The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Friends and family are key to my sanity
The mezzo-soprano from Methlick and vocal coach to the stars
It was so good to see so many of you at Lewis Capaldi’s gig at the P&J Live in Aberdeen. The record-breaking gig got an amazing response from the local audience who sang along with all his hits, laughed at all his hilarious banter and screamed for him to come back for an encore.
Apparently, this gig broke records for being the “highestselling indoor show in Scotland’s history”, and to hear the roar of the crowd I can quite believe it.
Since then, we have been back in the tour bus travelling the length of the country and we are now in Belfast.
The good thing about touring round the UK is that I try to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while.
My friend Mandy came to the Hydro in Glasgow and hung out at the side of the stage with me.
It was like a girls’ night out because Mandy and I used to hang out at the side of the stage at Deacon Blue gigs when we were students in Glasgow about 35 years ago, so we were in fact reliving our youth!
In our little touring bubble it’s easy to forget what day it is and to completely miss out on the news stories going on in the real world.
So, meeting up with friends and family kind of keeps me sane. That and the fact that the people I work with are all lovely. That work/life balance is so much easier to maintain if you are hanging out with good people.
We are all aware that sometimes one of us might need a bit of space or a bit of company, and of course, I’m a middle-aged woman on a tour bus with a group of twenty-something guys. Me doing my knitting while they play on the PlayStation is what is often happening.
One thing we do on the tour bus is to watch films and as that’s something I so rarely do at home, I have a huge list to catch up on.
While I’m away, Gordon has been getting used to his new job and had his first flight as BA cabin crew with a return trip to Stockholm.
He was so happy afterwards because he remembered everything he had been taught and it went well.
I haven’t seen him in his uniform in person yet, so I’m looking forward to that when I get home eventually. I can’t believe that in a couple of days he has to fly to Barbados. He stays there for 24 hours then flies back.
I think I would probably find that quite exhausting, but not Gordon of course.
He is totally excited at the prospect of waking up and going for a run on the beach and soaking up the tropical sunshine for a day.
I must say that while on a bus and a ferry to Belfast I was wondering whose job I would rather have this week!
One bit of world news it would have been hard not to notice was the resignation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Of course, as with all politicians, people had differing views on her leadership.
I, however, was one of millions who found her to be a totally inspirational woman. Her ability to lead from the top in a crisis cast shade on many other leaders around the world, especially with the way she calmly handled the pandemic.
Although many people would have said her restrictions ended up being too strict for too long, she was decisive, authoritative but always seemed to care passionately.
Her handling of the horrendous Christchurch terror attack was also a defining moment in her leadership as her humanity, something often seemingly lacking in other politicians, shone through.
When she announced her resignation, this was also done with an honesty so rarely seen.
She said she didn’t have “enough left in the tank”.
Quitting at the right time rather than holding on when you know you are no longer going to do a good job is again a lesson to learn for all of us.
Jacinda Ardern wants to now concentrate on being a backbench MP and, more importantly, to be a sister and a mum.
We all want to have it all but sometimes it’s important to know when enough is enough.
I hope you all enjoyed Burns Night by the way!
I managed to have some haggis, neeps and tatties before we left Glasgow.
After my daunting experience of doing the Address to the Haggis last year, it was so nice just to enjoy the food.
Have a good week, Yvie x