Jan Leeming - The Official Website

PAUL NEWMAN

29th September 2008

I feel like going into Mourning.  Paul Newman was my all time favourite Film Star and now he's gone at the relatively youngish age of 83.  Well that seems young to me when my father is still alive at 93 and with all his faculties except his sight. 

Paul Newman ticked all the boxes - was a fine actor, kind and generous (gave away a fortune to charity and all from his Salad Dressing), had the same wife for 50 years (Joanne Woodward) and was incredibly good looking.  Showbiz marriages are notoriously short lived but he and Joanne were married since 1958.

His family must be totally devastated and I'm sure they will be getting messages of sympathy from all over the world.  He appeared to be a true GENTLE-man.  I only hope some ghastly journalist doesn't try to put the boot into him as so many do at the demise of a much respected Icon.  Why can't they just let well alone and leave we, the fans, with our lovely memories, and his family with their respect.

I've had the honour throughout my career to be able to interview many famous people - Omar Shariff, Joss Ackland, Andy Williams, Cliff Richard and so on and so forth.  I just wish I'd had the opportunity to interview Paul Newman.  The reason I've not mentioned any women stars is that those interviews were usually given to the men on the team.

Must dash as my feet have hardly touched the ground over the last week what with Newspaper, Radio and TV Interviews.  Was up at the crack of dawn (well almost) for an appearance on the Lorraine Kelly Show on GMTV.  She is a lovely lady and not only that but she fired a question at me and then let me chatter on, so I do hope I got across my enthusiasm for Internet Dating Sites and impressed on the public my view that certainly Kindred Spirits is a safe way of getting to know someone from the comfort of your own home and that the Site is for all ages, all persuasions, and full of interesting people.

I get my Website Analysis every Monday morning and was staggered today to see that almost 1000 folk had visited the site and from all over the world.  Heaven knows how they find me - I think some must google words like 'Cheetah' and then get brought onto the site.  If they are interested in what they read, they revisit.  Even when I appeared in Celebrity Cash in the Attic and featured the male cancer charity 'Orchid'  there weren't quite so many hits.

I told you I'm off to Barcelona for the Juice Plus Conference so I hope there will be much about which to write when I get back.  Really looking forward to seeing the Gaudi Cathedral.

So, until the next time.  Thank you for visiting and please keep coming back -life is more exciting at certain times than at others but I try to write something each week - as they used to say in the old Music Halls - for your delectation and delight.

Best wishes,  Jan

AUTUMN, DEPARDIEU and other subjects

27th September 2008

AUTUMN - Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Although Monday was the official commencement of Autumn, I knew it was Autumn this morning when some of my window panes had misted up on the inside.

I always rather like Autumn preferably after a good summer.  But I don't think I can remember a worse summer than this one - my summer clothes hardly came out of the wardrobe.

Have just been for a long walk on the beach.  I do a circuit of about three and a half miles - walking on the pebbles (harder on the legs) for half the walk and then coming back along the path.  I really get so angry at the rubbish I see.  Why is it that people come to the beach for a picnic or a barbecue - lugging all the paraphernalia with them - eat their meal and then leave the rubbish behind.  Would they discard rubbish on the floors in their own homes - maybe they would.  And then there's the rubbish left by the fishermen and also thrown overboard by the Boaties. What has happened to people that they cannot respect the needs of others.  And then we all end up paying even more in Council Taxes for the rubbish to be cleared.  I'd better get down off my high horse.

It's been a weird week - like the curate's egg 'good in parts'.  Of all the articles in newspapers about my Internet dating, the only one sanctioned by me was in the Femail Section of the Daily Mail on Thursday.  The others were just cobbled together from old cuttings - so much of which is inaccurate and untrue but unlike Richard Branson, I'm not allowed to say so.  The Story to which I took the most exception was The Express - I didn't get a copy but the Headline attributed to me -  seeking another husband  - couldn't be further from the truth.  I need a husband like a hole in the head.  As for the others, I preferred not to see them.  What you don't see, doesn't hurt you.

The stories in The Mail generated much comment on line. I suppose two thirds were supportive and kind and the rest were horrid.  Sad isn't it that I forget the good ones and only remember the bad.  They say 'Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but Words will never hurt me'. I beg to differ.  I've been hurt so many times by the damned press.  Do they think, just because one is well known, you don't have any feelings!

Anyway, the people who matter most to me don't think I did anything wrong.  My son was very supportive and that means a lot to me as he is also very protective and any man wishing to take me out would have go get past Jonathan's vetting procedure!!

Life is a funny old thing isn't it.  I do firmly believe that 'Nothing happens by chance' and that whatever happens was meant to be.  Had I not had a small operation on my nose two weeks ago and felt wretched and alone after the procedure, I probably would never have thought of the Internet Dating.  Had my flat sale not fallen through last year, I'd be living in the West Country where I have younger friends who would have included me in their social circle and, again, I'd not have gone on line.  BUT I did and it generated a lot of publicity.  And though I do not believe in the saying 'There's no such thing as Bad Press' I have to admit that it raised profile.  Someone accused me of Stage Managing it all - of course I didn't - I'm simply not that clever or devious.    I looked at Kindred Spirits purely on a whim last Friday.  My agent knew nothing about it, nor did my son.

THE SINGER

I said last week that I'd tell you about the Depardieu film. This was the second offering from 'Interludes' - the club set up by some friends of mine in order to show films and stage One Man Shows.

The Singer was in French with subtitles and, like last week's Ruby Blue, it was a 'sweet' story.  Gerard Depardieu is now seriously over-weight with a large stomach, a smashed up nose and unruly hair but there is a 'Kindness' that emanates from him.  I found him extremely attractive in the film (probably brought out my mothering instincts as he seems like a little boy lost) so fully understood why the young woman fell for the charms of this ageing singer.  I can't remember her name but she was very attractive in a kind of Audrey Hepburn way - classy.

Tonight's offering is a one-man show 'Not in My Name' - the trial of Niccolo Machiavelli.  I'm told that the actor Michael McEvoy is very good - we'll see.

STEVIE WONDER

My lovely son is treating me to Stevie Wonder at O2 on Tuesday.  I don't like big venues and all the accompanying hassle of parking, loo queues, drinks queues, but there are a few artists for whom I am prepared to suffer - Lionel Ritchie, Tina Turner and Stevie.

BARCELONA

Then I'm off to Barcelona for a few days.  I've become involved in distributing a superb Nutritional Supplement called Juice Plus and they are having their Annual Conference.  Normally I wouldn't bother going to anything like this but I have wanted for a long time to see the Gaudi Cathedral.  Living on my own, I would never make such a journey but I'm teaming up with a few others and we've tacked on some extra days to go down by train through the beautiful French Countryside and into Spain.

Juice Plus is a form of dehydrated fruits and vegetables.  Even if you eat healthily it is well nigh impossible to ingest 5 fruits and veg. per day.  Also, I do worry and wonder about our soil which has been subjected to pesticides for decades. 

The crops harvested for Juice Plus are grown in the best soils possible, many in California,  picked at just the correct moment of ripeness (and how often do we get ripe fruit these days?) and then the water is drawn off leaving all the goodness of 17 different fruits and vegetables in a powder form which can be taken as capsules or in a drink format.

The product is full of anti-oxidants which fight the free-radicals in our bodies.

CELEB AIR

Unfortunately Jonathan and I had to pull out of the programme on Friday.  Jonathan went down with flu and I've not felt a hundred percent since my small op.  Shame really as it would have been fun and given the two of us hours of quality time together.

PAUL NEWMAN

Oh sad.  I'm just listening to Classic FM and on the news they've announced that Paul Newman has just died.  I always loved him and he had the most gorgeous piercing blue eyes. I also loved him because, despite his fame and good looks, he had a very long and happy marriage to Joanne Woodward - and long marriages in the Entertainment Business are more a rarity than a certainty.

Thank you Paul for all the enjoyment you gave us over the years.  Wish I'd met you.

Till the next time.  Best wishes,  Jan

INTERNET DATING

23rd September 2008

Well, it seems I've made the news again this morning!  
 
Just for the record, and in case any of you are wondering about the validity of the story that appeared in the press this morning, I did join the Kindred Spirits website.  Every week I get invitations to events in London and around the country, and whilst I have a lot of good friends most are couples, or live too far away, so there is often no one free to accompany me to functions.  My lovely son Jonathan often acts as my escort but he has his own life to lead and can't spend all his spare time accompanying his mother.  I now give talks on cruise ships and am able to take a relative or friend and Jonathan can't always take leave to be with me.   This week we're flying to Tenerife for the ITV2 Celebair programme - it's fun and as a mother I love to go out on his arm, but he has a life too, so when a friend suggested I look at  Kindred Spirits I thought it might be fun and  could widen  my circle of friends.  I'm not looking for anything serious, although over the years I've learnt never to say never, so watch this space.
 
It is certainly something I would never have considered until I looked at the site.  I was a little concerned about what such a site would be like, but it is steadfastly monitored, there are strict guidelines and one is protected throughout.  I'm getting braver with the internet.  I launched this, my own website last year and those of you that have been checking in regularly will know I've been 'blogging' on it each week.  Through the website I've got some lovely emails in from people that have seen me on TV over the years, and from former colleagues, it is an amazing way of keeping in touch with friends across the world.  And a lovely way to make new ones too.  
 
There's a television programme or book to be made out of this whole new phenomenon of Internet Dating.  On KS they have young people looking for soulmates as well as Widowed and Divorced folk.    And I was pleased to see a great number of older men on the site who are not looking for 'Arm Candy' but for a mature friend. I'm a single lady who doesn't go out to bars, pubs or clubs, and it is a very civilised way of meeting people with similar attitudes that I would never meet otherwise and all done in the comfort of my own home.
 
It's been great FUN too.   I've had some lovely Email conversations.  All the people appear to be professional people with interesting backgrounds.   As an interviewer, I've always been fascinated by people and love their company.   TV producers forget that I've done so much more than read the News, most of my career up till BBC News had been interviewing famous people as well as  'normal' people on Magazine Programmes like Pebble Mill, Cook Back in Time, The West in Trust - to mention a few.   One of the best thing that has happened to me since 'I'm A Celebrity' is that I get stopped in the street by people of all ages. Suddenly the serious unapproachable image, which I perhaps had when I read the News, seems to have disappeared.  I really like it when people say 'You are so down to earth and approachable'.
  
Up until the piece in the paper this morning nobody appeared to recognise me on the site.   I deliberately put up a casual photo of myself rather than a studio shot. After all, this is the off-duty me. The TV me is me at work.......and whilst it's lovely when they refer to me as one of Britain's best-known newsreaders, I haven't done the job for 21 years......and Channel 5 didn't  offer me the job, they wanted Selina !    That said 'never say never', if I were asked to Newsread again, I would probably accept gracefully.  However, since 'I'm A Celebrity' I've found I'm much braver than I ever was, and among other feats have been Husky Sledding, Wingwalking and flying with The Blades (exclusive footage is on the Daily Mail website).......but again regular visitors know all this...  so I'd rather do a programme on the lines of 'Jan Dare' where I get to stretch myself and other women and help them to find their hidden potential.  I don't mean that they've all got to Wingwalk.  I've discovered that a great many older women lose their confidence if they've stayed home to bring up children or simply lose confidence because they are older. You aren't dead till they nail the lid down and there's a lot you can do and enjoy in life.  I've still got many unfulfilled ambitions.   I'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing.
 
If this is your first visit to my website, do look through the archive of 'blogs' and catch up on happenings.  The visit to Ypres, Tyne Cot Cemetery and attending the last post at the Menen Gate is worth reading.  It was an incredibly moving experience as was the Battle of Britain Memorial Service and subsequent  sponsorship of Rene Mouchotte.

Now you've found me, I  hope you will come back and visit again.

Have had to put this up in a hurry but will be writing my regular weekly 'Newsletter' and will tell you about a lovely Gerard Depardieu Film I saw last week.

 
   

RUBY BLUE

16th September 2008

RUBY BLUE

Friends of mine have brought a touch of culture to Deal and have set up a Stage and Screen Club called 'Interludes'.

They opened their season with a delightful film entitled 'Ruby Blue' which starred  Bob Hoskins and Josiane Balasco.  Josiane is a French Actress of high renown and very much in demand.  Apparently she commands higher fees than Catherine Deneuve.

I nearly didn't get a seat for the Command Performance.  Having phoned last Thursday I was told they were completely booked out but the Gods smiled and someone cancelled so I duly trotted along to the St. Georges Parish Hall on Friday evening.  (Just as an aside, the Cemetery of St. Georges is where so many of my ancestors were buried - those on the Pettet side)

The Hall was packed.  This was probably due to many factors - it was a new event, the film starred Bob Hoskins and was shot around Margate, Ramsgate and Deal.

Ruby Blue was made on a shoe-string budget and this showed in places but that is not to detract from the enjoyment of what was a most entertaining film. It dealt with many of the morality issues of the day but with an overtone of an unlikely romance. Although there was much bad language, the film was free of violence and had a tremendous 'Feel Good' factor.  The scenery was delightful and I'd never really realised how attractive is  this part of the world.

Bob Hoskins and Josiane can command huge fees so it was obvious they had taken on 'Ruby Blue' purely because they liked the script.

The film was made due to the tenacity of the Writer Jan Dunn and Producer Elaine and a donation by Screen South.

After the film we were able to chat with Jan, Elaine Wickham and Jo Nolan the Chief Executive of Screen South.  I so admire people who have a vision and cling to it.  There was talk of another film relevant to the Second World War and the Battle of Britain which took place over the Kent Coast.  Don't want to say anything more at the moment but I might just be involved in a subject dear to my heart.  Will let you know if anything comes of it.

'Ruby Blue' is heavily booked by Cinema Clubs up and down the country.  So, if it comes anywhere near to where you live, do go and see it.

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Ventured out on Saturday to a Ball (Dinner Dance really) in London run by the Club I joined recently.  I say 'ventured out' as I've never been to a Dinner Dance before without a partner and  don't think I will again.  Although there were some interesting and pleasant women, dancing with my own sex is not my idea of fun so had to sit with my feet tapping and feeling like a wallflower. 

Have to say that I was very impressed with the standard of service and the food at the Royal Gardens Hotel in Kensington.  It's a long time since I've been to a function in a London Hotel and my memories were of indifferent service and even more indifferent food.  At the Gardens, the serving staff were attired in very smart Burgundy uniforms, served all the people at each table at the same time and the food was extremely good considering they were catering for a large number.

The entertainment, although very good, was far too loud during the Dining part of the evening. It was almost impossible to talk above the saxophonist so it was out of the question  attempting to have discourse with any other than those immediately to the right and left of you.  That was a shame because there was a very interesting artist with whom I should have liked to converse.   The disco was also excellent with a very good choice of music. 

A great deal of hard work had gone into the organisation and I'm sure a great night was had by all.  It was also good to see that the Dress Code of Long Dresses and D.J. were strictly adhered to.  I'm tired of going to 'Posh' functions which require 'Smart Casual' and basically allows folk to turn up in anything. Call me old-fashioned but it's good to dress up for an occasion and feel really feminine.

Not a lot in the diary at the moment but there are a few possibles with regard to work so shall keep fingers, toes etc. crossed!!

Till next time - all good wishes,  Jan.

FLY WITH THE STARS - THE DUCHESS

8th September 2008

FLY WITH THE STARS

A Tribute to the Few

My son Jonathan and I went to the Palladium on Sunday night to see 'Fly with the Stars'.  It was a Charity Gala Performance in aid of The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust in the presence of Prince Michael of Kent.

The show was superb - rather like a scaled down Royal Variety Performance.  As it was an evening of 40's Nostalgia, I was a trifle concerned that Jonathan wouldn't enjoy the show.  I needn't have worried - he loved it and was very touched at meeting a couple of the Veterans of The Battle - a handful of whom were in the audience and at the After Show Party.

As with the Royal Variety - all the stars gave their time for free.  The line up included Brian Conley (extremely funny and also a very good singer), lovely Millicent Martin, Alistair McGowan (whom Jonathan was thrilled to meet and talk with), Charlotte Page, Su Pollard (whom I've not seen for ages but she greeted me as if we'd been together yesterday and was concerned about Jonathan's health - having seen the Article about his Cancer), Robert Hardy (whom I interviewed an age ago on the Pebble Mill at One programme) and Trevor McDonald.  Haven't mentioned everyone as the list of talent was endless. 

One of the funniest numbers was 'Please Leave my Butter alone' performed by Celia Imrie and Sally Ann Triplett in their forties wrapover  'pinnies' and with their hair done up in turban-like headscarves.  I can dimly remember women looking like that during my childhood!!  And my own mother wore a 'pinnie' although I never saw her in a headscarf.

Another lovely number was performed by the 1960's Tiller girls - all probably drawing their pensions but dancing superbly and all of them had fine pairs of pins.

Su Pollard surprised many of us by her remarkably good and strong singing voice and then we learned that she is to appear in a new musical called 'Shout' - as it will be going on tour, keep a look out for it.

I met Trevor, and his lovely wife Jo, at the Airport in Belfast last year on my way back from cooking for Children in Need.  On Sunday, they had their charming and very good looking son with them so Jonathan and he were talking universities.

The four-man group Blake sang 'Up Where We Belong” - four gorgeous hunks and I'm sure many in the audience were wishing they were up there on stage with them.

There were the Fanfare Trumpeters of the Central Band of the Royal Airforce, looking resplendent in their uniforms and playing sublimely.  And of course, there were the delightful Pearly Kings and Queens.

The Palladium was full and I do sincerely hope that the audience was not heavily 'papered' - when they give the seats away rather than have them empty - because it really was a superb show and deserved to raise as much as possible for the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust.

So why am I writing about a show which was only on for one night, predominantly to bring your attention to the Battle of Britain Memorial and what you might be able to do to help.  Also, I'm hoping the response was good enough that there will be another show next year.  It was so worth attending. 

If you are interested in helping in even a small way, you could sponsor the name of a pilot - a Member of The Few -  as I did when I was 'given' Rene Mouchotte.  It can cost as little as £25.

If you are interested, phone Group Captain Patrick Tootal on 01732 870809.

And I will end this little piece by quoting Sir Winston Churchill's immortal words .....

Never in the field of human conflict

Was so much owed by so many to so few

 

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Went to see 'Duchess' which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Thought Ralph Fiennes was superb. He had very little dialogue but what he conveyed without words was the art of a true actor.  And on the one occasion when he let himself smile, you actually felt sorry for this hard, manipulating chauvinist.

I'm afraid I am Kiera Knightley'd out.  She is lovely but my credibility is suspended because of having seen her star is so much over the last couple of years.  She looked absolutely stunning and was moving when her baby Eliza was taken away from her.  But for most of the time, she just looked gorgeous as she pouted and smiled her way through the film.

The settings were stupendous but then it would be hard not to be pleased with the likes of Althorp and various other gorgeous establishments.

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On the personal front, I'm going along this week for a taste of Salsa - if I like it - or more to the point am able to do it, I shall take it up as a hobby.  I do so love to dance and it's very difficult when you don't have a partner and are way beyond the age of going to Disco's.  Mind you I did disco till they put the lights out at 4.00 am whilst on board the Oceana on the Norwegian Cruise earlier this year.  Although he pretended to be cross with me, I think Jonathan was rather proud that his mother could keep up with the young dancers from the Shipboard Shows.  Come to think of it, I was rather proud of myself.

Then there's The Butterfly Ball at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington which I shall be attending this coming Saturday. 

Take care - a bientot.   Jan

 

 

 

 

CARMEN - LBC LONDON - ALAN TITCHMARSH SHOW - ITV

3rd September 2008