well done dingdell!

[tikay]

Incidentally, our heroine was last heard of in Richmond, heading towards Kew.

The gig is in Richmond.

Please trust me, this is true.

[Delboy]

Tonight, Miss D, we hope you mainly.........

+1

Trip report from those in the audience pls

[tikay]

Late news. Was attempting to get home to Northampton via the M40 (?!) but got on M4 instead. Last reported sighting was in Reading.

True.

[AndrewT]

Our erstwhile heroine has parked the car but Richmond is so posh that there are no machines to pay for the parking - it has to be done over the phone instead.

She gets out her phone then starts rooting around in her handbag.

She pulls out half a credit card.

Then another half, and arranges them together on the table.

I furrow my brow in puzzlement.

'Oh, I cut up the wrong one...'

[Laxie]

Our erstwhile heroine has parked the car but Richmond is so posh that there are no machines to pay for the parking - it has to be done over the phone instead.

She gets out her phone then starts rooting around in her handbag.

She pulls out half a credit card.

Then another half, and arranges them together on the table.

I furrow my brow in puzzlement.

'Oh, I cut up the wrong one...'

  Just a typical day in the life...

[Dingdell]

Late news. Was attempting to get home to Northampton via the M40 (?!) but got on M4 instead. Last reported sighting was in Reading.
True.

So you had time to listen to my 'I'm lost message' and post this on blonde but no time to ring me and help me??? FML. You are all heart.
Last night was great - really felt in control on stage - stinking cold that adrenalin kept at bay until after the gig and then i felt like death. Hence bad driving obv.
Holdy rang me once I had turned round on the M4 and advised me to stay on until the M25 and then go home from there - good idea I thought - just before the M25 a sign starts flashing "No entry to M25 north closed".

Now I'm guessing that's my exit but both the M25 and the north circular confuse me because they go all the way around - hence why I am on the wrong motorway in the first place - leaving Richmond was an adventure as I recognised all the place names so I wasn't sure which one to head for. Hammersmith is in London but might be the wrong part of london - it's very confusing. I knew I was wrong when I saw the signs for South Wales & Bristol although obv I didn't get that far. I didn't have enough deisel for a start and with no bank card this was going to be a bit nip and tuck.

Big thank you to Andrew T, Holdy, Gatso, Claw and new comedy recruit Nirvana who rolled up. It was a bitch of a gig to get to for Holdy - 35 stops on the tube she kept reminding us so I am really grateful that you made the effort, especially when you had heard some of it before....tried some new stuff which seemed to go down well - in fact I really think almost all of it got a response which is good. Thank you again - and when i get paid for my first gig I'm getting a sat nav.

[Claw75]

if the no entry to M25 north was closed, surely that is a good thing?

[TightEnd]

trying to imagine the route Dingdell actually took home now

So she doubled back on the M4, couldn't take M25 north because it was a) closed and b) confusing that it just goes round and round

Couldn't go back into London as far as Hammersmith as that's confusing too

So from the M4 she diverted through the back streets of Hounslow and Acton and up towards the M1, avoiding the North Circular because that goes round and round too?

Intrigued

[Claw75]

was quite bizarre.  we were sat on the train and mich was on the phone saying something like 'no don't go to bristol, turn around'.  we insta guessed it was trace, obv.

[AndrewT]

was quite bizarre.  we were sat on the train and mich was on the phone saying something like 'no don't go to bristol, turn around'.  we insta guessed it was trace, obv.

Sage advice there.

[gatso]

trace, will sort out the video for you later on today

we were chatting to the compere after the show, he was very complimentary about you, said there's no way he would've guessed that was only your 4th time on stage if you hadn't told him

[Dingdell]

trying to imagine the route Dingdell actually took home now

So she doubled back on the M4, couldn't take M25 north because it was a) closed and b) confusing that it just goes round and round

Couldn't go back into London as far as Hammersmith as that's confusing too

So from the M4 she diverted through the back streets of Hounslow and Acton and up towards the M1, avoiding the North Circular because that goes round and round too?

Intrigued

Is this your intrigued face? (had great pic of you here to attach but file too big - how do i make them smaller?)
Eventually I got off the M4 at Maidenhead (becuase I know my way home from there), went through the town, got on the M40 which had been my intended route all along, past Bicester to Towcester than Northampton. pretty sure that's quicker for me than going M25 M1.  The mistake had been going on the M4 and missing the turn onto the M25.

Yesterday went to a wedding in Northampton. Decided not to stay the night but to drive home as it's only 10 mins from my house through a couple of villages. Halfway home sign ROAD TO NORTHAMPTON CLOSED.  Are you kidding me?  No detour signs. I can go either right or left, both signposted village centre (?). 45 mins later I got home but it was a clear night, beautiful stars so nice ride home really. But seriously - two nights running?

[Dingdell]

This is my current gig list – if anyone would like to come along you are always welcome. Any gigs marked with a * means I have to take an audience member to allow me to perform so the first drink and your ticket is on me if you pre-arrange to meet me outside so we can go in together. I will be the one in the David Bowie outfit......

Dates and places are:

*Tuesday 21st Feb – Shakers Cocktails, 119 Hammersmith Road, Euston. 8pm.
Friday March 2nd – The Goat Tavern, Green Park  7.30 for 8.30 (Competition ¼ finals) Support very welcome for any competition.
Sunday 3rd March - Hen & chickens - Highbury/Islington - 1/4 finals of Amused Moose competition.
*Monday 5th March – Belushis Bar – Camden  (Competition)
22nd March – Hope & Anchor, Islington.
Thursday 29th March, The Oxford, 256 Kentish Town Road
Friday March 30th – The Goat Tavern, Green Park.
Wednesday 4th of April – Crown & Goose, Camden.
Thursday 19th April – The Oxford, 256 Kentish Town Road

BUMP - tonight my friend Miriam and I will be in Euston at Shakers cocktail bar. She is under strict instructions to behave and as it's only her I'm hopeful she will be.....  https://www.facebook.com/events/284270131632316/

[tikay]

Good luck tonight, Miss D!

Impossible to get lost going to & from Euston, I suspect.

[Dingdell]

Well it had to happen – and tonight I died on stage. Ouch.

I arrived at the venue, checked in with the organiser, asked if I could sit with his group while we waited for it to begin as I didn’t know anyone there. (Miriam bailed at the last minute as she had to do some hair extensions) He said no. A good start…not. 

No problem. I sat away from the group and went over my set. I know it off by heart but still practiced all the way down in the car. As usual I had a longer rehearsal time than I should, tonight I went from Northampton to Euston via Trafalgar square which was slightly out of the way but not too bad. I still made it on time.

I was on 3rd, nice spot, feeling ok about the gig despite the rocky start with Mr Friendly. The organiser was the warm up guy. His warm up was as warm as his welcome. The first 2 acts were ok. He introduced the 2nd act as “my favourite act ever, no one can ever be as good as this guy please welcome….”. FML.

The ‘best act ever’ forgets the punch line and has to ask the organiser what it is…..who is pissing himself laughing at the debacle. My turn comes.

I run on stage, look at the audience and adlib. WTF? I tell them that I am old enough to be their mother. I use some new material. I insult a member of the audience. I can’t remember my set. I pick bits from it that float to the front of my brain but they don’t fit together. The audience looks at me blankly. I look back at them blankly. The organiser indicates 1 minute to go, I haven’t done hardly anything of my 5 min set.

I have no idea what happened or why. I do know that everyone dies and in a way I’m glad that the first time is over and done with. I also know I would never go back and play this venue again so I don’t feel as if I’ve lost anything. It's a good experience to get out of the way.

I got into the car, put the stereo on, found a sign saying M1 (result) and within an hour and a half I was at home, the fire lit, pasta cooking and tv on. Looking forward to the next one which someone I know I am going to smash.

This is what I listened to several times on the way home, I can’t listen to this and not feel upbeat.