Your Neurodiversity Buddy
What I like to do
(When I have the time to do it)
Like everyone...
I like to spend time with family and friends.
I like to think that I have many interests but my husband disagrees. I’m a big fan of TakeThat and when I’m not following them I’m being an even bigger fan of TakeThat. You might have heard of them. They are a band I have a minor obsession with. Oh, I also follow TakeThat
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Seriously though, it was through following TakeThat that I gained confidence to go out to concerts and meet-ups and through those events and more meet some of the most amazing friends from all over the world and so much more.
I look back at who I once was and now who I now am and I hardly recognise myself.
I also like to go to the theatre to watch shows. Especially shows featuring Gary Barlow and his music, but mostly featuring Gary Barlow, and when I’m not doing that I follow a TakeThat tribute act called Rule The World.
They are in my opinion the number one TakeThat tribute band in the UK.
My Travels
But most of all I like to travel abroad?
My most memorable adventure was a trip to New Zealand where I have family who we stayed with. It was nice to see them on their home turf after all this time rather than waiting for them to come to see us.
My husband and I went for a few weeks and toured the whole of the North Island in a campervan that closely resembled the Scooby Do Mystery Machine van which, in my opinion, is the only way to do it.
Though we had planned to go there for a decade, we ended up doing this during the second worst national emergency the country had ever seen, a tropical storm, and a cyclone, though we didn't plan it that way.
Somehow we managed to book it, organise a whistlestop itinerary that seemed to include every tourist stop on Google Maps that nobody said was possible, rearrange it after the tropical storm destroyed or flooded almost everything we were planning to visit, and then get there without our flights being cancelled, all in under eight weeks.
It turns out that, New Zealand is way bigger than it looks which is why I left my husband to do almost all the driving and he absolutely loved zooming around in our little Scooby Doo Mean Machine, apart from nearly running out of diesel in the middle of nowhere, on and on to the next town, but no internet connection to be able to connect the pumps to the telephone lines, to be able to pay for your fuel! It was very nerve-wracking from where I was sitting, let alone my husband doing the driving, as no one was around if we broke down, Google Maps, we used as a sat nav didn't work, so we ended up doing a Luke Skywalker and literally using the force to get us to civilisation to be able to fill up and be on our way again.
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My Stays
When not adventuring in Antipodea I jet off to the Canaries for some cheap fun in the sun in old favourites such as Lanzarote, or staycate in blighty in places with ice-cream, fish and chips, dubious fairground rides, and tuppeny coin push machines.
I would like to visit the US for more than an eight hour stopover. Particularly New York and Saratoga Springs where I have family, and maybe also Canada.
My Theatre Shows
As I said earlier, I like to see musicals, theatre shows, comedy acts and other shows. Some I have been to a number of times, are The Band Musical, which is yes you’ve guessed it based on Take That’s music, Calendar Girls, several different casting runs, Mamma Mia, The Syndicate, These Days The Musical, again based on the film which was also based on Take That music. I am seeing Wicked, in Manchester on Christmas Eve this year, which I have always wanted to see. I am seeing Peter Kay and Lee Mack next year at different venues one is the AO Arena, the other is the new Co-op Arena which will be so much fun.
To go to see a theatre show, musical or any gig is amazing, you just step into the theatre or whatever venue it is and for a few hours you leave your stresses and problems at the door, have an amazing time and then pick everything, back up you left at the door on your way out and go on with your life which is just the pardon the pun, but just the ticket you need every once in a while. I have been known to go with my husband, friends and on the occasion my husband doesn't want to go I go on my own, which I don't mind I like it. I have also got to know some of the cast members, and have my picture taken with them as well as asking if they can sign my programme. As you can see, I have my picture taken with the actor Bill Fellows, who was there at the Syndicate actually sat on my row, the picture was taken outside after the show taken by my husband, Bill actually signed my programme too.
