{"id":25904,"date":"2023-03-09T21:13:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T21:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/?p=25904"},"modified":"2023-03-09T21:44:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T21:44:57","slug":"too-long-without-an-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/too-long-without-an-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Too long without an update!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

WORK<\/h3>\n
\"\"
The Ratcatcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

\"\"
Reading my script<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My voice has also featured on a new story on the Geostories<\/a><\/strong> App: Freyda Skald of Jorvik. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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.
\n<\/span>
\nLaunched 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freyda Skald of Jorvik<\/strong><\/span> is free to listen to and can be accessed in the GeoStories Library by downloading the <\/span>GeoStories app<\/strong><\/span> on the App Store and Google Play or by scanning the QR Code on the flyer below.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

LIFE & LOVE<\/h3>\n

2022 ended wonderfully. I met an amazing woman.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Beverley is much nicer than a Quality Street Strawberry Cream or a Purple One.
\nShe’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.
\nYou can find her here<\/a><\/strong> or at The Writers Workshop<\/a><\/strong>.
\nOr read her latest Grief blog update here – Swimming Through Clouds: A journey of love and loss<\/a><\/strong>. I am mentioned in the latest update.<\/p>\n

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

\"\"
New Year’s Eve at Dorothy Pax with Beverley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Bridlington with Beverley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

BIRTHDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

My birthday arrived in January. It wasn’t unexpected of course.<\/p>\n

I decided on a trip to Edinburgh for my birthday treat, as I’d never visited before.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

\"\"
Arthur’s Seat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

VISITORS<\/strong>
\nMy 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Modena, Mum, John and myself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
With John<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Me, Linda, Simon, John and Kim. The Lord Nelson, Arundel St, Sheffield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
A pint in the Lord Nelson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

COVID HITS
\n<\/strong>Damn! After avoiding the lurgy since the very beginning, Covid hit the house at the end of January.
\nMum and I are both fully vaccinated, so it could have been worse.
\nI was pretty miserable with it for a few days, but bounced back.
\nMum 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.<\/p>\n

\n

WRITING<\/h3>\n

As I mentioned, Beverley has inspired me to write more. And to be public about it.
\nSo here’s a couple of recent pieces.<\/p>\n

BIN DAY<\/h5>\n
\"\"
Bins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s bin day
\nWind day
\nBins blown over everywhere
\nRegardless of colour
\n<\/span>Black, brown, blue
\nOn it\u2019s side, lid flapping like a puppet mouth
\nSpewing garbage like a politician
\n<\/span>Pizza crusts
\nUsed wipes
\nEeeeuw I don\u2019t even know what that is
\nBut it\u2019s not nice
\n<\/span>Dogs try to sniff. No!
\nHome we rush with chilled ears through streets awash with flotsam and jetsam
\n<\/span>Bin day
\nWind day<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Bin Day again
\nWind day again
\n<\/span>Blue Bins put out to stand street-side
\nLike Bobbies in a row
\nGuarding our road like sentry\u2019s on duty
\nBut blue bins are slender
\nThinner than Grey and Brown
\nAnd with contents of cardboard and paper
\nThere\u2019s no weight to hold it down
\n<\/span>So blue bins blow, off they go
\nLike drunken revellers
\nUntil they trip off the kerb
\nAnd they\u2019re down, rolling around, regurgitating contents
\n<\/span>Prescription copies, old bills, egg boxes, dozens of Amazon cardboard envelopes, pizza boxes, cardboard sleeves off yogurt containers, magazines, newspapers
\n<\/span>Almost no bins left to empty now
\nContents blow freely
\nTwisting and turning
\n<\/span>Escaping down the road
\nHiding in gardens and under cars
\n<\/span>Bin lorry comes, empties the few still standing, then blue bins left on the pavement
\n<\/span>Empty now, lighter and giddy, they wheel around
\nThrowing themselves down once more
\nThey roll around like pigs in muck
\nIt\u2019s bin day again
\n<\/span>Wind day again<\/p>\n

\n
A man down the road has a DeLorean.<\/h5>\n
\"\"
DeLorean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A man down the road has a DeLorean.
\nYes, that sporty stainless steel car made famous in the Back to the Future franchise.
\n<\/span>On our road. Just parked there on the street. Under a tree.
\n<\/span>Hardly ever moves it, it sits there, falling blossoms gathering at the base of the windscreen.
\n<\/span>Which must block his air intakes because he often puts a sheet of plastic over the air vents in autumn.
\n<\/span>That fancy rear cover over the engine compartment. Tied down with a length of tatty rope.
\n<\/span>And what of the owner?
\n<\/span>No Marty McFly or Doc Brown here.
\nA mild mannered chap, dresses conservatively, slacks and sweaters. Silver framed glasses, greying blonde hair parted to one side.
\n<\/span>His other car, his daily drive, parked behind the DMC – a silver Ford Focus.
\n<\/span>Seen him in the paper shop. Buys two loaves. Appears to be single. And heard Linda in the shop ask about his mother.
\n<\/span>So why? Why a DeLorean? The dream car of the 80\u2019s, sitting outside a Sheffield semi?
\n<\/span>He hardly ever moves it. If he does then it\u2019s MOT time, though he did park it around the corner for a few days when they repaved the street.
\n<\/span>I often stand beside it when I\u2019m 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?
\nThen, this morning, walking back from the paper shop, the rumble of an engine.
\n<\/span>Not a normal rumble.
\n<\/span>He\u2019s sat in the drivers seat – on the left of course, it\u2019s American – giving it an occasional monthly turnover to keep it running, circulate the juices that keep the beast alive.
\n<\/span>Or is he?
\n<\/span>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.
\n<\/span>Are those \u201csitting there running the engine\u201d times really to keep it roadworthy?
\n<\/span>Or perhaps he\u2019s generating some time clock energy, rewinding us all to correct something that shouldn\u2019t have happened.
\n<\/span>But I still remember you. And what we said last night. That can\u2019t be rewound by Mr Future.
\n<\/span>So, we are good.
\n<\/span>No objection raised by the Time Panel, no temporal anomaly created, we can go on.
\n<\/span>And how can we say no to the future?<\/p>\n

\n

So, I think that’s just about all the interesting stuff.<\/p>\n

There’s more of course, but my instagram and Twitter Feeds may fill in the gaps for you.<\/p>\n

Wishing you all love, prosperity, and the fall of this evil Tory government.<\/p>\n

D x<\/p>\n

\"\"
Spring is coming…\\<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 Winter is generally a quiet time in my … Continue reading Too long without an update!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Blog Update - Work, Life, and Love! @beverleywrites @workshopwrite @vanitasarts1 @deadearnest @geostories1 @JorvikViking #actor #writer #voiceover #covid #poetry #theatre #jazz #podcast #Jorvik","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,41,77,84,196,6,34,64,321,322,104,188,95,323],"tags":[42,324,327,149,333,67,330,332,329,326,177,325,44,190,331,328],"class_list":["post-25904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acting","category-actor","category-christmas","category-comedy","category-covid-19","category-family","category-health","category-humour","category-love","category-romance","category-sheffield","category-theatre","category-voiceover","category-writing","tag-actor-2","tag-bridlington","tag-covid","tag-family","tag-grief","tag-humour","tag-jazz","tag-jorvik","tag-love","tag-podcast","tag-poetry","tag-romance","tag-sheffield","tag-theatre","tag-viking","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/img_3824-1.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VL6J-6JO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25904"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25939,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25904\/revisions\/25939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcclellandmedia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}