Tag Archives: family

Too long without an update!

Crikey, it’s March and my last update was back in August last year.
My apologies dear reader. It’s sort of a mix of there being no news, and too much news, so I will try and update a bit. So – Work first – then my life….

WORK

The Ratcatcher

Winter is generally a quiet time in my line of work, as TV and Film tends to wind down a bit.
I did some theatre in September, with Dead Earnest Theatre, in a production of The Ratcatcher, part of the Festival Of The Mind in the Spiegeltent in the centre of Sheffield.

I’ve done some voice work too, on a wonderful series for Vanitas Arts, a new jazz based audio drama series titled Persons of Interest – four audio drama podcasts based on the lives of prominent jazz artists who are Black and Queer: Gladys Bentley, Josephine Baker, Ken Snakehips Johnson and Ada Bricktop Smith. You can listen to these as they’re released here, or through your favourite Podcast sources.

Reading my script

My voice has also featured on a new story on the Geostories App: Freyda Skald of Jorvik. 

The Jorvik GeoStory is about magic, myth and mystery as a young woman’s life is transformed after an encounter with a legendary Viking Seeress, Gudrun. Developed in partnership with The Jorvik Viking Centre and supported by Arts Council England, the story begins in Coppergate, York.

Launched at the 2023 JORVIK VIKING FESTIVAL in February, it features Augmented Reality images that come to life as you are transported back to Jorvik in the Year 960 and into magical Viking Realms.

Freyda Skald of Jorvik is free to listen to and can be accessed in the GeoStories Library by downloading the GeoStories app on the App Store and Google Play or by scanning the QR Code on the flyer below.


LIFE & LOVE

2022 ended wonderfully. I met an amazing woman.

Just when you feel like there is no one out there for you, that you should just maybe give up on the idea of romance. That a hand blindly fishing around in the Quality Street tin for a wrapped chocolate may be the most exciting thing to happen over Christmas.

Beverley is much nicer than a Quality Street Strawberry Cream or a Purple One.
She’s an author, writer, coach, entrepreneur, single mum, and much, much more – and things are quite lovely. We laugh, sing, cuddle, and kiss a lot.
You can find her here or at The Writers Workshop.
Or read her latest Grief blog update here – Swimming Through Clouds: A journey of love and loss. I am mentioned in the latest update.

The Writers Workshop is an amazing resource for you writers out there, with workshops, motivation sessions, mentoring, live events, retreats, masterclasses, and much more.
It’s very affordable, and the sessions are either in person or online. Take a look

New Year’s Eve at Dorothy Pax with Beverley
Bridlington with Beverley

Inspired by being with this amazing Writer Woman, I have started writing more myself, and I’ve even dug out some older pieces to tinker with. I will share some of my new stuff at the end of this update.


BIRTHDAY

My birthday arrived in January. It wasn’t unexpected of course.

I decided on a trip to Edinburgh for my birthday treat, as I’d never visited before.

Edinburgh Castle

So it was the Castle, Royal Mile, Haggis Neeps and Tatties, Deep Fried Mars Bars, and a walk up Arthur’s Seat.

And I slipped walking back down from Arthur’s seat, hurting my own seat, a bang on the Coccyx. It’s still painful now.

Arthur’s Seat

VISITORS
My Brother John and his daughter Modena visited from Canada in January. Our birthday’s are 4 years and a day apart. So it was lovely to catch up, have family time, and a drink or two with old friends.

Modena, Mum, John and myself.
With John
Me, Linda, Simon, John and Kim. The Lord Nelson, Arundel St, Sheffield.
A pint in the Lord Nelson

COVID HITS
Damn! After avoiding the lurgy since the very beginning, Covid hit the house at the end of January.
Mum and I are both fully vaccinated, so it could have been worse.
I was pretty miserable with it for a few days, but bounced back.
Mum is 90, so it has hit her harder. Though now testing negative, she has ended up in hospital, but we hope she will be home again soon. Keep everything crossed.


WRITING

As I mentioned, Beverley has inspired me to write more. And to be public about it.
So here’s a couple of recent pieces.

BIN DAY
Bins

It’s bin day
Wind day
Bins blown over everywhere
Regardless of colour
Black, brown, blue
On it’s side, lid flapping like a puppet mouth
Spewing garbage like a politician
Pizza crusts
Used wipes
Eeeeuw I don’t even know what that is
But it’s not nice
Dogs try to sniff. No!
Home we rush with chilled ears through streets awash with flotsam and jetsam
Bin day
Wind day

It’s Bin Day again
Wind day again
Blue Bins put out to stand street-side
Like Bobbies in a row
Guarding our road like sentry’s on duty
But blue bins are slender
Thinner than Grey and Brown
And with contents of cardboard and paper
There’s no weight to hold it down
So blue bins blow, off they go
Like drunken revellers
Until they trip off the kerb
And they’re down, rolling around, regurgitating contents
Prescription copies, old bills, egg boxes, dozens of Amazon cardboard envelopes, pizza boxes, cardboard sleeves off yogurt containers, magazines, newspapers
Almost no bins left to empty now
Contents blow freely
Twisting and turning
Escaping down the road
Hiding in gardens and under cars
Bin lorry comes, empties the few still standing, then blue bins left on the pavement
Empty now, lighter and giddy, they wheel around
Throwing themselves down once more
They roll around like pigs in muck
It’s bin day again
Wind day again


A man down the road has a DeLorean.
DeLorean

A man down the road has a DeLorean.
Yes, that sporty stainless steel car made famous in the Back to the Future franchise.
On our road. Just parked there on the street. Under a tree.
Hardly ever moves it, it sits there, falling blossoms gathering at the base of the windscreen.
Which must block his air intakes because he often puts a sheet of plastic over the air vents in autumn.
That fancy rear cover over the engine compartment. Tied down with a length of tatty rope.
And what of the owner?
No Marty McFly or Doc Brown here.
A mild mannered chap, dresses conservatively, slacks and sweaters. Silver framed glasses, greying blonde hair parted to one side.
His other car, his daily drive, parked behind the DMC – a silver Ford Focus.
Seen him in the paper shop. Buys two loaves. Appears to be single. And heard Linda in the shop ask about his mother.
So why? Why a DeLorean? The dream car of the 80’s, sitting outside a Sheffield semi?
He hardly ever moves it. If he does then it’s MOT time, though he did park it around the corner for a few days when they repaved the street.
I often stand beside it when I’m walking the dogs. They seem to have a fascination with it, they sniff the alloy rims and custom rubber tyres. Where has it been to gather smells so interesting to canine olfactory organs?
Then, this morning, walking back from the paper shop, the rumble of an engine.
Not a normal rumble.
He’s sat in the drivers seat – on the left of course, it’s American – giving it an occasional monthly turnover to keep it running, circulate the juices that keep the beast alive.
Or is he?
Is there more to Mr Normal. Is he actually from the future? Holding out on Holdings Rd, keeping watch over the steel city, his DeLorean the Time Machine that brought him here, and his lifeboat to return him home.
Are those “sitting there running the engine” times really to keep it roadworthy?
Or perhaps he’s generating some time clock energy, rewinding us all to correct something that shouldn’t have happened.
But I still remember you. And what we said last night. That can’t be rewound by Mr Future.
So, we are good.
No objection raised by the Time Panel, no temporal anomaly created, we can go on.
And how can we say no to the future?


So, I think that’s just about all the interesting stuff.

There’s more of course, but my instagram and Twitter Feeds may fill in the gaps for you.

Wishing you all love, prosperity, and the fall of this evil Tory government.

D x

Spring is coming…\

Happy New Year!

So, here we are, it’s  almost New Year’s Eve as I write this on Thursday evening.

It’s been another odd year hasn’t it? Lockdowns, loss of people, loss of work.

Dad and Benjamin in Canada

New Year is always a time for reflection time for me anyway, my Dad died Dec 31, 2010, and I always feel his loss. This year it feels even more reflective.

So it’s back to New Year traditions to say farewell to the old and welcome the new. I’ve baked lots of tarts, jam and lemon curd. My Gran always cooked them for Christmas and New Year, and as a youngster I helped, cutting out the tarts, scooping the jam fillings. And making a jam turnover with the remaining pastry.

Tomorrow will be an evening at home with my Mum, a beer or two, nibbles…. some Pork Pie, Scotch Egg, Sausage Rolls, vol-au-vents… And this evening I’ve made Egg Nog for the first time, it’s now chilling ready to add to traditions tomorrow. I admit, my Brandy pouring hand may have been over zealous.

At midnight I’ll sing Auld Lang Syne, I’ll go out and come in again to First Foot, I’ll phone and message friends near and far, then to bed and 2022.

I’m hoping work continues next year as it ended in 2021. I ended up quite busy over the last couple of months. An episode of Doctors for BBC1, two episodes of an upcoming series, Compulsion, for Channel 5. And most recently I shot two episodes of Coronation St, airing mid-January on ITV.

To end the year tomorrow, you can hear me doing some radio. As I’ve mentioned before, I co-host the monthly Comedy Show on Write Radio on Sheffield Live. Tomorrow’s show is a year-end special, a murder mystery featuring all the hosts of Write Radio, put together by our amazing producer Andrew Tildesley. It’s fun, so listen in, either live, or catch up on the link later. Write Radio airs Friday afternoons, 1-3pm.

And remember, during January I will be taking part in the Run The Month Challenge for Prostate Cancer UK.

So my dears, I bid you all the very best for the coming year.
Be kind to yourself, spread the love, and stay safe and healthy during these dark days and testing times.
If you can find a test.

See you next year!
Dave X

 

Dad and friend Reg, New Year in Canada. 

Greetings from the Frozen North! Warm up with Sketch Up!

Ey up from the Steel City!!! Hope you’re all doing okay, staying warm and staying safe.
I write this on the 39th day of Lockdown 3. It just goes on and on doesn’t it?

But, thankfully, I have something to tickle your funny bones on these cold nights.
I’m a member of Sketch Up! – a group of Actor’s, Writers and Voice Artists, that got together to record comedy sketches, directly from the mind and nimble fingers of Rachel E. Thorn

We were due to perform these LIVE!!! Yes, LIVE!!! with an audience, at the renowned Leicester Comedy Festival. But, alas, a Global Pandemic thwarted our bid for Global Sketch Comedy Stardom.
Live comedy’s loss is, however, your gain…
Thanks to the power of T’interwebs, you can enjoy our sketches in the comfort of your very own home/car/van/tent/workplace/ears…  via the Leicester Comedy Festival  – until Feb 21.
We’ve already had a 4-STAR REVIEW  (“a delight…with a bit of bite!”) and lots of lovely feedback which is great. Its free to listen (you bloody old misers) online – 45 comedy sketches – listen all in one go or individually.
They range from the surreal to the domestic and sometimes incorporate a bit of both but nowhere will you find even the vaguest reference to the dreaded pandemic!

Sketch Up! Comedy sketches written by Rachel E. Thorn, Produced by Gerard Fletcher & Melanie Crawley, Performed by Ali Mylon, Gerard Fletcher, Letty Butler, Melanie Crawley, myself, and Rachel E Thorn.

Here’s the Soundcloud link 

 

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Last weekend was a happy/sad one… My eldest son Benjamin turned 19. He lives just outside Blackpool, and with Lockdowns and Tiers, etc, we haven’t seen each other in person since last August.
Sadly Benjamin, my daughter Sophie and my youngest son, Joseph, lost their mum, my ex-wife Jane, to Covid just before Christmas. It’s such a difficult time for everyone. And it’s really hard not seeing my children, when all I want to do is hug them.

I posted a link to my Ko-Fi account in case anyone wanted to send Benjamin a bit of birthday love. And many of you did, thank you so very much! It made his day!

Benjamin has now created his own Ko-Fi Page, so if you’d like to check it out and send him the price of a a coffee, cake, or even more, the link is here….

Buy a coffee for Benjamin McClelland
All contributions are very much appreciated.

 

Check out my Lockdown Logs

A reminder, I post daily Twitter and YouTube Lockdown Log updates, featuring 2 Minute 20 Second updates on the boring minutiae of my Lockdown life. Really selling that, aren’t I?
Here’s the YouTube Playlist…

Thanks for dropping by! Subscribe to this blog at the bottom of the page, or follow any/all of my socials, top of the right hand column!

Stay safe m’ducks!
Dave X

2021. New Year. New Lockdown.

My first update of 2021, and we find ourselves in a situation even more dire than December.

New strains, more cases, sadly many more deaths,. No going out, no physical contact, no idea when any degree of normality will return. Not this year I fear.

On today’s No 10 Briefing, featuring the very evil, and the letter G incapable, Home Secretary,  Priti Patel, a reporter asked the question – as people must be desperate for a holiday after all we’ve been through, can they think about booking a summer holiday?

BOOK A F**KING SUMMER HOLIDAY!!!! Are you mad?
Be grateful to still be breathing.
It will end when it ends, it will be safe when it is safe.
Remember that DISASTROUS “Eat Out To Help Out” cheap meal/mass-killing scheme.
Too early Rishi!

One good thing in the world is that that Orange Trump Stain has been removed! I watched the Biden/Harris Inauguration yesterday, hated much of the schmaltz and flag adoration, but loved Amanda Gorman and her wonderful poem – here’s Barack Obama’s link to it
One can only imagine the Big Orange Baby sulking in Florida.

Obviously life is quiet here. Good news is my Mum has had both Vaccine injections, so let’s hope she is safe(r). I await my turn.

Just before Christmas, I was lucky enough to have a small role in a TV ad, which is apparently airing so often that people keep telling me they saw me on the telly!

Here it is….

I’m happy to be working on an Audiobook narration at the moment, and loving the book. It’s called CRONIES, by Robert Craft.  I’ll let you know when the audiobook version is finished and available.

If you fancy a bit of Audio Fun, I am co-host of Write Radio (Comedy edition) on Sheffield Live. The Christmas Day show was a special one, where yer old pal Dave goes full on Scrooge, so take a listen – Go to the SHEFFIELD LIVE site, and click on Dec 25, Hour 1 and Hour 2.

And that’s about it. I carry on with my Daily Lockdown logs, recording the dull monotony of Lockdown 3. Posted on my Twitter and Playlisted on YouTube (and below).

Stay safe you Beauties, I look forward to lifting a glass with you some time in the future! Contact me via form below if you fancy a video catchup!

Dave X

 

 

Lockdown Log, Tiers, and Christmas…

Ey up!

I hope you’re all keeping well during these strange continuing times.

Last year I was in a play called The Sylvia Swing, a touching piece about loss and loneliness. Playwright Melanie Hopkins has adapted the stage version to be performed online, and it went live Friday night.

Take a look at the results below. A lovely piece – and feels apt for these times.

The Lockdown Log…

So, Lockdown 2 is over and we are now in Tier 3 (again) – or T3.2 as I think of it.

I spent Lockdown 1 doing a streaming chat show, Mockdown. The link takes you to a playlist of Mockdown episodes.

I passed the days of Lockdown 2 doing a daily log update with a max running time 2:20, so I could post to Twitter.

I’m keeping up with the Log now we’re in T3.2, hopefully through to Christmas at least. Link below is for the YouTube Playlist for the Nov/Dec videos… Take a look, I walk the dogs, eat breakfast, drink coffee and spend time at the computer…. Exciting times.

Stay safe – and call back again soon!

Dave X

 

Watch MOCKDOWN! for Sun Aug 23

Greetings fellow earthlings!

Had a great MOCKDOWN show Sunday night, with three fantastic guests…

Emmerdale actor TONY AUDENSHAW, was here to chat about how his shed kept him busy during lockdown…

Actor, writer, singer, social media star, and Lockdown SitCom creator FANNI COMPTON

And we travelled to France to chat to my friend DOMINIC RAINFORD – he’s done panto, opera, Scooby-Doo and Shakespeare – now he’s entertaining the crowds at Disneyland Paris.

[Guest info below video]

IF THE VIDEO ABOVE IS NOT AVAILABLE – PLEASE WATCH ON FACEBOOK LINK BELOW…

Back next Sunday for more! Stay safe me hearties!
D x


GUEST INFO:

Tony Audenshaw attended Guildford School of Acting, Tony enjoyed a few years acting and directing T.I.E. and filling multiple roles at Thorpe Park, theme park in the summers.
A few pantos at Oldham Coliseum and a load of commercials for the likes of Barclays Bank, Quorn and Tetleys Beer led to bits on Brookside and parts in other popular telly and the films Going Off Big Time and Ken Loach’s Raining Stones. And he’s played Bob Hope in Emmerdale since 2000.
A lover of variety and light entertainment he was thrilled to do Stars in Their Eyes twice (Kenny Rogers and Roy Wood) and appear on the likes of Blankety Blank, Family Fortunes, Harry Hills TV Burp, The Chase and Celebrity Mastermind.
He’s been singing with the covers band White Van Man since 2001, contributing regularly as ‘Tony’s Trials’ to the Running Podcast Marathon Talk, is a keen birdwatcher and helps run a weekly community quiz in his hometown New Mills, Derbyshire.
Guest Links:
Tony Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonysTrials
Tony In The Shed YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzmZ05_P-3yK6PGUbR-Lyg

Fanni Compton is an Actress, Writer, Social Media Creator & Recording Artist based in the North West.
Her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina were dashed when she was told that her ankles were too weak.
She then tried her hand at varying jobs, but it didn’t take long for her to realise that she was on the wrong path  – graduated Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2010.
Since then he’s done hundreds of sketches and monologues for Social Media, started her music career and  has a Television Comedy Pilot in post production entitled Nowhere Close. And she’s made full use of the 2020 Pandemic to develop an Online Sitcom called Lockdown Lifeline.
Guest Links:
Fanni Music website: www.fannicomptonmusic.com
Fanni YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJU6ZsSSC22CyM2hQ43B7Dw

Dominic Rainford – Raised in Blackpool, Dominic trained in Musical Theatre at LSMT (London School of Musical Theatre). Since then he’s had a varied career going from Panto to the English National Opera. Scooby-Doo to Shakespeare. Dungeon creature to Drag Queen and has now swapped one tower for another as he’s living and working in France at Disneyland Paris.
Guest Link:
Dominic Twitter: @DommyPoppins


SUPPORT ARTISTS:
Equity Benevolent Fund  
Equity Benevolent Fund YouTube Channel
My Ko-Fi link

MOCKDOWN! streams live on Sunday evenings at 8pm (UK) on my Actor Facebook Page and on my YouTube Channel. There are also occasional Mockdown Confidential shows on Tuesday evenings.
Previous shows are on my Actor page, and are also available as a Playlist on YouTube

SUPPORT MOCKDOWN:
My Ko-Fi Link –
Ko-fi.com/davemcclelland
PayPal – paypal.me/DaveyMcC


MOCKDOWN contains video clips which are not owned by myself, they are found on YouTube, and used during the show to demonstrate my guest’s work.
No infringement is intended.

Where has January gone? TV and radio stuff…..

Hello folks! I hope you’ve all had a great start to 2018!

Mine has been (generally) a good one and I had a significant birthday as well, so it’s been a  month of celebration. Thank you to all the old friends who shared my birthday, it was really lovely to re-connect with people from all the different periods of my life – school, work, Canada, film, TV… Magical.

My episode of Kay Mellor’s GIRLFRIENDS aired (I’m in Episode 3 if you want to catch it on ITV Hub here). Nice scene with Miranda Richardson and Zoë Wannamaker. I’m really enjoying this series, what a great writer Kay Mellor is!

Miranda Richardson, Zoë Wannamaker – and me!

I was on Radio Sheffield yesterday – a nice interview about First Loves with Rony Robinson – I’ve put the clip on my Bandcamp site to make it easier to listen to my bit…

Right, I’m off to enjoy this last day of January, have fun and be kind!

Dave x

The Memory of Fat

New video uploaded today on my weight loss…. I have lost around 80lbs over the last two years, 60 of those in the last year.

To help me remember how good it is to have lost that weight, I still use my old belts on my jeans and trousers. With 14″ less waist to encircle, the spare belt reminds me how well I’ve done.

So if you spot something brown and leathery flopping from my trousers, you know what it is 😜

10 mores pounds to my next milestone…..

Christmas is coming. New video, new pics, and on TV in January

Christmas is almost here!
We’ve had the first dusting of snow on the Sheffield hills, my cards are sent, presents mostly bought, now I’m making lists for food shopping for the big day.

I’ve also been busy on the business side, getting new actor headshot pics and making a new video to share with you, so lots to tell you about in this update….

I usually record a video each Christmas of me reading A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS (‘Twas the night…). I used to read it to my children on Christmas eve in the pre-divorce days, but I never see them to read it now, so I started recording it for them.

This year I decided to record an audio version for them and put a bit more into the production side, with sound effects and such. I’m very pleased with the results.

I’ve put it on YouTube with some family photos and videos under the audio, here it is….

If you’d like the original audio version in it’s full glory, it’s here to listen or download…. or buy if you wish to send me money.

 

I’m going to be in your house in January!
Earlier this year I recorded a lovely episode of GIRLFRIENDS, Kay Mellor’s new drama for ITV. A couple of nice scenes with Miranda Richardson and Zoë Wanamaker. The series begins Weds January 3rd. I’m in Episode 3. It’s a lovely cast, please watch.

Here’s some of the new pics of the new slimmer me (over 80lbs lost now) – and with new glasses too. I’m hoping the new slimmer look leads to more TV work as directors move me from the obese to hunky casting category 😁

And here’s a final Christmassy treat for you, the first Yorkshire Teabaggers video. Our parody take on one of the most popular of Christmas songs.

What a lot of Christmas goodies eh?
So, now I’ve unloaded my sack on you, I will bid you a Very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year.

Stay warm, stay safe, help others, spread the love and be good to yourself.

Love always,
Dave x

 

BROKEN on your telly tonight!

We’re in to the final 3 episodes of BROKEN now.
And I’m very happy to be in all of the last 3.
It’s not a huge role, the final episode features me the most, but it was a lovely job with fantastic people. And I played one of Sean Bean’s brothers!
It’s been getting great reviews, please take time to watch if you can.

Episode 4 blurb, Radio Times

Had a great weekend, celebrating Father’s Day with my eldest son, Benjamin. So sad to take him home, but I’m really looking forward to his next visit.

With Benjamin
With Benjamin

Have a super week! I’ll be back to nag you about episode 5 next week!

Dave x