A bit of good news for a change!

[Rhubarb]

A while ago I entered a writing competition called the Douglas Copeland Award. £1000 for a short story 1000 words long. Anyway, I've been told that my story has made the longlist of 40 stories out of 1,500 entries!
The longlist will be whittled down to 10 stories on the 1st of May and the winner announced on 5th May.

The thing is, I got an email from them today inviting me to the awards party and asking if I'd like to read my story! Apparently all the finalists have invites, but I'm not sure if that's all 40 from the longlist, or if this is an indication that I've made the top 10!

BUT, the party is at the Poetry Cafe in London on Weds night (May 5th). I've love to go and read my story out, but how do I get there? ds is only 4 months and still breastfed. I don't think we'd be able to take them with us as the party is in the evening anyway. Yet we can't leave them with anyone as he is too young yet and sometimes still wakes at night. I could go on my own but I don't want to go to this party all by myself! Plus I've nowhere to stay!

What do I do?

[Rhubarb]

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me....... boo hoo!
Is it 'cause I iz Norfern?

[oliveoil]

Do you know anyone in London where you could stay? They could babysit baba until you returned from the do.

[amess]

Oh rhubarb, rhubarb! Congratulations, this is one of those times when breastfeeding makes life just that little bit difficult. It is such a great opportunity and I missed out of a couple of those due to breastfeeding but can't even remember them that well now so that's one consolation if you chose that path, however another would be maybe to tell them your situation and in this day and age maybe they could offer some help/at least information on how to get the best of both worlds eg have a room at the place where someone could look after 4 month old while you do your bit and miss out on rest maybe??? Sorry may sound crazy and stupid idea but you don't know unless you ask. I don't know where the poetry cafe is but there is usually a Guest house round most corners in London then just grit your teeth and go alone until the call, hey if your mobile buzzes just as you finish that would help to make the headlines?!! Sorry I'll go and finish off that bottle so I have a good excuse for all this just thinking aloud hopefully someone will come up with the ideal answer soon! WELL DONE again and fingers crossed then later you can post it for us all to read???

[amess]

"Nobody loves me, everybody hates me....... boo hoo! Is it 'cause I iz Norfern" ---
look at the times of posting we were all racking our brains and typing at the same time

[Kayleigh]

Rhubarb, well done!!!!!!!! That is fantastic
Wishing you loads of luck for the final.

(Can't advise on the bf, never did it myself)

[fairyfly]

Well done Rhubarb, hope you are well

[Rhubarb]

Oooh, thanks guys! I don't think you'd want to read my story amess (good name by the way!), it's very dark and grim! Having someone look after dd and ds whilst we popped out to the 'do' would be ideal. But the only people we know in London is dh's gay friend who lives in Hackney. He knows nothing about babies and I wouldn't want to be cheeky enough to ask him.
I guess dd could stay at granny's, so that just leaves us with ds to sort out. I'd like dh to be there just to give me moral support. But I guess, as a last resort, I could go on my own. But I'd still need somewhere to stay and someone to hold my hand!
Any offers?????????????????????????

[Rhubarb]

Where you always Amess or where you someone else in a previous Mumsnet life? I've not been on for a while so I'm a bit out of date.

[Rhubarb]

Oh Beetroot! Our budget is quite a bit low I'm afraid! London nannies are well out of our range! But thanks for the idea!
I should take him and have him latched on whilst I read my story shouldn't I? That should get me noticed!

[Rhubarb]

I'll see if I can get the sympathy vote shall I?

Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase someone help! I really, really want to go! I can barely afford the train fare, my clothes are just rags, I'll have to do without food for a week just to get the money to go! I suppose I could sell a kidney, no-one would want any other part of me! Anyone out there got any bright ideas? I'm going to have to feed ds now but I'll look back on this thread tomorrow to see if anyone's had a brainwave.

There's a huge bottle of sherry in it for someone! (can't stand the stuff myself) I'll even throw in a Dairy Milk chocolate bar!

Will that work?

[kiwisbird]

my exp does stuff at the poetry cafe, he would offer you a room!
He's very nice! Otherwise perhaps a london mner could offer a solution, I'm 45 mins out of london via train if you get desperate!

[dinosaur]

Rhubarb may I re-invite you to stay with us? I don't know if you will remember, I invited you to stay when you were thinking about coming to a wedding in the Barbican - well, the offer is open, I don't do much on Wednesday nights, I could come to the Poetry Cafe with you and hold bubba while you read, and you can stay at ours afterwards? I am not a mad lorry-driver, honest, Twinkie, Kayleigh, CountessDrac, Tigermoth, Essbee have all met me...

[dinosaur]

ps Rhubarb we live in Hackney - in lower clapton to be precise

I don't know where the Poetry Cafe is, but I'm sure I can find it!

[Janh]

WELL DONE RHUBARB!!!!!

Can't help but am very impressed!

[Demented]

Well done Rhubarb, if all else fails take DS with you!

[katierocket]

Oh RHUBARB WELL DONE. You should be so proud of yourself - you go girl!

I would happily offer you a room but live in Manchester so sod all use.

and once again WELL DONE!! (and when did you find the time to do that?)

[binkie]

Rhubarb, brilliant!!!

Do take up Dino's offer, have met and can vouch for being very nice indeed.

[secur]

Message withdrawn

[Rhubarb]

Oh Secur that's really, really nice of you! I have thought about letting ds stay somewhere overnight, but it wouldn't be fair on anyone to do that. He can still wake up in the early hours of the morning, and he's getting aware of strangers now (i.e. screams if anyone so much as look at him!). So although you are very, very kind to offer, I really wouldn't want to burden you with a screaming baby at 4am that may not settle! And it's a long way back from London if you find that you are having problems with him.

Also Dinosaur, got your email too, thanks very much for your offer. What I think I shall do, if this is ok with you, is have a word with dh first. His friends also live in Hackney, so if they can put us up, we could all go and dh could meet his old friend and have a nice night in with him, whilst I go to 'do'. However, if they are busy or reluctant for some reason, could we possibly take up your offer?

Either way, how do you fancy coming with me on the night for moral support? Tickets are free. I would love dh to come, but I don't really think that ds would settle with anyone else and I don't think my nerves could stand it if we did leave him with someone else. Taking him to the Cafe might not be an option - Kiwisbird, do they let kids in? Or it might be smoky, etc. Plus his bedtime is at 7pm so it would throw him out of his routine which means a bad night for us!

But I'll have a word with dh first and see what we can arrange. I'll email you Dino and make proper contact. Thanks so much for all your ideas and support! I don't think I will win, the topic is too grim and controversial, but I'm just well chuffed to have made it this far, and how knows what contacts will be there! (Must remember not to get pissed and make twat of myself!)

[Rhubarb]

Actually, Kiwisbird, did you say they have rooms at the Poetry Cafe?