All of my life (well as much of it as I can remember) I’ve wanted to be a rock’n’roll star. It’s just that thing that I’ve always wished was me. If I could have swapped lives with Siouxsie Sioux or Chrissie Hynde I would have done so gladly…..I’ll bet the feeling’s not mutual!!!

As I’m sure my dear sister will be pointing out (again) later I’m a terrible singer, can’t play any musical instruments and have absolutely no rhythm so I’d have made a dreadful rock star. However, other people dream of owning a big house or a Ferrari or of being a great author or playwright and I dream of getting on stage in unspeakably high heels, clad head to foot in black leather and leopardskin with a telecaster slung over my shoulder and playing three chord riffs while jumping around to songs that last no more than three minutes each. I’m a bit of a stickler for that….partly because I have a short attention span and partly because in my view the longer a song is the more likely the artist is to have his/her head firmly where the sun don’t shine! I never could get the ‘concept album’ or the LP with two or three tracks per side. I’d have it off the turntable and thrown across the room in a trice!

Alas I will never fulfil my dream – even though my spirit is willing my flesh is certainly weak!

Nothing can lift my spirits more than a good old sing-along to my favourite tunes, preferably while wiggling round like a whirling dervish. When I’m in my bleakest moment, all David has to do is pop on The Beat’s Greatest Hits or General Public’s All The Rage (which seems to be mysteriously missing from my CD pile at the moment – grrrr) and within two minutes I’m on my feet singing and dancing away like a mad thing. It’s all a bit painful for him because he’s actually an accomplished musician and can pick up most instruments and make something tuneful come out. I’m even hopeless with my maracas.

When I’m in the kitchen I spend long periods of time wishing I’d got the wherewithal to have a CD on but the nearest music system to the kitchen is two rooms away and to have the music loud enough to hear in the kitchen means it is loud enough to make David’s ears bleed while he’s in his office, which is directly above the room where it is. Especially as my hearing is dire – too much standing next to huge stacks of speakers in music venues up and down the country when I was a young woman and going to 3-4 gigs every week.

Today we were shopping for a pair of speakers for our sitting room and we found ourselves in Richer Sounds – I love that place. It’s an independent hi-fi chain in the UK which has a wonderful, eccentric, irreverent feel to it – I always feel completely at home in there for some reason, I can’t imagine why!!! While we were there I spotted this little baby hi-fi. It’s a single unit with a CD and radio in it and it sounds remarkably good hooked up to a pair of Celestion bookcase speakers. It was begging to come home with me and make my cooking time into an even greater joy than it is already.

I succumbed and this is it, in the kitchen, blasting out Smokey Robinson as though it was meant to be. I am in heaven. I am in double heaven. I am so happy I can’t wait to get back in there and have some more fun.

In a few minutes, once I have posted my PotD, I will be going downstairs to cook our supper and intend to have a really jolly old sing-along while gyrating and wiggling like a good un. What shall I play? Oh my, the choice is too much to bear…it’ll have to be….oh, no I think it should be….ooohhhh, I’ve not played THAT one for ages….oh I can’t decide between….ah, here we are, yes, it’s gonna be…….

Marvin Gaye’s Greatest Hits……there never was a sweeter voice…….aaahhhhhhh.

Picture this if you dare!