As September was quite uneventful, I’ve decided to make some stuff up...all you have to do is decide what’s real and what’s not!!!


Well, I bought a Mercedes car in September...well, okay, that’s a lie right away!

I did go to a book launch in Wales though (and this part’s true!). I know the author, Stephen Tait and about twenty/twenty-five years ago, Steve went on an ill-fated expedition to Antarctica...I remember when I was about nineteen or twenty, he came to show us the most amazing slideshow. The shots have stayed with me ever since.

But, would I ever had gone into a bookstore (as I often do), see a book called ‘SHAMBLES’ with two guys all kitted out in severe weather gear and thought to myself ‘gotta have that one’? No, I wouldn’t have... ‘not my kinda thang’ I’d have thought.

Thankfully though, Steve asked me to go down and play at the book launch. It was held in a Cotswold Store in Brecon. As I was just about to sing in the middle of this store, with all that outdoors stuff around me, I remember thinking (and possible saying out loud) that of all the gigs I’ve played – including Carnegie Hall – this had to be the strangest...

Thankfully also, Steve gifted me a copy of the book and honestly, it was absolutely superb. I read it in two days – not full days mind, just about 4 hours per day. The story is fantastic, horrible, sad, compelling and true and it is told at such a magic pace that it actually turned out to be a real page-turner.

It really is something – Shambles by Stephen Tait – highly recommended. I don’t remember the publisher, but if you Google that info, you’ll find the book.

The passage of time is a funny thing though. I hadn’t seen Steve or his wife, Penny, or our mutual friend Morv for years. And there we all were in their beautiful house in Brecon, with their beautiful daughters and all their beautiful things and they hadn’t changed a bit...I’m sure they looked a bit older, but, to me, they just looked the same – do you think we just forget that easily? Or, do you think our eyes just get older? Answers on a postcard please...

Also in September, my lovely Costa Rican friend, Pablo, had to go back home. His stay in the UK had come to an end!

Well, did we have a Scottish send off for this guy? Full dinner for about thirty, a reunion of all the Thai crowd, including the bride, who is seven-month pregnant!, and a proper Scottish dinner – Steak Pie...

As is often the case, there was a sing-song at the end, including a made-up-on-the-spot-song by Amanda (one of her specialities) about everyone at the party...we were all in tears laughing and then we noticed the beautiful Pablo was in tears of sadness – he didn’t want to leave!

Ah bien mi amigo, gracias por su sol y su música - vaya bien.

He’ll be back, and in the interim, might actually give us a fine opportunity to go and visit Costa Rica – how’s that for an excuse???

Like we need an excuse!

Same as we needed an excuse to go to Madrid in September?!

Well, what a great city that is!

So much to see – so much so in fact, that we found ourselves wishing we’d gone for a relaxing beach holiday.

Of course, I’m not complaining, but you know what it’s like an a city, you want to see everything, you don’t want to miss anything, you want to go and see as many art-galleries, bars, squares, parks and people as you can. And we did...we were out from 9am till about 2am most days. (I can feel your sympathy from here, don’t worry!!!)

As well as all the great places to see, there were great tapas to be eaten – how could we not?

Magical.

And then, there was the service industry – well, a few wee observations here. It’s nice to go into a bar or restaurant and note that the serving staff have made a career out of their work, they are knowledgeable, able, fast and fit, young and old and oh so bloody miserable – what we had to do to get a smile out of one or two of them...then we stopped, it was too much like hard work!

I was also amazed by how expensive everything was in Madrid – not transport – but other stuff – you know, essentials like food and GIN!

We thought how cool it would be to go to Parque El Retiro and have a gin & tonic (recommended by a colleague). And then came the bill...16 Euros. I read some more and was not surprised to learn that Madrid is the third most expensive capital in the world – I wonder what the first two are...promise to go there for my city breaks next year!

All that said though, it really is a magical city. The sights have to be seen, the smells have to be smelled, the tastes have to be savoured and the Euros have to be spent. It was worth every eurocent, I would go back in a minute!

And then home; home for the holiday weekend...we thought of going to London, of going up north, of going to Yorkshire, then we though of going into the garden, or tidying out cupboards and of just plain old staying at home and, so we did.

And so to the big news that I really do wish was a lie, but isn’t...

I’m taking up gardening! I’ve decided I love it and it’s time.

I spent most of that weekend there cutting back, or digging out or many other mundane things that my grampa and dad used to bore me with when I was young...I’m no longer turning into my mother, but into my father – OMG, things are bad, VERY bad!!!!!

And, given my new semi-passion, I’ll understand if you don’t want to read another Carol Laula diary in your life...I will try to keep the green fingers to a minimum, but...well...I can’t promise!

See you at the end of October, by which time I will be ready to extol the virtues of Carol Vorderman’s detox...which would you prefer...that or gardening!!!

See ya in October.

Carol