Monday 27th April 2026

Terrible night's sleep. Back pain, neck discomfort, and much gip from my bad hernia repair meant a fitful night! Gave up at 0600 and got up for a while. Got back into bed around 0630...woke up at 1000. Glorious day outside descended to make tea and brought porridge back up to my room. Showered. Drove down to Newcastle and parked up outside the Jones's at No.44 Florence Street, then walked in to town for a quick coffee at Keele In Town. 

Walked back to Florence Street and presented myself at No.44...Paul had set up lunch outside in his verdant back garden. Sylvie was there too, still sporting her plaster cast, having broken a wrist in a fall three weeks ago. I was treated to a tasty mozzarella salad, with creme caramel for dessert. Had a lovely chat with them both about old colleagues, theatre, etc...I had a delightful afternoon. Drove round to Brampton Park for a wander...FaceTimed Aki from a bench beside the rose garden. She seemed on good form, though still feeling a bit bruised...she'd been to have her dressing changed at the GP's. I parked the car off Albert Street and wandered up to the Polite Vicar for a sandwich and a beer, before reporting to the ticket office ahead of this evening's Lindisfarne gig...managed to get an upgrade, which brought me down from the balcony onto the second row. Had a nice chat with the guy sat next to me...it turned out he had seen me in many shows at the Vic in the 90s, and remembered my name...he even recalled that I'd gone down to London to restart a surveying career! Lindisfarne were great...only one founder member in the line up these days, an ageing Rod Clement on guitar and mandolin. Most of the singing was done by Dave Hull-Denholm, Alan Hull's son-in-law, who possessed an uncannily similar voice to his father-in-law...great stuff. They played all my favourites...Lady Eleanor, Meet Me On the Corner, Fog On The Tyne, We Can Swing Together, Winter Song, ending the set with Clear White Light. I had a tear in my eye at the end. Drove back to Bakewell Street for a soak in the bath...