Moving Forward
By Co-Artistic Director and owner of a surprising number of sequins, Rachael Abbey. There's always something about this time of year that makes us look back at the year, makes us nostalgic and think about what has happened and what is yet to come. We're about to roll into Christmas and New Year's Eve, which will be very different for everyone this year. Last year I didn't go home for Christmas. I was working until 7.15 and the last train was at 7. And it wasn't a job you can ask for an extra 15 minutes off. My mum was working Christmas Day, I spent it with friends, enjoyed two days off and was back to work. This year, I'm moving in with my parents (in Bradford) just before Christmas for the foreseeable future. I'm moving out of my flat in Hull which I've been in for the last five and a half years, which honestly is just adding to the nostalgic, looking back feeling that has consumed me for the last 5 weeks or so. Packing up a house always feels so very final. It is putting every part of your being into boxes to either store or move. You learn some things about yourself as well. Here's some of the things I've found/forgotten I had whilst sorting things out: 1) A collection of Angel (The Buffy Spin off) books that someone left here about 3 years ago and I now don't talk to them so it would be weird to give them back. 2) An electronic drum kit. It is still in the box. I will put it up but my god is it going to be a bugger to store. 3) More sunglasses than I know what to do with. You can be too fat for a handbag, you can be too fat for a choker, but oversized sunglasses? Never. 4) Several items of clothing that I was supposed to send back for a refund but missed the return deadline and I will now be selling on Depop. 5) Various contraptions to try and curl my hair. I have Curlformers which look like Chinese finger traps, sleep in velcro rollers which never really worked, a conical curling wand, a 2 inch curling barrel tong, foam rollers... there is a lot. 6) Stationary. Lots of it. I have an A3 sketch book which is cased in sequins and I love it so much but have not yet found the right project for something so fabulous. Might keep it for when (not if) I plan my world domination 7) Art. I have lots of bits of art, each one with a memory attached. An embroidery from when I was on my first National tour in a show, a charity print from when I organised a fundraiser for someone I had never met because I wanted to help but had no money, art given to be for birthdays and Christmas. I love it. 8) 4 dining chairs that my Grandad made by hand. They're falling to bits if I'm quite honest but I'm pretty sure my uncle said he'd come after me if I chucked them out. They're definitely going to need a bit of attention. 9) The furniture and clothes of former housemates. We have a futon, a badly made wardrobe and a pile of size 4-8 clothes. If anyone wants these let me know. 10) A worrying amount of Lush bath bombs. When I first moved in here, I was working at Lush and they give you things to try out, give you broken bath bombs, all those kinds of things. I have draws worth of the stuff. On my final night here I may just put in everything that remains and melt into the water myself. We'll see. Packing up, remembering the last 5+ years of my life feels weird. This year had felt weird. I have no idea how long I'll be in Bradford, as I rather like Hull, but its what I have to do for now. Its funny how a house really can define an era of your life, and seeing how much I have grown since that time. I moved in here at 24, we were in the process of making Broken Little Robots for Assemble Fest and we had just started rehearsals when we were told that if we could get there in 20 mins with £450, we could reserve the flat. I leave as a nearly 30 year old woman, which has certainly had a whirlwind few years and is ready to take the next few big steps. Just don't know how long those steps are going to take right now. Right, better go continue packing, I guess.
