Diary Sunday 20th March 2016

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My first purely social day out with friends since my mum’s heart attack a week and half ago. My mum also got her first day out from home apart from a few hospital visits, as my sister took her to a nearby shopping mall. My Mum felt a little tired afterwards but overall the experience did her some good and the weather was pleasant for her too. My own independent activity involved a meeting of the North West Burlesque Society, which gathers every two month at Manchester’s Ape And Apple pub, usually on the last Sunday of the month, though that would be Easter weekend this month so it was drawn back a week. The main guest speaker was the highly regarded dancer Millie Dollar, talking of how creating and being her stage persona has helped her combat her ongoing struggles with depression. It was a very heartfelt and brave deeply personal presentation that clearly touched many hearts for her listeners. Members are invited to perform new burlesque dances or other burlesque related material and I presented a poem I wrote on the burlesque theme for a literature festival late last year, as I was keen to see how it would be received by burlesque performers – answer, they really appreciated it. Getting home was a challenge as there had been a major football match in Manchester so the Metrolink tram was very crowded. I got home and checked my mum was alright after her own adventures. She was fine. A huge thank you to Millie Dollar and everyone at the North West Burlesque Society. Arthur Chappell