End of calm, spring is on its way

January 27

Today was a cancelled gig date but too close was the cancellation. Instead we had a few films, including Short Circuit then music and then retro games night with a curry. Our kids grow up with a lot of our own childhood, all the nice bits. I hope they have wonderful memories. I love making them.

January 28

This is the end of the calm, Christmas is all over and the sadness that surrounds so many of us is almost over. It did have a great hold on me but it will leave, it has to and I know this.

I am too happy to stay sad. I love people as you know and Twitter has lots of them.

I get many messages and people sending me songs. The Waterboys is one that was sent, the album “Room To Roam”. It is 30 years old , I have never heard it and I love it.

I did a short walk with Ellie I felt like I was taking a deep breath for the rest of the year. I hope this is a great year for so many. We are all here together, just everyone needs to know it.

January 29

Just two more months of winter. The lighter nights are getting closer every day. The wind is blowing the cold all around us. I loved the walk today and knowing the next walk will be in February.

Melanie and I have realised the coast-to-coast walk will cost too much money this year and with Shaun having a baby too, this will have to be moved.

All is fine though. We can do the coast walk again, little Ellie and myself. She really wants to anyway. We will add a day on and a few little gigs too.

I am going to walk 100 miles and then when we reach Alnmouth call in, see some friends, play some songs with other musicians and raise some money. All involved love this idea. Working things out with Andrew Hodgson now.

Then the following day I will call in to Druridge festival and play a 30-minute solo set.

Shaggy is on holiday in Ireland that week so this is a canny plan to raise more charity money. At running club, Rebecca stepped everything up and her speed has increased by a lot. She was, as always, great to watch.

January 30

Working from home. Playing lots of spotify as I do daily. The Blow Monkeys, Hue & Cry, ACDC, Iron Maiden, Kris Dollimore, Half Man Half Biscuit, still one of my favourite bands which I have gigged with. I run through many memories with these musicians. I also listen to so-called “one hit wonders” and hear what else they have written. You can not write one good song and that is all surely.

January 31

Melanie puts in full unpaid days for our promotions and charity works. Today was one of those days.

A day of making online events. They never seem worth it to me but sometimes people do say they are going and turn up. The online world is not my favourite. Too much changes all the time and sites can just leave us at any moment. We are not as connected as we could and should be in real life.

We did another poster drop too for the charity. Ellie went to Alnwick for the women’s indoor cricket league practice. Tom Vickers runs it, he is perfect for Ellie, he loves sport and winning. He is indeed a winner himself.

February 1

Darts league starts on Sky today,I have to record it and watch them with Ellie under her instruction. We love the darts. Indoor work and outdoor poster drop whilst Ellie did her county practice with Northumberland girls cricket in Walbottle.

It is all going well.

We went and had a laugh with Rebecca in the shops again.