs. That brings me
to 5lbs short of 3 Stone (or 42lbs) loss since I started on the 8th of January!
So bring on the jammy doughnuts - it's time to party!!

Hope everyone had great Easter - I, myself was "Home Alone" in Brentford with all

my children and Cindy off in the four corners of the Globe. But that didn't stop me

receiving tantalising photos of friends and family's Easters abroad!

This was Easter in North Ridgeley, Los Angeles. Sent by my friend, Screenwriter

and Director Christopher Monger..

This was Easter Brunch in Kansas City with Cindy and her friends

Mitch and Joann Brian.

This was Easter in Littlehampton, UK with Emily and her Family.

Imagine being a kid and waking up to Easter with this on your table...

Bravo Emily - absolutely magical!!

Easter in Brentford, UK

 Here is my Easter Egg I bought myself (Yes, all my kids will recognise it,  

it's a tiny "Cadbury's Cream Egg") I hid it on Saturday afternoon for my Easter Egg 

Hunt on Easter Sunday morning...........unfortunately, at 63 years old, 

I'm still looking for it!

GOOD FRIDAY

(Marks & Spencer/Hammersmith Branch)

On Good Friday I found myself parked outside of Marks & Spencer in Hammersmith. I also found 

myself in a dilemma - do I need to put money in the meter? It was a Bank Holiday and I didn't want

to pay for parking if I there was no need. I decided to ask the driver who was sitting

 in the car in front of me. As he lowered his window I asked him my parking question.

He replied: "Ian McNeice?...Stephen Poliakoff!"

Stephen Poliakoff

Stephen is the prolific writer/director of such TV Films  as "The Lost Prince",

"Shooting the Past",  "Gideon's Daughter",  "Glorious 39",  "Friends & Crocodiles"

and most recently the masterpiece "Dancing on the Edge"

This had a wonderful cast that included Chiwetel Ejifor, Matthew Goode, John Goodman,

and a delightful Cameo performance by:

Jacqueline Bisset

"DANCING ON THE EDGE"

I had met Stephen years ago at the house of Charles and Phoebe Sturridge. I congratulated

him on his production and said what a coup it had been to cast Jacqueline Bisset. We both

remembered the rather awkward acceptance speech she had given at the Golden Globes 

after winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role for a Mini Series. For those of you that didn't

catch it - I've included it below - Stephen said she became notorious afterwards,  as a

darling of the US Chat Shows trying to explain the content of her speech!

YOU TUBE

(Acceptance Speech)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZceewp02cE

PARKING METER

Oh, and for those of you who may be interested:  NO I DIDN'T have to put money in
the parking meter - it was a Bank Holiday!!

EASTER SUNDAY

On Easter Sunday I had another little walk-about around Brentford. It was raining 

unfortunately. They had recently dug up the little square where the Sunday Market had been.

Apparently we are going to get a whole new square with fountains, new trees and a

bigger Sunday Market. Lets hope that's true - it would be nice. Until then,  the depleted, 

sad, Sunday Market had been relegated to a side street.

Rainy Sunday Market.

It took all my will power not to have a big Bap/Roll with Slow 

Roasted Pulled Pork!!

Had to make do with some Dover Sole instead!!

Oh yes, and the obligatory Flat White Coffee!!

DAVID HINCHLIFFE

(The Australian Artist)

David has been painting in his Studio in New York getting ready for the New York

Art Fair - the outcome of which is extraordinary. According to the organisers his

sales far exceeded any other artist! He literally sold out of all his paintings - 25, 

plus 2 commissions and probably another in the pipeline. In his own words

(describing the gallery where a red sticker was applied each time a painting of his was sold)

"There were so many red dots it looked like we had measles." 

He has just celebrated his 59th Birthday. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID and CONGRATULATIONS!

KANSAS CITY

My friend Mitch Brian is a gifted Music Video Director and his latest creation is no

exception. The Band is called THE LATE NIGHT CALLERS and you can see them

in Kansas City where they play at "Knuckleheads".

The place where the Video was filmed is called THE GREEN LADY (A Jazz Bar)

at 17th & Grand in Kansas City - a beautiful place.

Here is the Link to play the Video - do take a look - it's wonderful!

http://vimeo.com/92299759

TOMMY COOPER

This Easter Monday on ITV there was a rare treat. An actor that I worked with in the late

70's at the Royal Shakespeare Company and then more recently in the award 

winning HBO show "Conspiracy" - gave an outstanding performance in a Biopic

about Tommy Cooper. David Threlfall (Frank Gallagher in "Shameless") gave a

faultless performance - he is bound to be nominated for a BAFTA. Well done David!

David as Tommy Cooper - warts and all.

CHRISTOPHER MONGER

My friend Christopher Monger, pictured here with his wife Karen lives and

works in Los Angeles. He is a patriotic Welshman and we have known each

other since we were 16 years old when we were at school together at Taunton in Somerset. 

He is a gifted artist in more ways than one.  A painter, screenwriter, film director, author, poet 

and now he has a new string to his bow - a Stand-up Comedian. He has been

going on a regular basis to perform at "Open-Mike" evenings at Comedy Clubs

in LA. This takes guts and judging by the little You Tube clips he

has sent me - he's been receiving good reactions. His latest outing is a reading

of childhood memories in Wales. And in his own words: 

"If you have 10 minutes to spare......."

(This is the Link to his reading)

                         http://youtu.be/9rxhdGD3TEA

Oh, and spare them - you won't be disappointed!



And finally:
HUTCHINSON, KANSAS 

A lovely photo to end on:

In the words of Cindy:

"Spring in the Backyard"