Saturday 24 May 2014

Birthday Corby Brighton Chelsea Flower show

Well, May has become life changing. Great reviews, a great party, great shows and flowers. Got a lot of photos for you, and a bunch of news. Got a wonderful review or too about the place, which is grand as the album is released in the US this coming week. Here's one from Seattle. Where, hint hint, I would love to play.

http://blogcritics.org/music-review-barb-jungr-hard-rain-the-songs-of-bob-dylan-and-leonard-cohen/

So - where to start? OK. The big birthday at the 606 club was just brilliant. Habie Schwarz took some superb photos of friends and performers there, and I'm including a couple, here. The 606 was the best host venue in the known cosmos and thanks to the kindness and generosity of my great friend Ernest Hecht we had a superb party. We had curry and prosecco, performances from Mel Harrold, Sarah Moule, Bjarne Norum, John Korn, Claire Martin and Simon Wallace, and Eve Ferret and Ben Bowling spoke, Philip Herbert wrote a poem specially and Rania Hafez read Sufi wisdom. And Mari Wilson, Claire Martin and I had a sing. Ronnie and the Rex blew up a storm and we danced. It was a party and a half and I thank everyone who helped make it so. And there was cake from Megan's in the New Kings Road that went all around London as well.  Here's Ernest having party fun -
Ernest laughing
Steve Ruby Barb and Claire Martin


The Old Girl Talk get together Mari, Claire and Barb

Sally Blades, Barb and Ernest
Phil Herbert getting a big kiss
James Offer brings the cake and candles


Sophie Coats and Amanda Denton Stuart Ongley and Dave Mauchline in the foreground

werewolves of London dancing to Ronnie and the Rex

Then there was a great show last friday night at my lovely second home theatre, The Core in Corby with a fantastic audience of Dylan, Cohen and Barb friends in the audience, before we met with the International Women's Forum weekend. On the saturday we were at BAFTA in the David Lean room (great black and white stills from some of Britain's most celebrated films) and Simon and I got a standing ovation from a fantastic audience of some of Britain's most mover-y and shaker-y women after rocking out Red Red Wine and Forever Young. On the Sunday there was a breakfast debate at King's Place, the sun beat down and we hammered at the way forward for women in the world. We got there in the end. Now we just have to make it so! Inspiring speeches and conversations, on, as Shelley Von Strunckel pointed out, hallowed ground, with Boadicea buried nearby - apparently under a platform at Kings Cross is one theory.

Monday found us in beautiful rural Northamptonshire. I went looking for the grass snake (which resolutely refused to show itself) in Ros's pond, while mum and Ros went to bond with the alpacas in the field beyond. I discovered I have alpaca fear, as they came running towards me and I upped and ran away! I may still be traumatised by the alsatian that ran at me when I was a little girl. But I shall go face my fears and the alpacas again next time I'm at Ros's and make peace with their leader. They kind of look like punk sheep so really we ought to get on fine. Here they are, mum and Ros and the alpacas, all having a super time together.
alpaca fun, Ros and Mum in Brigstock

more alpaca fun for Ros and Mum


alpaca a go go the guys love mum and Ros
After the alpacas we had tea sitting in the late afternoon sunshine in the garden before heading off to a superb rehearsal with Head of Snakes and The Deep Roots Tall Trees choir at The Ark school in Rockingham Road in preparation for the big concert in August. We made for home under a lovely May night sky but no owls and the next day we were up early and off to Brighton, where we hit the pier with a vengeance before I headed off to my shows at Komedia, with Simon playing up a storm and the best audiences in the Brighton festival.
Mum on the pier

Simon - a musician prepares

Mum finally got all of me in on the iPhone

me preparing in dressing room

we love Brighton
Back to London after a couple of great seaside days and then straight to heaven, or Chelsea Flower Show as its also know. I've never been and now I am going to go every year. It brought my latent botanist out, I conversed about carnivorous plants and peonies, cacti and fuchsias with anybody from anywhere who'd care to. What's wonderful is that all the gardeners are more than happy to engage anyone interested, because of the true love they feel for the work they do and the plants they nurture. I embraced the scent of a thousand blossoms. Glorious to be with Aki my sister in law and mum on such a sunny afternoon (after the hail and thunder) and just look at plants (with about ten million other people). We all crawled around in a state of bliss, bathed in photosynthesising artistry. Then we sped off like jet setters to Julian's birthday party, pink champagne and more people. And May isn't even over yet! Just a taster here of Chelsea's marvels and Aki, my mum and I, enjoying them. I'll leave you with the flowers and say - Happy Spring to you all on this gorgeous May Bank Holiday.


















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