Media Tart Moment

Boxing Day 2014

Many years ago, partly due to my PR skills in promoting TyneBridge and other Morris activities, Mrs Quilt dubbed me “Media Tart”, 

a sobriquet I wear with pride.

Shortly after Ferretfingers started at Woodlawn School I became involved in the Parent, Teachers and Friends Association: it has taken a global pandemic for me to winkle my way out again.

Every Boxing Day for decades I could be found on Whitley Bay seafront helping with the annual fundraising Xmas Pudding Fun Run.   

Amongst other things I would try to get photographs of the first men and ladies in with the starter, Tynemouth MP Alan Campbell.   

Over so many years of standing chatting in the cold, and sometimes rain, we’ve become friendly acquaintances.

After leaving school Thunderthighs started coming down and taking part in the Run.

Due to the present unpleasantness there will be no Xmas Pudding Fun Run this year again.

This is what happened at what turned out to be my last time at the Run.

From Facebook archives.

26 December 2019 at 13:37 ·

Brilliant Xmas Pudding Fun Run this morning.   

We had over 1500 runners.   

Not sure how many over as we ran out of numbers.   

We didn't run out of puddings though as some people aren't that bothered.

I had a wonderful (?media tart?) moment.

A couple of weeks ago Mrs Leftfoot and I went to a Tea Talk by Ann Cleves 

(who writes the Vera books) at LiveTheatre.  It was a lovely afternoon, the audience had tea and cakes whilst listening to Ann being interviewed and we were able to ask questions afterwards.

A few minutes after the start of the Run I noticed her watching in the crowd and said to Alan Campbell MP "Isn't that Ann Cleves, who wrote Vera?"

He said he'd never met her so didn't know.

I went over and said "It is Ann Cleves, isn't it?  I was at one of the Tea Talks, you were excellent."

It was her, so I asked if she'd like to meet her MP, which she did.

Coming home in the car I had a sudden thought and said to Thunderthighs 

“Do you realise your mother has just introduced an internationally acclaimed crime novelist to a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council?  Not bad for a little girl from Cwmifor!"

Mrs Leftfoot  It's a small world.

Bentonbag  Just google-checked and it's Sir Alan Campbell MP, so it should read "Knight of the Realm and Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council"

Mrs Poet  Wonderful post

Bazoukiboy  Media tart strikes again😆

Miss Doozer  Eeeh will you still talk to me over the hedge now you're social secretary to The Quality?