Today to celebrate the release of the Ripping Yarns series on DVD, Monty Pythons Terry Jones and Michael Palin had the genius idea of organising a Hopathon, 400 metres on one leg AND enter the Guinness book of Records! I signed up and had a great day, completed the track in less than 20 minutes! It's harder than you can imagine.......and hilarious, me and a coupla mates even got a cheeky pic on the winning podium!.........now I can hardly walk.

A week in the Life....
Apart from doin the doo with Pete & Co, Family Time was spent visiting the Dr Marten Factory, just outside Northampton, a village called Wollaston, Wellinborough, great sleepy little place that has been the home of this factory since 1960! with an amazing outlet where you can pick all the classic Doc designs up for 25 English quids! Bargain!!! ( thats my brother John in one one of the photies)
Drove out to Gressley, Derbyshire to eat in the '50s American Diner' This is a real American Diner that started life in New Jersey U.S, I don't know the full story but rumour has it that there was a murder in it, whether that has anything to do with it being moved I don't know but this place is unbelievable, The Owners Trish and Trev are completely dedicated in making it as authentic as possible - great fun!
March 1st was World book day, all the school kids were encouraged to attend school dressed as their favourite literary character, Tallulah dressed as Max from Where the Wild things are, she won an Easter egg for having the best costume! Thats my girl, mind you, Saff made the costume and thats what she does so maybe we should've given the prize back because we had an unfair advantage........yeah right.

Fantastic sellout homecrowd gig at Birminghams Glee Club with Pete Williams, just fantastic, and a right old knees-up ensued at the Pub after.....Fantastic!

No rest for the wicked - Hightail it into the smoke with the Williams boys where we played a superb set at The Lexington, Islington in front of a star studded audience, Josie Lawrence, Kevin Rowland, Nick Talbot etc was good to see Oliver Darling there too who gave us ample support....

PEPPA PIG WORLD!!!!!! ROCK 'n' ROLL !!!!

Great day today, rehearsals have gone super smashing great with the Pete Williams Band, great bunch of guys and great music, we're only doing a few gigs but I'm really looking forward to them.
I also heard from the Imelda May camp that our Royal Albert Hall gig has now sold out! Does a day get any better!?

Wonderful to get back home, here I am with beautiful daughter Tallulah relaxing in the garden...

Ok, we finish off in L.A for our 4th appearance on the Jay Leno Show, the main guest was first Lady Michelle O'Bama, so snaps were frowned upon, straight from the show we skiddaddle over to LAX Airport and enjoy our 10 hr journey home, It's good to be going home for a decent break, here are some leftover snaps from our trip....

I can imagine to anyone reading this blog that It looks like I'm in the states twiddling my thumbs - I can't argue with that, to a certain extent thats exactly what I'm doing, It's a promo tour which means as a band we get to play a couple of songs every couple of days, Imelda and Darrel have been rushing about doing acoustic stuff but for our part it's the waiting game, Promo tours are crappy but have to be done, I'm aware that sounds spoilt but nothing beats actually gigging.
In Denver now, 1 mile up in the mountains doing a very important radio show that I can't remember the name of,....Wow the people here are irritatingly enthusiastic about everything, very annoying, saying that, everyone had a great time.

SCARY SKIES!!!!

Wake up in New York, I'm starting to get used to this, Eggs Benedict and a bucket of Starbucks and I'm ready for the day of exploring, I found some great music shops around Bleecker street just off 7th Av south, notably The Music Inn, really quirky shop with very unusual instruments in, stuff I'd never seen before, I could have spent a day just working through the Ukes alone.
Pictured below is the famous Hotel Chelsea/Chelsea Hotel, I couldn't believe I actually stumbled upon this - many many many great writers, Artists, Actors, Musicians have lived in this building, Kerouac wrote "on the road" here, Arthur Miller wrote "Death of a Salesman" Dylan Thomas died here of pneumonia although I don't think that's any reflection on the Hotel, other notable residence: Charles Bukowski, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Thunders, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits to name but a few, This was also the building where Sid Vicious murdered Nancy Spungen, although again no reflection on the Hotel...
Its been closed for the past year for renovations as it's been bought by a real estate tycoon, all permanent residence policies have been terminated ready for the swish new look Chelsea Hotel, It gives me a sinking feeling.