Screen Test Excitement!

WE DANCED, WE SANG, WE MESSED ABOUT......
I’VE MADE NEW FRIENDS, I HAVE NO DOUBT.....
DID THE SALSA, THE CAN CAN, A BIT OF TAI CHE.....
JUST HOPE MY BODY WASN’T TOO WOBBLY!!!!

It’s hard to know where to start this week,
It was audition time in London for the forthcoming Iceland TV adverts. Me and some lucky others were summoned to London to strut our stuff for the advertising agencies.

Rob and I were invited to stay overnight on Friday with the Iceland team in a top London Hotel. That in itself was an exciting experience for us as our normal holidays generally involve tents or caravans and lots of children! Saturday morning came very quickly and after a lovely breakfast we were on our way to casting studios to prepare for screen tests.

First stop was hair and makeup. As I walked in I recognised Charlene, one of the other 7 finalists already having her makeup done. She greeted me warmly and we started chatting and she said it was her birthday. I think it’s one she will remember! She was so down to earth and friendly I started thinking this is going to be a good day and nowhere near as stressful as the first auditions when we were all strangers. Soon Lizzie, another finalist, and Amira arrived too and again I felt very at ease as we were all soon chatting as if we had known each other for a long time.Perhaps we were chatting too much as I did not notice at first what was happening to my hair. When I looked back at the mirror my first thought was that I had turned into Margaret Thatcher! I didn’t want to offend the hair lady so I politely asked if she really thought it looked better like that. She looked unsure and answered “well you are supposed to look like a mum!” Perhaps my expectations that she could turn me into a Claudia Schiffer lookalike were unrealistic, I admit that, but on the other hand I wasn’t ready just yet to be Margaret Thatcher either! In the end we compromised and put my hair up as that meant I still recognised myself as me.


Next stop was wardrobe where the lady who measured me made my day by saying my waist measurement was 26”. My dream didn’t last long though as I thought it through, and had a vision of being given a skirt I could only fit one leg into so had to ask her to do it again and see if she had made a mistake, which sadly she had.

The first part of the audition involved the four of us sitting round a table having a general chat whilst being filmed and a panel of people watching and writing notes. I have no idea what they were writing but found it quite easy to forget they were there. Somehow we got onto the subject of me going to Glastonbury this year and a device I had recently purchased designed to allow ladies to spend less time looking for toilets and manage the situation more like men do (can’t wait to try it out!). When I remembered we were being filmed I kept trying to change the subject but it just kept coming back as they were all interested in how it worked. Not sure it was what they wanted to capture on camera though!

We then were given more specific lines to put into the conversation and this became harder, especially when I had to say “I’m thinking of painting my living room red what you think?” Anyway we got through that bit by laughing a lot and then found we had to pretend we were doing Tai chi for the next part which was even funnier. Lizzie and I both said we wished we had spent more time on our Wii fits as balance has never been a strong point of mine. When we had to do “the monkey” position at the end I looked like a tree that had just been felled as I slowly started leaning until I expected someone to shout “TIMBER” and toppled like a skittle.

The next part was even more fun as we went to a dance room with a big long table of people at the end just like in the Flash dance film. Unfortunately any similarity to Flash dance ended there. We had been given a dance teacher and tutu style skirts with leggings underneath. I kept having a vision of myself as the ballet dancing hippos and elephants in the Disney film Fantasia!

The dance instructors were amazing and got us all doing a bit of salsa followed by the can can. The whole thing was filmed so am keeping fingers crossed it doesn’t end up on You Tube as most of the time I was pulling my leggings back up and re arranging my bra! They were much kinder than Simon Cowell though and said that we all looked good but without video evidence I’m still not convinced. When I recreated the routine for the boys at home they just stared at me with sympathetic faces! One thing is certain though, it was good fun and I think we all helped each other get through it.

By this point any worries I had about embarrassment had all gone, so when they asked us if we were prepared to each sing something I thought well I have nothing left to lose!
Charlene, Lizzie and Amira weren’t keen to sing either, but like me were all prepared to give it a shot. I thought they all sounded fantastic. I couldn’t think of many songs that I know the words to, usually when I sing at home in private it’s along with the music and you make up the words you can’t hear properly; I’m still convinced in Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” she sings “young girl with eyes like potatoes” Anyway, the only song that came to mind was “You are my Sunshine” as I used to sing it to both the boys as babies and strangely it used to stop them crying! Think it has the opposite effect on adults though and makes them cry! I warned them it would be awful, and it was, but they kindly pretended it wasn’t. Never mind I felt very proud of myself for even doing it!


We summed up the whole experience later when the four of us sat and had a final chat before making our way home. Lizzie and I both said whatever happens next it’s just amazing to do something so out of the ordinary. We all have our busy lives and routines but how often do you get to stick a tutu on and dance around like a lunatic in front of judges?! Life is for living and even if you feel you might make a fool of yourself, just give it a shot sometimes and you might be surprised at just how much fun it is.

Next stop for me Glastonbury. I wonder if my new dance moves will impress the crowds there…
Ellie x

Screen Test Preparations

SCREEN TESTS ON SATURDAY WHAT SHALL I WEAR....
I’M DANCING WITH FOOD TO TRY AND PREPARE.....
IT WILL BE FUN TO MEET ALL MY NEW MATES....
BUT LETS HOPE THEY SUPPLY UNBREAKABLE PLATES!!!

The time is almost here to see if I can realise my childhood dream to appear in an advert!

Anyone who watched my online audition video may already know that this has been my ambition since a certain singing, hoovering lady appeared on screen way back in the early 80’s telling us to “put the freshness back”. Yes, the Shake and Vac lady was my role model and icon! My friends had idols like Toyah and Blondie, but I just wanted to be her.

I was about 10 years old when I decided being on a TV ad was what I would aim for, and the idea stayed with me for a long time. I still remember chatting with the careers advisor at secondary school to be told I needed a more grounded, long term idea for a profession. I think she was right; perhaps starring in a TV advert is not a practical choice as a job for life. So, I became a nurse instead. But it has stayed a private, personal dream ever since. It has long been a bit of a joke with everyone who knows me and even my postman sings “do the shake and vac... and put the freshness back...” every time he sees me.

Anyway all those patient years of waiting for a “new face of shake and vac” competition never paid off and I thought my dream was over, until Iceland came to my rescue! On reflection it is much better to be Iceland’s new face as I don’t have any carpets at home and actually hate hoovering.

So, on Saturday, myself and some others from the New Face auditions, will get the chance to meet each other in person to try to impress the advertising agencies who are casting for Iceland’s T.V adverts. I honestly can’t wait to meet the other finalists, several of whom have become good friends now through the modern technology of computer communication.
Obviously I have a few nerves too, but I expect once we all meet up it will be a fun atmosphere this time rather than the pure fear I felt at the first auditions!

There are no scripts to learn, but apparently there will be choreographers and acting coaches there to help us, as well as makeup and hair people. How exciting! I have been reassured that no singing will be involved. This is good to hear, as I decided my singing in public days were over the day I had my microphone forcefully unplugged halfway through my rendition of “Puff the Magic Dragon” on holiday a few years ago. The shame has never left me.

Earlier this week I also ordered Iceland‘s home delivery service on my shopping for the first time. I had seen what it was like helping the driver the week before, and this time wanted to try it as a customer. I was very impressed and will definitely keep doing it now as it was so much easier. It was pouring down with rain when I came out of the shop and all I had to do was jump straight in my car and go home rather than manoeuvring my full trolley across the car park trying not to mow any one down and getting soaked. I also claimed my free book online with the code on the ticket they gave me in store when swiped my bonus card. I’m looking forward to reading it, a nice thank you for only having to spend £15 in store; I will probably choose another of the titles next week.

The boys seem happy to be back at school this week, although they would never admit it. To help make it more fun, we had an after school tea party. Luke was very excited when he got home to find we had been given brand new recycling bins and a big black wheelie bin. At least I know if I’m ever in doubt about which one to use, I can ask Luke, as he and Sam both seem to have turned into little eco warriors. He showed me that this new one was much bigger than the one we have already as one of the things you could now put in the green box was him!


Time for me to go now and practice my dance skills. I’m hoping that my drama O-Level and experience of workout DVDs is enough to pull me through the casting day haha! As always I will just do my best and leave the rest to fate, but please come back next week to hear all about it.

Wish me luck!
Ellie
x

PS You can still watch my audition on my page at the Iceland website, just follow the links from http://www.iceland.co.uk/

Half Term Fun

THE SUN WAS OUT AND WE HAD A GOOD WEEK...
ENTERTAINING CHILDREN IS NOT FOR THE MEEK....
THE BOYS SAID WRESTLING WAS THE BEST....
AND NOW I’M GOING BACK TO WORK FOR A REST!

I have survived Half term, hooray!

Hasn’t the weather been lovely? And what a relief that was. If you haven’t actually booked a holiday away, you do have to think up things to do to keep boredom at bay; kid’s boredom is the enemy of all parents and if left untreated can cause mayhem and destruction. I was lucky enough to have the week off work too, and although it is nice to have some time to spend with the kids, had we been stuck indoors, I think I may have been driven mad!

I warmed up for the week ahead with a treasure hunt around Clevedon, wondering whether my local knowledge would be good enough to win. We were given a map with a list of 20 place names, the idea being to cross of all the place names found from the clues they give you, as fast as you can. The last place name left on your map holds the key to the treasure, so the first team to get back and declare the answer wins a prize. ..

We got the correct answer, and set off back to declare ourselves the winners. Racing in the hot weather meant stopping for refreshments several times along the way, so unfortunately, by the time we get back, the other teams were ready to go home! It was still a great day and although we walked nearly three miles by the end, constantly looking for the next clue, we all enjoyed ourselves.

The boys have also spent a lot of time at the fun fair and out on their J.D bug scooters this week. As a resourceful mum I now carry an Allen key in my handbag wherever we go as Sam’s wheels frequently fall off from all his stunts. Real mum’s not only shop at Iceland, they also carry out minor mechanical duties where needed! Sam loves to go on all the rides at the fair but I must admit to being quite a wimp. I can’t even sit on a roundabout without feeling sick, so my job is always to hold the coats and take photos. Oh and buy the candy floss of course!

On Thursday we spent a lovely day with my mum. We went on a boat trip from Bristol docks down the river stopping as usual for refreshments en route, with a lunch in a lovely pub on the way round. It was a really hot sunny day and I made sure I had covered the boys with sun screen as always. During the trip I was just sitting quietly on the boat, enjoying the views of Bristol and thinking about what to order for lunch, when suddenly I felt something very cold on my back. I nearly jumped off in shock. It was my mum, who had crept up behind me applying sun screen to my shoulders without warning. I let out a scream which the boys thought was hilarious, and it just goes to prove that mums never stop being mums, even when their “babies” are nearly 40 years old.

The final treat of the holiday was going to see wrestlers in Weston Super Mare. When I say it was a treat, I obviously mean for the boys more than me, as seriously, I can live without watching men in tights throwing each other around and grunting at each other! The boys absolutely loved it though as they follow WWE wrestling and get all the magazines, but they had never been to an actual match before. I persuaded my friend Helen to come with us at the last minute for a bit of moral support; we had asked Granny if she wanted to come, but her response was that she would ‘rather watch paint drying on a bench’, so I took that as a no!


It was very pantomime style with the baddie coming out first and everyone encouraged to shout Boo and Hiss. The boys loved all the drama and jumped up to shout at the baddies and shake hands with the goodies as we were very near the front. Helen sat with me for the first half with her eyes out on stalks saying what ARE we doing here Ellie?! I suggested a small glass of wine in the interval and it seemed to help my Helen’s enjoyment of the second half. She went from sitting quietly as a very demure lady , to standing up with the boys and shouting “Come on hit him you pansy and get a haircut!” and saying to me, “well I think you just have to get into the spirit of the thing to enjoy it” I was just trying not to fall off my chair laughing!

We have also filled the gaps in between days out by playing Monopoly. I think it is a great game for children, as soon as they are old enough to understand how to play. I encourage them to take turns being banker as I think this really helps with maths, it also teaches how to negotiate and bargain, and most of all it teaches them some things are down to luck and not always fair! All good lessons for life I think. Rob hates playing with us though because as soon as he starts to win we tend to all team up and pick on him. Well, I always find it hard to make the children pay up when they are nearly bankrupt and land on my properties so I usually let them off. Perhaps not a good lesson for life that one, mum will always bail you out! But I probably always will.

Please come back next week when I can tell you how I have been preparing for the next important date with Iceland, screen test auditions! Did I ever tell you that I’ve dreamed of being on TV since I was 10…?

Ellie x

Special Deliveries

ANOTHER NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME....
ICELAND’S FREE HOME DELIVERY....
THEY’LL BRING IT TO YOU IN THEIR VAN....
IF YOU CAN’T CARRY YOUR SHOPPING THE DRIVER CAN....
I WENT IN THE FREEZER IT MADE ME SHIVER...
IT’S WHERE THEY STORE ALL THE FOOD THEY HAVE TO DELIVER....
THAT WAY IT’S KEPT COOL RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR....
JUST ASK NEXT TIME AT YOUR LOCAL STORE!

Hello,

It’s been another interesting week for me. Last Wednesday I spent the day with my local Nailsea home delivery driver Donna, learning about how the system works and meeting other customers like me.

Home delivery is something I have never tried before, because I thought I was being lazy if I asked someone else to bring my shopping home - I have a tendency to just struggle on.

But the solution has been there all along. You only need to spend £25 pounds and all the stress is gone. You just pick your time slot and Iceland will bring all your shopping home for you, without the worry of having your garlic breads dropping out on the high street or your ice lollies melting on the way home!

Donna explained to me that rather than thinking I was being lazy, the stores actually want you to use their service. The more deliveries they make means more happy customers for them and as it is totally free to us the customers, you could say everyone’s a winner.

Donna then showed me what happens to your shopping after you pay at the checkout and go home to get on with the other jobs or, if you are really lucky, to go home and put your feet up! It is sorted straight away into chilled, grocery or frozen and stored appropriately until ready to go into the temperature controlled van. I went and saw inside the huge freezer room. The last time I went into anywhere that cold was when I used to be a nurse going into the supplies freezers. I used to work a lot of night shifts and scared myself to death every time I went in there imagining the door locking behind me even though it was impossible to do!

Soon we were loading up the van and heading off to our first customer. She was an elderly lady who uses the service regularly as she doesn’t drive and can’t walk home with lots of heavy bags. She recognised me from the posters in store and made me laugh by saying I know who you are; you are “Lady Iceland”; how nice to have been given a title!

Next stop was a younger lady who again had no transport and explained that she likes to walk into town and then walk back without being laden down with shopping.

The final stop was a residential home where again; the carers said that they depended on Home Delivery to bring the bulk orders for their residents.

I will definitely be using Home Delivery for my ‘big shops’ from now on and maybe even my so called ‘small shops’ which never are in the end! Having a choice of time slots means it will be easy to fit around school runs and I might even be able to shop in my lunch hour and just have it brought home after work.

Just one more thing I want to share with you this week, I have had my first ‘official’ invitation to open my son’s school summer fair! It did make me laugh as of course I know all the people at school and they know me, so it is funny that they are treating me like a ‘celebrity’. I said I would be honoured, and am thinking of buying myself a Queen Mother style hat for the occasion. Iceland has also been very kind in agreeing to sponsor our school fair. It’s nice to know that my local community are also enjoying my new Iceland ‘celebrity’ status!

It’s been half term this week, so please come back to see what we’ve been up to, and also to hear about the exciting “treasure hunt” that I went on all around Clevedon. Great fun but who won the treasure?
Ellie
X