WC March 21.
Monday was going to be a challenge with a lunchtime interview in Poole and another later in the afternoon in London – and they both turned out brilliantly. It was a delight to meet up with Debra Stephenson again. We last met in 2001 in the Covent Garden office of her then agent. At that time she was playing the notorious Shell Dockley in Bad Girls. Since then she has played Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street and been seen in The Impressionists Show. This time we met at the Lighthouse Theatre, Poole. Debra is bringing her very successful touring show, Night of a 100 Voices, to Newport’s Medina Theatre on Saturday April 2. It promises to be a brilliant show and she is bringing a talented six piece band and her impressions include pop stars from many eras and her repertoire includes numerous Hollywood stars.
After leaving Debra I headed to London’s Garrick Theatre to finally catch up with the very talented actress Claudie Blakely, from such hit series as Playing the Field, Cranford, Larkrise to Candelford, What Remains and currently Grantchester. Our interview had been in the offing for many months and finally came to fruition. It is a real family dynasty. Her late father, Alan, was the founder member of The Tremeloes, her mother is EastEnders actress Lin Blakely, who plays Pam Coker, and her younger sister, Kirsten, is the lead singer with Little Spitfire. Both of these interviews will soon be heard, worldwide, via new John Hannam Meets podcasts.
I got home around 9pm from my exciting travels and the thrill of meeting two genuinely lovely ladies. I did an hours work and then decided to watch the Timothy West and Prunella Scales new canal programme. I had seen every one so far. This one, set in Sweden, was a real let down and quite boring. You missed the English canal narrow boats. They were on much bigger boats and the attraction was lost. Going across huge lakes does not make good television. The British canals are so much more interesting. I will part 2 a wide berth!
I had work commitments on Saturday night but I popped down to Shanklin Theatre around teatime to say a quick hello to my long-term friend Brian Conley who had a sell out show at the venue. We first met backstage at Sandown Pavilion in 1986, when Brian was the support act to Jimmy Cricket. We have met a few times since then.
Two exciting interviews have just come in both with legendary pop singers. All will be revealed soon.
Sunday was not a memorable day. Who forgot completely about the clocks going forward? I could not understand why my computers had a different time to all the clocks in my house. I arrived to collect my Sunday papers at the normal time of 12-30 and they were shut. They close at 1pm. Someone was still in the shop, just packing up, and I called out to see if they closed early. Carl, the very helpful young man, asked if I knew the clocks had changed – I was embarrassed to say I hadn’t. I then pushed the cash through the letterbox in exchange for my papers. A happy ending – which I didn’t really deserve.