29 April, 2008 ~ What’s New?

Hi Girls

Its been a busy few weeks, since the last blog. Of course I went to Wembley and saw my team lose their FA Cup semi-final. Well after last night that is OK, because after losing the semi-final we stayed focussed in the league and last night got the point we needed for promotion to the premiership. They reckon that is worth £60m what with TV revenues (£40m) and potential parachute payments, even if we came straight back down ~ well lets hope the ‘baggies’ do well in the top flight this time – I’ve been supporting them for 45 years and its about time we had some continued success.

They better do well next year, because the last few months I’ve had a bargain with my Dad that I ring him or he rings me after we win……but of course that has been a lot easier in our current league. I hope I do speak to him next season!!

Shortly after Wembley, I came down with a cold, my first for a year or two……..and more seriously Shingles. For those that don’t know this can be quite debilitating. You only get it if you’ve already had Chicken Pox but it has similar effects ….spots & sores, I got these on my forehead and top of head then eczema spread down to surround my eyes….all on one side of the the head. Apparently this is the key for Shingles, it can only effect one side of your body as it is triggered by the nerve on one or other side. Well the bit around the eyes was worrying me and I was having blinding flashes/migraines which I’ve never had before so I went to the doctor and fortunately caught it early enough. The Anti-viral drugs he gave were an immediate help and 3 weeks on, I’m Ok bar a couple of scabs on my forehead that still haven’t cleared. It was good to cover these up on Sunday, more on that in a bit.

Shame that this all coincided with my wife’s op. For regular readers you will know she was having a major operation on the ankle, it was 3 1/2 hours in the end, which means 6 weeks totally laid up, essential to keep weight off the ankle and then a further 6 weeks on a weight bearing plaster. All went well but she is not a happy bunny, despite me doing my utmost to help her through it. My cooking, cleaning, caring skills are going through the roof. All I need is a nurses outfit or failing that a maid’s outfit ~ any offers?

Anyway Sunday I did get out ~ first dressing since the Rivoli that I mentioned a month ago. I organised to go to the Surrey Swans in Ash, near Aldershot Surrey. It is held in a back-bar of the Lion Brewery pub on the last Sunday of the month and regularly gets 20-30 attending. This time I had the chance to meet up with Georgia. I’ve been chatting to her quite a bit since I offered a little assistance about 3 months ago. In that time she has packed more into those 3 months than I have done in the last year or two. Out at any opportunity in Hants, she also travels quite a bit in her job and has been to tgirl events in the Wirral, Blackpool and Manchester. She has also come out to her ‘little’ sister and 3 younger brothers. The sister seems especially supportive.

Well good luck to her ~ I met her last night and she is great fun, energetic, enthusiastic and looks good too. I just hope she doesn’t suffer from burn-out, because she is doing so much so quickly. Anyway she is great company and took the photo above ~ so thanks Georgia!! I look forward to getting out with you regularly in the coming months and in June hope we should get the chance to all meet up in June at SPARKLE in Manchester.

I should quickly finish with a word about the Rivoli Ballroom, in Peckham (? check) SE London. I know it was a long time ago now, but I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with Penny. We’d stayed at the Ibis in Greenwich and had a lovely meal first at the Cafe Rouge there. Arriving at the Ballroom via a circuitous route from a zealous if friendly taxi driver, we encountered some wonderful sights outside the venue, and they were only the girls (and boys) having a cigarette break.

As it happens there was a 45 minute queue at one time for the bar snaking all the way across the dance floor, which as it happened didn’t worry us one iota. We just asked the manager if it was Ok to nip to the off licence and Penny and I returned with a bottle of wine and half bottle of Southern Comfort in my oversize bag. But not before we had had our bums stamped for our pass-out ~ I wish I had a photo of that, haha!!

I could tell you lots about the place. It had a really vibrant atmosphere, helped by a really cosmopolitan mix of 4-500 customers all dressed to the nines, about a third to one half tg but the rest a mix of hen parties, gays, straights, but all dressing up in the most wondrous outfits that I just couldn’t do justice by describing (see the pics, much better). It is a listed building and is ideal for at least a monthly do of this sort, which I think they intend to do if they can sort out the bar problems. I shall return!!

Anyway, for those that are interested, visit the flickr link below for hundreds of pics………quite early on you see a pic of me with the Southern comfort bottle!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/magic-theatre/page9/

By the way, the pic at the top of this blog was taken at Surrey Swans on Sunday.

Take care,

Love TinaCortina xx