I drove from Manchester to Birmingham today. There was a strong smell of diesel in my car as I drove so when I parked at the NEC I checked the engine and underneath the car. There was clearly something leaking so I called the RAC and when their operative arrived he advised it would be ok to drive it home later that day as the leak was nowhere near the brakes. I should have stopped him there but he then tried to find the source of the leak. He found it, but due to the design of the engine he could not reach it, so decided to reassemble the engine parts he'd removed. It was when he said, "do you remember where this screw goes?" that I started to get worried. But when I started the engine all seemed ok.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around Birmingham city centre, where I have to say, the people were all really friendly. I decided to get my hair cut and whilst talking to hairdresser, she mentioned she had been to the NEC too. I asked who she saw and she said what sounded like "Justine". I said I was surprised I'd never heard of "Justine", considering that only very popular performers play the NEC as it is huge. She repeated the name a few times in her very strong Birmingham accent and then I asked her to spell it. She looked at me gone off and said J O S S, S T O N E. Doh!
Then back to the NEC for the gig. The Birmingham crowd are always one of the best and this time was no different! A great gig, made special when the band made a complete mess of 'Personal Jesus' and had to re-start it!



As the last note faded I quickly headed back to the car, as if you don't get out of the NEC quickly enough you can be queuing for over an hour just to leave the car park! I started the engine, put it into gear, and rolled forward at about 5mph. No acceleration at all. Not happy!! I called the RAC yet again and at around midnight a tow truck appeared, driven by what I can only describe as a 'troll'. He advised me that he was to tow me home, a journey that took over three hours in a vehicle that appeared to have no suspension!
I finally got to bed at 3:30am.

31.03.06

Gareth and I went to the cinema tonight to see the film 'Hostel'. We actually managed to see some of it without the need to have our hands over our eyes!! By far the most graphically violent film I've seen in a long time. A really excellent film, though I will have second thoughts about ever visiting Eastern Europe again! Go see it if you dare!


 

26.03.06

Went into the garden today to investigate what sounded like a small engine. I traced its source to 14 frogs who had clear intentions on expanding their numbers, if you know what I mean! As I approached they all submerged at once, causing a little wave across the pond!



I managed to sneak up on them later and there are at least three in the photo above.

25.03.06

Travelled up to London tonight to see a gig by the band Puressence. The small venue was packed out and the band did not disappoint!

22.03.06

Went to Oxford tonight to see the band Kubb. An excellent gig which included some new songs which highlight their amazing debut album wasn't a one-off!
As I drove home across country it was very foggy. Luckily I was concentrating and able to brake in time to see a beautiful hare cross the road in front of me. I rarely see these creatures, so the view in my headlights was a pleasure, if only for me! The hare was probably half blinded in the fog lights!

21.03.06

Around the same place I saw the Barn Owl last week, I saw it again, but on my way home from work this time.

20.03.06

Part of my car journey to and from work involves driving along country lanes. This means I get to see a fair bit of wildlife. This morning I was lucky enough to see a beautiful Barn Owl flying alongside me. Unusual enough to see one, let alone in the morning.

15.03.06

Gareth and I went over to Wales today to catch up with family and sort my sister's internet connection. It was great to see everyone, especially my great nephew, Daniel!

11.03.06

At long last the news is official. One of my favourite bands, 'My Life Story' are reforming for a special one-off gig in May, to support the release of a 'Best Of' compilation. I won't sleep!!

09.03.06

I travelled up to the 100 Club in London's Oxford Street tonight to see a band called 'The Feeling'. Their current single "Sewn" is a favourite at the moment, and although they performed well it was clear that their 'sound' was not my kind of thing. A bit too retro 70's MOR for my tastes.

07.03.06

Travelled home from snowy Göteborg today



and once we above the clouds the colour of the sky was beautiful.



Also managed to finish my second book of 2006 on the journey. The harrowing account of Julie Gregory, a girl suffering at the hands of her mother who had the condition 'Munchausen's by proxy'. The book is called "Sickened" and was a fascinating insight into this rare condition, if a little let down by the writers self-help speak towards the end.

27.02.06

Left Copenhagen in beautiful sunshine and clear skies

to fly to Göteborg today. The views as we started the descent into Sweden were quite spectacular,



from the ice between the islands of the archipelago



to the snow amongst the pine forests.
I met up with all my Swedish friends and chose a good day to spend with them as we watched Sweden win the gold medal for Olympic Ice Hockey on TV against their arch rivals Finland! Much celebrating followed!!



Then we all set off to see Depeche Mode play at the Scandinavium.





Another amazing gig to an ecstatic Swedish crowd! I must admit that a second night with a seated ticket was much appreciated by my aching limbs! After the gig we went to our traditional haunt, the Sky Bar, where we celebrated the fact that tonight was the 50th Depeche Mode gig I have attended since 1982!!

26.02.06

Got up at 3am this morning to drive to Stansted airport for my flight to Copenhagen. It was very overcast and snowy when I got there, and as I couldn't check into my hotel so early I wandered the streets, which for a Saturday morning were almost deserted. Quite eerie.

Most areas of water in the city were frozen over which made it feel even colder. After I finally checked in and witnessed some hookers being escorted from the hotel lobby (I seem to attract them wherever I travel this year!) I set off to explore the city.



One of the sights I definitely wanted to see was the famous statue of the mermaid. It really was disappointing. It's quite a way from the centre of the city, at the waters edge of an insignificant park. It took a long time to get the photo above as there were other tourists climbing all over it and posing next to it continually.



I walked back into the city centre to Nyhaven (above) before returning to the hotel to get ready for the gig.



Parken is a huge stadium in Copenhagen and tonight Depeche Mode played to over 40,000 fans, most of whom were going completely mental from the second they took to the stage. I was lucky enough to have a seat tonight, so I go to rest a while before the show started after my trek around the city! A great show in front of a very appreciative crowd!

25.02.06

The walk from my hotel to the Metro takes me past a derelict railway station with a fantastic name...



"Gare Frigorifique De Paris Bercy"!
I decided to visit the Catacombs, as the name had caught my eye whilst checking the city map. I didn't know what to expect and what I found came as a complete surprise. There are 186 miles of quarried tunnels under the streets of Paris, dating from Roman times. In 1786 Les Halles, a district in the middle of the city was suffering from disease resulting from contamination caused by improper burials and mass graves in churchyard cemeteries. It was decided to discreetly remove the bones and place them in the abandoned quarries.



Over 6 million corpses and skeletons were brought here and they fill



 either side of the passageways. A really creepy place to wander. It was very quiet when I visited so most of the time I was alone!!
Next stop was Notre Dame,



where I climbed the 386 steps to the towers and got to see the spectacular view across the city



After further reducing the escargot population at another café I headed back to my hotel to get ready for the third consecutive Depeche Mode gig in the city! They haven't played three gigs in the same venue so far on this tour so tonight promised to be a special night.



And special it was! They played "Leave In Silence" for the first time since 1986, and as a result it meant they played a song from every one of their albums for the first time in many many years! The crowd responded by going completely mental and the band were having a great time too!

23.02.06

Started the day by visiting the Musée Marmottan, which has an extensive collection of paintings by Claude Monet. I took me a while to fully appreciate the beauty of the pictures, as at first it just looked like a huge room full of water lilies!
Next stop was the Trocadéro and the Eiffel tower, mainly because I know a nearby café which serves great escargots!





Next was Les Invalides, including Napoleon's Tomb before ending my sightseeing at Tour Montparnasse, a huge office type building that has a viewing terrace on its roof, 685ft up! The views were amazing, especially as I decided to wait there until it started to get dark.





The second gig at Bercy was just as good as the first!

 

22.02.06

I set off for Paris today for 3 consecutive gigs by, you've guessed it, Depeche Mode. Travelled by Eurostar and then got the Metro to my hotel near the venue, Palais Omnisport De Paris Bercy. It was also part of a shopping complex which included a Carrefour so my snack supply was close to hand!



The gig was brilliant and the crowd were amazing! It's understandable why Depeche had their last live DVD filmed here.
 

21.02.06

I decided to walk a different route from my hotel back into the centre of Lyon today. Despite the minus temperatures I wanted to walk alongside the river Saône as I had walked along the Rhône yesterday.
It was quite an educational walk along the Quai Rambaud. There appeared to be many vans parked on the roadside.



 As I walked past the first I noted that there was a candle effect light placed on the dashboard. How decorative I thought. The second van actually had a real candle on the dashboard. I remember thinking that it was a bit dangerous, especially with a liquid air freshener almost right next to it. When I saw the old fashioned gas lamp on the dashboard of the next van I could see there was a bit of a trend going on. There was someone sitting in the fourth van and as I got closer I saw it was a young lady. She seemed oblivious to the cold as she was wearing just her underwear. A similarly clad lady was sat in the next van too. I also began to notice that a lot of men seemed to be driving up and down the Quai.
Doh!
Lets just say my leisurely walk soon changed into almost a sprint!!
The rest of my sightseeing was far less eventful. Walking around a snowy city on a quiet Sunday morning is very relaxing, if not bloody cold!





 

05.02.06

The fun continues.....



I travelled by plane to Lyon in France today. Most of the people checking in at the airport seemed to be going skiing or snowboarding, which should have given me some indication of the type of weather that was to come, but I was still really surprised when we broke through the clouds to land and the ground was covered in snow!!
Lyon is a beautiful city, even when the temperature is -4 degrees! I walked to my hotel which was directly opposite the venue where Depeche Mode would perform.
And perform they did! An absolutely brilliant concert made even better by a fantastic French crowd. They put Antwerp to shame!

04.02.06

I drove to Southampton tonight to see Goldfrapp play at the Guildhall. It was quite a disappointing gig to be honest. I've seen them play before and they were great to watch, but this time there was very little to hold the concentration. The most recent singles were great but otherwise it was quite boring.

02.02.06

One of my New Years Resolutions was to read more. Even if I manage a book every month it will be an improvement on last year. So just in time I've finished my first book of 2006 that I bought on a whim before I got the train to Antwerp. It's called "Bad Influence" by William Sutcliffe and I really enjoyed it.

31.01.06

I got up early today so I could have a walk around Antwerp before it got busy. The icy streets were deserted...






Then I set off for Brussels for a little sightseeing before I got the Eurostar home.






During the trip I was able to solve the puzzle of "Lillyrop" from yesterday. The station where we stopped is actually called "Lille Europe". Doh!!!
 

30.01.06

Let the madness begin!



 Today I travelled to Antwerp in Belgium to see the first of many Depeche Mode concerts this year. I've been a fan since 1981 and have seen them in concert 43 times since 1982.
I travelled to Brussels on Eurostar which I recommend to everyone as it is so much more convenient than flying. I was a bit confused during the journey as it was announced that we would stop in a place called "Lillyrop". Considering I'd never heard of the place it was a big city, so I decided to look it up when I get home. I took another train from Brussels to Antwerp and after finding my hotel I walked around the historic city before getting ready for the concert. It was a beautiful evening and I took a picture with my mobile phone at the River Schelde as the sun was setting.



The trip across town to the venue was easy and then the anticipation began! I've deliberately avoided listening to complete bootlegs of shows on this tour so far, so I had little idea of what the band would be like this time. Having booked tickets to so many gigs on this tour (see 'Gigs 2006') there is always a worry that the concert will be awful and I will have wasted a lot of money. There was no need to worry. They were amazing!!! It's just a shame that the crowd weren't as enthusiastic, but I enjoyed every minute!
 

29.01.06

I drove up to London after work today to see the band 'Kubb' play at the 100 Club in Oxford Street. A really cool venue and the band were brilliant! Expect big things from them!

24.01.06

After what feels like weeks of muddy early morning walks it was a pleasure to walk through the frozen fields this morning with Bonnie.

The ice was glistening on the grass and the only sound was birdsong.
A perfect start to any day!

22.01.06

Every once in a while a song reminds me why I'm so passionate about music. Listen to the new Richard Ashcroft single, "Break The Night With Colour".
Genius.

13.01.06

My New Years resolutions are:
(a) Read more
(b) Eat more fruit
(c) Drink more water
I'll update you on my progress soon!

02.01.06

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
A big THANK YOU to our neighbours Ellie & Steve for hosting our now traditional New Years Eve get together. And for once we got home at a decent hour too!

01.01.06