Life Updates
Hello, hello!
I am writing this a few days post-July, from my sunny little studio room, with the summer stretching out ahead of me and MY GOODNESS, the relief I feel at having a whole month off - and also having the evils of endless stock far behind me.
There is not much to report about the past month besides counting 2600 items in the art shop (BLARGH!). I don’t know why I’m moaning really, I used to be an operations assistant at Homebase which meant counting every single item in the giant store on a weekly basis. How did I do it?! I cannot tell you. Nowadays I’m fatigued a mere three paintbrushes in. I guess I’ve lost my counting touch. (Which I just misspelled as “cunting touch” twice in a row, so my subconscious is clearly tying to tell me something here.")
It’s very weird to think this will be my last stock take ever, at least where art supplies are concerned. Who knows, I may have to go crawling back to retail at the end of next year with my tail between my legs, but I do hope not.
It has to be said, this is the longest, most drawn out goodbye ever where I’m piling up lasts like a collection of Pokémon cards. Ohh my last stock take, my last time making up architecture welcome kits, my last make and break competition… I’m melodramatically giving my teary farewells to everyone when I’m not actually going anywhere for another 135 days, which is a heck ton of days when you think about it.
I don’t like any of this. I’m UNSETTLED. I want to put this year and this whole section of my life to rest once and for all, but everything is happening in slow motion. When I step forward it’s juddery and stilted like a poorly made stop-motion animation.
One good thing is that I HAVE A DATE FOR MY LEAVING DO and it’s at THE MOTHERFREAKING WEDGEWOOD ROOMS - an iconic Portsmouth gig venue where I have seen many of my musical heroes perform over the years. It will be on 22nd December alongside my lovely pals Hometown Show and I’ll be singing plenty of anti-work anthems for you all to enjoy. More to follow, but save the date! :D I’m going out with a bang baby!!!
In other news - I had a lovely weekend up in London with my parents and Matty seeing Jesus Christ Superstar starring Sam Ryder - oh my God, it was simply EPIC. A lot darker and grittier than I was expecting… Man, the Bible is BRUTAL! Vocally phenomenal. All the songs were bangers. We loved it so much that we’re going to see it again next year when the show comes to Southampton.
I also got to meet Sam Ryder at the stage door and get my programmed signed! Well, I say “meet”, it was more making brief eye contact as he floated on a podium above a sea of starstruck, clambering fans. And I say “my programme”, it was actually a replacement given to me by the lovely staff at the Palladium since I stupidly walked out of the stalls without mine and it got swiped. But hoorah, there are kind people in this world!! And if I hadn’t have been so delayed, I probably never would have met Sam, so I’m taking the whole thing as a sign from the Universe not to give up hope when things go wrong. Things always tend to work out, one way or another.
I also, later in the month, went to see My Fair Lady at Chichester Theatre with my cousin Erin. It was sooo cute! And also, very strange?! I’ve never seen this musical before in my life, even though I know it’s a classic and I did know loads of the songs, but it’s basically about this horrible snobby old rich man who emotionally manipulates this poor, penniless flower girl and slags her off the whole show and threatens to get her “walloped” and calls her a GUTTERSNIPE multiple times, and it’s all really awful and abusive and then, they’re in love?! OK, COOL. I mean, it was written in the 50s, so maybe that was the height of romance back then? Anyway, as I already stated on my Instagram, these cor blimey guvna musicals do remind me of my my past life as a gobby bar wench, and connect me to my ANCIENT ROOTS, so I love them even when they are ridiculous.
I just want to reiterate, as I do most blog posts, how AMAZING it is to have such incredible, affordable local theatre right on the doorstep. The tickets for this show were £15 and it was West End production level with a great view. Plus only a few stops on the train to get there. Going to London for shows is brilliant, but there are so many smaller theatres across the UK putting on productions that are just as good, if not better, than the big headliner musicals. GO SUPPORT THEM!
OH. One last thing. Rachel who works in our admin office has introduced me to her MOUSE HOUSE that she keeps in her desk drawer, and last week she made The Songs You’ve Never Heard into a mini book on the mousey bookcase. I AM HONOURED. Such a cute and lovely thing that makes everyone at work smile, I had to share it!
Creative Updates
July has been a very creative month! First of all, I played the Southsea Food Festival with my friend Olly on guitar: it was a big crowd and I felt soooo nervous (guys I DON’T GIG MUCH ANYMORE), but as the promoter said after I complained about stage fright, “you asked to play, so get on with it girl”.
I have to say, this is a very Pompey attitude. I have been in many situations during local gigs where I’ve whined that I’m scared to sing and someone has yelled “SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET ON WITH IT.” And you know what? It’s a very effective method of combating performance anxiety.
Anyway, GET ON WITH IT I DID, and it was such a lovely set. We played a bunch of covers as well as two new original songs, and my old classic Fire. The crowd were so kind and enthusiastic, and we had loads of friends and family in the audience. I feel so much more like myself when I’m out playing gigs, and I’ve missed music being a regular part of my life. I didn’t consciously choose to stop performing, I just had no one to gig with… But Olly is THE PERFECT collaborator for me and I’m so happy we became friends and can do cool stuff like this now!
Later in the month we actually went into my local studio Mayfield Records to record an official version of my new track Pretty Little Things. We worked with an awesome local producer called Sam who was so great - and Olly’s guitar and harmonica sounds amazing. I think it’s going to be such a cute, summery song when it’s finished!
I still have some backing vocals to lay down, and we might even record my second new song The Panic to release alongside it, so more soon… But it’s very exciting to be putting out new music again. Hopefully the first track of many!
In short movie news, we found out that Link My Heart got to the semi-finals of the Paris Lady MovieMakers Festival woohoo!! It’s a tiny online festival, BUT STILL, we have our first laurel now which is very exciting and it’s so cool to know actual real life people watched and enjoyed our work.
We are currently waiting to hear back from other festivals that we entered, and then next year we will FINALLY get the movie out and start promoting it everywhere… I can’t wait for everyone we know to see it after all these years of work!
As for Just For Likes being on submission… I’ve had no updates. Nothing. To be honest, I’m coming to terms with the fact it’s probably dead now (cue wailing and crying and chucking things round the room). I’ve been immersing myself in my new book, trying to make it as good and sparkling as possible, but I will admit it’s very hard when you’re grieving a broken dream and what could have been.
I mean, I guess a miracle could still happen… Perhaps an editor reads it over summer, falls in love with Tessa and Robert and offers me a book deal right when I least expect it. Stranger things have happened. I still truly believe it’s a hit rom com, and I’m utterly baffled as to why it hasn’t been snapped up by someone.
This business is very hard and cruel. There is no rhyme and reason to anything. It’s all random luck, or at least that’s what it feels like. Just For Likes will be the 12th book I’ve written, a statistic that blows my mind when I think about it for too long. But you know what they say. Sometimes it’s just 13th time lucky. (They don’t say that. No one says that. Unless my new book does finally sell, then we’ll ALL be saying it.)
In more optimist news, I recently had a lovely video chat with my old editor Cecilia, who I worked with on The Songs You’ve Never Heard, and we might just be working together again on something in the new year. It’s early days so I won’t say too much yet, but I’m really excited, especially as it would be an amazing project over my upcoming year off.
I will just end this section by saying - you never know when a random plot twist is going to happen, and something or someone from your past might present you with an unexpected pathway.
As my bracelet from my bestie Paul says - Keep fucking going.
Movie Recs
The Invite - A 4-person, one-location movie about a strained marriage and the crazy swingers who live upstairs. It was a MASTERPIECE. Maybe my movie of the year?!
Voicemails For Isabelle - A beautiful Netflix rom-com that will make you laugh and cry in equal measures. A hilarious, quirky girl leaves voicemails for her sister who has recently passed away, and they accidentally reach a guy who might just be perfect for her… More of these films please Netflix!!
Heartstopper Forever - The grand finale of the Heartstopper TV series, based on the final graphic novel (see below lol). It was SO CUTE and the soundtrack was amazing, as always. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these lovely characters!
TV Recs
Beast Games S2 - Yep, I’m straight onto the new season of Mr. Beast’s crazy game show after binging season 1 last month. I love this stupid show haha! This time around the theme is “brain vs. brawn” and there are even old players returning to the game. It’s a fun, easy watch after work, I would recommend.
Elle - I’m only a few episodes into the Legally Blonde prequel, but it’s cute and funny and full of pink and nostalgia! Lexi Minetree IS Elle Woods and she’s very fun to watch. It will never be as good as the source material, but it’s not bad!
Ann Droid - OK I’m only one ep in (I’ve apparently had no time for TV lately!) but I’m already completely in love with Diane Morgan’s new sitcom where she plays a quirky robot taking care of an elderly lady. I laughed and cried at the pilot, it has so much warmth and is tackling subject matter that’s quite often swept under the rug. Quietly ground-breaking.
Book Recs
Good For You by Lucy Vine - I met Lucy Vine at Meet Cute Festival last year and she is LOVELY and HILARIOUS, and her writing absolutely sparkles with wit and warmth. This book centres around Liv, a morning TV therapist who has a very public meltdown that goes viral. It’s sooo funny and pacy, as well as being full of feminist wisdom. I must check out the rest of her back catalogue!
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell - Rainbow is one of my fave authors of all time, and Cherry Baby is a heartfelt and thought-provoking edition to her catalogue of work. A little slower and quieter than some of her other books, but I loved following plus-size Cherry as she navigates a divorce that might not be as final as she thought.
Heartstopper Vol 6 - The final chapter of Nick and Charlie’s beautiful love story… I loved it soooo much. The perfect ending to the comic series of a generation.
Music Recs
BLOODY HELL THERE WERE SO MANY GOOD ALBUMS RELEASED THIS MONTH!!!
Daughter From Hell by Gracie Abrams - I love Gracie Abrams, and I actually saw her at a tiny gig in Southampton before she blew up into a superstar, so basically I have excellent music taste. Anyway, this is a great collection of songs in her dreamy, confessions-in-my-diary style of songwriting.
Soft Pop by Amy Shark - An Australian singer/songwriter who I randomly stumbled across years ago and have fallen very much in love with. I would describe this album as “acoustic sass” - great witty lyricism and storytelling.
Trying: Season 5 OST by Orla Gartland - My faaaave Queen Orla has composed the soundtrack to the latest season of Apple TV’s Trying - never seen the show in my life, but these songs are so emotive and brilliant (as her songs always are).
Music, Fashion, Film by Charli XCX - Does Charli actually sleep? Or does she just spend 24 hours a day making BANGERS? Love this whole album and how dark it is.
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me… Again! by Jensen McRae - An extended addition of Jensen’s 2025 album featuring some gorgeous collaborations and cameos. I found this artist through a vlogger I follow and I think she’s got such a gorgeous voice and style of songwriting.
I Hope You Don’t Remember Me by Baby Queen - I’m a Baby Queen superfan and this new album features some of her best ever material. I hope she tours again soon!
Welp, that’s (finally) all from me! Thanks so much for reading - I’ve got a super busy summer ahead so I’ll be back with more fun stories soon. Until then have an amazing time whatever you’re up to.
Much love as always,
Becky x