Article from Communique newsletter – Summer 2026
Away from Integra my life largely revolves around family, music, travel and football.
Travel
In my last communication I talked about a wonderful holiday that Susan and I had in the Italian Lakes in May. Of course, as soon as we returned, our thoughts turned to our next adventure!
And what an adventure we have planned and booked.
In June next year we will be travelling to Canada, visiting Toronto (and The Niagra Falls) before flying to Calgary, staying in Banff for a few days and then taking the Rocky Mountaineer train for a couple of days to Vancouver where we will spend a few nights before getting on board ship for a week long cruise up the coast to Alaska, whale watching, bear watching, glacier viewing and enjoying the scenic experience. Another night in Vancouver before home.
The Rocky Mountaineer element has been on Sue’s bucket list for years and I have always wanted to see the bears hooking salmon out of the rivers (not sure if the season is right but hey!).
Hot on the heels of booking the aforementioned trip, we’ve only gone and organised another! This time with our friends Andy and Marianne. We will be visiting Sicily in September next year, staying in the beautiful coastal town of Taormina with its incredible coastal views, cable car, views of Mount Etna, amphitheatre and picturesque streets full of bars, restaurants and, worryingly, handbag shops! (Sue bought eight handbags in Italy this year whilst we were away!
Before any of next years adventures we have a couple of weekends away this autumn.
In September, in celebration of Sue’s birthday, we have rented a large beach side property at Shoreham on Sea and twelve of us, three generations will descend on the South Coast for a couple of days of competitive fun and frolics. We’ll have the Friday night at the house enjoying a take away, a few beers and the hot tub.
On the Saturday we have breakfast booked followed by a visit to the i360 viewing attraction, the rest of the day in Brighton, the pier, The Lanes, mini-golf and, no doubt, a few bars before dinner at Brighton Marina.
On the Sunday we have a trip organised on the Bluebell steam railway from Sheffield Park before lunch and the return home.
The following weekend, Sue and I will be in Chester for the Wishbone Ash “Ashcon” event. I have organised a fan’s night on the Friday at St Werburg’s Parish Centre where myself, a few other musician fans and the tribute band Blind Eye will be entertaining the fans.
The Saturday sees the main event (I may be playing in the afternoon) with the evening gig seeing Wishbone Ash supported by Xander & the Peace Pirates who, I first got Guy Roberts to book ten years ago at the Ashcon event in Clitheroe.
The Ashcon event is always a great weekend of music and friendship with like-minded people from around the world, drawn together by a love for the music of Wishbone Ash.
Music
Music falls into two main categories for me. Playing and listening.
I have already made over 50 live performances this year and have around 35 more in the diary before year end.
These are mostly open mics and I have played at 18 different venues so far in 2026.
The open mic “circuit” is frequented by great musicians who are always encouraging and supportive and it provides an excellent opportunity to play original songs.
My album, Prodigal Son, was released in February and has been well received. I have done a number of local radio station interviews, appeared in Aldora Britain Records e-zine on two occasions and had the title track included on a five track sampler EP.
As the year has progressed, I have started doing longer solo gigs and played for 40 minutes at Feast Day in Chalfont St Peter in June and have a full two hour solo show at the Piggeries at Tring Brewery on August Bank Holiday Sunday. .
I am also playing at a U3a music meet in Tring on October 21st.
On November 15th I shall be supporting the fabulous Bad Influence at their Blues at the Tropic gig in Ruislip.
I expect to start doing more full gigs in the coming weeks.
I have also been back in Long Dog Studios with producer Piers Nolan and have recorded three new original songs for future release.
The first of these – It’s not the same for everyone on Christmas Day – is my charity single for 2026 and will be released on November 14th with all revenues (after platform costs) being split, like last year, between Diabetes UK and the Propertymark Trust.
The other two songs – Into the light and Final Curtain – have been tried out and finessed at open mic nights in recent months. As I write, the lead vocal and main guitar parts have been recorded with additional arrangement, orchestration and instrumentation being worked on.
I have been so busy with my own music that I haven’t attended as many gigs as normal this year but that will change in the coming months.
I have recently attended gigs by Bad Influence, Connolly Hayes, Doris Brendel and Lee Dunham and an incredible tribute gig for Matt Long that saw dozens of the UK’s best blues artists appear – Burning Rope, Thomas Heppell, Greg Coulson, Bad Rival. Zac Schulze, Will Wilde, Katie Bradley amongst a cast of dozens!
Between now and year end I have gigs booked and tickets purchased for Wishbone Ash (three shows), Laurence Jones, Chantel McGregor, Chris Corcoran, Paul Cox and the Proof, Burning Rope, The Blues Raiders, Thomas Heppell, John Young, The Adam Smith Band, Xander and the Peace Pirates, Zoe Schwartz Blues Commotion, Robin Bibi, Big Gilson and Blues Dynamite, Mississippi Macdonald and Bad Influence. Phew!
Family
It’s a sure sign of how fast life moves when you find yourself acting as a taxi driver on two separate occasions in the space of a week, delivering to, and collecting, grandchildren from Gatwick Airport.
Both Ellie and Georgia had independently taken themselves off on holiday leaving me to act as driver (and pay the drop off and pick up charges!).
Having granddaughters who are nineteen and twenty years old is difficult to comprehend, it seems like only yesterday that Peppa Pig was the order of the day!
Most importantly, it was great to spend an hour with each of them on the journey.
Standing in arrivals with a sign with Georgia’s name on it was, of course, greeted by a sarcastic sigh of “I knew you’d do that!”
Granddaughter Tia Rose has just started a new school and seems to have settled in well and James and Taylor will be moving schools in September.
All of the family are doing well and we are all looking forward to getting together for Sue’s birthday weekend in September.
Watford FC
It’s that time of year again. That time when hopes are raised even if realistic expectations say they shouldn’t be!
I have attended all four pre-season games. The usual underwhelming nature of games where twenty players are rotated and patterns of paly are difficult to identify.
As is often the case, Watford are starting the season with a ne head coach in charge – Alessio Dionisi – a largely unknown quantity and, almost certainly a favourite with the bookies to be replaced by the time of the International break in October.
The Hornets cleared the decks of several players at the end of last season and are now rebuilding, largely with the help of sister club Udinese. As I write we still need to strengthen the squad – in particular in centre back and centre forward positions although the rest of the squad looks exciting and capable to exceeding expectations and, with the play offs to the Premier League extending down to eighth position next year, you never know?!
