February! What a rollercoaster you’ve been already, I almost need a lie down. Though if I’m honest, I’d gladly have a nanna nap every day, regardless of the month.
So, Feb, how have you blown my tiny mind in just 11 days?
Happy Valley was the best
Happy Valley, that’s how. Or, if you’ve watched it too, not so Happy Valley. More like tense Valley. The Valley of tears. Get me shouting at the telly Valley. Peeking through my fingers, holding my breath Valley.
Quite possibly, in my humble opinion, the best slice of TV in an absolute age. Top tier telly which had us hanging on every word.
Bravo and thank you Sally Wainwright for your brilliant writing to help us limp out of a dreary January.
Forget the glamour and glitz of the Grammys. Move over Adele and her apparent eye-rolling at Harry Styles winning album of the year, THIS was the heavyweight television showdown: Sarah Lancashire versus Prince Harry.
Where would you put your money? Happy Valley versus unhappy Royals. If you haven’t been watching BBC’s Happy Valley where have you been?
According to figures, by episode four, there were more than 9 million people watching Sergeant Cathy in the most nerve-racking Valley in West Yorkshire.
In its penultimate week, it went up against Prince Harry’s interview on ITV, and the British public showed him where their interest lies.
That’s in a gloomy, dour but utterly enthralling northern drama, preferably accompanied by a good cup of tea and a biscuit.
Approximately one million more viewers tuned in to find out what Tommy Lee Royce had in store for Sgt Cath, than what Prince Harry was publicly airing.
We binged it
Lancashire has been playing this role since 2014 and I’ll admit we binged the first two series before impatiently waited on each weekly episode of this run.
How can we only just have discovered this absolute gem of a programme in time for it to end? And can someone please tell me what happened to Raquel Watts in the years between Coronation Street and here? Actually, maybe don’t.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, we had the start of the six nations championship.
And in this Scottish / Irish household we watch avidly, supporting each other’s team, except for that one match where we are pitted against each other.
The Scotland v England match had me so animated and transfixed , middle kid came flying out her shower and downstairs to check I wasn’t having a heart attack.
I very nearly was thanks to Townsend’s team’s performance. When she accepted all was well, a video of me leaping about like an eejit was taken to share her amusement with her sister in Oz. Bloody cheek.
So I’m embarrassing
At 46 years of age, I’m apparently getting cringy and corny. I’m doing things I know my kids think are deeply embarrassing.
Well, I LOVE IT. I think that in my fifties, I’ll go fully feral and I couldn’t be more here for it.
In fact, when I’m an old lady I’m going to leave vodka miniatures and little bags of snacks on the floor all over the house in case I fall down.
Going by my dogs’ choices of places to stand specifically so I can trip over them, it will be quite often. Best to be prepared.
Highlights of the month
What else February, what else? An oncology appointment with a good, currently stable result from a scan <phew>.
Biggest kid finally securing a place to live and a decent job after three months Down Under <double phew>.
I like to help my kids where I can, but even I admit there is only so much I can do from 9k miles away!
Valentines is next week. We’ll probably have our usual ‘should we bother after 18 years of marriage’ debate.
Who knows? We might even go out to dinner as soon as our game of ‘I don’t care where we go, where do you want to go’ is over. And then order in a takeaway instead.
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