Newsletter June 2007

Looking back on last month and my brief foray into the public eye, I have to say it was a lot easier than I anticipated. I think there must be a trip switch in our brains that turns on automatically at the age of 60 which gives a complete fresh meaning to ‘I can’t be bovvered’. Very little seems to faze me nowadays. Maybe cos there is nothing riding on it. It is a wonderful freedom not to be pursuing a career. All decisions are deliciously easy to take. I marvel at everyone else’s thrusting endeavours to make their way in the world and feel not the slightest inclination to compete. The irony is that I seem to be accomplishing more in this frame of mind.

The downloads have proved a huge success. I have received so many emails from more than satisfied customers. In July there is a track called ‘Grievous Spiritual Harm’ which I thought would be in tune with Al Gore’s Live Earth concerts. My daughter Amie has been working on this production as part of her job in a TV company. She was most excited about using her Spanish and Portuguese language skills to negotiate with Brazil and South America – and of course the possibility of working alongside Justine Timberlake was a great incentive!

The Women’s Arts International Festival went off really well. Of course in Cumbria it peed down every day. I was taken on the longest scenic route ever to the Arts Centre by the Music Director, who was very keen to impress me as much as he had Patti Smith. He also gave me some hilarious gossip about Marianne Faithful’s visit. It is often best to be the last on. I gave away loads of CD’s and books as 60th birthday presents to everyone, all signed. These were the last autographs EVER that I would be doing. I made the decision on the way up. Mojo magazine, the Festival sponsor will be publishing the talk/discussion with Lucy O’Brien in August but meanwhile you can listen to it from the features area. I will put up a link in Events Box on home page. The photos are by Ania Grom-Yonchali.