Tag Archives: Canada

Farewell 2024 – Welcome 2025

Acting, Actor, Christmas, comedy, Family, friends, stage, theatre, Voiceover, , , , ,

Hello 2025

Here we are, the final day of 2024, and looking ahead to the new year. 

I’ve had some great times this year, but 2024 leaves me rather sad as some of the fizz and pop have gone flat in these last weeks. 

A nagging pain has caused health concerns recently, though recent tests and scans look hopeful. More investigations to come in the new year. And my relationship has entered a “on a break” phase, just short of two years, which had me feeling quite low over the Christmas period. So there’s been lots of comfort eating. My traditional Christmas tarts disappeared quickly. Diet and steady walking begin next week.

I’ve been lucky to have some travel in 2024. A wonderful short trip to Essaouira in Morocco in April. An amazing place and I hope to return some day. 

And more recently a trip to Canada in October to be part of Esther Fest in Amherst, Nova Scotia, thanks to my wonderful friend Charlie Rhindress. We had a reading of Guilty! The Story of the Great Amherst Mystery, a play I was in over 30 years ago. It was a delight to catch up with so many old friends whilst I was there.

With Charlie at Harvey’s… best burgers
At the Anne Murray Centre
Cast of GUILTY! reading
Charlie on Amherst Ghost Walk

And I had a more local, but equally delightful, trip this past week. Went to visit Jon near Skegness, with Kim and Linda, and we caught up on over 50 years of friendship. 

Work-wise, I finished the year with a nice voice job, reading a smashing story for the GeoStories app, Professor Graveling’s Last lecture. Download the app and see if you can find me within some of the other episodes. 

In the new year I take to the stage again – I was in The Boys are Back In’t Tarn as aging Rock Guitarist Briggsy in March – and we return as part of a double bill evening at The Lamproom Theatre in Barnsley on February 7th. Tickets and details here…

So, it’s almost time to hang the new calendar. With one last look back…
Today marks 14 years since my Dad passed away. A lovely, generous, friendly man who I see every time I look in the mirror. He loved Christmas and New Year celebrations, though his loss leaves an annual sadness over mine. 

So, tonight I will raise a glass to him, something alcoholic – though I mainly drink 0% beers these days.
And I will raise a glass to you too. 

May your New Year be full of joy and goodness, despite all the bad stuff going on in the world. 

And please, let’s have Peace in Palestine.

 

Walkin’ Music… songs from my playlist…

Actor, Canada, celebrities, Music, Radio, , , ,

Days getting warmer, sunshine on my back as I walk,
I feel the heat through my fleece, like a warm hug.

I don’t usually listen to music as I walk, I generally like to hear the sounds around me, but a couple of days ago I pressed play on my EarPods and these are just a few of the songs that joined me for the walk, all with memories and feelings attached…

VIDEO PLAYLIST – I’ve put it together for this update, it’s only 6 songs.

PERFECT DAY – Lou Reed
The song that started when I pressed play… What a brilliant song this is. That warm hug from the sun on my back, this song in my ears, but meanwhile the world is in conflict and far from perfect for so many. A reminder that little things can make perfection. And a hope that conflict soon ends, and that, for those in turmoil, Perfect is eventually restored.
Let this lead you to Satellite of Love and more from Transformer album.

PATIO LANTERNS – Kim Mitchell
Summers in Canada. I remember playing this in my Radio days at CHMA, Sackville, New Brunswick. A song about youthful years and young love. ALSO – Check out this video – an older, balder Kim Mitchell talking about the difficult recording of this song.

A NEW ENGLAND – Billy Bragg
Another song about young love, but with a different slant. That line, “I saw two shooting stars last night, I wished on them but they were only satellites, Is it wrong to wish on space hardware, I wish, I wish, I wish you’d care.” Brilliant.

5:15 – The Who
Quadrophenia is my favourite who album, this song always gets me singing along. And this video created for it is excellent.

PRIVATE DANCER – Tina Turner
When this started I could hear only one voice, my dear friend Charlie Rhindress, who used to sing it in the dressing room (and did a great Tina impersonation) when we worked at Live Bait Theatre. Wonderful memories.

OBJECTS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE – Meat Loaf
Sadly we’ve lost Meat Loaf recently, but this song, all about memories, seemed apt to my feelings when it started playing. And if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car…

One final song – not on YouTube…
LET YOU GO – Alex Rhindress – SPOTIFY LINK
When this started playing, I couldn’t remember the artist, knew it must be someone famous… It’s Charlie’s daughter Alex. What a great song this is.

I think I’ll press PLAY whilst walking more often.

Have a super day!
Dave x

Watch Mockdown Confidential! from Aug 18, 2020

Acting, Actor, Canada, Chat Show, comedy, Covid-19, Film, History, Mockdown, Politics, stage, theatre, , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello lovelies!

Had a lovely chat last night with my Mockdown Confidential guest, Andria Hill-Lehr.

Actor, Writer, Educator, Traveller, I met Andria in Nova Scotia – now she’s in Old Scotia – Edinburgh, Scotland.

Our chat covered, theatre, the arts, a WW2 hero, Andria’s books, future projects, Canada, mice, and living through Lockdown in Edinburgh.

Andria Hill-Lehr is a freelance writer and author of two non-fiction books: Mona Parsons: From Privilege to Prison, from Nova Scotia to Nazi Europe (Nimbus Publishing, 2017) and A Mother’s Road to Kandahar (Pottersfield Press, 2008).
She is also a Registered Counselling Therapist and entertaining public speaker offering informative workshops on a variety of topics, including mental wellness in the workplace, pre-retirement preparation (not a finance workshop), humour, conflict, change, and stress.

GUEST WEB – http://andriahill-lehr.ca

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. Mockdown Confidential is an occasional one-to-one show.
Previous shows are on my Actor page, and are also available as a Playlist on YouTube

Stay safe shipmates!
D x

Coming up Tues Aug 18, Mockdown Confidential, with Andria Hill-Lehr

Acting, Actor, Canada, Chat Show, comedy, Film, friends, Humour, Mockdown, stage, theatre, , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello Ducky’s

Join me on Tuesday at 8pm for an up close and intimate – yet socially distanced – Mockdown Confidential chat with my lovely friend Andria Hill-Lehr.

Actor, Writer, Educator, Traveller, I met Andria in Nova Scotia – now she’s in Old Scotia – Edinburgh.

She’ll be my guest on Mockdown Confidential Tuesday 18th August at 8pm.

Live on Facebook at – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=345811846599988
And on YouTube at – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWBnZ5cwUqA

Andria Hill-Lehr is a freelance writer and author of two non-fiction books: Mona Parsons: From Privilege to Prison, from Nova Scotia to Nazi Europe (Nimbus Publishing, 2017) and A Mother’s Road to Kandahar (Pottersfield Press, 2008).
She is also a Registered Counselling Therapist and entertaining public speaker offering informative workshops on a variety of topics, including mental wellness in the workplace, pre-retirement preparation (not a finance workshop), humour, conflict, change, and stress.

GUEST WEB – http://andriahill-lehr.ca

Mockdown Confidential show Aug 11th, with Charlie Rhindress!

Acting, Actor, Canada, celebrities, Celebrity, comedy, friends, Humour, Mockdown, stage, Summer, theatre, TV, , , , , , , , ,

Hello Dahlinks!!!

Had my first special Mockdown Confidential show on Tuesday.
A spinoff from my Mockdown! Show, this is a more intimate one-to-one chat with a special guest…

This week, Canadian Actor, Writer, Theatre Guru, and family guy, Charlie Rhindress joined me to talk about Lockdown, The Canadian Bubble, his books on Canadian Musical Icons, his Lockdown Streaming show (The Charlie & Heather Show), his acting role in an upcoming TV series based on a Stephen King short story, and all the fun acting stuff we did together over many years.

GUEST LINKS
Charlie Rhindress Web SIte  • Charlie on Twitter 

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

MUSIC CREDIT
THE ELEVATOR BOSSA NOVA – Composer: Benjamin Tissot
Royalty Free Music from Bensound – www.bensound.com

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

Stay safe lovelies!!!!
D x

New Mockdown Confidential chat show, Tues Aug 11 @ 8pm

Acting, Actor, Canada, celebrities, Celebrity, comedy, Family, Film, Filmmaking, Humour, Music, stage, Summer, theatre, TV, , , , , , , , ,

Join me Tuesday Aug 11th at 8pm (UK) for Mockdown Confidential, a spinoff from my Mockdown! Show, this is a more intimate one-to-one chat with a special guest…

This week Canadian Actor, Writer, Theatre Guru, and family guy, Charlie Rhindress joins me to talk about Lockdown, The Canadian Bubble, his books on Canadian Musical Icons, his Lockdown Streaming show, and his latest acting role in an upcoming TV series based on a Stephen King short story.

GUEST LINKS • http://charlierhindress.com • https://twitter.com/crhindress

HELP PAY FOR THE LIVESTREAM 
Any contributions appreciated, this links to my Ko-Fi page.

SUPPORT ARTISTS
Equity Benevolent Fund
Equity Benevolent Fund YouTube Channel
My Ko-Fi link – http://ko-fi.com/davemcclelland

I’m Live Streaming – MOCKDOWN! a new weekly show!

Acting, Actor, Canada, Coronation St, Covid-19, Emmerdale, History, ITV, Sheffield, showreel, stage, theatre, TV, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi folks!

Hope you are all keeping well and retaining sanity during these strange, strange times.

I was delighted to help friends set up the technical side for a couple of Live Streaming shows over the last few weeks, so taught myself to use StreamYard, an amazing bit of free Chrome-based goodness that allows you to broadcast to the world.
And so decided that I too wanted to add to the self-broadcasting scene.

I hosted a lot of radio when I lived in Canada, so I love the buzz of hosting a live show, though this is all very different, clicking on the computer to add guests, sources and images…. I could do with a studio crew.

The first show went live last Sunday… there’s a link to view it on YouTube below. But if you’d like to keep up to date and receive notifications and links to future shows, please follow my actor page on Facebook, ROWE DAVID McCLELLAND. The show will air Sundays at 8pm  on Facebook, and I will put them on YouTube after the event.

Here’s the show from the weekend… three lovely guests, Jo Swain – Sheffield actor, known for the Full Monty, now running Hello Velo, a super B&B/Bike hire place in the wilds of France, TV Director Neil Alderton in Manchester – if you love a TV soap, chances are he’ll have had a hand in it – and Phil Yarrow, a Northumbrian exile now living in That London. Actor, Puppeteer, Improviser and dad, with a passion for Theatre For Young Audiences.

______

Many freelance artists are struggling during these Covid-19 days.
If you are able to donate a little to the EQUITY BENEVOLENT FUND, or any of the links mentioned in the show, please do.

Another streaming show you may enjoy is hosted by my lovely friend in Canada – actor, writer, director (and so much more) Charlie Rhindress.
The Charlie and Heather Show airs 8pm on Sundays in Canada (that’s midnight here in the UK), so if you’re a night person, please tune in, there’s a lovely mix of chat, stories and songs. I was a guest on the show May 31st/June 1st, so check it out on the show page or below….

 

And finally, I’ve taken some time to update my acting showreel…. Take a look…

Stay safe folks… and don’t trust the Tories….
D x