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Thelma Ruby
2022
Glancing through my diary for 2022, I see it has been a good year, a busy year. Letting me down at the end as I now in December battle a really severe cold bug. But I have recovered enough to tackle my yearly report.
All through the year I have been cheered by the invitation to read a story to a class of 3-year-olds at my synagogue. They are all so bright and adorable at that age. Most of the year I read the story on Zoom, but now I am there in the flesh.
My 97th birthday in March could not have been happier. A tsunami of cards, emails, phone calls, flowers. The weather miraculously turned hot and sunny to be driven down to Ockendon Manor Hotel in Cuckfield, Sussex, My best, wonderful friend Helen Cotterill's birthday present to me was 3 nights there with 2 other dear and loving friends, Sheila Hancock and Brian Ellis, A beautiful old building with beams, uneven floors, half timbered, in lovely grounds. There was a huge magnolia in full blossom out of my window. The glorious, unseasonable weather lasted for our whole stay.
In April I had the good luck to be cast in an American TV series called DOCUMENTARY NOW which was filmed in Blackpool. Each half-hour episode has a famous star. We had 2 with Kate Winslet and Harriet Walter.We had so much fun, and I was lucky to have a friend who has gone to live there, David Williams, to enjoy happy times with when not filming. The producers were good enough to send a car to drive me all the way there and back.
June was the real highlight. I was approached to do my one-woman show THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT at the Pheasantry in Chelsea. I refused as I am no longer secure on my feet. Then a friend suggested I do it sitting down! Which I did to a sold out audience and maybe the best audience I have ever had. It was so exciting. In the audience was my friend Gyles Brandreth, who sent me the most wonderful email next day showering me with praise.
Then he invited me to a party in July he was co-hosting with Joanna Lumley to celebrate the 75th birthday of Camilla, now our Queen Consort. About 100 famous people there. When Gyles went to the microphone he said: "2 weeks ago I saw a performance from a most remarkable lady. She made us laugh, she made us cry, she told wonderful stories, and she is in her 98th year. She is here today--THELMA RUBY." All the room burst into applause and I stood up. What a thrill. The cameraman recording the party took a photo of my standing up. Here it is.
And Gyles has done the same thing twice more. Once at the Book Festival in Wimbledon, and once in the Geilgud Theatre where I had joined an audience which broke all Geilgud Theatre box-office records to watch him talking with my darling friend Judi Dench. How lucky can an old lady get??
Also this year, after a long break due to Covid, I had a great visit to Israel
And at the end of October I gave a marvellous party. Firstly showing the amazing film my nephew Meir Wigoder has made about me and then taking everyone to an excellent Chinese Restaurant.
Finally I want to mention Helen inviting me to join her street party for the Jubilee, and taking me to The Ritz for lunch on her birthday. I hope I will soon feel well so the fun can start again in 2023--during which, all being well, I will enter my 99th year!!