Hi Folks, it’s me Jimmy Cricket come closer but stay two metres away.
Well get to the foot of our stairs as they say in Lancashire, here we are in the throes of a Pandemic, housebound except for essential things like shopping and exercise and unable to meet up with our loved ones.
I’m having nothing to do with this Corona Virus. I’m washing my hands of the whole thing. There you are I’ve got that one out of the way early.
On a serious note we all deal with this lock down in our own way. With me personally it’s missing the live audience, but it hasn’t brought too much upheaval to my daytime activities.
Our office is in our home so while Mrs Cricket gets me the bookings I rehearse up in the bedroom. I juggle and play saxophone in my act so that requires daily practise. I’ve always felt that although people are expecting the one liners and letter from my mammy it’s nice to give them a few surprises when they buy a ticket to your live show.
I think it’s important for someone like me to lift people’s spirits during these trying times so my so after lunch I’ll put my Hat and Wellies and record some jokes and Birthday Wishes to send out on Social Media. I’m so blessed that my good lady May is such a whiz kid on modern technology, so she acts as Director and producer on these little movies.
Some of my fellow acts and friends are doing ingenious things. Magician Daniel Dean down in Bristol is doing a weekly programme from his garden giving viewers tips on gardening in between magic tricks, and Ted Rodger’s son Danny is doing a shortened version of his Dad’s TV game show 321 from his living room.
Then again, we’ve got the time to do the things we keep putting off. I’ve put aside an hour each evening at 7pm to go through my phone book and ring all my friends. They’re all going to be in that’s for sure.
We also look forward to our family get together through Zoom and Skype when we get to see the latest drawings and stories from our grandkids, and extended family.
We’ve also had a visitor to the door that we haven’t seen for a while – the milkman. He’s as welcome as the tooth fairy. Especially when we open the door and see our bottle of fresh orange juice, milk and dozen eggs. Yes, it’s the simple things that strike a chord at times like these.
What about the camaraderie. You get such a warm glow when you stand outside your door and applaud with your neighbours the heroic deeds of our National Health Service every Thursday evening.
Oh yes, we’re all getting through in our own ways. I suppose it’s like wartime where the soldiers kept their morale up by planning out what to do when it was over. I had an agent called Phyllis Rounce who used to organise entertainment for the troops during those dark days. She said to me once that the one abiding memory that stays with her is the day the War ended, and the lights came on in London after six years of a total blackout.
Which reminds me, come closer? My dad saved the lives of a hundred men during the War. He shot the Cook. Oops there I go again.
Stay safe and well everybody.
Jimmy
Website:- www.jimmycricket.co.uk
Email:- jimmy@jimmycricket.co.uk
Twitter:- @jimmy_cricket