Just Emma

        Hello, lovelies.           Today is valentine’s day, the day of love. Love is in the air. The power of love. I will always love you, and a hundred more songs telling us that love is all around. We can feel it in our fingers and even in our toes. Are they correct? Can love really fix anything? Love, love changes everything, doesn’t it. Do we really want to know what love is? If we don’t, could we leave right now, before we fall any deeper? We love our children, our partners, our parents and friends. Surly we don’t need that one day a year that we load up on flowers and chocolates to tell our loved ones how we feel, that should be something we tell them every day. And what of love at first sight? Can that really happen or it just stuff fed to us in mushy romance novels. Can love really move mountains if they’re high enough, or valley’s if they’re low enough or even a river if its deep enough, to help us find our one true love? Is love s...

       Hello, lovelies.           I just love the theatre. It is everything to me. It’s not just an excuse to get all dressed up, pack a goodie bag full of sweets, and head off for an evening of music and laughter. Live theatre can open our hearts, push our thoughts and ideas past our comfort zone and stir us in a way we never thought imaginable. There is something so magical about sitting in a seat that has had thousands of people sit in it before, waiting for the lights to go down, and step forward on a theatrical journey that we have no idea where it will take us. From the classic golden oldies to the ground-breaking new productions. Every evening you could visit a different theatre, playhouse, church hall or room above a pub and see something new. But is it the arts responsibility to teach us anything? Should shows always be pushing the boundaries? Isn’t the entertainment industry a safe place for the tried and tested productions? Or...

       Hello, lovelies.            When we are born, we are given a name of someone else’s choosing. Growing up our clothes are picked out for us. The schools are chosen, even our religion is handed down to us. We strive to make our own way in the world. Some of us rebel, I, myself, was a goth for my later teenage years. We refuse to listen to our parent’s music, never watching the same TV and films that our parents enjoy. What we really want is to take control of our own lives and bodies and grow into the person that we want to be. Well. That’s if we are lucky. But what happens when we think we know ourselves and our bodies, but life changes us, and we no longer can rely on how we used to be. What then? Do we have to learn who we are all over again? Or is that the perfect time to be whomever we want?          From my earliest memory, I have always known what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be an actor. ...

      Hello, lovelies.          We all have different ways of learning, from Visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinaesthetic which is a physical/doing type of learning. And for most of us we are a blend of all four. I myself am a mixture of visual and kinaesthetic learner. I have always said, show me once or tell me twice. And within those parameters, I have grown to know what and whatnot I am able to achieve. From my workplace, social life all the way down to DIY, thanks to the university of Google. But the main thing that I have learnt is to know and understand my limitations, as there are far too many things that I am unable to do than I can do. And I accept that. But what happens when we have no idea of our limited limitation’s and believe that we are far more capable than we actually are? Is there a danger in thinking that we are far more suitable for the job than anyone else? And what happens when those who are less capable than others h...

Hello, lovelies. The first of February marks Strike action day. Teachers, civil servants, Border Force staff and train drivers are out of strike, hoping that their voices will be heard. But with so many demands by so many people, is there really any chance that they can all get what they are asking for? Is the only choice by the big bosses and government to stonewall them, in hopes that the public will tire of all the disruptions and demand that the strikes must come to an end? But that leads to a very interesting question. What will the fat cats do if we collectively stand behind those on the picket line, adding our voices to the throng, and demand, once and for all, that this out of touch and crass ruling body stop and listen and make our lives liveable again. I am so fortunate to live and work in London. To me it is the most alive and beautiful city in the world. Growing up I would always hear people say that London never sleeps, and I can now see what they mean. When I’m ...

       Hello, lovelies.              I am just minutes away from finishing a local community pantomime that I had the pleasure of working on. And now with a large cup of coffee in hand, I’ve had just enough time to reflect on my weekend. Apart from being exhausted and having no idea where my handbag is, I find myself asking the question – What have I learnt from all of this? But is it important to learn anything, as taking part should be enough. Or is taking part in what is quintessentially a very British tradition important, as a good old-fashioned panto is a gateway show that allows those who would not normally go to the theatre a way to see, join in and maybe, just maybe, take part in themselves.                  I am a founding member of a fun local community theatre group. The aims are quite simple, it’s open to all, to make local theatre affordable and accessible as possible, and ho...

        Hello, lovelies.            A new year can bring a fresh start and new opportunities, and by the look of it, 2023 is set to follow in the path as all the others. But as we celebrate and usher in the Chinese year of the rabbit, what can we learn from the past to bring forward, and maybe, just maybe, change the coming year into something more.             The year of the rabbit is the fourth in the twelve-year cycle. The 22nd of January starts one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture, the dawn of the Luna New Year. Chinese New Year, known as the spring Festival, is celebrated with food, meeting up with family and friends as well as a whole plethora of festivities. This is not only celebrated in China, but many countries across Asia. It even touches the far-flung corners of southwest London. Anyone walking through China Town, in London’s Leicester Square, would be hard hit not to be d...