I was flicking through my Pod looking for some music to play when I came across an old favourite - Howard Jones. I was a huge fan of his and have seen him live on a fair few occasions. He has always struck me as a really nice fellow who really enjoyed what he did. However, at one particular gig, he didn't.

One night I went to see him play (on my own) at the Jazz Cafe in Camden - I think it must have been in the mid-nineties and a long time after his heyday. He was sat at a piano and started playing the first few notes of "Hide & Seek" when, out of the audience, a nutter jumped onto the stage, punched Howie right in the chops and legged-it out of the venue. Everyone, including Howie, was fairly shocked by this incident. The woman who was playing percussion for him that night (fantastic rhythm and very large bongos) gave him a loving hug and Howie recomposed himself. He then played a flawless rendition of "Hide & Seek" and received a huge round of applause for his efforts. And rightly so. What a guy!

Let's hear it for the buoy! It was HOT on Saturday so we went to the beach. The water was beautiful and so was the swimwear. My "Man from Atlantis" picture from 2005 was more rugged - I have let myself go a bit.

Beth was back to her normal self on Saturday. Unfortunately she had another rotten streaming cold come Sunday and felt pretty miserable. Nursery is great for developing little ones - currently it is Beth's immune system that seems to be developing the most.

Beth is almost managing to say the word "dad" and is also primitively bum-shuffling. Watch this space.

Simon & Nicola

Dad's wife's (Liz) son Simon gets married today to Nicola. They are both lovely people and congratulations to them for tying the knot. Hopefully the weather in Whitehaven will hold and the day will be a splendid affair.

Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow -
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

Line Dances With Wolves

Although the birthday BBQ was cancelled this weekend we still had a really good time. Steve, Tan, Mikey, Nancy and Molly visited Rammers on Saturday and we spent a very pleasant afternoon on the beach (where was the drizzle?). On Sunday Dean and Sarah paid us a visit. It was good to see all of them.

Beth has been unwell for the last two or three weeks. Her cold/bug has moved to her chest/throat and currently she isn't sleeping too well. Hopefully this will sort itself out and she will be back to her old self very soon.

Fortunately the weather has got better and it promises to be a warm week. It certainly gets you in the mood for hollibobs. Parkes and I will be catching the ferry from Ramsgate to Oostende and Ghent in the middle of August and I cannot wait for some Belgian food & beer and a few well earned lie-ins.

Retirement From Curry

I have suffered this morning after last night's birthday curry. I have been eating really hot curries for 20 years now and my poor stomach has finally had enough. This morning I had to use the train toilet (last resort) between Chatham and London Bridge. Fortunately it was clean(ish) but I am old and tired and not willing to suffer botty prolapses anymore in dirty train loos whilst trundling through Medway. The decree is as follows; I shall no longer eat curries with hot, oily sauces - instead I shall chew thoughtfully upon tandoori and tikka meats.

Birthday Girls

Parkes and Beth both had a good birthday today. Thanks to everyone who sent cards, presents and messages of good will. Beth was knackered come 7pm and fell fast asleep. Parkes and myself enjoyed a birthday curry and a glass of wine. For those who are coming (weather permitting) see you on Saturday!

This Time Last Year

This time last year Parkes and I were feeling nervous, worried and also excited. We spent a relaxing day at home. In the late afternoon we went for a very long walk down to Broadstairs, then back along the East Cliff toward Ramsgate habour. At 7:30pm we ate at the Thai Orchid restaurant and were sat at a table outside in the warm, muggy evening. The conversation centred around the past nine months and the immediate days ahead. Following our substantial and delicious meal we took a leisurely walk home and watched the numerous, spectacular electrical storms which were gathering around the centre of Ramsgate. It made a lovely end to the day. Maybe the combination of a very long walk, a Thai curry and unstable climatic conditions stirred our little girl into life.

I missed my weekly shave at the weekend and therefore have been looking quite swarthy this week. However I tidied up the edges of my facial hair this morning and I think it looked fairly smart. I also got my hair nice and big this morning which is my preference when it is fairly long. However on my way home from the station tonight a freak gust of wind caught my hair face-on and this picture is the net result. I have always thought of Barry as a kind of hero and now I also look like him. Now, where has that chest wig gone?

P.S. I think he made that necklace himself with the white bit of a fried egg.

While Parkes was in town with Justine and Kirsty it was left to Beth and me to look after the house. We visited the harbour where there were lots of market stalls, a music stage and a Gadd's beer tent! We did the weekly shop in Asda and picked up many a bargain. We went to the local park and had a swing on the swings. On Sunday we got caught out by the weather and ended up sheltering from the wind and rain under the shelter on the East Cliff. Then we met Parkes at Dumpton Park Station and popped into the Honeysuckle Inn for light refreshment.

Almost two months ago I became an uncle for the first time as Rosie gave birth to Nathaniel. Well, Nat has been growing nicely since then and here he is! What a fine fellow! In some pictures he looks like his mother and in others his father.

JP McEnroe v A Murray

When I was a small boy I used to enjoy watching the tennis coverage. We are talking very early eighties when the shorts were tight and sweatbands were compulsory. It was a bit of a golden age in the men's tennis world with the likes of Connors, Borg, McEnroe and Lendl playing. My favourite was John McEnroe - he was not only a good player but had an on-court attitude problem which, to a small boy, seemed dangerous and appealing.

Maybe age changes your appreciation of certain things but Andy Murray, who has a similar demeanour to McEnroe, gets right on my man boobs. He seems to think he's really cool, however he hasn't done anything on court to back it up. He also made an anti-English football remark. He plays Nadal in the quarter-finals and reckons he can go all the way. I reckon he can go 'all the way' to the barbers to sort his barnet out.