When a pub landlady has lost her subconscious. Now I know in lockdown, I should be practising for the show one way or another. As I will soon be panicking once a performance rears its head and I can’t remember a word of it. I will then go into that familiar self-pity wailing, why didn’t I go through it at least once a week? I must admit it truly was a shock to me, once I realised my brain did not have a superpower photographic memory when it came to my own writing. I really believed because I wrote it there would be an imprint on my brain where I could read it off as if I had an internal libra ..read more

“Me nervous? Not at all” I snapped. The receptionist continued with her little smug stare, with a flick of attention to her nails. They had obviously just been done with the attention they were receiving. “It’s only a check-up you know.” I stated sarcastically. How dare she ask, I thought. Or was it so obvious I was in fact petrified. For as long as I could remember, a visit to the dentist had a stronger reaction on my intestines than half a packet of dried figs. I don’t even ever remember getting this apprehensive in court. “In that case Mrs er…” I wanted to say just call me your honour, inst ..read more

Finding myself as the alter-ego of my menopausal ego did not happen overnight! Dolly seeped into my life when unbeknown to me I was considered to be in my peri-menopause stage of maturity. Yep, the eggs had started to die off. It appears I did not hunt out the nearest botox technician or indeed hit the gym. The way I inadvertently dealt with the persistence of time was to allow a worm hole big enough for the encroachment of Dolly Slatemen. She was always there, having been a pub landlady for many years I had been using her personality on many occasions to deal with certain situations I found m ..read more

With days turning into nightmares, I’m loving myself less. I really can’t find the funny in this miserable mess. Anxiety and stress with breast tenderness, that’s without the hassle, of trying to get into the new dress. A bloated belly stuck watching the telly, I sip at my glass of wine. Why didn’t my mother tell me of this future that is not that sublime? I remember with nostalgia a cycle once a month, now I’ve got more identity issues than president Trump! Weight gain and joint pain and too many moments on the lips, have now turned these… things into horrendous sized hips. Not even a spinnin ..read more

When you were a New-Born, life was different then. My arms would hold you tight, Sometimes hours on end. I remember singing softly, So only you could hear. It always got your attention. Sometimes, stopping any tears. As my heart grew bigger, I never wanted you to fear. Anything in life, that may suddenly appear. Sometimes, I would watch you, holding your little hand. And when I did let go, as I began to understand. For you to make your own way, you also had a plan. I hope I’ve not failed you. By giving the tools you need, to face life in your own way with the power to succeed. It’s not about f ..read more

A Dolly Discourse What a week! I mean it must of been this very time last week old Jeremy Hunt was finalising his speech for the budget. So let me get this clear, his very words were "Madame Speaker British ale is warm but the duty on a pint is frozen." Now, you know me I don't like to talk politics in the boozer, I'm just not that type of pub landlady. The last discussion we had in the Mankey Bush pub (Gastro Free-house I'll have you know) was how bad Minty Micks breath was, don't know how it got on to climate change. Apparently someone said he's been banned from Australia as it was his breat ..read more

2022 was all about the Fringe I'm not one to go back into the past but the start of this new year has left me puzzled. Normally, within the first couple of weeks of the year I've written a list the length of my arm declaring my aims and ambitions for the forthcoming twelve months. Around this time last year, I was getting over Covid with the rest of the team. As most of the staff at the pub came down with the dreaded, dreaded lurgey. That was Last Twixmas, cue for a song perhaps? Even then, in the height of my covidness I was planning what I was going to try and achieve over the next twelve mo ..read more

Its now November and Menopause Day and month has passed. I can't help but reflect and consider, if anyone had told me how important Menopause Day and month would become too me on the eve of my 50th birthday, I would've said "Shut up!" in my prolonged estuarial accent. Five years on and the 18th of October (Menopause Day) seems to becoming just as important as any birthday. As the day approaches, I find I have the whole week planned and know exactly what I'm doing. In a post covid life within hospitality, this is completely the opposite of my reactionary existence. Everything seems to be last m ..read more

What she talking about her sons for in Menopause Awareness Month? I hear you asking. Well to be totally honest this is a post I've been faffing about with in my head for a couple of weeks. I had never heard of National Sons day until recently. Celebrated on 28th September, it struck a cord being a mum of two lads. It made me think about our relationship, of course I love them unconditionally. But as they grow older and begin to make their own way, I realise how proud I am of their achievements and how they inspire me to strive for my own ambitions. One of my ambitions is to get fit. Woah, I kn ..read more

Comedy material with Menopause as the subject matter. Genre widens choice enabling an audience to identify characters, plot line and greatly enhance the chosen experience. Whether it be film, tv, stage or literature. Just as the coming-of-age genre focuses on young adults, offering education for the younger viewer and a nostalgic dance with memories for its older audience. The Menocom spotlights comedy with peri-menopause and menopause at its core. Characteristics are included to define the content and diverse narratives to include all, as every single female will experience menopause at a cer ..read more