Archive for July, 2011
Today millions of people are mourning the death of Amy Winehouse, and I’m one of them. I never met her, but I did see her sing live twice at the Bristol Academy. She was fantastic, especially the first time, in 2006, when she seemed really together and genuinely happy to be there. Both times I went with my daughter, and those gigs will stay with me as mum-daughter experiences that are so precious. Back to Black, got stuck in our car CD player and so we listened to it for months on end, and I never got sick of it, and it was always playing at my hairdresser’s where my passion for Amy was shared.
When I’m writing a book, I often have a soundtrack or signature song in mind. For ‘Numbers’ it was ‘Love is a Losing Game.’ In my mind’s eye I saw it as the final song that would play at the end of ‘Numbers – the movie.’ I’d get to invite Amy to the premiere and tell her how much her music means to me. Foolish dreams, really (except that it does look like there is going to be a movie) and I won’t ever meet her now.
I don’t believe in life after death – I wish I did. I wish I had the comfort of knowing that Amy felt some sort of peace now and also that she could know how much she was loved by so many people. She was ridiculously, wonderfully talented and she’ll be much missed.
For the past few weeks I’ve been busy not writing. There’s the day job, of course. And I’ve tidied and cleaned the house. And taken up baking muffins, so some mornings my family wake up to a tray of yummy, warm cakey treats. Favourites so far; spiced apple; raspberry, white chocolate and lemon; and of course, chocolate chip crumble! Been swimming to try and counteract the effect of the muffins.
I’ve not stopped being a writer – I’ve been busy meeting some wonderful readers, teachers and librarians in Germany, Lancing and Salford. But I haven’t been writing.
It’s been a blessed relief to have some time off, but I’m starting to get the writer’s equivalent of itchy feet. I’ve been making notes, scribbling down ideas and snippets of conversation. Maybe, soon, it will time to start again…