Diary 6th And 7th October 2018

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Diary Saturday 6th October 2018 A big day on Saturday, centred on a visit to Wigan for a friend’s burlesque show. I have supported Bella Besame’s Slippery Belle cabarets since my days in Manchester and missed getting to them since my move to Preston. I was delighted that she is launching a new show, The Birds Of Paradise burlesque cabaret at the Fatbird bar in Wigan, a train ride away from home. This was my second visit to the town in four weeks; following the Wigan Diggers Festival I took a modest part in myself in September. I expected the trains to run up to 11pm and that I would see most of the show even if I had to bail before the finale, but after I bought my train tickets I discovered that engineering works were closing the railway line at 9.30pm. I would be lucky to see the opening act, let alone the last one. I got to Wigan early, to capture the last handful of pub-sign photos in the town centre for my collection. Between then and the show I had a drink in the Wigan Central bar and a meal in the Wetherspoon’s Moon under Water bar (mentioned in my forthcoming book on pub signs for its links to George Orwell). I got to Fatbird about 8pm. It was a lovely bar, with very friendly service. Only a lack or real ales gives me cause for any criticism. The staffs putting complimentary pretzels on the tables were a lovely touch. I headed up to the cabaret room and let my friends know that I needed to leave early due to my transport issues but the hostess quickly arranged a lift home or me after the show with one of the performers, who I have also met before, the amazing singer, Eva Fox. The show was tremendous, with lots of great dancing, comedy and vibrant costuming. A major highlight was the routines of Velma Von Bon Bon. Her first half act including stripping while skipping and riding a unicycle at the same time. Velma’s second half presentation was even more astonishing. She presented a very funny parody of the most famous dance routine associated with burlesque tar Dita Von Teese. Dita has a routine in which she swim-dances in a giant martini glass Velma set up a large metal pole with a small bowl on top of it. It looked impossible to get into. To make her chances of success in the act less likely, Velma arrived on stage extremely drunk, (pretending) and managed to do a great clown-routine of her increasingly undignified, inelegant efforts to get into her glass. Sobered up in a montage fitness regime, helped by a guy from the audience, Velma then performed the same routine with true elegance and style, even managing to get into her impossibly small Perspex bowl, before filling it with water and being sprayed with a giant water pistol. It was one of the few routines I have seen to gain a much deserved standing ovation. The performers and Fatbird bar staff held a quick impromptu meeting to discuss future events and Eva dropped me and the how’s resident J Bazooka Joe off at our homes. A massive thanks to Bella Besame and Eva Fox, though no thanks at all to Virgin Trains for the problems they caused me. Diary Sunday 7th October 2018 A day spent recovering from the late night out yesterday, with a little shopping, awaiting the new series of Dr Who in the evening, and preparing for the tart of the One In Four Mental Health Film Festival, which I am helping out with at the University Of Central Lancashire (UCLan) for the third year in a row. Arthur Chappell