This website has been up for a few years now. Met with Webmaster Andy Fearon recently, and a complete (and I mean complete!) re-vamp has begun. Andy reckons the new site, all inter-action and bells and whistles, should be ready for unveiling later in the summer. I am something of a technophobe, but Andy made it all sound very swish, elaborate and more than a little exciting, even to me. To Spain, to visit the old dad. Found a cool restaurant with good, serious cuisine. Always thought nobody would move to Spain for the food. Best meals I’ve had when out with family there have been Indonesian or Bulgarian (maybe Croatian, certainly east Euro). Finally found the decent one - in the Costa Blanca town where they live, at least. Great night with my brother Nigel, who my sister calls my “little buddy”. Can’t see why really, he’s a big ole boy. But my buddy, nonetheless. Proud to say so. His partner, Derek, is one of the best companions, too. They like a bit of banter, exchanges of opinion, without taking the Nice umbrage, common among my family. I like debate, banter and even argument, but a lifetime travelling with musicians who take no prisoners makes it the only way to get by. Greta missed the trip (the boy and his fab partner came with us); she’d already got a week at Boot Camp in Norfolk in the diary. Tough week, that. Very tough. But she completed and we are proud of her. She’s a softie at heart, so maybe Boot Camp and its RSM style routines have made a bit of a man of her (just kidding, girls).

Got back to watch racing channel, and my hurdler Vacario winning by 6 lengths at Worcester. At last. Charlie Mann has always insisted he’s a good racehorse. Couldn’t get over there from East Anglia; next morning left early for The Ivors in London. I pushed for The Leisure Society to collect the gong, as Elbow were likely to pick up first prize in Contemporary Song (and they did - ours was Best Song Musically And Lyrically). Then met the Elbow guys who were originally called Mr Soft after my song. So I felt guilty. They had won our vote. Nice guys. The talented ones usually are. Then, later, Billy Elliot. Fabulous work. Planning Broadway trip to see the NY cast, where the dancing should be exemplary, whereas in London it was just good, especially for a young boy. But not exemplary. Fabulous show anyway. Land Hawk ran fifth again, for the 6th time, if I’m counting right. We will get a win out this decent racehorse, but we definitely need to go back to the drawing-board, heads down in a huddle. Fourth at Newmarket would have been much better. Each-way first 4. Sizeable losses then, coming fifth by half a length. I don’t talk through my pocket. Been betting too long for that. But fourth would have prevented the long face my family all commented on. Shame on me.

Got a new agent. Will miss Paul Charles at Asgard, and will sorely miss his assistant Christina. But now I am to be represented by Neil Warnock’s big firm, The Agency Group. My man may well be Danny Bowes, who plans to retire from his proper job thus far, which is singer in Thunder, to be full-time agent at The Agency. Good to feel wanted, I must confess. Danny and I will (by coincidence) be on the same stage as each other on Monday night at the Indigo2: ChildLine Rocks, charity event in aid of the kiddie’s emergency helpline formed way back by Esther Rantzen. Bob Harris will compere, and his lovely wife Trudy is the main organiser. Writing songs, too. Seriously. Maybe all I needed was to feel wanted. And who knows, unexpected extra dates later this year? Maybe. Not up to me, but if it were.....

SH