Dame Shirley wows Manchester

How Ridiculous is just returned from Manchester and heads out later today for Cardiff for Dame Shirley's home-coming concert.

She was absolutely magnificent in Manchester and gave one of the best performances How Ridiculous has ever witnessed.

The audience were their usual diverting self. Indeed, the Manchester Evening News Arena appeared to be the 'in' honeymoon destination for those recently entered into civil partnerships.

The gorgeous picture (taken by André Boon and David Brownlow) shows The Dame's first outfit. As she declared: 'I look like a bloody canary!'

Happily, she also sang like a bird. A full list of the numbers she got through are listed:

S’Wonderful
I’m Still Here
Something
Light My Fire
Big Spender - this track she performed twice!
Here’s To Life
New York New York
The Living Tree
Lady is a Tramp
Bond Medley: Goldfinger, Moonraker and Diamonds Are Forever
Music Is My First Love
You Needed Me
Nobody Does It Like Me
Hey Jude
As Long As He Needs Me
What Now My Love
Finale medley: Maybe This Time, Never Never Never, As I Love You, Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me and I Am What I Am

Manchester, too, was just marvellous. How Ridiculous was most pleased to be reminded of that Northern Glamour which HR has so missed since moving South.

What a gay day!

As How Ridiculous types this, Dame Shirley Bassey will be on stage in Glasgow on the opening night of her tour.

Sadly, How Ridiculous is not able to be present although tomorrow a journey to Manchester will be made to see THE DAME OF ALL TIME (as described by one of HR's Aunts). Further journeys to Cardiff, Birmingham and Wembley Arena will be made. Four concerts and four different outfits in six days. How Ridiculous will be exhausted.

In an attempt to combat the ever present Pre-Shirley Tension, How Ridiculous spent this morning completing Diarmaid MacCulloch's brilliant 'Reformation'. How Ridiculous has thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.

Following perusal of a most amusing article about Dame Elizabeth Taylor in the ever trusty Daily Mail, HR rollerbladed to the local swimming pool.

There was a Metropolitan Police function imminent, so the place was crawling with boys (and girls) in blue. Happily, no truncheons were on display.

Swimming over, Hyde Park was bladed to and thence down Park Lane and along Piccadilly did HR blade.

Eventually, the cinema was reached. 'Wah Wah' was absolutely superb. Gabriel Byrne was magnificent; but for HR the film was stolen by Julie Walters and even more so by Celia Imrie, both Dames pending surely.

Speaking of Dames, upon arrival home How Ridiculous watched several episodes of the fourth series of 'Are You Being Served?'

We shall refrain from making pussy gags otherwise HR will never be free.

The Prime Minister grants an Audience

So The Holy Father was privileged to be granted an Audience with The Prime Minister this morning.

How Ridiculous wonders if during the course of their discussion The Pope gave TB any tips about how to win a vote in a conclave for as blogged before surely The Papacy is the one job The PM sees as being worthy of his talents when/if he departs Downing Street.

On a slightly different point, it was good to see the Mozart CD given to The Pope still had its security tag on. One can never be too careful.