Wednesday 15th April 2026

Woke around 0530...got back to sleep eventually. Languished in bed all morning, hoping the rest will benefit my cruelly aching feet. Brought tea and porridge back to bed with me. Eventually rose, and drove down to the Spode Museum in Stoke for a coffee in the Little Vintage Tea Room...best coffee I've enjoyed since arriving in the Potteries. 

Returned my coffee cup to the counter and found myself standing behind Debbie McAndrew...was going to say hello, but a senior moment overtook me and I couldn't remember her name. I think I met her about 30 years ago in the company of Oliver Beamish, with whom I was working at the Vic...she was the barmaid in Coronation Street at the time. She now runs Claybody Theatre Company, which is housed in one of the decrepit buildings on the Spode works estate. Drove on to Middleport Pottery and enjoyed a lunch of Staffordshire lobby in the Packing House Cafe...a local beef and potato stew, served with a bap and butter, and beloved of the pottery workers of yore. Very nice! Drove back down the D Road to Trentham and stocked up on ready meals from the cooknet range at the Blue Diamond outlet. Drove back to Bakewell Street...Aki texted me to say she had landed at Heathrow. It sounds like she had a bumpy landing...a bit windy out there today! She FaceTimed me when she'd gotten back home, struggling through the crowds heading for the Arsenal v Sporting game. She looked fresh despite her long journey and 14 hour flight...she'll sleep well tonight. I drove into Hartshill for dinner at Kismet...got a table this time. Enjoyed a chicken and paneer dish, with bindi bhaji, and roti on the side. Drove back to Bakewell Street and sat in the car listening to the final twenty minutes of the Arsenal match...a gruelling 0-0 draw that takes them into a semi-final with Atletico Madrid...

Tuesday 14th April 2026

Woke at 0530...back felt much better, but having a bit of trouble with my neck. Managed to nod back off after about 30 minutes or so. Woke again at 0800 and dozed for a while. Brought tea and porridge back to bed with me. Aki FaceTimed from Tokyo...she was meeting old colleagues for dinner. She flies back to London tomorrow. Found Aidan in the kitchen...but he made no mention whatever of having seen the show last night...strange chap. Drove down to Stoke...picked up a parcel from Londis at the bottom of the road, then drove on to the Spode Museum, intending to sample the coffee in the cafe...but it was all shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. Walked round the corner to take a look at the Dipping House, the HQ for Claybody Theatre. Nothing on at the moment. Most of the buildings on the Spode site look in imminent danger of collapse! But Claybody have won £150,000 arts funding to undertake improvements. Walked on to the Bluebird Cafe and had a decent latte in there, then drove back to Bakewell Street. Lyndsey was in the kitchen having her lunch...she said they had enjoyed the show last night, especially the This Old House sequence, and drunken Wilf. I stuck a fish pie in the oven for luncheon. Eaten in my room with microwaved greens. Drove in to the theatre. We had a cast meeting with the Midlands Equity representative before warm up for an evening show. About 250 in this evening. Struggling with my feet and general fatigue, but show went well and we were afforded another standing ovation. Had a beer in the bar afterward in the company of Sam and his mum, and her partner. Nice couple. Drove back to Bakewell Street, getting in around 2300...

Monday 13th April 2026

Woke around 0630, and again at 0830. Dozed for a bit. Brought porridge and tea back to bed. Eventually rose, and drove in to the theatre. Booked some tickets for Andy Smith and Stuart Hewlett for next week, and for mein hosts this evening. Walked down into town on my arthritic feet, and enjoyed a coffee in Piccoloco...bumped into Polly and her fella, Perry, and was introduced to Howard Chadwick, a local actor who looks like a Hairy Biker...had worked with Eddie York at Harrogate many moons ago. Walked back up to the theatre, and drove back to Bakewell Street for my lunch...chicken tikka masala and saffron rice, via the microwave. It was a week past it's use by date...but tasted great! Drove back in to the theatre, then walked across to Osteopathic for another session with Sharon...got her to focus on my knotted shoulder blades, and on my mid back...she massaged me into next week...brought my fatigue to the surface. Spent the rest of the day wishing I was in bed asleep! But had a show to do. Only 200 in tonight...so the show felt a bit under energised...in my case, because I felt under energised! My arthritic feet mean I've had to work a limp into my characterisations!!! Was greatly relieved when we finally got to the end. I stuck my head in at the bar, but no sign of mein hosts. They'd gone to bed by the time I got back in...

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.