Around this time 4 years ago I was about to arrive at #Strictly in a helicopter with a ton of hairspray and 5 inches of make-up…. to be winched into the studio in a jumpsuit, to do the ChaChaCha with Kevin Clifton. That was one hell of a Saturday night. With Dave Arch and his band singing “Anneka! You’re always on the run now” instead of Gloria! What a mind fuck! Good luck everyone tonight! #strictly #dancing #bbc1 @bbcstrictly
Oh my goodness. I went to Birkenhead, near Liverpool, today, to visit our Dementia Village, built on Challenge Anneka in 2022. It is flourishing. On a piece of wasteland a team of epic volunteers, builders, craftsmen, built an entire memory village – with pub, post office, record shop, cafe, bakers, cinema, bowling lawn, landscaped gardens! We worked in the pouring rain, in a recession, it was beyond stressful – but I thought my heart would burst, visiting it in the sunshine today, seeing what a difference it has made in this Wirral community. They now have over 400 volunteers helping out. The idea is that someone with dementia can wander safely round the village, dropping in on shops, listening to their favourite record, watching a film, having a singalong in the pub, doing whatever they want. It’s liberating for them and their loved ones because on every corner, sitting in the shops, offering them a cuppa in the cafe, there are carers to help them, chat to them, play bowls with them, sing with them. Each shop is curated to trigger memories. I went down a rabbit hole of memories seeing the Green Shield Stamps in the Post Office! IT IS BRILLIANT. I would love to see this rolled out across the UK. Well done @ageuk_wirral for having such vision 🩵🩵🩵 @age_uk #dementia @alzheimersresearchuk #village #ChallengeAnneka #charity #volunteers #community #joy @channel5_tv
Oh my goodness. I went to Birkenhead, near Liverpool, today, to visit our Dementia Village, built on Challenge Anneka in 2022. It is flourishing. On a piece of wasteland a team of epic volunteers, builders, craftsmen, built an entire memory village – with pub, post office, record shop, cafe, bakers, cinema, bowling lawn, landscaped gardens! We worked in the pouring rain, in a recession, it was beyond stressful – but I thought my heart would burst, visiting it in the sunshine today, seeing what a difference it has made in this Wirral community. They now have over 400 volunteers helping out. The idea is that someone with dementia can wander safely round the village, dropping in on shops, listening to their favourite record, watching a film, having a singalong in the pub, doing whatever they want. It’s liberating for them and their loved ones because on every corner, sitting in the shops, offering them a cuppa in the cafe, there are carers to help them, chat to them, play bowls with them, sing with them. Each shop is curated to trigger memories. I went down a rabbit hole of memories seeing the Green Shield Stamps in the Post Office! IT IS BRILLIANT. I would love to see this rolled out across the UK. Well done @ageuk_wirral for having such vision 🩵🩵🩵 @age_uk #dementia @alzheimersresearchuk #village #ChallengeAnneka #charity #volunteers #community #joy @channel5_tv
Oh my goodness. I went to Birkenhead, near Liverpool, today, to visit our Dementia Village, built on Challenge Anneka in 2022. It is flourishing. On a piece of wasteland a team of epic volunteers, builders, craftsmen, built an entire memory village – with pub, post office, record shop, cafe, bakers, cinema, bowling lawn, landscaped gardens! We worked in the pouring rain, in a recession, it was beyond stressful – but I thought my heart would burst, visiting it in the sunshine today, seeing what a difference it has made in this Wirral community. They now have over 400 volunteers helping out. The idea is that someone with dementia can wander safely round the village, dropping in on shops, listening to their favourite record, watching a film, having a singalong in the pub, doing whatever they want. It’s liberating for them and their loved ones because on every corner, sitting in the shops, offering them a cuppa in the cafe, there are carers to help them, chat to them, play bowls with them, sing with them. Each shop is curated to trigger memories. I went down a rabbit hole of memories seeing the Green Shield Stamps in the Post Office! IT IS BRILLIANT. I would love to see this rolled out across the UK. Well done @ageuk_wirral for having such vision 🩵🩵🩵 @age_uk #dementia @alzheimersresearchuk #village #ChallengeAnneka #charity #volunteers #community #joy @channel5_tv
Oh my goodness. I went to Birkenhead, near Liverpool, today, to visit our Dementia Village, built on Challenge Anneka in 2022. It is flourishing. On a piece of wasteland a team of epic volunteers, builders, craftsmen, built an entire memory village – with pub, post office, record shop, cafe, bakers, cinema, bowling lawn, landscaped gardens! We worked in the pouring rain, in a recession, it was beyond stressful – but I thought my heart would burst, visiting it in the sunshine today, seeing what a difference it has made in this Wirral community. They now have over 400 volunteers helping out. The idea is that someone with dementia can wander safely round the village, dropping in on shops, listening to their favourite record, watching a film, having a singalong in the pub, doing whatever they want. It’s liberating for them and their loved ones because on every corner, sitting in the shops, offering them a cuppa in the cafe, there are carers to help them, chat to them, play bowls with them, sing with them. Each shop is curated to trigger memories. I went down a rabbit hole of memories seeing the Green Shield Stamps in the Post Office! IT IS BRILLIANT. I would love to see this rolled out across the UK. Well done @ageuk_wirral for having such vision 🩵🩵🩵 @age_uk #dementia @alzheimersresearchuk #village #ChallengeAnneka #charity #volunteers #community #joy @channel5_tv
Sorry everyone, need to pick your 80s brains again for my @virginradiouk shows. Jumpsuits? Who had a phone like this! Madonna or Haircut 100? Or just haircuts! Gigs? My Little Pony? I’ll give you a shout out! Thank you. You were amazing after my last request!
Part of a blue study today, done quickly with my finger and a stick. Seemed a good idea at the time as I’d left my brushes at home. It was Maggi Hambling’s birthday this week so we had cake in the studio. Maggi wore a tiara. Honestly, I just adore my painting tribe. I nearly didn’t go as had a 6am shift beforehand but so glad I did. Painting with friends is always nourishment for the soul…#blue #painting #ink #acrylic #life
In case you watch #Strictly and think ‘I could do that”, there’s a LOT going on, on the instruction front. This was Kevin and I running through our steps. It was like someone had spiked my gin before I even got to it . .. Good luck tonight everyone! #dancing @bbcstrictly
I need your help! What are your memories of the 80s? Doing some shows for Virgin Radio and want your input! I spent all of it dangling from a rope ladder at Madame Tussaud’s. You? Shoulder pads? Wanting to be Madonna? Getting a Walkman? Let me know … @virginradiouk #80s #madonna #treasurehunt
A FUN evening at The Time Traveller’s Wife last night with my muckers @kathy.lette and @whichpennysmith … (We allowed @domtighe to be our manager for the evening). Dave Stewart and Joss Stone wrote all the music and came on for a curtain call to much excitement. Whoop! #timetravellerswife #apollotheatre
Gorgeous Philippa Perry @kevinkittycat has a cracking new book out. It was the launch last night and I am chuffed to be part of her chumdom, which always involves a degree of lunacy ….#thebookyouwanteveryoneyoulovetoread #sisterhood #books
Gorgeous Philippa Perry @kevinkittycat has a cracking new book out. It was the launch last night and I am chuffed to be part of her chumdom, which always involves a degree of lunacy ….#thebookyouwanteveryoneyoulovetoread #sisterhood #books
Gorgeous Philippa Perry @kevinkittycat has a cracking new book out. It was the launch last night and I am chuffed to be part of her chumdom, which always involves a degree of lunacy ….#thebookyouwanteveryoneyoulovetoread #sisterhood #books
Had such an inspiring time at the Women of the Year lunch today. A room full of inspiring, iconic women celebrating sisterhood and community and extraordinary achievements. And then there was @kathy.lette and me being poised and sophisticated …. #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #womenoftheyear #community #sisterhood
What a joyful afternoon yesterday at the Gielgud Theatre watching this Stephen Sondheim tribute. It was like going to see old friends at Old Friends. Really lovely to see people I’ve known for 35 years. (And great to see @msleasalonga on stage after following her career as an eighteen year old on Miss Saigon. I remember being lucky enough to sit in on the original Miss Saigon Sitzprobe and thinking WOW!) If you can’t get to London, or can’t afford a theatre trip, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends is on @bbciplayer. And you get a glorious treat when Julia McKenzie makes an appearance. Honestly I’ve watched this show an embarrassing amount of times through. I adore Sondheim’s wit and poignancy and general genius. Follies makes me weep….#oldfriends #regrets #friendship #stephensondheim
House already looks like a battlefield. Maggi Hambling will be thrilled. She likes us to work under duress. Painting group gathering today for a blissful week together ….#painting #group #maggihambling #battle #happy
Had a lovely morning @maggiescentres talking about friendship and community, with a great gang on their Cancer ‘road trip’. Turns out ‘journey’ isn’t the preferred word. Neither do you want to hear that you’re a brave fighter. It’s often really difficult for the friend, anxious to help, to know what to say and how to be so we drew up a list! More of that soon. It was a fascinating discussion. Apparently leaving the quiche on the doorstep gesture is ALWAYS the right thing! #thelist #comingsoon #cancersupport #community #friendship
Carried on with the river theme yesterday. This took me all day and two large gins to recover. The painting, not the river walk. But now obsessed with painting my favourite walks…#RiverThames #acrylic #river #walk #riverwalk
Well that was an intense hour. Maggi came over to watch Friday’s Coronation St on catchup and told me to paint something new while she was here. So I did. Frenetic is frankly the way I like to work but I had until the end credits to finish it so even by my standards this was extreme. That signature tune will trigger me forever more…. #painting #speedpainting #acrylic #riverthames #riverbank
Very excited that the Isle of Wight Distillery has won BBC Food and Farming Award for Best Drinks Producer. I plan to celebrate this afternoon with these. Honestly, the gin is delicious and if you put lights in the bottles (when empty) they make lovely table decorations …#isleofwight #food #awards #mermaid #mermaidgin #isleofwightdistillery
If you’re at a loose end today, grab a stick, some coffee grounds, flood some paper with water and see where the adventure takes you. A crab seems to have appeared. The other pic, not so sure… #abstract #coffee
If you’re at a loose end today, grab a stick, some coffee grounds, flood some paper with water and see where the adventure takes you. A crab seems to have appeared. The other pic, not so sure… #abstract #coffee
I LOVED #HouseofFlamenka last night at the Peacock Theatre. You know when dance legend genius @arlenephillips is creator and director you’re in for a treat. And BOY! (Yes, literally). This was raunchy and sexy and thrilling. If you want a joyful hit of high camp surrealism and red-hot choreography that will leave you wanting to run for Flamenco lessons (with most of the cast), then this is for you. It’s only on for an eight night run though so rush… #flamenco #dance #peacocktheatre #arlenephillips💗
My filmmaker son @jo_shallott has made a sensitive documentary series about what happens when an immoral sperm donor ‘fathers’ over 1,000 babies round the world. This is the story of how the mothers are fighting back against his shocking lack of transparency and honesty. For the mothers, who conceived in good faith imagining they were one of perhaps ten other mothers using this man’s sperm, the revelations are shocking but ultimately empowering. This is such a disturbing series and shines a massive spotlight on an unregulated industry. The mothers are epic in their courage in coming forward to tell such an important story. Very good piece @guardian today. Out Wednesday @netflix @netflixuk #documentary #poweroftv
