Portugal. Five days in the sun. Walking on the sand, the ever-present notebook and pen in pocket. Lyrics to complete. Comes to mind that while I was writing The Coast Of Amalfi and a couple of other songs for The Quality Of Mercy, I travelled to – wait for it – Amalfi. Believed at the time that I was on a research trip. So I researched. Crossed to Ischia and trekked up to Pompeii. Sailed the bay to Positano, so I could know what these places felt like, how they smelt, what gave them life. Got that 5 minutes song from those excursions. Gathered inspiration for much of Journey’s End and The Last Goodbye, too.

Authors travel to research if their new book involves getting it right about a place. They claim their travel costs against tax. Of course, they do. They go there for their work. Writing a book based in Egypt, the author goes to Egypt to explore. Could be Mozambique, could be Bolivia. It might be sunnier, warmer, drier and prettier than where they live in the UK, that’s always possible, though not always the case, but either way they go there for the work, the inspiration. They want to get it right. So I went on a research trip then to Italy and sent the receipts to my accountant. But two years later we learned from a tax inspector that I was not on a research trip at all, but was on holiday. That’s what the inspector told my accountant: “He was on holiday.” I went alone. Took recording equipment and guitar and wrote. Some holiday. So in spite of my trip to the Algarve being mostly one in hope of inspiration (and it came), I shan’t bother claiming the costs (considerable) against tax, even though I took guitar, recording equipment and spent most of the time writing. The tax inspector can call you guilty until you prove your innocence. And there’s little you can do. But I know when I am on holiday. And I wasn’t. But, hey, listen to Woody Allen: “Life isn’t perfect; plus, it is short”.

And I can’t remember playing Muriel The Actor live on stage since the old Queen died, not since 1973, anyway. But since it’s being put-up, apparently by several fans, as one for the 2010 dates, let’s agree it might well come alive again. I’m enjoying what I see of this new website. Interactive, Andy said it would be. I like that. I’ll get one of the crew to film again in the studio next week, as we record backing vocals, say. And we’ll get it to Andy for uploading. Interactive. The internet is cool. Dangerous, but cool. Pace my Algarve sojourn, with the tax inspector in mind, here’s Woody again: “I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam: I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.” Stranger comes to town, searching for inspiration.

SH