I have just returned from Corsica and was lucky to get back as Zoom and Excel airlines both went bust. As a result I am a little late with everything including replying to e mails and will send off the signed calendars and photos shortly. However I did manage to write  my 3 blogs while I was away so the  ones on the sanctuary, Pip and animal health are now in place.

 

 

My two episodes of EastEnders have now aired and it was fascinating to see what the scenes looked like. The weather had been awful but with the help of the lighting cameraman it looked like a reasonable summer's day. Many thanks to the EastEnders team and in particular Minty, Vinnie and Gary and the director John Greening  for making the experience so enjoyable.

 

The latest animal health subject is worming.

 

 

Pip's Diary "Oh dear!" and my blog "Awful August " August 12th are just published.

 

 

My  friend the famous wild life writer Mike Tomkies set up a hide down by our bonfire and set the scene with Pip the dobermann's toys littered about and choice morsels of meat. He filmed at dusk and dawn and was delighted with the film he took of the antics of the resident fox cubs.

 

A to Z of animal health on urinary infections and vaccinations are now penned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had some fan mail forwarded from the BBC East Enders office even though I have yet to make an appearance! While I am not allowed to divulge the story line it would seem that there has been some publicity giving the name of the character I am playing. However one person got things a bit wrong and wrote  "Dear Cynthia, I understand you are playing the part of Alexandra in East Enders and I would be very pleased if you could send me an autograph" - the dilemma will be whether to sign Cynthia or Alexandra!

 

 July 7th

 

My latest blog "Not so flaming June" has just been penned.

 

 

Pip's Diary "Barking Mad" now in place.

 

 

A friend of my husband's rang and I answered the phone. He said he had been very ill and had in fact died. When he arrived at the pearly gates he said I was there to welcome him. While being pleased that I was in heaven it was a little alarming to be told I was there prematurely. However all was explained when he realised that when he finally came round from his operation the television was on at the foot of his hospital bed and he was in fact watching  me in a repeat of my old series "The Champions"!

 

Filming my two episodes of EastEnders finished yesterday, they will be aired in August on 25th and 26th I am sworn to secrecy as regards the plot!

 

A sudden phone call has complicated my life as I have been asked to do 2 episodes of EastEnders, the famous TV Soap. I was cast on Thursday and go to work on Tuesday!  I will give details shortly.

 

The May blog called "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out" has just been published.

 

I don't know where the time goes but I guess running an animal sanctuary with approximately 150 animals means there are never enough hours in the day.

 

Franck Leprince the chef d'orchestre came to see me this week and kindly gave me a DVD of the Mantovani evening. He has also asked me to present another concert for him next January 2009.

 

My apologies for my absence at the celebrity convention last weekend. in Birmingham.Unfortunately my husband was unwell and I was unable to make it. Some fans have contacted me directly to sign their items and I am very  happy to do so if they are sent to the web site  P.O. Box address in return for a donation to the animal sanctuary for all the 150 or so rescued animals.. By the way I have just had a cheque from Granada TV for £171.30p for all 30 episodes of " The Champions" on DVD/VIDEO which gives you some idea why I ask for donations to the ABC Animal Sanctuary. The fact that all 30 episodes are endlessly repeated might give  the impression that I am collecting huge financial rewards for the repeats. Unfortunately the very opposite is true.

 

My regular journal this month called "In like a Lion out like a Lamb" is now ready. My apologies for the lack of the March chapter but it was due to circumstances beyond my control.

 

May 1st Pip's Diary the latest chapter is called " Pip finds his Voice" at www.abcstories.wordpress.com  and the Animal Health piece on peritonitis are now in place.on www.animalhealth.wordpress.com

 

My Birthday!

 

I had hoped to ignore it but it wasn't possible!

 My thanks to Drama Queen for organising a contingent of "Champions" fans to send their very welcome birthday greetings. My thanks also to PJ for his birthday gift to the animals. It is very nice to be remembered.

Personally though I am no longer celebrating birthdays but am instead celebrating still being here. Not something that I wish to go in to at the moment but there have been quite a few  near disasters over the years. Once I missed a connecting plane from Paris after a modelling job in Spain only to hear the plane had crashed and killed all the models. So I am lucky I'm still here!

 

 

 

The Mantovani evening which I compered with Ed Stewart was sold out and went extremely well. Personally I had forgotten that he had had 45 hit records many of which like Besame Mucho I used to dance to in my teens, so I thoroughly enjoyed all the lovely music. The good news is that the reviews were so good that it is  definitely going to be repeated and we wait to hear where the next venue will be. 

 

 

My husband's play "Brief Lives" which won awards when it was first done 40 years ago is being repeated with the original actor Roy Dotrice playing John Aubrey. It was at the  Windsor Theatre Royal  on March 17th and Richmond the week after, The reviews for Roy Dotrice's performance are stunning. It will be going on another tour shortly which will include Cambridge, Oxford, Malvern and Guildford prior to a London opening. I will keep you informed about the exact dates.

 

"Visiting Mr. Green" the play my husband has directed which stars Warren Mitchell opened in the West End of London at the Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday April 8th to stunning reviews.