And relax.

Those who have regularly browsed through The Lockwood Echo have been on a marathon with me. I can’t thank you enough for your support as I’ve vented, spiralled and spat my redundancy saga onto these pages.

The presses started rolling last summer as a need to find a creative platform, a way to amalgamate material that had been fermenting over the years and for a cathartic channel to air the whole sorry redundancy farce, which I’ve done during its anniversary. It’s been the cheapest and most thorough of therapies.

That particular chapter of The Lockwood Echo is now closed. I can’t promise to not say the word ‘Redundancy’ or ‘Bastards’ again, but the tale is now told and I must move on. For anyone who is dipping into my papier-mache pool for the first time, you can catch up by visiting Wanted. Not Wanted. The links are in chronological order, some artistic licence has been used for the purposes of entertainment, and though all events are true, I’ve dug deep for the funny as a vital way of keeping myself sane. You can binge read your way through the whole shebang, or dive in at any point as each piece can be enjoyed in isolation, (isolated article, not isolated you, unless you are an introvert like me or you’ve found yourself locked up. Sorry to hear that.)

You may have deduced The Echo is not a real newspaper. It’s also not a self-help manual. Despite the very personal experiences divulged, I offer no advice, suggestions or recommendations. I really am that useless and unhelpful. There are many wonderful and insightful peeps out there with a real handle on life, sharing knowledge and experience that will help you navigate all that the universe throws. You can take a peek at some of my favourites in the Lookers & Likers list on my Home Page. There’s also plenty of humour tucked in there too.

What next for me? No theme or plan. E is for Eclectic and that is the path I will continue to follow. As I’ve stated before, I don’t consider myself a writer. Nor a blogger. Although I’ve chronicled my redundancies as ‘diaries’, I’m not here to produce a journal. My veil of anonymity and my magazine style allows me to present ‘Editor’ as the perfect alias. And maybe that’s what I am. I am of course the Editor of my own thoughts and creativity. Nothing more. And possibly less.

I have a Bonnywood Manor 3 Word Challenge in the offing to keep the creative juices flowing and I have some draft miscellaneousness stacked in a corner of the office waiting to see the light of day. Madame Charlatan still writes a regular column for The Echo, though I hear her Mother has not been well, so I have cut her some slack regarding her contractual obligations.

Anyhow, talking of my anonymity, I’ve decided to be brave and let that veil slip a little. I worry that my shyness is mistaken for aloofness. Nothing could be further from the truth, so I took a big glug of Brave Potion (or Gin, if you prefer to use the Latin) and have published some photos below so you can all see what I look like. Normally, I’d cringe at those who constantly name-drop, but I have hobnobbed with some very famous people over the years (interested now aren’t you?), so hope you don’t mind me showing off a little. These pictures are very special to me and bring back some amazing memories of ‘The Day I Met…………..’ Sadly, some are no longer with us, making these photographs all the more poignant…………..

Was surprised to bump into Brad on a shopping trip. Didn’t even know he was in town.  I chatted for a while, before asking if it would be ok to have my photo taken with him. A true gentleman, he remained perfectly composed and didn’t once bitch about Ange.

The day I met Dr Who was a whirlwind day. No sooner had we shook hands, than an intergalactic emergency presented itself and I was whisked off in the Tardis, with The Doctor, to avert the destruction of all humanity. He was kind enough to drop me back home and let me keep the personal protection equipment as a souvenir of my travels.

Amy Winehouse was an absolute doll. And about the size of one too. Despite her extroverted and sometimes brash exterior, I found her to be exceptionally quiet. In fact, I don’t recall her speaking the whole time we were together.

The Queen. I have the ultimate respect for our Queen and the extraordinary work she does for our country. I curtseyed as best I could as a commoner, she seemed pleased with my effort.

Elvis. Some celebrities are not how you expect them to be in real life. Elvis was much larger than I expected, the camera can really play tricks on perspective. Still, managed to steal a cheeky kiss and I have to say he tasted delicious. Another quiet one, but that is often the way with international superstars. Especially after they’ve died.

Fresh from filming (actually, not fresh at all and in much need of a bath), Chewbacca took time out of his busy schedule to meet with his fans. I’m not one of them, but my partner is. Again, the camera lies, as this guy was much shorter than I thought he’d be.

RoboCop is not as scary as his films make out. He’s a real pussycat. Apparently much of what you see is done with special effects, or ‘FX’ as they’re known in the business. These showbiz types do make me laugh with their funny jargon and electronic sounding voices.

And here I’ve saved the best for last. David Bowie has given me some of the best moments of my life. And been there through some of my darkest. Being face to face with your hero is truly magical. I will never forget this day.

There you have it. Now you have a better idea of the person behind the persona. I hope no-one is feeling envious that I’ve met with so many famous people. It’s just the circles I mix in and the life I lead. Not always as glamorous as it looks.