I may be a couple of days late in mentioning Gordon Brown’s gaffe with Gillian Duffy, but what’s interested me is the reaction to it. Initial news reports suggested it had all but killed the Labour campaign, however it seems in reality it may have balanced out. A few votes lost by those who are appalled versus a few votes won from those who respect him a little bit more for seeing his human side.

Gillian Duffy didn’t deserve to be called a bigot. Like so many of us she doesn’t necessarily understand all the ins and outs of immigration and the way she expresses her views are based on the information she is exposed to on a daily basis. We are lucky to live in a society that has a varied media, however it is also one that produces broadsheets and tabloids with political bias and often not the whole story. However, equally, Brown doesn’t deserve to be vilified for making one error in a long campaign. The saddest thing is that now Mrs Duffy is not intending to vote, and every non-vote is a benefit to the extreme right wing (there is a National Front candidate in her constituency).

This isn’t a pro-Labour blog. It’s a pro-MPs-being-allowed-to-be-human blog. Over the next 12 months it is more than likely I’ll join a party, I am no where near deciding which one yet. If I enjoy getting involved in local politics, perhaps in a decade or so I’ll consider standing as an MP. If I do that I can’t promise to be perfect, but I will promise to care and do everything I can to do the best for the people in my constituency and the UK. I believe that even with all my flaws and weaknesses that would be enough to get me elected.

I only wish I could have met Nick Clegg and Caroline Lucas too… but that’s just being greedy!

Before our pre-gig dinner I popped into the Gala to pick up tickets and who should be stood at the box office, non other than the man himself. John Bishop. We had a brief chat. Mainly me telling him I’d heard good things. Him suggesting I see a movie instead. Me telling him I’m from Southport. Him commenting at least there will be two people in the audience that understand him (he’s a Scouser).

The show was brilliant. My cheeks hurt before he walked on stage (it makes sense once you’ve seen the show). He is the most natural comedian. His ad-libbing was even funnier than the routine, and the routine was bloody good. I was in stitches. It seemed you didn’t just have to be from Merseyside (or the edge of Cheshire where he grew up) to find him hilarious. His funny translates. It is rare to find someone who seems to have comedy running through his veins. He puts the likes of Michael McIntyre and Ed Byrne in the shade. If you only see one stand-up comedian this year make it John Bishop.

I can’t lie to you. After seeing John Bishop I was worried. I’ve wanted to see Dave Gorman live for years. My expectations were high. Back in 2001 I became addicted to ‘Are you Dave Gorman?’ on BBC2. I’ve read ‘Are you Dave Gorman?’ and ‘Googlewhack’ many many times, mainly when I’m having a moment I feel insane and I know Dave’s words will make me feel like I’m more well adjusted than at least one other human being. He has become one of my comedy heroes. In my early days of blogging Dave Gorman inspired one of my first blogs (reading it might explain why I like Dave so much, but excuse the writing, it was in my raw unpolished days of blogging!). I’d had an amazing time at John Bishop just 48 hours earlier.  Here I was seeing one of my comedy heroes live for the first time and I was worried that he wouldn’t be as good as the bloke I’d bought tickets for on a whim after 5 minutes on TV.

I can’t believe I doubted Dave Gorman. I should not have worried. In the past nine years not once has he disappointed me. Scared me at times. Disturbed me. (Just watch Googlewhack!) But never disappointed. There is room for more than one brilliant comedian in this world. There is even enough room for two of them to be in the North East in one weekend.

Dave was brilliant. I will never doubt him again. I don’t want to ruin it so I won’t say too much. But there are things that may happen in my life where I find myself bursting into spontaneous fits of laughter as a result of Sunday night. Having worked for Royal Mail there were parts of the show that really tickled me even more than they would normally. Dave’s style is different to John Bishop’s. Even in stand up he’s a story teller and he uses anticipation so well. If you don’t get to see it live then buy, borrow, but preferably don’t steal, the DVD (which I presume will follow shortly!)

And I got to meet him after the show, a less informal affair than bumping into John. Such is Dave’s fame that it involved buying something for him to sign. And some queuing. But he was kind enough to smile in a way that looks like he was pleased to meet me – or perhaps that is a look of get this crazy fan away from me – I will let you decide!

In fact I had a wonderful week, after the lovely weekend with my parents I headed to Newcastle where I spent a blissful four days at my sisters. I spent most of the time with my youngest niece (seven months) cuddling and playing and generally trying to make her smile and laugh all the time, which is not hard – the child only cried once during my entire stay (and that was just minutes before I left… what can I say?!). I avoided nappy duty and instead did my bit by feeding her and putting her down for naps… which I didn’t mind one bit. If I was honest I would also say I was verging on broodiness (there’s a first for everything!) – I work out that if I do end up deciding to have kids I’ve got a few years to work out how to have one that like my niece, lots of sleeping and smiling with hardly any tears at all!!! I also spent quite a bit of time with my other niece (5 yrs old) after school – playing boggle, learning Spanish… and even reading her Goldilocks in Welsh (at her request – I don’t speak the language so god knows what I was actually saying!). I also did the putting her to bed bit, not so complicated, just repeat to yourself “Story Teeth Toilet” and it all goes to plan!

After just about resisting the urge to kidnap the baby (my sister would have killed me!) I headed back down to London. One of my best friends, S, was down in London for an interview – and therefore borrowing half my bed for a couple of nights, but instead of being the party animals we usually are we spent Friday night with a Chinese takeaway, a bottle of wine and Comic Relief on TV (which was absolutely fantastic – yes I have donated some money!) and to be honest, although not the most exciting thing to be doing with a Friday night it was absolutely lovely to finish a week of relaxing with yet more relaxing (it is something I need practice at as until recently the notion of relaxing was one I was non to familiar with).

Yet more relaxing followed with a lazy Saturday with S once I had been to Spinning (this time my muscles didn’t kill afterwards, 20 minutes of stretching is the solution!!!) and then a wonderful evening with N (workmate of past and very good friend). And to top it off I continued the theme on Sunday by having a bit of a movie late afternoon/evening (When Harry Met Sally, Moulin Rouge) once T4 had finished…

So all in all I have spent a week being a boring sod, but a very relaxed boring sod who is very pleased with herself for allowing herself to be a boring sod long enough to relax!