a world premiere at Hoo’s Kids Book Fest, starring James Mayhew and me!
After a week of frantic last-minute preparations, hysterical rehearsals, nerves and excitement…
with all hands on deck to design and build our so-beautiful theatre set…
Sunday morning arrived at last, looking like this:
With the band tuning up,
the guinea pig school party rustling their sweetie wrappers,
and the performers hidden away,
the REAL audience arrived –
and the show began!
Songs, high drama and thrills, cheesy jokes (the children shrieked with laughter – the cheesier the better) and a strawberry-bonbon-fueled near-riot.
Next stop Hay, Bath…
New York, Milan…
The Hoo’s Kids Book Fest truly had a magical, charmed feel about it. The rambling walled gardens looked exquisite. Hundreds of families were enjoying their day together, and the biggest shiniest names in the children’s book world pottered about, chatting, eating cake, entertaining their fans. The organisers and helpers – with seemingly effortless good grace – made sure everything ran like clockwork.
The teacups gleamed in the sunshine…
and even a four-legged member of the audience loyally watched on during her owner’s event.
This morning I think I am not the only person who feels ‘light as a bubble high up in the air…’
Wow, sounds like it was a wonderful premiere
Thank you so much – it was such a lovely day! I am still licking strawberry sherbet from around my chops…
It sounds lovely. I must go next year!
Thank you Anne – I think you would ALL love it! A magical setting, too…
Clara- it was super BRILLIANT to meet you yesterday…….and the Bubble and Squeak Show was superb! Look forward to next year! 🙂
Hello Katy – Kitty – so lovely to meet you too, and thank you so much for finding me here! So glad you had a nice time. Let’s stay in touch X
What a day! Phew! But a wonderful way to send dear Bubble and Squeak out into the world!
YES! Didn’t they do well? Squeak overcame his shyness admirably, and Bubble showed off her bonbon-eating hugely… I am very proud of them both.
Hello Clara
Thanking you & James for being so brilliant @hoobookfest & here’s the instructions for your Luton Hoo Walled Garden plant!
Plant Care for Osteospermums
Osteospermums need to be kept warm, so if you are going to plant them outside they’ll need a sunny border. They are also quite happy in a container on a sunny patio, in a conservatory or if you don’t have a garden then on a south facing window sill. They will need watering regularly so that they don’t dry out (but let them sit wet in more water – you’ll just drown them!). If you really want to allow your plant to thrive, feed it every week during the growing season (when it’s flowering) with a general fertiliser. As well as this, take off the dead flower heads. It doesn’t matter if that means taking off a whole stem, and in early spring or in the autumn you can cut back the plant to a few inches of height – they’ll grow new side shoots in the spring. During the winter, though, you will have to bring your plant indoors or be very careful to protect them from the cold. If you’re a dab hand at gardening, cuttings can be taken from osteospermums quite easily.
Looking forward to seeing you again & sending very best wishes from all the hoobookfest team! Xxx
Hello Hoobookfest friends! Thank you for helping me with my plant – you maybe guessed I am not so very green-fingered…
It was an absolute JOY to be at the festival – I am still all aglow from such a happy day. Congratulations to you all XX
How on earth did I miss this post? I very much hope the Bubble and Squeak Show is coming to a theatre near me (if the Old Vic isn’t staging it I demand to know why not), and SOON.