Life is never dull away from the workplace and the last few weeks have certainly been no different with family, music, community involvement and the building works at Integra Towers to the fore.
Family wise it has been a busy time with my daughter Carrie, husband Ian and my three gorgeous granddaughters moving from Chalfont St Giles to Hyde Heath.
The new house is significantly larger than their old one but does need something of a makeover and Ian is working hard at bringing the décor up to scratch. The three girls love the extra space and there is lots of potential to improve in the years ahead.
Recycling: Sue's fencing project!
Having demolished one of our sheds, Sue rather cleverly utilised much of the wood to create a new fence at Carrie and Ian’s house which will help keep Jessie the dog the right side of the boundary!
My son Tom, partner Sian and grandson are also looking at the possibility of moving and so it could be a busy few months ahead.
My brother Chris, wife Lori and their two girls are over from California later in July and we shall, no doubt, get some catch up time and get to a gig, the Watford FC pre-season friendly vs Udinese and maybe a curry or three! With Skype and the internet, the world seems smaller these days but there is nothing as good as getting together for real. Our parents are certainly looking forward to this annual trip (although they then need a few weeks to recover afterwards!).
The Cherry Lee Mewis Band Guitars Deluxe with Alan Darby, Jake & Artie Zaitz
On the music front I have attended gigs in the last few weeks by Cherry Lee Mewis, Soul intention, Matt Schofield, John Illsley, The Native Roses, Guitars Deluxe and at Feast Day, The Toffees, Ben McElvey and Meet The Beatles.
The fabulous Norman Watt-Roy from the Blockheads
I also attended the Wallingford Beer and Blues Festival and saw good friends Papa George, Ian Parker and Larry Miller play together with Tensheds, Big Boy Bloater and the wonderful Blockheads. Sharing the trip with good friends Andy Parford and Steve Norman, we stayed in Dorchester upon Thames and nearly became extras in an episode of Midsomer Murders which was being filmed at the hotel. Unfortunately there wasn’t time for my close up but the weekend was great fun.
My solo slot at Feast Day
Of course the musical highlight of the last few weeks for me was an impromptu solo slot at Feast Day which, apart from an out of tune guitar (which I rectified) and cold hands so I couldn’t fingerpick, went down pretty well and I have received a number of favourable and kind comments. Playing to a few thousand people was certainly the largest crowd I have ever played to and a great experience.
I am also coordinating the Friday night at the Wishbone Ash convention in Chesterfield on October 31st and November 1st. This year’s Wishclone Ish gig will take place at the Chesterfield Hotel and I will, once again, be playing a solo slot of Wishboen Ash and other covers together with a few numbers of my own. We hope to have at least a dozen fans playing in various combinations on the night before the real deal show us how it should really be done the following evening!
Over the next few weeks I plan to attend gigs with Bad influence, Mickey Moody, Nigel Bugge, Noel McCalla, Paul Garner, Papa George, The Good Old Boys, Blues Factory, The Barnes Blues Band and Danny Bryant.
My personal training regime continues and I will be approaching a year shortly. I am undoubtedly in much better shape than I was and it is helping fend off the ravages of time and a full on lifestyle. It is also helping improve my diabetic control which is a good thing.
The summer has seen Watford FC secure some excellent signings (or re-signings) and confidence is running high for promotion this year. My money is where my mouth is and I hope to cause a run on William Hill shares come May!
Finally, as I write, Sue the FD and myself are living a nomadic life in our own home as the place crawls with contractors. We are nearing the completion of new flooring at first floor level and have already had new windows and doors, soffits and gutters and central heating.
In the next few days the main works commence and the front of the house will undoubtedly look like the Somme for a few weeks as we excavate, build retaining walls and foundations and construct a new double garage. This will be followed by the conversion of the existing double garage into a new studio and office and then the replacement and renewal of all ground floor flooring.
The cost has, perhaps unsurprisingly, exceeded my initial plans and it looks as though the new kitchen and utility will have to wait until 2015.
Anyway, I have always believed in a work hard, play hard approach to life and I am certainly living up that particular maxim!