Grundy Light Exhibition Blackpool

I visited the Grundy Gallery in Blackpool to see the light exhibition

only with my iPhone  i snapped away... hopefully I can go again 

with dancers as I think it could be a interesting Shoot!


Paddington Basin!

Last trip to London I finally had chance to walk around Paddington Basin

I really liked the architecture, the reflections in the water...

 

THEATREWORKS JUNIOR!

Calling All Friends of Blackpool and along the Fylde Coast,
Phil Winstons TheatreWorks is proud to announce the launch of
THEATREWORKS JUNIOR....
SATURDAY Mornings won't be the same!!
If you have a young one with or with out talent
Then bring them along for a action packed fun filled morning
of DANCE.-ACT-SINGING trained by the Top Choreographers and Theatreworks Tutors . Learn to .DANCE in all styles from Street...HipHop. Tap. Jazz. SING from Musicals to the Charts and ACT, Drama all the way! So bringing WEST END training at its best to amazing studios in heart of Blackpool on the Prom..
Phil Winston's Theatreworks college has produced students in such high regard for the Entertainment Industry ..students being in.Leading roles in the West End ,Broadway,Television,Film,Charts Videos...and Dance in the four corners of the Globe. Theatreworks Juniors is the place to be.....for the Stars of Tomorrow!
Please pass and spread around ..

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New Term at Phil Winston's Theatreworks

Had the chance to see all the new students and the the return students now 2nd and 3rd years 

at Theatreworks, and lucky enough to snap away!!!

So inspiring to see the young talent of today... all with the passion I still have today about Dance!

For me there was nothing like the feeling of being in class or working with choreographers

and of coarse myself choreographing IN THE REHEARSAL ROOM....when there are no limits and you can push yourself and others .. The feeling when your body is warm and  you dance your heart out....


NFA celebration at the Painted Hall...

A  celebration of the NFA in the most stunning of venues,

From the guards display on the lawns of the Naval College

to a service in the Chapel and then to the Painted Hall 

for a gala dinner and performance, A special Event!

I marvel at watching Dougie .... he really is a masterclass

on how to get a event on, attention to detail and doesn't let go until it all is solved 

and followed up! but boy did he have  us rushing about all day on our feet!!

 


Ride the lights..

The annual ride the lights along the prom seems to come around so quick!

and its light switch on this week! where is time going to.... but there was a stunning sunset....

 

Trip down South!

After having a confusing couple of months!(okay years!) A trip down south was a well needed tonic...Great

to spend time with my dear mother but a bonus that my brother Richard who lives in Denmark and younger bruv Paul were all there too! All staying at my sisters house while she is not there!!!but she was well missed!!! (better say that bit) no truly she was very missed!!...All our lives are so different, but there is always a bond that brings you together, so lots of times chatting over the dinning table and reminiscing about our child hood... Mother was in good form her brain and knowledge is astounding, she really should be a expert on the WAR!!! But dithers all over the place and confuses us all when her stories begin and end!!! do they end??? Her heart for all my siblings is true mother style, loves us unconditionally and so proud of each of us....but don't get her on politics!!!!

That is another story.... no wonder where I get certain attributes to my personality! but her mind is as sharpe as a button!!

Lovely catching up with Richard with all the news on his sons,wives and now grandchildren in Denmark

Such a proud father . He is a lovely man.......and Paul and Cedric it really is one man and his dog! treats him like a King!!

Cedric rules the roost! but the dogs singing was well worth the trip!!!

The brothers trip to see Dad was as expected, he is such a character...Bless dear old Ivan!!!

Loved the fact that I had posted a pic of him in his younger days on Fb!

Saw my niece Claire and daughter Emily, who's 3... I take my hat off to all parents!!! its hard work entertaining them!!!

A trip to London taking Dougie for meetings and Paul VJ day BBC. Got a few hours to my self loving London...

I drove Dougie around Hampshire and Sussex Chichester,Bosham etc There really is some stunning villages... brought back memories of childhood!!!

So did chats about dear Auntie Spratt!! with amusing stories!!!(she was our next door neighbour when we were children and I adopted her as my nanny as I didn't have one!!)

a lovely walk with cedric ended the perfect days of being with family! 

 



Breakfast in London

A quick trip to London ! actually I was more like a taxi service!

Driving Dougie to meetings and Paul to BBC, then The day was mine... 

Dougie and I had a fab breakfast in Great Portland street, Then I walked around my city!

How I love London.... visited old suppliers, grabbed a few coffees watching the world go by,

Went to the portrait Gallery to see the exhibitions, stunning portraits!

Then met The fabulous Judy Green at Delaney's for Afternoon Tea....

Walked backed through London to be a Taxi driver again.... Oh how I love London????

Driving has become near impossible,every road seems to be up! all my short cuts seem to have disappeared..

and don't drive near white city when theres a football match....Traffic!!!!

Then back seat drivers Paul and Dougie, I drove home at 60mph!!! thats a first!





Green fingers Johns!!

Actually proud of myself..... These are the third bloom I have had from the orchids I was sent last year!

Thanks to lovely Lisa,Barbra and Pearl...

High Jinx at the Fringe

Michael Jordan's High Jinx Opened yesterday at the Fringe,

So if you are there be sure to catch the show!!!

LES SAVOYETTES

Les Savoyetts are appearing at the Savoy the first sunday in every month

Its a Burlesque show produced by the lovely Jenny Dunster of Whatever Artist Management

A Intimate revue in a fabulous venue great for a sunday night cocktail hosted by the fabulous Miss Polly Rae

and great supporting acts... With our fabulous showgirls!!!photographs by Chris Baker

 

Sad news of Dear Cilla,

What sad news hearing the passing of Cilla, Dougie worked with her in her BBC television shows

in the 60's and 70's and in many Theatre's throughout the uk, My heart goes out to her family and close friends  Christopher Biggins, Jeff Thacker, and her number 1 fan Tim Clarke who on Biggins 60th Dougie introduced Tim to Cilla after years of him loving her, If you know Tim  you know how magic that evening was!!!

I was lucky enough to have met Cilla who had such a warm personality and great fun to be with,

We spent a most wonderful day as guests of Jeff Thacker  and Robert being invited   to the south of France for a celebration dinner at  "COLOMBE DOR' in St Paul De Vance we were flown out and returned the same day... pure fun and a magic memory, Cilla gave a beautiful Speech, The champagne was flowing......Such  FUN...

Cilla then in her kindness supported Dougie on his charity work  for the NFA, she came To Buckingham Palace for a Garden Party on many occasions, meeting the ex military will her warmth and her Star quality!

I took this picture of her at the Garden Party!!


Phil Winston's Theatreworks Summer School

The 13th SUMMER SCHOOL performance! This year held at VIVA Blackpool...

'THE WORKS' and it certainly lived up to its name, I was amazed at the talent, amazed at how in 5 days they performed such as a fantastic performance,great choreography, and they mastered it..Hats off to all the teachers choreographers  and behind the scene team  of Theatreworks for a outstanding week of the performing arts..

It brought all the feelings to me of my passion for dance... I would love to do it all again.......

I hope the students will remember this moment for a long time... its special.....

To dance was for me everything.... I could see it in their eyes and soul..... 

I also take my hat of to all the teachers who are training these young students...

and to all the parents who support the children gift of dance, and Knowing they  give, and support so much as did my parents did for me....I am so knocked out at the standard of training.... they were all amazing!!!!

Paul Zerdin America's Got Talent!

The wonders of Facebook, I came across the performance of PAUL ZERDIN

in America's Got Talent, firstly Wow for such a original performance, oh so clever!

great writing, brilliantly performed a class act.... So happy for him that he got the Golden Ticket to the finals

at Radio City Music Hall well deserved!!!

Always have been in admiration of Paul's work over the years, and worked with him on a few events

and he has always been a huge hit with every audience...  He really deserves this big break...

he has worked his socks off over the years, and never been the given the acclaim he deserves here in the UK

for years ago he would of been given his own series to show his multi talented skills with all his characters..

Shame that the light entertainment series  of BBC and ITV  have no room for real workers of talent who have learnt their trade through working it ...instead of reality Talent shows and Celebrity find a new talent!! Wouldn't be great to see re pros working at what they do best!

Although television have tried of late to bring Variety back on the screens,  I feel the formats have  not changed with the times, I know its about viewing figures etc but all thats added for these shows is amazing lighting effects....over shot camera work.... ( let the performer be seen )

learn from the classic producers and directors..... not every thing has been shot like a pop video!

but a new format should be created......May be TV should open its eyes to people who have got the knowledge of the business and how to use television in its true form of being creative....entertaining.

But after my rant!!! Paul did a brave choice in doing Americas Got Talent... So after what I have said.... he obvious made the right decision' if you can't beat them join them!' 

I wish him every success!!!


 

High Jinx

High Jinx previewed their show at Viva Blackpool before they go to Edinburgh Fringe and return to Viva  for 

Tuesday nights through the season, Fab to see a full house at Viva,It really is a great family show,showing the multi talents of Michael Jordan he really has created a compact show with something for everybody,

His charm,energy, skill and performance gives it his all... with the Viva Dancers adding glamour and hoola hoop spec act.... a really entertaining night out for all!

I am in admiration for Michael, as for a young man he totally has a passion for what he does...He is a grafter!

and producing his own show is no mean feat.. and for it to be such a balanced performance 

I take my hat for him.... I wish him every success at Viva  and wish him huge success in Edinburgh fringe for his 

first appearance there .....

Last couple of weeks!!

Just getting myself sorted after a month of every thing I seem to touch goes wrong!

hence why I didn't blog much.... but now this is working...I was doing all this wrong!!!

firstly my hard drive has a fault,there is all my photographs on this hard drive...

and of course I needed the images for work related ....so I take the hard to see if it could be rescued

to cut a long story short, yes they managed to save the data.... ALL GREAT! But not quite! the j peg images wouldn't show on my macs, would open in a windows ..which my mac hasn't windows.... so this went on for days..

then some one tried opening the images on my mac in desktop and they opened... Wow ... RESULT...

BUT THERE WAS 250,000 IMAGES!!! the hard drive saved every image, and every time I did photoshop on any image it saved every image.. so downloading took days getting the images back.... but filing them is another matter.. and now my computer is full... so deleting 22,000 pictures so far has taken 3 days and still no where...

So will have to be patient in trying to deal with this..... so that saga continues....

I then drop my iPhone in a costa coffee...!! so no phone for 2 weeks!! but glad to say 

I have a new phone ... so I am up and running!!! life with out a phone in one way is fantastic

but in another its disaster!!!!! while the phone was being looked at ,I had to turn my iCloud off...

for the phone , so then you have no phone numbers etc... so make a copy!!!

To cap it all I then broke a tooth... so I hope thats the end of everything going wrong...

I have missed out  all the other things,it would turn into a book!!

But have to thank my friends for helping me  yet again... much to their horror!! think they must of had enough of me!!  I have lol!!! so Happy days ahead...x

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'The Works' Graduation Edition at Viva

Been fortunate to work with the students of Phil Winston's Theatreworks to produce a show piece in The Works in the graduation edition show at Viva.

So enjoyed working with them but I had everything but the kitchen sink in it....

We were asked to audition who we would like in the number, but when I saw all the students

I just had to use them All.. so I think I had 42 students..... oh what to do!!

In the tight rehearsal sessions as they have their training and exams etc I came up with cirque inspired production... Reece had found a fantastic piece of music so it was systems go... 

Ringmaster, clowns hoola hoops,acrobatics.. quick change,showgirls,more show showgirls and even more showgirls! so it was a good entertainment piece!!!

The Students worked so hard in the rehearsals at Viva they were given a full show of singing dance and drama showing the many talents they have learnt at Theatreworks.

From the training the teachers choreographed some fabulous work which pushed the students

to show their Talents... How I would love to do it all again... That collage performance when they are at their peak  ... is electric... I hope they get the chance like I did  to perform in dance shows where your given the chance to give you all.. Exciting times for the graduates their careers ahead of the them... I so wish them every success for their futures... some really great Talent...

but also there is a lot of future talent with the 1st and 2nd years who held there own...

strong dynamic performances look forward in seeing them next year....

A big thanks to Phil,  and all the team at Theatreworks from all the teachers to Maz and Reece

and all the staff at Viva, not forgetting Terry Campbell for helping me costume the epic!