Drove to Sheffield and got totally lost. The new ring road is a nightmare and the hotel was in the centre of town and it was Saturday, everyone was shopping.

Brian Berg called to say the Album was up to No.7 - fabulous!

City Hall, Sheffield has a great natural sound and we had yet another great show even if the two famous lions have run off somewhere!

For the next four days, I have decided to base myself in Manchester to save checking in to a different hotel every day. The hotel had a good connection for my lap-top so I was able to get a move on with these notes.

Not far to drive so left around 4:00 pm for sound check.

Brian 'Liquorice' Locking came back to say hello again and that night I did my Gene Krupa impersonation for him during Little 'B', I could see him laughing from my drum chair!

Again a great old theatre and a very receptive crowd.

Ken Kitson came round before the show, finally getting back stage after signing autographs at the stage door. He is very well known as PC1 in 'Last of the Summer Wine'. I have known Ken for about 20 years as he was in all 'The Ruth Rendell Mysteries' up until 'Kissing the Gunner's Daughter' where he gets shot in a bank raid.

He tells the story that he looked through the rest of the script to find where he wakes up in hospital. But found that he didn’t wake up at all and was out of work! For the last few years has been working on a film 'Fistful of Dreams'. He has written a great script and is producing the whole project. I have been asked to write the score.

Teri Sullivan also came backstage to say hello and she will be singing one of the song’s in the film.

The luxury of a no travelling day. My wife Margaret flew in from Faro, landing at Manchester airport at around 4:30 in the afternoon. She had been in Portugal and hadn’t seen any of the shows yet.

Margaret came back for a quick drink with the boys before driving back to London that night. (With my laundry!)

Finally, a trip for the last time without checking into a new hotel. The Mayor of Preston and his wife came back to meet us wearing full chain of office.

It is a very loud room and 'Bunny' had a job keeping the monitors on stage down to almost off. It was very hot on and off stage so a visit from the ice cream girl was a bonus. Back to base late at night and pack for the mornings drive to Ipswich.