The Annual Blogger’s Bash. June 15 2019.

Where did yesterday go? I was up at the crack of 5am and on the train by 7.46am. I met Eloise, Marje, Marian and Lance at Victoria Station and then it was off to the venue.

Now I did try and take lots of photos but chatting and meeting with people takes precedense But here are some💜.

Above are from the left Marian, Eloise, Shelly, Mary Smith, Sherrie and the lovely Marjorie 💜

Claire Saul, her lovely hubby and April💜

Look at this colourful trio. Martin, Zoé and Rachel💜

Rachel and her husband Adam 💜

Ritu and Hubby, on crutches, Claire and her hubby 💜

One of the Judges Gareth Stevens and his lovely wife Jayne, and Esther💜

The panel Esther, Shelley and Laura one of our two fabulous guest speakers 💜

Photo by Eloise Da Sousa

Laura giving her speech, absolutely brilliant and so funny she had me in stitches.💜

Jemma Todd

Photos by Eloise Da Sousa

Jemma Todd was also incredibly interesting and I for one was totally enthralled.💜

Our Wonderful M.C. Graeme . 💜

Ritu receiving her prize from Geoff.💜

The lovely Sacha💜

Some of the committee.Sacha, Adam and Geoff.

Photo by Ritu

Ritu, Sacha, Geoff, the huggable Hugh and Suzie.💜

I totally failed to get a good picture of Isa , she is sitting at the table in blue top. I was delighted to see her again. It was great to catch up, I wanted a selfie with her but I failed😣 her partner from their blog Jo could not make it. Jo I missed you 💜💜

I really tried to meet everyone but I did not get to speak to these two. I am sorry. If you let me know who you are I will link you in. I am sorry I didn’t get to chat .💜 Just been informed by Lance the young lady is Claire. Just looking for the chap now.

Oh! I have remembered the lovely Simon sorry for the late entry Simon .

I also didn’t get to speak to Ananda Leeks If I missed anyone I am so sorry. Let me know and I will add you 💜

Ritu, me and Marje my Blogging sisters 💜💜💜

I didn’t get any photos of Samantha Smith Here is her winning blog post : If You Only Had Five Minutes, What Would TV You Save?

Excellent story I really enjoyed it 💜💜.

I also didn’t get a photo of of Susanne Tench and her brother. Nor did I get a photo of Jemima Pett

There were others there but I didn’t get photos so if I have left anyone one out please, please forgive me!

I can’t tell you how much it means to me to meet up with my bloggy family. I really love to meet up with old friends and make lots of new friends too. Everyone is happy to chat and so genuine.

If you have never been to a Bash I can really recommend that if you can you do because there is always so much to learn and so many opportunities to network.

We started off with a welcome speech, from Suzie then two awards , followed by the competition presented by Gareth Stevens, and the winner Samantha Smith was at the Bash.

Next Laura had us in stitches. Followed by a few more awards.

Then Jemma told us her story from book devouring teen to published author… absolutely fabulous.

Then lunch, time to relax and chat and mingle, always one of the best parts of the day.

Then it was back in and time for the panel, great questions and great questions.

After the Question and Answers it was Suzie’s Flat Lay presentation

Followed by Geoff doing the final awards, then Sacha closed up .

Time to chat more 💜💜.

So again it was over, months of excitedly looking forward to the ABBA’s planning travel and then poof it’s over and Marian, Eloise and I are quick marching after Lance back to Victoria. We had to step it out because Eloise’s train was due! We said goodbye, Lance made sure Eloise got her train. I saw Marian through to her train, after we had tried to get through a barrier that wasn’t working!

That left me so I found the underground down the escalator Victoria line to Oxford Circus

Image from Pixabay

Oxford Circus, down the escalator again . Then on to the Bakerloo line then up into the daylight at Paddington.

I had to run for my train, not a very ladylike thing to do, not a good idea either with a bad foot!

Image from Pixabay

So where did the day go. But it was great 💜💜 Thank you Committee you produced another winner. To everyone at the bash it was it was wonderful to meet up.

I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE.

Bloggers Bash. It’s not long now.

Just three weeks until the Blogger’s Bash

This is the fifth year’s smash!

I can hardly wait

Meeting friends old and new it’s just great.

The committee will all be there

They plan the Bash with great care.

There will be awards and a competition

All for a reasonable fee for admission.

The Bash comes but once a year

And when comes it brings great cheer.

You can get loads of advice

There will be a panel to answer questions..nice.

So have you bought your ticket

Need a room? you better pick it

You need to make your plans today

The ticket price goes up on the 26th of May.

The Bash is such a lot of fun

A great chance to meet and greet everyone.

The Grange Wellington Hotel. is the Venu

A brilliant day is on the menu.

Song Lyric Sunday, Burn/ Fire/Flame.

Hi everyone and thanks to our host Jim at NewEpicAuthor for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt. Burn/Fire/Flame.

So many great songs to choose from and I need to be careful not to use any I have used before.

Well use this one before or not I adore Fire Meets Gasoline by Sia. It fits the prompt perfectly.

Burn by Ellie Goulding Oh! Love this too.

Oh! And the Australian group Midnight Oil , Beds are burning. The best protest song ever!

And the best video

Of course with this prompt we have to Have Arthur Brown who I saw live at Reading Festival years ago..a lifetime ago. Fire!

And the Bangles Eternal Flame.

Okay I shall stop now I have on on a bit but before I go .

We didn’t start the the fire Billy Joel ..best history lesson ever.

And the pictures.

Okay so I didn’t enjoy this one 😉😉

Vlad’s Valentine

Vampire is that mess for me

I have a sweet tooth you see

Dear lady, this sweet is for you

Make in Eton, with love true.

Vampire what can I say

A treat for me on Valentine’s Day.

Yes my dear, but it comes with strings.

If you eat it you will grow fangs and wings.

Vampire I think I can live with that

I’ll even consort with your black cat.

Then my lady let’s away

We make spooky love come on lets play.

Ruby’s Snow Song 💜

Silently the the white stuff fell

It called to me, it did compel.

All night the quiet, white spread

As I lay snoozing in my bed.

Finally I could wait no more

I got my humans up for sure.

Out into the snow white yonder

The landscape fill my head with wonder.

Off across the field I scurried

All around the white stuff flurried.

I danced and pranced all around

My ball with me new youth I found.

Playing about just like a puppy

Then home for breakfast, I am so lucky.

Wonderful Bloggers Bash 2017

Well the day started well the sun was out and the dog was walked.

Now I knew the M3 was closed for road works but what’s that on the radio? The M4 is shut from Heathrow to the Chiswick roundabout!.

The husband was intent on driving me to the Bash. I told him that maybe it would be easier if I went by train. He was however insistent so we set off early at 8am. After an hour of looping round hubby finally concided that we were not going to make it by car. So I was dropped off at Hatton Cross Tube station we only done 25miles in an hour and a half! 

Anyway I got my ticket , and headed on down to platform 2 Picadilly Line to Cockfosters. Rang the hubby told him I was on the tube. Changed at Hammersmith to the district line to Upminster. Then we reach Earls Court and everything grinds to a holt!  A delay, what have I done to deserve this.

So finally I arrive at Victoria and it is five minutes past ten. I had Geoff’s directions to hand. Everytime I was unsure of my bearings one of Geoff’s landmarks would crop up.

The photo above is one of Geoff’s​.

And so it was at 10.26am I arrived at the Venue.

I was greeted by Ali and Hugh! And the huging began! 

Did I say hugs lots of hugs!!

Not mention the cakes, did I mention the cakes, Ritu and Geoff made cakes!!

All delicious!

Then the first set of awards were given out and our first presentation by  from  Suzie  of “Suzie Speaks ” about how to monetize your blog and from Elena of Elena Peters mid life blogger  about how to harness and use Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog.

All very informative and interesting but a little scary for me but lots to think about!

Then it was lunch time after which there was a panel discussion with  Suzie, Elena and Christoph, we were able to ask lots of questions and get sensible and interesting answers! 

Then there were much hilarity from the committee and more awards! Talking of the awards I was sitting next to   Supawoman, I mean  Ritu, who is now a dear friend and Blogary Sis to me. When it came to the award for the Best overall blogger we did  not need drumroll as Lovely Ritu’s heart was beating like a drum!! Well luckily she did win and before her heart burst!!

Well done Ritu you did so well and really deserve the title! 

The runner up was–Sue Vincent who’s blog I really love and infact I was so excited we she arrived at the Bash I was straight in with a hug before she had a chance to know who I was, poor lady she must of wandered what was going on!! I was excited about meeting Sue and she is just as Lovely as thought she was.

2nd Place – Chris Graham – Again a wonderful Blogger.

For names of the all the Award Winners go to ABBA Awards.

Then it was time to mix and mingle and in case this myself fall at the feet of my idols… Well I tripped up a step and fell on my face! I hasten to add I had not touched a drop of Alcohol!  Infact I was told by the many helpers to drink wine and stay up right. It was so great to chat everyone! 

Sadly I did not take enough photos, I was too busy enjoying myself. 

For a more comprehensive post with more information and photos go to the lovely Ritu’s post at But I Smile Anyway

To everyone I met I really enjoyed your company, I dare not mention names for fear of missing someone out. I love you all. To Sacha, Hugh, Ali and Geoff you are all the best and so supportive! 

Next year the Bash is on 9th June 2018. Also the committee is looking to recruit six new members if you can help contact Sacha. 

EDWINA’S ESSAY CHALLENGE: A LITTLE FLASH FICTION FUN

This is a one off challenge from Judy of Edwina’s Episodes.

Last week Judy had to take two exams which will help her qualify for a university course she wants to take for work .

Her challenge is : “Time stood still; I couldn’t believe that” Remember 40 mins  and 1000 words.

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Time stood still; I couldn’t believe that I was still here after the crash! There had been total silence that lasted for what felt like hours. It could only of been seconds before the noise broke through, it had been horrific. About fifteen cars all banging into each other and my car somewhere in the centre of it all.
It was snowing hard and the light was failing. I crawled out through the broken windscreen totally unaware of why or how this had happened. I moved up the embankment to see if I could see the full picture. It was eerily silent now, the noise ten minutes ago had been horrific. I could not understand why I was not feeling the cold just a few minutes ago I was feeling truly frozen. I felt out of my body, I had heard of that before but right now I actually felt it.
As I looked on the emergency services started to arrive. It was as if suddenly a switch had been turned on and colour and sound flooded in around me. There were helicopters and paramedics, doctors, nurses and firemen too.
It was now a controlled scene, the noise was people shouting and screaming those in pain asking for help and those in charge issuing orders and prioritising who was to be treated first.
A doctor reached my car, I saw myself in the drivers seat, covered in blood. What on earth was going on I was here standing here watching it all. He pronounced me dead. “I am not”I screamed. I ran towards him but I was hardly moving , a nurse was double checking me to see if I had a pulse. She agreed with him . I reached the doctor and screamed at him, ” look I am here.” I realised I could not touch him. Then I heard crying in the back of the car. For a minute it made no sense then I realised it was my daughter Sophie trapped in the back. Save her I begged the doctor, again tying to shake him. It was as if he could neither hear Sophie or see me. I was desperate now I was no longer worried about myself. Help my daughter help my Sophie I begged.
Finally he stopped and looked into the car and saw a silent Sophie trapped by metal . I looked again and realised she was not crying .
“Hey”shouted the doctor “there’s a woman in here ” and, he lent in and checked her out ,” and she is alive” he shouted.

It took them two hours to cut her out , the firemen were so gentle with her, I slipped into the car and cradle Sophie in my arms, nobody seemed to mind and I was not in the way. I did find it strange though having to look at my dead body. Yes after the first hour I realised I was dead and there was nothing they or I could do about it. It was all about saving Sophie now . The metal had cut into Sophie’s legs, I was so grateful that she was unconscious as things did not look good, and however scared I was about being dead I was far more concerned for my beautiful daughter.

Just as they freed Sophie’s legs she began to come too, it was awful she was screaming in pain, all I could do was hold her tight and speak softly to her. The doctor and paramedics told her that they were cutting her out of the car and that she had to trust them as they knew what they were doing. They asked her name and told her they were going to give her more pain relief. I stroked her hair and told her she was going to be okay. This definitely calmed her , she looked me straight in the eyes and smiled and said ” Mum I’m pregnant I hadn’t had a chance to tell you, will it be okay. ” I looked her and said that yes all would be fine.

I have to admit I was surprised that she could see and hear me , no one else could . I told her to tell them about the baby as it was very important that they know. Catching the doctors eye she told him she was expecting and he said “fine now you really need to hold on here I don’t want you slipping away , especially now that we know there are two of you.” He had a lovely smile and I trusted him ..I told Sophie she would be safe in his hands.

Finally Sophie was out of the car and in the air ambulance I was just about to join her when she called out for me, “I am here love ” I whispered . Sophie was getting agitated “where is my Mum she was here just now “. ” she cried out. “I can’t see her where is she?” The doctor decided to calm her, ” she is still in the car” He lied.

I reached out and touch her and she calmed down then I found myself flying backwards and slumping into the drivers seat. God I was cold and I could not move my body dislocated and broken. I was dead, I wanted to cry but I had no tears. What would happen to Sophie and her baby. I felt empty I was tired there was a blackness closing in on me I could see it creeping towards me. I felt calm there was nothing threatening about the blackness it was gentle like a pair of loving arms.

Suddenly The blackness was gone I was crying and the pain was excruciating…. Someone was shouting “Hey doc, we’ve got a live one here . Come on Love hang on you hold now.” The doctor and nurse were back …. “I found no pulse earlier but she wants to live.” And I did .

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I  wrote  this  in  38 mins  but  I  am not  sure  if  this  an essay  or  a story.  Well done  to  Judy you  did  it under pressure  I  did it  at  home .

Loveuary:Day 10.Never Ending Love

The  lovely  and  talented Ritu  of butIsmileanyway.com has set us all off on Loveuary. I for one am excited with the task. What is love? We shall find out as the month goes on.

Link to Ritu’s post
Link to rules and prompts

Today  Day  10. I have  chosen  the  prompt Never Ending  Love. Love  often  transcends death . In  this  poem that I  wrote in  2015  I am  touching on  Never  Ending  Love  as  in real (  well fantasy real ) life  after  death.  A  little  bit of  Fun  and  Fantasy! and  beautiful Vampires.

The Man In  my dream

Image  found  here

In  that  second  I  surrendered  my  soul

Gave it up totally,untouched  pure  and whole.

My senses  went  haywire, I was at  sea

His  beauty  touched  every  inch of me.

 

Unable to move  I  grew roots, I had  to stay

My  eyes I  could  not  tear  away .

Nor  did  I  care  to, desire  was  all I  felt

My blood  rushing to my  heart  full pelt.

 

The  stars  moved  across  the  skies

I saw  the sun set  and  the moon rise.

Reaching  out  I touched his perfect  skin

I stole  a kiss, I  was lost  now in  sin.

 

He opened his eyes as I  kissed  his lips

He smiled  as I  caressed him with my  fingertips.

His Raven screamed  at  me  then took to  angry flight

He took me  to him  and held  me and  we decended into the night.

 

The  sun found  me  cold  and  wet

All life  extinguished  an empty shell.

I looked  down at  my corpse  with no  regret

Though dead  I  am  so alive under  his  spell.

 

Forever  means  forever  when a vampire  you love

Yet I  am happy and  my  spirit flies  like  a black dove!

Image  found  here 

 

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #103 Summer&Fun

The sky is clear  blue

Summer fun down to the beach

Arrival brings rain. 

Summer sun shines  high

Sandwiches on the front lawn

Fun under blue sky

Long evenings of fun

Followed by mid summer nights

Moon  reflects  the sun.

 

 

Images 1 here

Image  2 here 

Image 3 here 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Wet but Nostalgic Fun