the last horror film(s)…
And it’s my last few hours in Scarborough for a few days – Sheffield’s Celluloid Screams approaches, and with an eminently fabulous line up to wind up my horror festival-goings for this year! For anybody who isn’t going to be in New York, the Leeds International Film Festival still has Night of the Dead and Day of the Dead in November (I’ve already seen virtually everything on offer already so I can live with it, apart from grumbling a bit at missing the John Carpenter retrospective), but my next instalment is likely to be Glasgow FrightFest at the end of February which gives me ample time to get my eyes tested, let my back recover and rustle up some more burger money.
The mini-case is packed, and I will be back on Monday afternoon having enjoyed a weekend of more Henry Rollins, daily hotel breakfast buffets and (hopefully) a Sunday night curry by way of an autumn warmer – as pretty a time of year as it is there’s definitely a chill in the air here, and I don’t imagine Sheffield’s any different. Further proof if proof were needed that autumn is firmly entrenched can be seen above at Tesco’s completely denuded custard shelf last Friday; not being someone who buys custard bar the occasional secret Ambrosia ready-pot it wasn’t a disaster, but my planned bread and butter pudding after going overboard on reduced to clear packs of brioche rolls for 10p a week or so ago was briefly compromised before I remembered there was Elmlea in the fridge. The blackberry and apple mix went in the freezer; some things can’t be compromised, crumble is one of them and I baked some oatcakes (very easy, if you’ve never tried it) and banana-chopped-up-Fudge-bar muffins instead.
I will be hurtling back for normal service to be resumed (that is, incalls at the flat inbetween finishing my tax return whilst glued to All 4’s 20 Years Of Hollyoaks classic episode section and idly mulling over whether the fat noodles or the thin noodles are the best part of Bombay Mix) on Monday afternoon for the rest of the week, then it’s off to London for a very quick pit stop in Waterloo, partly for a break from the housework, but mostly for the purposes of attending the ECP’s Decriminalisation Symposium at the House of Commons on the 3rd which I’m very much looking forward to (not least because as a taxpayer for the last twenty six years, I’ll get to see where at least a bit of my hard-earned has been ending up).
The event is open to all, and supportive representatives from Amnesty International, the WI, the Royal College of Nursing and a fair few others who – like me – aren’t generally afraid to nail their colours firmly to the mast will be in attendance to gather and present evidence to MPs, in the hope that they too will be mystified as to why (amongst other things) the law allows my friend and I to work in the same salon if we were hairdressers or the same garage if we were mechanics but not in the same flat if we are prostitutes, plus the absurdity of making anything illegal to buy when it remains legal to give away for free. We can probably safely assume that the Women’s Equality Party won’t be in attendance, although given their recently-announced support for criminalising punters via the Nordic Model they most certainly should be and I’m seriously hoping they turn up. Fingers crossed.
A few days back in Scarborough will follow before the long awaited New York trip – yay! I will be in Manhattan, bright-eyed and bushy tailed from the 9th until the 12th and whilst I’ve a few plans for my first visit in a full year, a nice relaxing catch up will be the order of the day; I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces already, and not just the ever-sparkly cashiers at the big Sephora on 34th street. I also need to get the usual NY blog page up – apologies for lateness, but in my haste to make a shopping list (from which I’ve just crossed off the Sodastream after realising that the aviation authorities probably won’t thank me for turning up with gas canisters in my suitcase – silly cow) I forgot. It’s on it’s way, promise!
Needless to say the work phone will be off all weekend, but emails will be got to when practical. More next week…