According to a diligent and thorough survey of – only 180 people – elderly women are figures of fun and women are token panel members! Conclusive, would you say? Read through this article in the Telegraph and see if you feel the same way I do.

For starters, Ann Widdecombe, whatever your personal views, was undoubtedly one of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing Series 9. It wasn’t because she was old or a woman or because she wasn’t a very good dancer – the so called  ‘joke’ contestant – it was because she was herself.  She didn’t win because, as all regular viewers, passionate about the show know, a good dancer has always won and no amount of media hysteria is going to change that, dance off or no dance off. Yes, I’m looking at you lot who kept banging on about John Sargent, instead of just letting him enjoy his natural run. Russell Grant was this year’s equivalent – supposedly the joke but he had rhythm and timing and the entertainment factor. The joke figures are the ones who can’t dance, but are convinced they can – and no-one knows who they are until a few weeks in. See what Ann had to say on the matter.

Being yourself, having a ball, and being paired with a professional dancer who understands what the show is all about (making the most of your partner’s strengths and entertaining a diverse viewing population) is the winning combination: Chris Hollins & Darren Gough didn’t win because they were good dancers (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; they were) they won because they, along with Ann, had a ball, fell in love with dancing and it showed. Alesha didn’t win because she’s a young, pretty woman, she won because she was a fantastic and hard working contestant who had the perfect partnership and a down to earth, funny character …  is it my imagination, or are the media now embarking on a ‘Get Alesha’ campaign?

The results of the survey mentioned above suggest they’re influenced as much from what those 180 watch on the telly as their real – life perceptions and prejudices. As an avid viewer of the panel games mentioned, Jo Brand is always fantastic value; Victoria Coren, concise and precise; Sarah Millican just has to mention cake and I’m hers. However, there are other women I see who are, quite simply, not as funny. My criteria for a panel is that they make me laugh; I refuse to count how many of each sex have taken a turn.

I’m no fan of shoving a woman in to make up the numbers; I’d hate to be promoted to make up a quota instead of earning it.  I don’t need to be told I have rights; I know my rights. I don’t believe I think the way men want me to think (as some tweet I saw the other day suggested) I’m perfectly capable of making up my own mind, thank you. I’ve worked in some very male dominated environments and can honestly say I’ve never been harassed. So women, quit complaining and go on an assertiveness course if you need to. The world is yours, you can achieve anything you like – take a look at the money lists. There’s not as many women as men but men had a head start – we only got the vote 90 years ago. And as much as that was down to the Pankhursts, it was also down to the Nightingales and Frys too – driven women have always achieved, not had it handed to them on a plate because it was their ‘right’. Male or female, it’s ambition, acumen, drive and belief that will find a way. Timidity isn’t exclusive to females; there are plenty of men who don’t achieve.

Enfranchisement, that's the word I was looking for ...

Women’s Lib had its moment, now it’s up to us individually. Want to stay at home with the kids? It’s your choice, do it. Want to work full time? Knock yourself out. There’s no right or wrong.  It’s our choice. And I do wish the righteous few would let us just get on with it.

Photo courtesy of Ell Brown on  Flickr

Doing the rounds of the internet – it’s so very true and reminded me of another blogger, who was tidying up his life to make it cleaner, greener and neater and taking back time from the modern day gadgets and media. We  should all take note. I’m already looking at the plug sockets and thinking which ones I could lose. And seeing how long it takes the kids to notice …

At a supermarket, the cashier advises an elderly woman that she should bring her own bags because plastic bags aren’t good for the environment. She apologises and explains “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day” to which he responds: “That’s our problem today – your generation didn’t care enough to save the environment!”

He was right – there was no ‘green thing’ back then – instead, glass bottles were turned to the shop or off licence to be re-used; there were no lifts or escalators using energy in every office or shop; most people walked to the shops instead of climbing into a 300-horsepower machine to go shopping; fruit and veg was bought loose and washed at home – there weren’t bins full of plastic, foam and paper packaging that needed huge recycling plants fed by monster trucks all day; babies nappies were washed because disposable hadn’t been invented – and dried on a washing line instead of in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power was harnessed; kids got hand-me-downs (hand-made or hand knitted) clothes from their siblings, not brand new clothing shipped from the other side of the planet; shops repaired things with ‘spare parts’ – whole items weren’t thrown away because one small part failed; we only had one TV or radio in the house, with a screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?) not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, blending and stirring was done by hand instead of by electric machine; fragile items sent by post were wrapped in wadded newspaper to cushion, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap; a petrol burning or electric machine wasn’t used to mow the lawn, but human power. Doing all these things manually kept people fit – there was no need for a brightly lit, air conditioned health clubs with electronic machinery and millions of plastic bottles full of ‘special’ water. There were water fountains in schools and offices instead of using disposable plastic cups; pens were refilled with ink instead of being thrown away and a new one bought; razor blades were replaced, not the whole razor; people used the bus, or rode their bikes, or walked to school instead of mum being a 24 hour taxi service; there was one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances; a gadget to receive a signal beamed from a satellite 2000 miles away wasn’t needed to find the nearest fish’n’chip shop.

It wasn’t called the ‘green’ thing – it was what you did and it saved money and energy. Granted, it didn’t save time – but doesn’t the harking back to those vintage years reflect that people seemed so much more content with their lot? A damaged environment, regrettably, is the price we’re paying for progress, convenience and leisure time.

It seemed all the more pertinent when I read today that kids think they’re deprived if they don’t have an i-pod or the latest trainers or satellite tv – and in terms of how they feel, I get that – they compare themselves to their peers and if their peers’ parents are daft enough to indulge them, then feelings of envy will surface. So it’s up to parents to point out to their little darlings how well off they actually are – make them sit and watch Children in Need and Comic Relief all the way through, not just the fun bits, to realise just how much they take for granted.

I’m not normally short of things to write but it’s become apparent that I’m not spending as much time on my creative writing as I’d like to. So let me introduce you to Rochester LitFest, somewhere I can collect all the local events and writing challenges together  – and hopefully enter a few myself! Working together with other local writers, we may even put on a live festival of our own, or at the very least open mic events. Rochester is well known for its festivals, but they’re usually focused on music, dance and visual arts – we think it’s about time we had one for writers!