Sunday 12th April 2026

Woke at 0230, but managed to get back to sleep...the cervical pillow seems to be doing a good job. Woke around 0730 and dozed until 0900. Descended to make tea, and brought a bowl of porridge back up to bed. Lindsey was in the kitchen at her laptop...they went up to see a fisherman's cottage in Embleton and have had an offer accepted...looks very nice...very small, but well kitted out. A perfect holiday bolthole. Pottered about on the laptop for a bit...raining outside! Showered (in the shower, not the rain). 

Drove over to the theatre to pick up Connor and Sam. Shirley was already waiting, and she took Georgie and David, and we hooked up at the Upper House in Barlaston. We were very excited to be ushered in to the Darwin Suite and sat at a large dining table. I had an interesting pearl barley and mushroom cake starter, followed by the roast beef...the latter was sadly underwhelming...the roast potatoes were hard, and the vegetables a little under cooked. The beef was OK, but nowhere near as good as that I'd eaten last week at the Swynnerton Arms. We paid up then I walked the team up the track to the start of the circular woodland walk, where I left them and headed back to the hotel. Listened to the last twenty minutes of the Sunderland v Spurs game...we won 1-0...Spurs remain in the relegation zone! Then I repaired to the hotel lounge and read my book before the others rocked up. We all decided we were too knackered to do anything but go back to our digs and rest up ahead of tomorrow night's show. Spoke briefly to Andy Smith...he and Stuart Hewlett are driving up to see the show later in the month. FaceTimed Kath, who was having dinner with ma and pa. Dad reckons he's started a new novel recounting the tale of Stench Coleville, an adventurous lad from the small market town of Much Clattering. I can't wait!!! Drove back to Bakewell Street. Headed in to Newcastle in the evening to see The Drama at Vue Cinema. Not many fellow punters in...it's a rather strange piece, with unlikeable lead characters...in fact, pretty much every character was unsympathetic, to the extent that their behaviour became tiresome...but I was happy to sit in the dark for a couple of hours. Got back to Bakewell Street around 2200. Watched The News and some football highlights before crashing out...

Saturday 11th April 2026

Woke at 0430, but got back to sleep. Woke again around 0800...brought a mug of tea back to bed and listened to the radio before rising. Drove in to the theatre for breakfast and a coffee. Walked down to Coral to place a couple of bets on the Grand National. Matinee performance this afternoon...need to pace myself today. About 350 in for the matinee...10% of whom are former colleagues and performers. Show went very well. Ascended to the bar to see who had turned up...mostly back room staff from yesteryear, some former stage management, and a handful of actors...Graham Fellows, who was the original Stan, Clifford Milner, who played Brian, Johnson Willis who played Stan, and Lennox Greaves who was Grandad in the 1991 production, Georgina Field, who played Bridget in the 1993 production, and now plays Lucille, and me. The wonderful Chris Martin was there...he seemed in fine fettle, despite having undergone recent cancer surgery. We repaired to the Youth Room for some sandwiches and chat, and I took some photos before sneaking out to warm up for the evening show. Caught up with the Grand National result...needless to say my horses failed to finish in the top five...my each way bet pulled up! About 230 in...but they had a good time. My voice began to tire toward the end, as my energy drained away. Had a swift half in the bar with some of the cast and chatted to a couple of punters...surprised that people don't realise that the actor playing Grandad is the same bloke that plays Wilf. Drove back to Bakewell Street in the drizzle and fell into bed...

Friday 10th April 2026

Woke at 0430, but then slept through until 0830. Feeling a little better this morning...my feet aren't as painful. Brought a mug of tea back to bed, and listened to R6Music for a bit, before bringing another tea, and a bowl of porridge, up to bed for breakfast. Got up around 1015 and did some gentle exercises. Poor review of Good Golly in The Stage...two stars! Whoever wrote the review must have been in a very grumpy mood, as we got a standing ovation that night!!! If you don't like theatre, why on earth write about it!?! Phoned up the Upper House and booked a table for eight for Sunday lunch. Drove over to Festival Park to buy some slip on shoes at JD Sports, but they didn't stock them. Did a shop in Morrisons, then drove back to Bakewell Street to cook dinner. Chicken, ham and leek pie. Sat out in the back garden while it cooked in the oven. Drove in to the theatre. Did some exercises and warmed up the tattered vocal cords. Only about 270 in tonight, but they really enjoyed themselves. I forgot to go on with Molly's coat and handbag for the Get A Job sequence! The bar was pretty empty after the show, so I drove back to Bakewell Street for a soak in the bath...

Thursday 9th April 2026

Woke at 0430, but managed to get back to sleep on my new ergonomic pillow...woke again around 0800. Lay in bed listening to the radio. Feet are killing me...think I twisted my left foot during Wilf's drunken rendition of Hit The Road Jack last night. Brought tea and porridge back up to bed. Aki FaceTimed around 1300 from her hotel room...she and her mates were preparing to go bathe in the hotel hot spring. I got up and descended to the kitchen...put the oven on and cooked my pork Dijon ready meal, together with some sweet potato, and lots of greens. It was surprisingly tasty! Raining out...sadly the sunny weather of yesterday didn't last! It had stopped by the time I drove in to the theatre, stopping off at the Co-op in Penkhull Village to pick up a wrap to eat in the interval. Did my exercises in the guest dressing room. About 400 in this evening...they loved it, and we got another standing ovation at the end. Said hello to Matt Ganley's mum and dad in the bar before driving back to Bakewell Street. Languished in the bath listening to R6Music...mein hosts are up in Embleton viewing a cottage they are interested in purchasing...got the place to myself.

Wednesday 8th April 2026

Woke at 0600, but managed to nod back off...woke again at 0830. Languished in bed listening to Today before rising to shower. Drove into Newcastle and feasted on a Cypriot breakfast at the Greek Bakery. Won't need to eat again for the rest of the day! Drove on to Whitmore Lakes to take a look around. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to walk around the site, as the lakes are for the enjoyment of paying customers...anglers mostly, though there is wild swimming in one of the lakes. Enjoyed a mug of tea, sat out in the sunshine...gorgeous day. Drove back to Newcastle and did a wee shop in Tesco, then popped back to Bakewell Street to make a packed lunch to eat before showtime. 

Drove to Basford for another 1330 call...more notes and scene working...got very tired. Broke around 1630. Team photo. Picked up the cervical pillow I'd ordered, which I had delivered to the theatre. Ate my very late lunch on the John Humphries memorial bench in the car park, determined to get some sun on my face. Press Night tonight. About 500 in...they lapped up the comedy, and loved the local references. Standing ovation at the end, and we reprised Good Golly Miss Molly for the encore. Showered then joined the throng in the bar. Maggie Saxon, and Lee, came over for a brief chat before they had to drive back to Northampton. Maggie looked a little frail. She's been struggling with a trapped nerve in her back after trying to lift a very heavy bag of cat litter!!! We swapped tales of nerve pain. Sean and Jenn were in the bar, and James and Anne...they'd all thoroughly enjoyed the show. Nello was in...and insisted I go over for a brief chat with him...he said I'd made him laugh...though he hadn't realised I played both Grandad, and Wilf! I crept away as the bar was shutting, and drove back to Bakewell Street to lie down on my new cervical pillow...

Tuesday 7th April 2026

Got up around 0930 feeling rather unrefreshed by my two days off! Drove to Middleport for breakfast at the Pottery cafe, adjoining the Trent & Mersey canal. Nice sunny morning, but still a bit too cold to sit out, so ate inside the Packing House. Had a browse around the gallery and shop...the latter is full of Burleigh ware...too florid for my taste! Drove on up to Tunstall to take a quick look at Hawes Street, and the improvements that fuelled our play...but it's all looking very underwhelming...needs revisiting by the architectural team! 

Drove back to Bakewell Street and put a packed lunch together, to eat before the show goes up tonight, then drove in to the theatre. Did some exercises before we met on stage to work some bits and pieces. The theatre wasn't full this evening, but well attended, and the show went well. I felt I got bigger laughs...so headed in the right direction. My arthritic feet were painful by the time I got to my final drunk scene...repaired to the bar for a quick drink, but only us Good Golly lot hanging about. Limped to my car and drove back to Bakewell Street...

Monday 6th April 2026

Woke at 0400, but managed to get back to sleep relatively quickly...next time I awoke it was 0900! Pretty good! Brought tea and porridge back to bed, and listened to the Today programme, and then some BBCR6. Nice sunny day beckoned...but a bit cold out. Drove down to Barlaston and parked up on the village green to take a long circular walk around Downs Bank...centred on a stream and verdant woodland. Bonus of a coffee stop half way round. 

Enjoyed their sausage bap, which I ate at a picnic table while FaceTiming Aki in Osaka. She'd had a fun day out with chums in ancient Nara. Walked back to the car and changed my footwear before walking on into the village. Had a sandwich lunch at The Plume of Feathers, and sat on a bench overlooking the adjacent Trent & Mersey Canal with my half of Guinness. The pub was owned by the actor Neil Morrissey, and still stocks his ales...he recently sold up, and now owns a pub in Newton Solney. Drove up through the Wedgewood Estate and parked up to take a look around...had a hot chocolate and a brownie in the gift shop, then wandered around the Wedgewood gift shop...some gorgeous stuff in there...very expensive! Drove back toward Stoke, stopping at Trentham Gardens...found myself in the outlet shopping centre...rather tawdry...but happened upon the Blue Diamond store, which I knew had Cooknet.com frozen foods for sale...bought three meals, and drove back to Bakewell Street to bung them in the freezer. Cooked up an oven ready moussaka for dinner, with greens. Watched a bit of telly in my room, then listened to some R6Music before catching The Ten...