Just Emma

       Hello, lovelies.                Does the thought of standing on a stage in front of an audience fill you with joy? Do you love the idea of learning lines and standing in the middle of a cold rehearsal studio going over and over the same scene in order to get it right? Or is the theatre something that other people do? Do the prices of the tickets, drinks and ice creams fill you with dread as it is all too expensive and totally out of your reach? Is the theatre an elitist middle-class pass time that is overpriced and is expendable? Or are the arts really worth saving?                I don’t know about you, but I just love the theatre. No, it’s more than that. I live for the theatre. It’s usually what I talk about the most. I tend to only read plays and books that are based on it. I met most of my friends whilst working at a ...

          Hello, lovelies.               After everything we put into the first lockdown, the sacrifices we made, the queues we stood in, the news is that prime minster Boris Johnson has announced new measures to slow the spread of the virus. He stressed that this may not mean the return of a full lockdown, but the UK has reached a 'perilous turning point,' in the fight against coronavirus. Will this mean the end of our small but hard-won freedoms? We will all have to go back to Skyping our loved ones? Or have we learnt enough to get it right this time?               With the introduction of all pubs, restaurants and bars closing at 10pm from 24th, and all those working in retail, or those in indoor hospitality and whilst travelling in taxis will have to wear masks or face coverings. It seems that there may be some dark skies ahead. Those who were told that it was important and safe t...

Hello, lovelies.               44 years ago I was born in this great country. A country that has a wealth of history, culture and arrogance. We all grew up believing that Great Britain truly ruled the waves. We sang songs about it. We were full of hope and stood on the bank of the Thames in glory. We have faced and defeated many wars, famines and diseases, and here we still were. Britain had stood strong for thousands of years, and nothing was going to knock it off its pedestal. This great Empire. But were we really that great? Have we lost our greatness? Or will the Empire strike back?               Listening to the radio this morning, I heard that there had been some discussions about removing the word Empire from the OBE and MBE's. But why? Haven't we been part of an empire since time immemorial? No, we haven't. The British Empire began to take shape around the early 17th century. So just over 400 hundred...

         Hello, lovelies.                     We did it. We survived the Coronavirus. We won. We stayed at home, washed our hands and wore our masks. We clapped for our NHS and Key workers every Thursday evening. We stayed away from all non-essential shops. We did it! And now, joy of joys, the lockdown is easing. But what if it's not? What if COVID has been hiding in the shadows and now that the autumn is here it's ready to come and get us. Will we have to face a whole new lockdown? Are we ready? Or will we fight, tooth and nail, for our freedom?               I can not tell you how much I love the freedom of walking into almost any shop I want, just so I could have a look around, not just being there to buy the basic essentials for the week. Yes, there can still be queue's at some supermarkets at the weekends, but mostly it feels like life is going back to normal...

         Hello, lovelies.            Have you ever reached out to someone, a close friend or family member for help and advice, but the person doesn't really listen to you? Is it that you're just being too needy or whinny.  Should you just suck it up and try to deal with it on your own? Maybe a problem shared isn't really a problem halved. Do we really want to talk to someone, or just want to be heard and understood? Are you only seeking validation? Is it all about you? Or are people just not very good listeners?          Do we feel undervalued if people are just not that interested in what we have to say? There is nothing worse than being in a conversation, but feeling that you are the only one taking part. Could that be because you are monopolising the conversation and only talking about yourself? Could you have strayed on to the forbidden topics like politic's, religion or money? Maybe you'...

          Hello, lovelies.                     With our roads partially closed due to the local council's bid to help maintain pedestrian and cyclists social distancing, should we be embracing the gridlock that is now an everyday occurrence? Can we struggle through the tailgating streams of cars in order to help slow the spread of this deadly virus? Or has the government gone mad, and is implementing a knee jerk reaction to their disastrous late response to the pandemic? Should we be ditching the cars and jumping on our bikes? Or is that just not realistic in this modern-day and age?                     I love my car. I use it every day, either in driving to one of my four jobs, using it for shopping or just acting as the proverbial  taxi of Mum. But I honestly don't know what I'd do without it. Over the years I have tried to use publ...

    Hello, lovelies.               Have you ever watched a scary movie believing that you'll be alright, only to lie awake at night with the lights on? Does walking home alone at night fill you with fear and dread? Does a bump in the night always mean that the bogey man is coming to get you? Or is fear completely pointless that can make you waste many hours of your life? Is fear an irrational feeling or a very important life tool?           I was recently asked by my eldest daughter to watch a scary movie with her, as she was too scared to watch it alone. As it was still light outside, I was 100% sure that the film would have absolutely no effect on me at all. How wrong I was. As my daughter left to go home, I had the short trip up the stairs to my bedroom, passing the cupboard under the stairs and the back door that led to the now dark back garden. That shouldn't be too bad at all, as it's a journey I have ...

                 Hello, Lovelies.                    Have you ever been gripped by that great British Pride? When watching rugby or football, do you stand and join the throng in singing our great British anthem? Do the words of Rule Britannia ring out with joy and pride in your household? Is this the land of Hope and Glory? Do we truly rule the waves? Or are we singing an outdated set of songs that no longer reflect our British values? Is it time to write a new anthem that can represent our diversity, values and forward-looking future?          I heard on the news this week that the BBC was planning on scrapping some of our most iconic songs at The Last Night of the Proms. But with the Cronra virus still raging through our small island, should we really be losing some of our musical histories? And why start at the Proms? The Proms, or  Promenade Concerts...