It was wonderful seeing my old friend, Sir Roger Moore, yesterday on the “Today” show, a popular morning TV talk show here promoting his new book “Bond On Bond”. Although he & the host joked about Roger's creaky knees & assorted ailments, he looked handsome as ever & thankfully indestructible.

It's the Bond series of films 50^th anniversary. Sir Roger starred in seven of them, & brought his wit & polish to the roles, just as he did when I guest-starred with him in “The Saint” TV series back in the 60's – days filled with hard work made a 'piece of cake' because of Rogers' seemingly endless store of funny stories and a shared love of practical jokes.

I've just received my copy of the book & I can assure you of a page-turning read filled with the kind of inside, behind the scenes information only Roger could deliver. Do yourself a real favour & pick up a copy – and maybe one or two more as xmas gifts.

I also want to thank him for his kindness in writing the introduction to my memoirs. Oh yes, I'm still hard at work on the book & have quite a way to go. This is no easy task I've set myself !!

All the best to everyone,

Annette

Beating the Odds Again

We live on a mountain top in the Hudson Valley in upstate NY. Forests, wildlife, gorgeous views, beauty all around. Sounds ideal? Of course, until.....you're in the middle of a storm system like 'Sandy' or last year's 'Irene'. I must say both of which we survived without damage to ourselves or the house. But each time the inevitable loss of power, water & phones. Last year we were without all this for over a week & now it's been 3 days & still waiting. It's a rural area so we can't just drive into the town for dinner or to see a movie as they have no power either . Long black nights changing batteries in the lamps, no water for hot showers or just run the tap to fill the kettle, not to mention the inoperable loos !! Or the dead phones.

Once past these complaints you suddenly realize that you haven't a worry compared to the millions of people here on the East Coast of America & into the mid-West who have suffered flooding, fires & loss of life in these violent & unprecedented storms. If there is any good to be made of these natural disasters it's an awareness of what fragile creatures we are, living on a planet that is hurtling through space, and quite alone until proved otherwise.

But we are a resilient species, and time after time we overcome & bound back hopefully wiser & stronger than before. I see this around me here in this rural area constantly.

Not an hour before writing this we saw hope driving up our road bringing light & power & a new transmission pole on the back of a huge utility truck. As we passed we cheered & the driver acknowledged with a big laugh. Hope springs eternal !

Cheers, Annette

My Wake-up Call

Just when you think you know what you're talking about, on top of your game, along comes something to shake you back to reality.

My wake-up call came in the shape of Ed Wellman, a student at Lincolnshire University.   Last week, at the end of my monthly radio broadcast on Alex Lewczuk's “Midweek Drive” on Southside Broadcasting,

this one on the desperate plight of Africa's elephants being poached to the brink of extinction to feed China's obsession for ivory – Alex asked if any of the show's studio guests had a question for me.

“Not a question”, Ed Wellman said, “but rather a confession.” He went on to say that he'd recently learned that almost half the people didn't know that elephants had to be killed for their tusks. They thought that the animals were trapped, the tusks cut off & the elephant released unharmed.

“I have to confess”, he said,” that I was one of them.”

It shocked me because it had never dawned on me that everyone wasn't aware of the bloody slaughter of elephants for the Chinese use of ivory as a status symbol for wealth & power.

So much for taking things for granted.

I wonder how many of you were unaware of how ivory is collected? Please let me hear from you on this point. Because I'm passionate about saving this wondrous creature from vanishing, I need to know all I can learn about communicating their desperate situation to a wide audience.

If you didn't hear my talk on Oct 3^rd you can download it on http://www.southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com/

Please become involved & together we can work to stop this senseless massacre. You can learn more about this also at: http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

Thank you all. Please check in to this page for updates. I'm not the most consistent, but I get there & hopefully more often.

Cheers, Annette

Hello everyone, it's been awhile but I'm 'blogging' again.

Where has the year gone?!! It seems like a week ago I finished packing up the xmas lights & decorations & was trying on my spring clothes.

I've been working feverishly on my memoirs & making what seems like reasonable progress (although I've seen paint dry faster!)

I want to make an especially heartfelt request that you tune-in or download my radio talk this coming Wed. 3^rd October, at about 5.20pm UK time on:

 http://www.southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com/

My topic is the increasing slaughter of thousands upon thousands of African elephants to feed China's ever-growing lust for carved ivory trinkets & dinner table centrepieces .

Once a tribal way for Africans to supplement their diet & for the occasional sale of tusks to a trader, poaching is now run by criminal gangs with international ties. Ivory has become the new blood diamonds more valuable than gold.

I'll be talking about how you, as an individual, can help to stop this senseless massacre.

Also appearing on the show is Will Travers, head of the Born Free Foundation (my favourite animal welfare charity, hands down!) He'll talk about the BFF's campaign to halt the ivory trade and how all of us can help to make a cultural change to save our planets' largest living creature.

Please, as a very real personal favour to me, tune in & become involved.

All best wishes,

Annette

Contest Alert

As many of my fans know, I'm writing my memoirs and have launched a contest to find just the right title. So far, I've received dozens & dozens of truly creative & original entries, proving that so many of you should become writers yourselves!

But enough's enough, and so the time has come to end the competition. As of midnight August 31^st. 2012, no further suggested titles will be accepted.

So, if you haven't already entered a title, here's your last chance. For those who now want to have a second or third go it might prove magic!!

Go to my website annetteandre.com and read my bio & then noodle-up a winning entry. There's no limit. Send all titles to  sales@annetteandre.com

I'll be selecting the winner sometime in the coming months.

Good luck to all!!!!

"Fings Ain't Wot They Seem, Always"

“Fings Ain't Wot They Seem, Always” is the title of my next “Letter From NY” radio talk.

Inspired by my cockney plumber, Benny, and the distinguished American playwright, Lillian Hellman, it's a rumination on seeing beneath the surface. Making a special guest appearance is a ghost (no kidding!) who lived with me for many years in my Battersea house.

Intrigued? I hope you tune in on Wednesday, 25^th July, for the live broadcast on Southwest Broadcasting at 5pm on  www.sirenonline.co.uk  or download the podcast at  www.southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com  You'll find my segments in the 'Categories' section after the last Wed. of every month.

I'm really interested to get your comments.  Please, let me know how I'm doing.

Cheers, Annette

Here's a new date for my next “Letter from NY” radio Broadcast which will be on July 4th. The topic is “Rent a Life,” the explosive trend of hiring “experts” (real or invented) to plan and run much of our lives. From wedding planners to the latest take-charge guru called a Wontologist, we're outsourcing our lives at an alarming rate.

I'll be giving you my take on why I believe this handover is happening and why it just may be a fortuitous wake-up call.

Please tune-in on the 4^th. for the live broadcast on Southwest Broadcasting at 5pm on www.sirenonline.co.uk or download the podcast at www.southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com  You'll find all of my "Letters" on the left side of the page under "Categories."  

As always, I'd appreciate your feedback on this topic or any other in my continuing series of “Letters From NY.”

Cheers,
Annette