Justice

I didn’t know what to do when I heard the wonderful news that day

Two years of courtroom drama to finally have their say

 Relief on their faces as they left the courtroom together hand in hand

27 years of fighting that we will never really understand

96 people remembered and 96 candles lit

Something deep inside the families told them they shouldn’t quit

There must have been times when they all felt defeated

Then they looked to the heavens above where the 96 were seated

Media, police and government tried to cover up the real truth

 I can still remember the headlines, even though I was in my youth

Still no apology from the people who committed this hideous crime

Surely it’s only a matter of days before some of them are doing time

Throughout the ordeal the message from the families has been very clear

They will continue to fight for justice even if it means shedding another tear

A day in history that will never be forgotten, an event that rewrote the law

Everyone involved in the conspiracy should, without doubt, rot to the core

And now the truth is finally known and the families have won their fight

The city came together to rejoice while the buildings shone so bright

Everyone in the city stood by the sides of the families but what else did you expect

Fighting the establishment for truth and justice, they earned the world’s respect

The Stranger

It was a normal cloudy day and I decided to go for an afternoon walk

At the end of my road a stranger looked puzzled and needed to talk

He looked stressed and told me he had unfortunately lost his car

Apparently, he had been to the hospital and thinks he walked too far

He said he’d been walking for about two hours up and down Queens Drive

Didn’t know what he was going to do but needed to rest and take five

After our brief chat I told him I would help his heartfelt plea

He said he would do the same if he was in a similar position to me

We walked slowly back towards my car, chatting along the way

He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t find his car today

We drove along the roads exchanging conversation about life

He told me he lived alone without his children or a wife

He introduced himself as Peter, 75, and gripped my outstretched hand

He only had a hospital appointment; this was not what he had planned

We exchanged our stories about life, morals and travelling abroad

Excuse me he said I’m waffling please stop me if you are getting bored

Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and all the other stars of the MGM fame

Were topics we explored and a lady but he couldn’t remember her name

We eventually found the car and his eyes lit up showing a little emotion

He thanked me profusely and apologised for causing such a commotion

So why do I tell this true story?  Definitely not to gratify me

But to share the idea that you can help someone without getting a fee

Giving Peter my time when he was lost and need it more than ever

Was a humbling experience and a memory that I’ll cherish forever

Peter Pan at St Helens Theatre Royal

People say you get what you pay for but in this instance it certainly isn’t true.  You get much more!  From start to finish the cast and crew give you a fantastic show with many highs, including Peter Pan flying!  The show begins with Charlotte Gallagher, giving a very strong vocal performance.  Throughout, Charlotte sings and dances with ease and it is easy to see why she plays such leading roles in other productions.  Ray Quinn is, of course, the modern day song and dance man and moves around the stage and in the air fluently with natural ability.  He is very comfortable on stage and it shows, great for any young performer to watch.  Laura Gregory accompanies him in a highlight of the show, flying through London heading to Neverland, a very clever piece of direction.  Her stage presence and singing match the leading man’s.  With every pantomime you need to have a double act, who can bounce off each other.  Simon Foster, the resident dame, and Liam Mellor certainly do this and I think they enjoyed coming off script many times.  It certainly added to the entertainment and made the show better.  I personally love it when things go wrong in a pantomime and in one scene nothing seemed to go right, which just made the scene funnier!  Phillip McGuinness is a truly superb ‘baddie’ and plays Captain Hook with the right level of ‘nasty’ to scare the children.  He is such a good character actor and can only see bigger things for him.  Of course, you need someone to sprinkle the ‘magic’ glitter to make everyone fly and Claire Simmo is perfect for the role.  As always, if things go wrong she is there to support her fellow cast members, usually by laughing at them!  What is great about this production, and not always evident in other productions, is that the cast seem to genuinely get along and enjoy their time on stage together.  If there is only one pantomime you want to take your children to at an excellent price, then this is the one.  Thank you for making the afternoon so enjoyable, see you all in October! 

Fighting for my dreams

My friends said I was crazy to be thinking I could be a star

The dreams I had as a small child were just a bridge too far

They had a small town mentality and couldn’t get out of this rut

But I knew I could make it, I knew I could make the cut

Chorus

(but) I’m going to keep on fighting,

Fighting,

Fighting for the dreams I had

I’m going to keep on dreaming,

Dreaming,

Dreaming for the life I want

I’m going to keep on hoping

Hoping

Hoping for my one big chance

I’m going to keep on dreaming

Dreaming

Because dreaming never hurt nobody (at all)

Made my way to the city not knowing what to expect

Met a few good people who showed me love and respect

No luck ahead, casting agents repeatedly closing the door

Telling me I didn’t have the look and they wanted something more

Bridge

Need someone to open the door and let me seize my moment

Because these hopes and dreams nobody is going to break them

Tried to make some much needed cash standing on a corner selling tours

At night worked in a bar but got tired of asking ‘what’s yours?’

People telling I should give up and begin to move back home to town

But I won’t give up until I’m on top of the pile wearing my crown