The Concert that Wasn't!

That was a week that was!  All beautifully planned, then Murphy stepped in.

At the beginning of the week I went to my friend Paula's for coffee and a chat which was lovely.  Strolling back through the village I met our new Mum - she had twins while David and I were in Spain.  And, of course, I had to stop and admire the babes.  Sorry, but apart from some being hairier than others, they all tend to look alike to me.  At least I can 'ooh' and 'aah' with the best of them.

Then I had a bit of a battle with Elvis.  No, I'm not clairvoyant. This one has a Mum who was a fan.  My Elvis is the gardener who comes in about once a week - in the summer - to mow the lawns and tidy up.  Out of season he comes when he feels like it.  Our problem is that I buy plants I like and put them where I want them.  He tends to move them to where he thinks they should be.  Of course I move them back and if they get lucky they stay there!  Last week he brought some plants that I don't like and insisted that I do like them.  Ho-hum.  I'll take them out and stick them at the back of the garden (it's a biggy) where I can't see them.

Wednesday I went up to London for a couple of days.  What for?  Shopping, of course, and I was successful.

Unfortunately the concert I was going to go to was cancelled.  It was the Classic FM Live concert at the Royal Albert Hall.  Unfortunately there'd been an electrical short circuit (or some such) in the basement and it was filled with black smoke.  The Fire Brigade dealt with it but the Hall had to be evacuated and the concert cancelled.  Such a shame but I suppose there were fumes and horrible smells.

Oh dear - I had so been looking forward to seeing the sexy John Suchet!

Introducing Me!

Hi, I'm Cleo Marjoribanks.  Yes, a fancy name, but it's what I go by.  Some of you may already know me by the books about me.

I was born and grew up in East London, worked in London as a secretary (b-o-o-o-r-ing!) then got lucky on the lottery.  No one was more surprised than me - I only did it hoping to win enough to buy a small house and could move out of the rabbit hutch sized flat that was all I had been able to afford.  Anyway, now I live in the New Forest, one of my favourite parts of England.

Although you can keep up with my adventures - or misadventures! - in the books Barbara Bothwell writes about me and e-publishes, in my blog I'll keep you up to date on other things.

Poltergeists in the Parador

I've been told to tell you a little bit about my holiday in Spain.  Actually it turned out to be more like work.  David (a.k.a. DCI 'Steaming' Kettle) and I went to stay at a posh parador where we found a body in the garden.  The holiday went downhill from there.



My old mate Primrose Day (a crime reporter) got sent out to Torremolinos to cover various crime-related doings and insists I adopted another 'lame duck'.  This time a rather posh - and wealthy - teenager who had been bored out of her skull.  Well you would be, wouldn't you, staying with your grandma in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of 'oldies'.  No, I'm not that old.  Actually I'm planning on introducing Evita to my friend Paula's daughter, Maggie (another teenager).  Sounds good to me as they're both horse mad.

Just been reminded not to give too much away.  Anyway, read the books and you'll know all about me.  And, having done the plug blog perhaps I'll be allowed to tell you other things.

Ta-ra for now.