The National Museum of Computing, Peaky Blinders & Manic March!

At The National Museum of Computing!

Once again I’m a little late with my blog this week due to the fact I’ve been performing every day and I’ve had a lot of paper work to get through in between shows. I usually like to get my year booked by March but I’ve had a lot of last minute rescheduled shows to fit in which has kept me busy. I was so tired after my show last night I slept for a straight through twelve hours. I’ve just got back from doing a show now and I’m quickly trying to catch up.

We also had a tree snap off in the high winds last week which fortunately fell the other side of our

Setting Up in The Garden at Bushey House!

wall. The story went to press this week and was covered by our local paper The Leighton Buzzard Observer.

Dressed For An Out-door Show!

https://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/people/second-time-lucky-for-linslade-singers-house-during-storms-as-it-escapes-hit-from-falling-tree-3578550

The History Of Computing!

All things considered it’s been a very positive week but I’m still having to adapted quickly and turn on a pin head. Although restrictions are lifting some clients still need me to perform out-side if there is a last minute change in their health status. That happened to me on Friday when I was booked to perform in Bushey. I don’t mind performing out-side as long as I get advance notice. My green baize coat was made for this very purpose and as the sun shone it was a great day to be in the garden. However at this time of year if the sun goes in behind a cloud the temperature can drop really quickly which is why

A Working Re-build of the 1940s Bombe!

it’s important to wear boots as well.

I’m taking each day as it comes and I’m nearly fully booked for March, but I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch. I’m performing “My Fair Lady” at the end of the month and I’m busy going over my lines. I’m very proud of this show having adapted it into a one woman show and I especially enjoy playing all the different roles. With so many songs and shows going on in my head at any one time I have to departmentalise other wise it’s all too easy to get get brain over load.

Going Back to the 1940s!

Once a song or show is in my head it doesn’t take long for me to get it back to the front of my brain. It can take some work to get it slick again, but once the hard work and memory has been created it’s easier second, third or fourth time around. Memory is practice and the more I do something the easier it becomes.

However every so often I do get a rogue song where I can’t quite get the lyrics to stick in my head correctly and I come out with a slightly muddled word order. This week I had a break thorough where I managed to unravel a few of

Colossus a re-build of one of the first Computer designs from the 40s

these rogue songs which had been plaguing me for years. It just goes to show practice makes perfect and if at first you don’t succeed try try again.

Despite being busy I still think it’s important to take some time out and visit a museum from time to time. Last Sunday I had a fantastic day at The National Museum of Computing which is situated at Block H at Bletchley Park. It houses the largest collection of working historic computers from the 1940s to the present day. The museum has no shortage of interesting people who can tell you all about them and what I love best about this

Computer History from the 60s, 70s & 80s

museum is you can get up close and see these computers actually working. I’m sure none of these computers what ever their age would struggle with remembering song lyrics!

I’m always looking for interesting back drops and it’s important to get these things right when covering different historic periods. One volunteer told me that the easiest way to date office computers is by their colour. In the 1960s computers were blue, Orange in the 70s and mushroom cream in the 80s. Of course there are exceptions for example IBM computers stayed blue throughout due to it being their trade colour but it’s still a good place to start.

Tonight the BBC are airing their six series of Peaky Blinders which is attracting a lot of interest. I always like to be on trend and this week my local paper went on line and ran a story about my “That Man” show-reel which have something of a