Slip on your dancing shoes and support our people

If you both want to get on your dancing shoes and help the worthiest of local causes then may I direct you to the smashing intimate venue that is Birdwell Club on Friday September 2.

My friend John Turner, who knows the Woodland Drive area well, has arranged a charity concert in aid of the victims of the recent fires.

Tickets are only £10 for a great night of music – as John says, this is for our people, our friends.

More details and how to buy tickets can be found on Facebook under birdwell. venue (that full stop is deliberate) or at Tony’s barber shop on Racecommon Road.

n A memory came up on Facebook this week.

Three years ago we adopted a 16-year-old, half-blind, half-deaf crotchety lump of a Siamese cat called Oscar whose owner had died.

We had this boy for two wonderful, loving years before he left us and though I promised myself I wouldn’t get attached because we knew we would have him for a limited time, I fell hook, line and sinker.

If you are thinking about adopting an animal, the oldies are so grateful for some quiet and peace and give back so much more than they get.

I do recall not so long ago a thin 16-year-old cat being found on Shaw Lane.

The owner was traced who said ‘they didn’t want it back’. How cruel. My lip is curling just writing this.

I hope the poor soul found a kind home to live out her last years and shame on anyone who just shuts the door on an animal and thinks that’s acceptable behaviour.

n I had a very sad letter from my pal Dave Cherry this week. Heartbreaking, actually.

At 76 he has decided to end all his charity work, even though he thrives on it.

Why? Because he’s had enough of keyboard warriors. I won’t go into detail about some of the names Dave has been called, but when he was called the worst four-letter word you can use on YouTube last year, I know he’s still reeling from that attack.

I’ll make an educated guess – it stemmed from jealousy and was disgusting and pathetic.

Dave does so much for this town and its charities and the films he puts together give joy to many nostalgia hunters, myself included.

It stings when you come under attack. I get it all the time.

One woman was convinced I’d stolen a storyline from Emmerdale and was determined to expose me as a thief (even though my book was on the shelves when the storyline was shown).

And another was obsessively bitchy about me online even though I don’t know her from Adam.

You learn not to Google yourself in this job because you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Dave does not deserve to be this upset. People are vicious for no reason and many comments say more about the writer than the subject, and though we recognise this, feeling it is another matter.

Dave does all his work for the good of the community and though I told him how many people are grateful for and love what he does, it’s hard to imagine that when the nasty voices are ringing loudly in your ears.

For a man who has earned almost £100,000 for charity, just why would anyone be like that to him?

Think what poison you’re releasing into the air before you type. Do we really need this level of unnecessary bile towards one of our own? A good man at that.