From Diamond Club star to cooking up a kitchen refurbishment

I really admire people who say they are going to do something big and just get on with it.

I’m probably more of the personality to say I will and later think of all the reasons why I wouldn’t succeed. I had a request to donate a singing lesson and a signed copy of my book ‘Yes, You Can Sing!” as auction prize at a fundraising event for Save The Children.

I’m asked to do that quite a lot and as much as it’s lovely to be able to raise money for charities, I can’t possibly do them all. This one was a definite yes though. A 17-year-old girl was organising a charity event as part of an A level project.

She booked the venue, budgeted for the cost of the food, the drinks and sold tickets.

The auction prizes were pretty incredible. Luckily, she had very good connections; for example the dinner was held in the prestigious Diamond Club of Arsenal Football Club which is normally membersonly so a lot of the guests were attracted by being able to visit it.

The club has a Raymond Blanc restaurant so that was a pretty good reason to buy tickets as well. Gordon and I were invited to attend and it was a fabulous night.

Well done to Aston for her successful school project. She raised £26,000 on the night for ‘Save the Children’. Someone bid over £2,000 for a one-hour singing lesson from me so I was very proud of that. Gordon is an Arsenal fan so he was thrilled to be able to sit in the posh club. Apparently, you go there for a lovely lunch then you watch the football in heated leather chairs and they bring you blankets and hot chocolate.

Ollie and Gordon of course sit in normal seats and probably buy a pie and a can of coke!

I think I could easily get into watching football if hot chocolate and a posh red leather chair was part of the deal, not to mention the roast dinner and red wine beforehand!

Of course, as usual, I was living it up one minute and the next I was back down to earth with a bump!

I decided to paint my kitchen cabinets. Right this minute I don’t know if this was the best or worst thing I have ever done.

I asked advice from my friend who is a scenic artist (she works at the National Theatre) and she told me exactly what to buy in the way of primer and paint type.

I did the base colour and painted the walls and, oh my goodness, right now, it looks horrendous.

I’m hoping that the actual paint looks a lot better because at the moment, instead of saving money by doing it myself, it’s going to cost me a fortune to get someone in to put it right! And what colour do I choose?

I decided I wanted a grey kitchen but I didn’t quite realise how many shades there are. Yes, I know the answer to that question is 50!

I don’t quite have 50 tester pots that I’m trying out but there are certainly about five contenders.

Who knew that grey can have a green tinge or a bit of blue or a warm stone colour or a cold whiter colour?

The problem is that until you see them on your cabinets you have no idea which one you like. What did I say earlier about me not doing things because I would be worried I wouldn’t succeed?

I think I should have listened to my own cautious advice and not begun at all! One good thing is though that now I have started I have no choice but to continue.

Who knows what state my kitchen will be in by this time next week.

Wish me luck, I will keep you posted!

Have a good week,

Yvie X

The mezzo-soprano from Methlick and vocal coach to the stars