WC February 19

Had a brilliant Tuesday. It began with an interview I’d dreamed of for 44 years. I finally interviewed PETER BOWLES and was so thrilled to be invited to his London home. What a perfect gentleman. He was such a genial host and so friendly, as was his lovely wife Sue. I was just honoured to be there.

I then was taken to one of London’s most famous restaurants, Joe Allen’s, by my daughter Caroline, as a birthday treat. It is a theatre-themed restaurant and quite wonderful. Then I nipped off to the Wise Buddah studio to meet NATASHA BARNES, who has just made her brilliant debut album, called Real. She was the London understudy for Sheridan Smith, on Funny Girl, and she became a star for taking over the role when Sheridan was ill. She’s had other West End shows and toured with Funny Girl. A Hampshire girl, too. Another joy to meet.

What a week it turned out to be and I survived another birthday. Friday was another exciting day. I went over to the wonderful new Southampton Theatre, The NST City Centre Theatre, to interview ANITA DOBSON and CATHERINE CUSACK, who are among the cast of their brilliant current production of The Shadow Factory, which is set in the city in the autumn of 1940.

It was all so convenient. An hour later we went to the press night of Miss Saigon, at the Mayflower Theatre. Modern technology has improved since the original production of this famous musical. There is so much in this exciting production and the helicopter scene is still the technical highlight of the show. I love some of the dance numbers and nothing surpassed the brilliant opening to the second half, Bui Doi, with John (Ryan Gorman) and the company. I did find one or two of the other songs a little too long, particularly The American Dream. The audience loved it.

On Saturday night I went to the Joe Brown concert at Shanklin Theatre and it was a fantastic night. It was so different to anything else he has ever done here. There was just him and his amazing guest Henry Gross. Joe is such a brilliant storyteller and the audience loved his anecdotes. His stories were beautifully perfected, funny and well delivered. In between, he sang a wide variety of songs and, as ever, played some exquisite guitar music. When he and Henry played Duelling Banjos, it brought the house down.