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First published 2000 by Bantam. ISBN: 0593045823 Excerpts that pertain to Dame Judi ... 1999 was a very busy and varied year for me. As well as writing this book I taped another Miss Marple Mystery, several talking books, commercials and Catherine Cookson's The Secret for ITV. I also took part in a film for TV, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Alan Plater's story about a 1940s all-girl band getting back together again, and graced by a star-studded cast, including Judi Dench, lan Holm, Cleo Laine, Olympia Dukakis, Leslie Caron, Joan Sims, Billie Whitelaw, Thelma Ruby, Felicity Dean, Nicholas Pallister and a delightful eleven-year-old called Millie Findlay. It was a joy to meet Judi and discover what a delightful, caring and funny person she is, as well as mega-talented. It was also good to see Joan again, and in such good form. She has had a marvellous career, and was a stalwart of the Carry Ons. I was in four, but Joan was in twenty-four and was one of the main reasons for their success. As I write, Bombshells is set to go out in September. My character in Bombshells was discovered playing the trombone in a Salvation Army band. Pete Strange of the Humphrey Lyttelton band kindly came to instruct me in some basic trombone techniques, and he devised a map of slide positions for me to follow, from 1 to 6. Fortunately, the tune didn't require me to go to 6, as I don't think I could have stretched that far. In rehearsal, I was concentrating so hard on the slide position Pete had to remind me to keep the mouth- piece clamped to my lips, and to breathe occasionally. He taught me that wonderful evergreen number, '111 111 111 111 1 1 212 11331 24 23 221', which you might know better as 'It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing'.
A Big Thanks to Lisa S. -- UK -- for scanning and sending this to us.
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