FollowI hope you’re all working as hard as me! The harder I work the luckier I get, the more fabulous my life becomes!
Work hard; play harder is the perfect formula to a happy heart in my book!
So it’s a good thing that Its mid year madness in London town as when I’m not scripting, researching, editing and in meetings we’ve been awash with film premieres, awards shows, video shoots, album launch parties gigs and picnics in the park.
This week’s fabulosity kicked off with writer/director/actor Noel Clarke’s film premiere for his new movie 4321 at the Odeon Leicester square. I was so late that my guy had to hold a car park spot for me around the corner by physically standing in it and as I was wearing a tight, white ,Dita Von Teese pencil skirt dress couldn’t take bigger steps than a geisha girl. I was stressing that the doormen wouldn’t let us in as we were pushing the punctuality limit so I popped my converse on with the dress and hurried embarrassed up the red carpet with my mate looking mortified at me LOL. Typically, Noel Clarke was still doing interviews on the red carpet and said hi as I tried to run past avoiding his eye in my mixed up outfit. Once inside the foyer I swapped shoes into my skyscraper stilettos and all was good with the world (and my mates face) again!
In one corner of the foyer I spotted actors Aml Ameen and Adam Deacon who were deep in conversation, no doubt about their thespian world-I shimmied over to them for a quick hug and catch up before running along to find my seat.
Before getting there however I bumped into dishy boxer David Haye and reached up to kiss his cane rowed cowboy hat wearing head. Thankfully our seats were in between MTV comedian Kojo and Master Shortie-who’s just signed his American deal!. Also in the house were Wiley, presenter’s Rickie and Melvin, MTV and BBC comic impressionist Jason Lewis and many other power players. The film was eagerly anticipated and didn’t disappoint. Not one to be held in a niche pocket, Noel has expanded his urban film genre to a bigger diverse audience and cast and the film was gripping and intriguing in all the right places with its slowly unravelling plotline. It was very entertaining and Noel really has founded a new film genre for young people that speaks their language and that they can relate to. Bashy did the sound track and got Mz Bratt, Adam Deacon, Noel and others involved like the unifying business guru that he is.
Straight after the film I popped on the sneakers again to leg it up the road to catch the final part of singer Egypt’s showcase at Black Market Records where a nice cool crowd was mingling with good hospitality. The crowd seemed to enjoy the new music from Egypt who had fantastic energy and her new material sounds promising.
My week also included a lovely networking evening with my colleagues at BBC children’s department where i caught up with a number of diverse producers and directors from all walks of life to share experiences, next I spent a whole evening just writing lovely things for references for some of my former colleagues, then I cooked Eastenders actress Preeya Kalidas a Sunday morning pancake brunch with maple syrup, raspberries and blueberries as we listened to her debut album (more on that next week!) I ended last weekend judging at my old ballet schools national finals competition which was very la did ah darlings and reminded me to go book a pedicure for my ballet worn feet!.
Later in the week it was Genesis Carnival Company’s press launch celebrating 30 years at carnival! We were treated to nibbles and drinks as they unveiled their cyber-tribe themed costumes for this years Notting Hill Carnival 2010
The costumes were modelled by Miss Jamaica UK and Miss London and the evening was hosted by former Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules and we were treated to a live performance by Soca Bantan from Grenada to get us into the carnival spirit early-I guess it’s a West London privilege!
The next day Mobo founder and friend Kanya King called to invite me to the UK Performance Awards, an annual event that aims to celebrate outstanding UK breakthrough performances across a number of diverse categories such as sport, education, music, innovation and the environment. Hosted by Kate Silverton at The Churchill Hyatt Regency in Portman Square it started with a champagne reception before a show, which awarded very deserving nominees accolades. In the music section were Tinie Tempah, Giggs , Marina and the Diamonds and newcomer Ainne. Lifetime award winner Sebastian Coe made me laugh as he was not amused being sat at his arch rival Steve Ovetts table. Luckily I was sat at the aptly named music influenced ‘’McCartney’’ table. The lunch was delicious, until I got a text from Giggs saying ‘’stuffing your face as usual’’!.i looked around the ballroom to see him smirking at me. If I get anorexic in the future blame him. Later as the host called for Giggs onstage it turns out he had gone for a pee and was no where to be seen. Hilarious!. Tinie ended up winning the music category and Kanya collected his award for him-make sure you get it Tinie-you know what Kanyas like-it’ll be on her desk alongside her MBE for years if you’re not careful.
That same night I was summoned to Westminster where the uber talented vocalist Alicia Keys was holding her ‘’keep a child alive black ball ‘’. The event was in a classic old church space which looked breath taking on the summers night as the paparazzi lined alongside the red carpet for the A LIST names that just kept on coming. As I stepped in there was pandemonium over Katie Price and her man Alex, next JLS, Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder, footballers Sol Campbell and Carlton Cole and Chris Martin flew by. After that I spotted a gorgeous looking Jade Ewen and shoe God Christian Louboutin. The JLS boys were seated with Katie and Alex and the ballroom was heaving with glitz and money-just the right ingredients for a charity auction. Alicia took to the stage to welcome everyone wearing a silver cocktail dress that she looked pretty in but it has to be said, resembled a toilet doily. And for the millionth time this decade people questioned ‘’who is her stylist and what were they thinking?’’. We concluded that it must be an attempt to hide the ever-growing pregnant bump .She was joined by her co-host Thandie Newton who looked lovely. The food and drinks just kept on coming (can you tell I ate a lot this week!), we were also treated to platefuls of posh biccie macaroons- you really haven’t lived if you don’t know about macaroons!. Once the auction began it was the most fun-unlike most auctions the bidding and bidders were big!. First up donated by OK magazine was an opportunity to have your photo taken with Alicia. Obviously I take my proximity to stars and my photo opportunities for granted but imagine my shock when a bidder stumped up £12.000 for it!.
It was interesting to see that most of the night though, not 1 footballer or celeb bid on anything whilst heads of record labels were bidding like wildfire. Does this show who really has the purse of gold?
Funnily the auctioneer kept mis pronouncing Alicia’s name calling her Al-eeccc-ia instead of Al-esh-ia. Before long all the celebs were throwing offers around. Shaun Wright Phillips offered a footie coaching lesson which hilariously Carlton Cole bid for!. Christian Louboutin auctioned off a pair of shoes signed by Alicia and Beyonce that he had custom made for them. Next, JLS offered themselves out on a dinner date which had the ladies freakin out. it went for £7000!
Thereafter Alicia’s fiancé producer and artist Swiss Beats offered a studio session with him which AEG head Rob Hallet joked that JLS should invest in . To our delight both Tinchy Stryder and JLS got into a bidding war for it against each other -JLS won with £30,000!!! I couldn’t help thinking neither act really needed Swiss to get to number 1 but maybe they were thinking of their U.S prospects?. I also wondered whether JLS’ deal with Simon Cowell could be so lucrative that each lad could afford to shell out £8000 on a whim!?
To end the nigh everyone was upstanding as hostess Alicia performed onstage joined by Kasabian. By now Alicia had changed into a new outfit. And looked good! Wearing a black asymmetrical shoulder cut sequin knee length loose dress! Finally -the stylist came through lol.
If you love kids & Alicia Keys & support her cause-text the word ALIVE now to 82540 to make an instant £3 donation to Keep A Child Alive
As everyone danced hard to the live set, JLS were jammin hard, Tinchy looked a lil bewildered swayin by himself and I had sweat too much dancing wit the boys and decided to make a classy getaway before the lights came up fully and exposed me.
As I left I was handed a Goody bag, which was handmade, by women from Rwanda, all the women that made it had sewn their name inside the bag they made, with a toy watch inside-a very conscious, fun, inspiring night- a salute to Ms Keys-a woman of substance.