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Yesterday I spent three and three-quarter hours at the hospital's eye clinic, my usual appointment for my eye tests, scans and eye injection. The intervals between these visits had, at one time, extended to every ten weeks as the condition seemed to have stabilised. (That means, not got any better but not got any worse.) However, a previous appointment a few months ago showed that there had been a deterioration in the condition and so I was put on an eight week cycle instead of ten. Yesterday's appointment was depressing for me. I knew that my vision had dramatically worsened since my last appointment, eight weeks previous, but I didn't expect things to be quite as bad as they were. My eyesight reading test showed a definite decline, (as I'd partly expected,) but the scans of both eyes revealed that the condition has now affected my left eye to the point where injections are going to be needed in that eye also, as well as my right eye. Before this, only my right eye required these injections and the left seemed ok after I'd had laser treatment in it a couple of years ago. Now though, it has deteriorated to the point where only injections in it will possibly slow the potential for blindness. So, yesterday I suddenly had to endure injections in both eyes for the first time. One eye being injected is unpleasant enough but two is an uncomfortable ordeal. And to top it all, I now have to return to the hospital every four weeks, (instead of eight,) for the procedure to be repeated. Not a lot of fun to be had from that... The only ray of sunshine is that, on some occasions, the doctor/consultant who deals with me is a lady called Susan who is very nice and I feel I can talk to her about my condition far more comfortably than the other doctors who I've seen there. Despite the shortage of staff in that department of the hospital and the amount of patients requiring treatment, she always has time to talk and listen and there's no sense of being rushed through the process. The discomfort in both eyes after the injection is palpable and I'm not allowed to drive for 24 hours due to the extremely blurred vision that ensues. This may become a permanent thing if the condition worsens. Tomorrow I have an early morning appointment with the Podiatrist for my regular foot inspection and treatment. More medical concerns to deal with. Not sure how I'll cope with getting up so early to get ready to travel and arrive by ten o'clock...I'm a 'late to bed, late to rise' sort of person. Hey, ho... Meanwhile, work still continues on the never ending recording session: 33 tracks completed for the 'These Stars Are Fire' album and more still to come. Sorting through this amount of music to select the right tracks for the triplle album that I'm planning to release for my 70th birthday celebration party/concert is going to take some considerable time. But I'm generally pleased with how it's going. I think it will be a very interesting set when I'm done...

Falling way behind with these diary/journal entries, mainly because of intense work on the 'These Stars Are Fire' triple album but also due to the increasing difficulty I have in seeing the text of emails and internet posts. It's such a time consuming thing having to type so carefully and peer at what I've written through a magnifying glass due to my dramatically deteriorated eyesight. Reading anything is now a frustrating chore. I feel the world is gradually fading away from me, both in terms of literature, film and music, all due to my vision and hearing losses. Ironic when those things have been the cornerstone of my life for so long. But, I have to accept and adapt to it, no matter how annoying it may seem. Whatever my creative life is, it has to go on, with a struggle if needed, but onward nevertheless. I'll try to write more soon, try to provide some sort of 'catch-up' but not sure how quickly this might materialise...Lots to relate. Meanwhile, here are a couple of new flyers...

Drove to Leeds today with my non-functioning Fret-King guitar for my appointment with master luthier Gordon White of 'Single Coil Guitar Repairs.' Gordon opened up the guitar there and then and quickly identified the problem as being a wire that had come loose from the jack socket. It seems that the jack socket isn't a particularly solid one and had rotated when the jack plug had been inserted, snapping off the connecting wire, hence no output from the pickups. Armed with a soldering iron, Gordon reconnected the disconnected wire and then tightened the jack socket. Hopefully it will last a while longer but he suspects that I'll need to fit a better quality jack socket at some point in the future. A shame as the guitar plays and sounds really good but it seems that some aspects of the instrument have been neglected in favour of cheaper components. Completed a mix of another new track for the 'These Stars Are Fire' album tonight. The track is titled 'Rockers Of The Rosy Cross' and is a fairly full on mass of guitars with a vocal. A slightly tongue in cheek reference to Rosicrucian esoterica but with a post-modern rock twist. My recording gear still giving me the heebie-jeebies though...strange things happening with the automation and sound. No choice but to embrace it and incorporate it into the mixes. Needs must, and all that..Produces unwanted effects at times but, that's what it is and I have to roll with it. Perhaps it makes it more interesting? Here are a couple more photographs from last Sunday's Whitby trip, already receding in the rear view mirror of life...

Last Sunday I took a day off from working on my 70th birthday album to drive over the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby, where Emi and I enjoyed a grand day out in the warm sunshine and a nice evening meal at the 'Marine' restaurant. We had the top down on the car to take advantage of the good weather and it was nice to feel connected with the passing landscape on our journey. Bought a couple of fresh lobsters from a little shop in the old part of town which we took home and had for dinner the following day. Whitby was busy. Holiday makers and tourists filled the little coastal town's streets but it was a welcome break nevertheless. Bought myself a nice hat from a stall in the market square and a pair of sunglasses from a relatively new gents outfitter's shop that specialises in slightly 'left of centre' clothes and accessories in the 'retro' style as covered in magazines such as 'The Chap.' (A magazine which I occasionally buy.) Emi drove us home as I'd had a couple of glasses of wine at the restaurant. She's not used to driving my car as her own is much smaller, but she handled it fine and the journey back to York was pleasant and uneventful. Yesterday, whilst working on another new track for 'These Stars Are Fire', my Fret-King Country Squire Deluxe guitar that I was using suddenly went silent. No output whatsoever. The jack socket seems to be making a connection with the jack plug firmly enough but I can't get a sound out of it. A wire adrift somewhere inside perhaps? Anyway, I've telephoned Gordon White at Single Coil Guitar Repairs and made an appointment to take the guitar in to his workshop tomorrow for him to check it out and hopefully repair. Annoying though as it's a brand new guitar and shouldn't have this problem. Another of my regular visits to the Podiatrist yesterday. Need to keep a check on my diabetically afflicted feet. Not too bad at the moment despite having lost a certain amount of feeling in them due to the deterioration of the nerves. Tonight I'll continue to work on the 'These Stars Are Fire' project. I'm enjoying this so far, despite the hoops and hurdles I have to deal with due to the random technical faults of my recording equipment. Still, it makes the end result more satisfying, knowing that you've battled and hopefully triumphed over the gremlins... The harbourside fortune teller's hut in Whitby photographed on Sunday 20th May 2018. A small yacht sails down Whitby harbour. Lobster pots on Whitby harbourside.

Thursday already and I've been busy all week working on 'These Stars Are Fire.' A couple more tracks finished since my last journal entry. Gradually moving towards triple album status. Earlier in the week my friend Steve Cook came over to give Emi and I haircuts. This time he came with another old friend Dave Standeven, (rhythm guitarist with both 'The Lost Satellites' and 'The Gentlemen Rocketeers,' two bands I assembled for various shows in the past.) Astonishingly, I haven't seen Dave for six years, 2012 being the last time when 'The Gentleman Rocketeers' played at Nelsonica in York. A lot of changes in those six years, mainly with my health issues, so we had a fair bit to catch up on. Seeing Dave gave me the opportunity to show him a few of my guitar acquisitions and I brought some unusual ones down from my studio for his perusal whilst Steve cut Emi's hair. Then it was my turn for Steve's scissors and I'm now 'suitably Zen' as Steve put it. Still experiencing problems with my mixing desk which causes a lot of frustration when recording and mixing. I'm having to devise ways of working around its faults and finding it difficult. This is the third Mackie D8B desk I've had and all have developed irrational errors of operation. When they work, they're a brilliant piece of kit, but when they fail, they're a real pain in the backside, and a very expensive item to fix. However, I seem to have been struggling with broken or faulty recording gear ever since I first set up a home studio in the 1980's so I'm kind of used to plodding on regardless. Determination or sheer bloody mindedness? Whatever, I refuse to let this stuff beat me. My Fret-King Country Squire Deluxe guitar seems to be getting a fair bit of use on the new tracks I've been recording. Its three different pickups produce a good range of tones and the tremolo system is solid with very few tuning issues. I'm enjoying playing this guitar. Got the new Jeff Beck documentary DVD yesterday which has only just been released. Watched it last night after I'd finished in the studio but fell asleep part way through... Some nice and very flattering comments about Jeff from fellow guitarists including Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Must try to stay awake the next time I watch it though! Weather has turned a bit cooler since the extremely warm weekend. The Royal Wedding coming up this Saturday and the tv presenters are now gearing up for it big time. I suppose it will take people's attention away from the more depressing aspects of the news, especially in America where Trump's dysfunctional Presidency throws up fresh controversies almost every day. It's after three in the afternoon now and time for a ramble outdoors I think. A new track waiting to be mixed later this evening. As ever...onward! A flyer for the 'Powertron' album which will, hopefully, be released some time this year. My Fret King Country Squire Deluxe guitar. A flyer for 'Aqua Moon,' another completed album awaiting a release date...

Another week drawing to a close. Friday already and another visit to my mother in Wakefield planned for tomorrow. I'm almost continuously working on the 'These Stars Are Fire' album. 22 tracks finished so far, so it's already a double disc affair but will probably grow further over the next two or three months. Whether I'll finally decide to release it as a double album or really push the boat out and make it a triple (or even a four disc box set) is something I'll ponder later when I look at the final tally. It may be that I'll set aside any tracks that exceed the double album limit and use them at a much later date, but I'll see where this thing ends up and decide then. I'll let readers of this journal have a peek at the titles I've completed so far. This is not a running order as I'll need to experiment with the album's flow once I know the final number of tracks for inclusion, but here are the 22 tracks recorded and mixed so far:(I've indicated, alongside each title, whether the track is an instrumental or a vocal.) 'LUNA ROSA.'  (INSTRO.) 'RAINDROPS.'  (INSTRO.) 'THE EYE OF HEAVEN SHINES.'  (INSTRO.) 'A LONG TIME AGO.'  (INSTRO.) 'THE CLOCK THAT TELLS THE TIME.'  (INSTRO.) 'FOREVERTRON.'  (INSTRO.) 'AURAVILLE.'  (INSTRO.) ''WHAT FURNACE IS THY BRAIN?'  (INSTRO.) 'MYSTERE.'  (INSTRO.) 'DRIFTING THROUGH YOUR DREAMS.'  (VOCAL.) ''SUMMER COMES IN COLOUR.'  (VOCAL.) 'THESE STARS ARE FIRE.'  (VOCAL.) 'THE ICING ON THE CAKE.'  (VOCAL.) 'ALL HAIL THE DREAMER. (MISS FUTURAMA SMILES.)'  (VOCAL.) 'THERE IS A MOMENT.'  (VOCAL.) 'WEATHERPROOF.'  (VOCAL.) 'WHIRLAWAY.'  (VOCAL.) 'ASTRA.'  (INSTRO.) 'THE WOMAN OF TOMORROW. (HI-LO HEAVEN.)'  (VOCAL.) 'AQUA CELESTE.'  (INSTRO.) 'ORSON'S GHOST.'  (VOCAL.) 'THE DRIVING FORCE.'  (VOCAL.) Another track is currently on the drawing board and is awaiting overdubs. Many of the vocal pieces have surreal, 'stream of conciousness' lyrics that contain their own illogical kind of logic. An example:  "The driving force is in the fuse/Eddie sings the 'Summertime Blues'/The square of the hypotenuse is not my style..." And so on... Right, time for my afternoon walk around town. My blood-sugar level's a little on the high side today.

The usually warm weather for this time of year continues, though I believe it will change tomorrow for cooler days. Still, it's been pleasant driving in the sunshine with the top down on my aging convertible. Received a warm and welcome email from my dear friend Harold Budd yesterday. He seems to be happy and content at his hideout in the Mojave desert, visited by coyotes, roadrunners and lizards. Harold is one of my most precious friends, a fellow artist who 'gets' what I do and who I value for both his friendship and sensitive insight into my own music. I'm still amazed that when I discovered his music all those years ago, during the sessions for the Red Noise 'Sound-On-Sound' album whilst taking a lunchtime break in London from the album's sessions and browsing in Tower Records Store in Piccadilly Circus, I first discovered Harold's work on an album titled 'The Pavillion Of Dreams.' My admiration and love of his music continues to this day and I was amazed, many years ago now, when I eventually met Harold and became good friends with him. It still knocks me out that such a collaboration could happen. For me, a totally untutored musician who relies on instinct and nervous guesswork to figure out what other musicians may be aiming at, it's a special privilege to have worked with someone of Harold's stature. But, even more special than the music is our warm friendship as friends. Soon, I'll post a list of the possible titles for my 'These Stars Are Fire' album, though it won't be a running order or even a definitive final track list. The project continues to occupy my time and at some point in the later part of the year I will assess whatever tracks I've accumulated, (which I expect to be many,) and arrive at a final decision on the ultimate shape and form of the album. Exciting times in many ways... Meanwhile, here are more images for you to enjoy...

Decided to call a halt to recording for today, at least until this evening. The sun was shining and an extended bank holiday weekend suggested leaving work alone for a while. Emiko and I drove to Knaresborough, one of our favourite haunts, but the good weather had brought out the crowds and the place was packed. It was hard to find a space in the riverside car park. The car park is just a grass patch, no hard surface and it was difficult to manoeuvre through the many cars occupying the space to find a gap where we could fit in...Unfortunately, we became stuck in a hollow area filled with mud beneath the apparently grassy surface and our car could neither go forward nor back. The car's rear wheels kept spinning and mud was thrown all over the car but we were stuck fast. Luckily, a few people came to our rescue and pushed and pulled for over five minutes to get us free of the trap. My faith in humanity was restored by their  willingness to help us get out of the mess we were in...they even gave us their parking ticket for the day as they were just about to leave. So nice to encounter such kindness these days. Mud spattered, we walked by the river where people were hiring rowing boats and gently sculling on the river Nidd. The sun beat down, blossoms shone like jewels in the trees and we eventually found a table at 'The Marigold Cafe' that is situated right on the riverside. We ordered a simple lunch and I treated myself to a glass of red wine to calm my frayed nerves after the car park ordeal. All was bliss as the sunshine sparkled on the river and old rowboats drifted up and down in the warm May air. I noticed though, how poor my vision has become since the last time we visited Knaresborough. Details in the landscape were missing and faces of people were a vague blur. The world seems to be slowly fading away... After Knaresborough we drove to Harrogate and took a walk around Valley Gardens and enjoyed the 'old world,' vibe of this beautifully maintained little park in the heart of the town. The great British composer Edward Elgar used to visit Harrogate and stroll through Valley Gardens. I tried to imagine him walking elegantly along its paths, straw hat perched at a stylish angle on his head, a silver-topped walking cane in his hand, and a splendid moustache delineating his smile, happy to be there, as was I. Tomorrow, I must wash the car of its thick coating of mud. Still another day of this wonderful weather to come before it turns cooler later in the week. As the old saying has it: 'Make hay while the sun shines'... Knaresborough today, blossoms on the river... Another view of the river at Knaresborough today...

Was woken up very early this morning by Django the cat jumping on our bed. Managed to doze off again but not for long so eventually got up. A lovely clear blue sky and warm sunshine...looks like it will be a nice day. Will be driving over to Wakefield this afternoon to help mum with her shopping, as we do every weekend. It's a bank holiday weekend so Monday will be quiet. Might try a trip to Whitby on Sunday though I suspect the traffic will be bad due to the bank holiday with people seeking to escape the cities for a couple of days. We went to Castle Howard yesterday and the place wasn't very busy but the traffic on the way there was backed up, sometimes at a standstill, due to an accident. There were two ambulances, three police cars and three or four crashed vehicles closing off part of the road. It took us far longer than usual to reach Castle Howard. Have been working on a new piece of music...an interesting experiment using part of my recording of 'Crimsworth' but with overdubbed instrumentation and rhythm tracks. I've made three versions of it: one is a guitar instrumental, titled 'Aqua Celeste', the second is as a backing track for live improvisation, and the third is a vocal and guitar piece titled 'Orson's Ghost.' I'll put 'Aqua Celeste' and 'Orson's Ghost' on the 'These Stars Are Fire' album which I'm planning for release in December. Tracks for this album are gradually growing and it promises to be an interesting listen. Meanwhile, here's another photograph of more guitars... Left to right: My 'Astroluxe Cadet' signature guitar by Eastwood, a J.Joye 'Bel Air', a gold sparkle Musicvox and a Pure Salem 'Valiente.'

Have been feeling a little depressed these last few days. My eyesight seems to have deteriorated to the point where I'm unable to read emails clearly on my 27 inch iMac computer without the aid of both reading glasses and a magnifying glass...and I'm sitting literally a foot away from the screen. These words I'm typing now require me to hold the magnifying glass up to the screen to check that I haven't mis-typed anything. (And I've already corrected several mistakes up to this point.) Black text appears not only incomprehensible but light grey in colour, I seem to be losing contrast to a dramatic degree. Why this should be is difficult to understand as I've been having regular injections into my eye to supposedly stabilise the diabetic related macular degeneration, but it definitely has taken a noticeable turn for the worse recently.  Even watching tv now is frustrating with people's faces appearing as a glowing white blur with hardly any discernible features. Ironic that the most fulfilling aspects of my life, music, visual arts/film and reading are now gradually being taken from me due to my deafness and poor eyesight. I still manage to make music here in my home studio though, where I have the time and facility to slowly work though the process of recording in such a way as to get a reasonable result, despite these impediments. I intend to continue creating music and visuals as long as I'm able, though it no longer is as easy or comfortable as it once was. It just takes a heck of a lot longer to get right... I took some photographs of a few of my guitars the other day, which I'm attaching here. Today went to Castle Howard with Emi for a late lunch. Bright and sunny but that didn't aid my vision much at all, everything was 'washed out' and indistinct. But it was good to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air for once... Meanwhile, here's a glimpse of some of my beloved guitars...more to follow in next journal entries. A sunburst quartet: Left to right: A Musima 'Record' thinline archtop, an Eastwood 'Fire Bird' tribute, a Fret-King 'Country Squire Deluxe', and an Eastwood Morris Custom re-issue. The recent Tokai Firebird I was given by a loyal fan, complete with the Duesenberg Les Trem I had retro-fitted to it.

Wednesday already. The weeks fly by and little seems to get achieved but, then again, looking back, what we deal with is more than it actually seems at the time. Monday would have been my brother Ian's 62nd birthday, had he still been with us to celebrate it. But, sadly, he passed away in 2006 on the morning of his 50th birthday. Last Saturday my Mother, Emi and myself drove out to Wakefield cemetery to place a flower arrangement Emi had made for his grave. We placed a birthday card there too, written as if he might read it and know we loved him. It's always a melancholy experience, standing there looking at Ian's headstone and knowing that his remains lie somewhere beneath our feet. I try to sense his presence, to locate his spirit: Is it in the windswept cemetery air, hovering over the ghost of the 1950s Wakefield we both grew up in? Or is it in my heart along with so many warm memories of the childhood we shared and our later musical adventures? I think it's in both, but also, everywhere and nowhere. Our lives are simultaneously monumental and inconsequential. As one of my lyrics states, "everything matters and nothing matters..." This seems like a kind of mystery, a sort of zen paradox, but it's simply a hard, cold fact. Life is not so much 'rounded with a sleep' as Shakespeare had it, but with an extinction, a state of non-being. Where were we before we were born? Where are we after we pass away? Where do we pass away to? Where can we travel when we are always here? Our human imagination conjures up all kinds of answers, some that comfort, some that terrify, but the truth is that there are no answers. Life just is...death just is...things are just so. This we must accept if we are to flow with the wonder of living. Accept our own inevitable disintegration and live in each moment with love and creativity. Monday also involved another routine appointment with the podiatrist. My feet seem to be stable, despite losing many of the nerves in them due to diabetes. Another appointment arranged in four weeks time. Yesterday I attended the eye clinic at the hospital for yet another eye injection in an attempt to slow my diabetic-related macular degeneration. God knows how many of these injections I've had since the condition was diagnosed but I never get used to them. It's an ordeal every time. The black 'blobs' that appear in my vision after each injection haven't quite dissolved today, though they're shrinking in size. I had five of these blobs this time and the clinicians explained that it was just the drug they had injected into the eye floating around and that they would disappear within 24 hours. Normally they do, but this time they've persisted longer but, thankfully beginning to subside now. This afternoon I took my car for an MOT. Have to tax it in a few days and it needs a test certificate. Emi's car going in for a service tomorrow. More expense but necessary. Weather much cooler today than last week when we had an unusually hot spell for this time of year. Due to become colder in the next couple of days too. Continuing work on 'These Stars Are Fire.' Mixed another track yesterday and have lyrics to write for a new piece I've got on the drawing board. As ever, this is what I do to stay sane in this insane world... Here's a snaphot that Emi took of me after snoozing with Django on our sofa the other night...sleepy-eyed and smiley.

No journal entry for a few days as I have been busy enjoying Emiko's company, now that she's home from Tokyo. Her jet-lag is wearing off and she's finding it easier to stay awake throughout the day. We went to Castle Howard for lunch earlier in the week on a warm and sunny afternoon. Then on Friday went to Leeds to collect the two guitars I'd taken in to Gordon White of 'Single Coil Guitar Repairs'. He'd fixed the buzzing on the Fret-King guitar's neck and fitted the Duesenberg 'Les Trem' vibrato unit to my Tokai Firebird and cleaned the fretboard of the latter instrument. Both guitars were given an expert set-up and new strings and now play and sound very good indeed. I can't praise Gordon enough...the quality of his workmanship is outstanding. Today, Emi and I went to the 'Festival Of Vintage', an annual retro fair that is great fun. Rock-a-billy bands playing, Western Swing bands and lots of '40s big band records played by DJs dressed in appropriate period style. 90% of the people wandering around the various stalls or dancing to the music were beautifully turned out in clothes that ranged from the 1930s to the 1960s. I bought five vintage childrens annuals for eight pounds and a very nice 1940 style 'baker's boy' hat in a maroon herringbone pattern. An area outside the main halls hosted a stunning display of vintage cars, many of them huge American ones from the '50s and '60s. Pink and powder blue and chrome, heavily finned like rockets from the past. Back here at the ranch, work continues on my 'These Stars Are Fire' album, aided by my latest guitars. 'These Stars Are Fire' is definitely in double-album territory...I might even make it a triple disc set...But so many albums still to release. I wonder how many of them will surface before December 1st's birthday event?

Emi will soon be getting ready to begin her long trip home from Tokyo to York. We had originally thought that she would get back on Tuesday the 17th of April, but that was an error in our international time-zone calculations. She actually arrives back in England, (Manchester Airport,) tomorrow at 7:20 pm. She will be catching a taxi to the bus terminal in Tokyo at 6am, Japan time, (10 pm this evening UK time,) to travel the two hours to Narita airport where she will eventually board a 'plane from Japan to Dusseldorf. (This leg of the journey takes approximately 11 hours.) Then there will be a two hour wait for her connection from Germany to Manchester. Once she arrives at Manchester she will have to go though immigration and customs, then she must board a train to York, getting back here fairly late in the evening of the 16th. I'll be picking her up from York station and will be so glad to see her. These last ten days have been a challenge of sorts without her around. Django will be pleased too, he's really missed her... The last three days have been made slightly easier by the arrival of my eldest daughter, Julia Tuesday Nelson, and my grandson Luke. They travelled up from London to spend some time with me and it was really nice to have their company for three days. Luke, who next week will be 18 years old, is a wonderful, intelligent person who is planning a career in architecture. On Friday we visited Castle Howard and on Saturday went to Wakefield to visit my mum. She was so pleased to meet them both again. Julia and Luke went back to London just after lunch so this evening I've reverted to my 'ready-meal' status. When Julia and Luke were here, we ate out every night, the first night at a restaurant in town where we were joined by my youngest daughter Elle. The last two nights we ate at an excellent local village pub. So, only one more night of sleeping alone. It will be wonderful to have Emi back again. She's been away for ten days but, to me, it felt like far, far longer. Meanwhile, I'm still working on tracks for the 'These Stars Are Fire' album which will be released to coincide with my 70th birthday event. Really getting into these new tracks in a big way, partly because of having a handful of new guitars to inspire me. I think it will turn out to be a very strong double album...

'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' was released as a digital download yesterday. Available from my Bandcamp page it seems to be going well. It's what I consider to be one of my more 'casual' albums, not heavily worked over, just a spontaneous bit of fun, a rock album in many ways but with some minor diversions. The video I made for the album's title track is available to watch in the gallery/cinema section of my website. Meanwhile, Emi is still in Japan. She returns to the UK in 7 days time. I'll be pleased to have her home with me again. She emailed me some photographs of her adventures. Today she is at a Japanese 'Onsen', in the mountains. An Onsen is a natural hot spring with a traditional hotel nearby, where she will be staying tonight. She sent a photo' of some of the food she was enjoying and one dish of Sushi looked very tempting. (See attached photograph.) I'm very partial to Sushi myself. Tomorrow she moves back to Tokyo and goes to stay with a lady who used to be her next door neighbour at the apartment block she lived in before selling it to come to live in England. She will be staying there until she returns on the 17th. Yesterday, I had a photo' session with my official photographer Martin Bostock. Unfortunately, the weather was grim, foggy and damp, more like November than Spring. Still, we managed to get some outdoor shots of me huddled in my warm coat and took some indoors in my front room. (See attached photo'.) Tomorrow I have a podiatrist appointment and then will be picking up my eldest daughter Julia and grandson Luke from their hotel. They will be arriving from London tomorrow afternoon and staying for three days. It will be nice to see them both. Hopefully the weather might improve so that I can take them somewhere nice, perhaps Castle Howard. Finished the mix of 'These Stars Are Fire' last night, (the title track of a new double album I'm working on as part of my 70th birthday celebrations.) Will start another track later this evening. Have been stuck in the house all day, waiting for the delivery of a Duesenberg 'Les Trem' vibrato arm that I ordered from Germany last week. It's to be fitted to the new Tokai Firebird guitar. However, as of now, (4:35pm,) there's no sign of the delivery van. According to the tracking information, it's been out for delivery since 7am this morning. If it doesn't arrive today I'll be very annoyed as I've waited in all day long for it. Normally, time travels so fast...but, with Emi away and this waiting, it goes so slow.

It's been one of those dry, nothing much happening days. A typical Sunday in some respects, not as dead as the Sundays I experienced as a youngster in the 1950s when nothing was allowed to happen outside of the confines of your own home, (and very little happened even there, apart from listening to the 'Billy Cotton Band Show' or 'Family Favourites' on the 'wireless' (radio) whilst mum served a sit-down family lunch with a rare roast.) There's still something slow and dragging about Sundays, despite shops being allowed, for many years now, to open until 5pm. The 'Sabbath' and all that. How bizarre that we're all governed, (no matter where in the world we live, no matter what culture or diverse religion we're supposed to adhere to,) by a thousand shades of constricting religious belief. Humanity crippled by its own dumb imaginings. Received an email from Emi in Japan. She seems to be enjoying meeting with her friends and brothers. I sent her pictures of Django looking wistfully for her return, just as he's done since she went away. Worked in my studio on the 'These Stars Are Fire' track. Added an extended coda. Still using the Tokai Firebird that was gifted to me by a generous fan. Waiting for the Duesenberg 'Les Trem' vibrato unit that I've ordered to arrive this coming week. Once fitted to the Tokai by my guitar fettler of choice, Gordon White of 'Single Coil Guitar Repairs', it will be almost perfect, apart from that extremely heavy neck dive that blights its balance on the strap. Have to devise a way around that. The album I'm recording, which is also titled 'These Stars Are Fire,' is coming along nicely. It will probably end up as a double album. Regardless of ongoing problems with my recording equipment, my desire to create music somehow finds a way around them. Compromises and abandoning the high ground sometimes produces results of sorts, sometimes very good ones. Images with this journal entry are: An old advert from the late '70s showing me promoting the Hagstrom Patch 2000 guitar synth that I used on the 'Drastic Plastic' album. And another picture of dear Django the cat.

Well, Emi arrived safely in Japan but her mobile phone won't work there. I suspected it wouldn't. As a result she wasn't able to call me when she landed at Narita airport. However, her iPad managed to connect to the internet and she sent me emails informing me that she was ok and on the bus into Tokyo. I've since called to her friend's house mobile phone, though I had some frustration at first with incorrect international codes but finally got through. She's staying for the first half on the 10 days with Junko, an old friend of hers from years back. Junko is a nice girl and was cooking dinner for Emi and Emi's younger brother when I called. Good to hear her voice and know that she's safe. Back here in this corner of Yorkshire, the man who cuts our grass and keeps the garden tidy came today, the first time this year. After two hours work he had the garden looking much nicer. There are blossoms starting to appear on the small flowering cherry we planted last year in our rear garden. I went out for a walk around Sainsbury's supermarket but only bought some cold medication. I seem to have one of those colds that is almost subliminal. Sniffling nose, occasional cough and feeling a bit 'off it' but not a full blown, whistles and bells one. When I got back from the supermarket, Django was waiting to greet me when I opened the door, then he just sat in the doorway looking for Emi again. He was still sitting there, looking out at her car, 30 minutes later. I washed up the plates from breakfast and lunch and put another ready meal in the oven. (A chicken dinner with veg.) I added a frozen Yorkshire pudding to bulk it up a bit. Now that it's dark, Django has disappeared into the fields behind the house. Hope he'll be back before bedtime. Now that the weather is improving slightly, he's more prone to going out hunting. This can be distressing. He brought a baby rabbit into the house from one of his jaunts last week. Poor thing was dead. Grabbing it from him wasn't easy but eventually it was liberated and its body laid to rest in a nearby field. Shaking my finger at him and saying forcefully, "NO DJANGO!" doesn't seem to make any difference. He just looks up at me as if I'm completely bonkers. Despite these gruesome escapades, Django is a sensitive, intelligent and affectionate cat and curls up next to me on the bed at night. A warm and furry companion. Here's a photo I took earlier of Django waiting in vain for Emi...

Woke early this morning to take Emi to the station to catch the train to Manchester airport. She's flying from Manchester to Dusseldorf in Germany, then a couple of hours after arriving there she boards another aeroplane to Japan, (just over 11 hours I think from Germany.) Once she's landed at Narita airport in Japan she then has a two hour bus ride into Tokyo. All in all, a very long, tiring journey. I lifted her suitcase and hand luggage onto the train from a cold and windy platform at York station at 11:23 this morning and kissed her goodbye then I returned home feeling sad. Only Django and myself here until the 17th when she returns. Just had a brief 'phone conversation with her from Germany and the first part of the trip seems to have gone ok, although the plane was about to land in Dusseldorf but suddenly went back up and circled the airport before landing successfully at the second attempt. Apparently something to do with the wind. She's just about to board the plane to Tokyo so I won't hear from her until she gets to Narita airport, sometime around 6:30 am our time. Django is looking for her. Of course, he doesn't understand that she's gone away for eleven days. He just knows she's not here and wonders where she is. He's sitting in the doorway, waiting for her. Poor Django, he'll be fretting for a while. I'm due for some visits to help cheer me up. Martin Bostock is coming over next week to take some photos of me for publicity purposes and Paul Gilby has promised a visit, as has Jon Wallinger. And on the 12th my eldest daughter Julia and Grandson Luke are coming up from London to spend three days with me. I'll try to organise a get together of the whole offspring clan, Julia, Elle, Elliot and Luke. Perhaps this will help the days go quicker but it's the nights that I'll be aware of Emi's absence the most. Still, I've got my studio switched on now and a track close to finishing. It will be the title track of the 'These Stars Are Fire' album, planned for release at my 70th birthday event. Right now, it's 7pm and time for my blood-sugar test and the second insulin injection of the day...and also to pop a ready-meal into the oven. Today's journal image is of me 20 some years ago standing beside the Toyota MR2 sports car I owned back then. The picture was taken by Emi at Withernsea on the East Coast of Yorkshire. (That is Withernsea lighthouse in the background.)

Not long returned from collecting a new guitar, a second-hand Tokai Firebird in metallic red. The guitar was up for sale on eBay and I'd been keeping my eye on it for a week or two but hesitated to bid on it, mainly because of fearing Emiko's wrath at spending good money on yet another guitar. I'd mentioned the guitar in a post here and, amazingly, a very generous fan decided to buy it for me! I'm not sure that he would want his full name revealed but his first name is Simon. Such an unexpected, kind and beautiful gesture and, of course, it got around any objection Emi might have raised. I'm so grateful to Simon. The person selling the guitar conveniently happened to live in central York so I called at his home to collect the guitar at 5 pm today. His name is Mark, (again, I won't reveal his full name in case he wishes to remain anonymous,) but he turned out to be an extremely nice man, a professional author and a semi-pro guitarist. I enjoyed a great half hour in his company. I was also flattered to discover that I was one of his three favourite guitar heroes so I signed copies of 'Sunburst Finish' and 'Axe Victim' for him. In return he gave me a copy of his book and, completely out of the blue, threw in a Blackstar HT-Reverb pedal...Amazing! So, a day of gifts and two wonderful people. The guitar now resides here in my studio. I've plugged it in and had a brief play and have to say it sounds very good. I may eventually put a Duesenberg vibrato on it, as I did with my Musicvox guitar. In any case, I'll be featuring it on a number at December's birthday concert event. Sincere thanks to Simon and Mark for their generosity and support. There are some good people in this world and I'm deeply appreciative of that.

Well, the visit to the doctor produced good and less good news...My blood test results showed my kidneys to be normal. So the blood-pressure tablets I was put on a few months ago don't seem to be affecting me adversely. These tablets can put your kidneys at risk, especially if you suffer from diabetes, as I do. Less welcome news was that my finger pains are probably due to arthritis. The lady doctor who checked me out said that there's not a lot you can do about it, other than try 'Voltarol' gel, (a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.) I explained it was a particular worry for me as I was a professional guitarist. She asked what kind of music I played, which always stumps me. I ventured that it was a fusion of all kinds of music: rock, jazz, ambient, neo-classical, pop, etc. Then she wryly said, "well, you're 69 now, maybe you need to think about stopping playing the guitar..." I explained that I'd been a guitarist since I was 10 or 11 years old and had no intention of giving it up. I'll hang on until it becomes either impossible or too difficult to maintain some sort of standard. I can't imagine life without a guitar and being able to create music. Horrified by the thought... Going over to Wakefield again today to visit my mum. Time for a blood sugar test, then some lunch before driving over.

Well, my new Yamaha RBX A2 bass guitar arrived and I've already used it on a new track. It's a very well made instrument and has a good range of tones. The light-up volume controls add a nice visual touch too. However, one thing I overlooked when I bought it is that there are no position markers on the fretboard. With it's extended scale length, (much longer than a guitar,) I'm finding it hard to accurately judge my left-hand position to hit the right notes. There are some very small position marker dots on the side of the neck but seeing these with my diabetic impaired visions is nigh on impossible. For someone who plays bass all the time, and with better vision than myself, the absence of fretboard position markers probably doesn't pose such a problem, but, for me it's concerning. In the studio I can stop if I make a mistake and try again but doing this loses some of the spontaneity and takes time. Maybe I'll get more used to it the more I use the bass. Let's face it, I haven't played bass guitar on my recordings for many years so there's bound to be a little adjustment needed to feel comfortable with it. This afternoon I have a doctor's appointment to check out my finger problem. Funnily enough, it's not too bad today. Somedays are worse than others though. My son Elliot came over for dinner last night. Daughter Elle is away in France at the moment, visiting a friend. Elliot and I had a good chin wag about lots of things, politics, the absurdity of the Trump administration, the self-harm Britain is inflicting on itself with 'Brexit' and, of course, music and recording techniques. A brief demonstration of compression up in my studio in response to Elliot's questioning on how to avoid 'clipping' in a mix. Emi will soon be going to Tokyo for her 10 day visit. I've begun to buy 'ready meals' to put in the freezer ready for my solitary existence but only got three so far. Will perhaps buy more today. Thinking again about my backlog of albums. Whilst 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' is scheduled for a Bandcamp download release in April and 'Dynamos And Tremolos' will hopefully become available as a physical CD sometime in late May or early June, there's still several albums to go yet to catch up. I've been considering 'Magnetic Travels' as a possible third release 'though I haven't got the artwork together for it yet. (Just a fun flyer so far.) Perhaps I could also make more than one new album available at my 70th birthday event in December. We'll see what transpires... #bass

Waiting in, most of today, for the delivery of my new Yamaha RBX bass guitar. Finally arrived around 3: 40 pm in a large cardboard box. Very little protection but all appears well. A pleasing design, simple and quietly beautiful in white and grey with volume controls that light up in neon bright colours as they're turned up. A nice touch whose appeal didn't escape me when I chose this model. Already using it on a new vocal track, as yet untitled. The instrumental numbers I've been working on towards a new album for my 70th Birthday event are going to be included on a larger, double, (or maybe even triple,) album project which I'll release around the 1st of December to coincide with the birthday event, (though my 70th isn't until the 18th of December.) I'm tentatively calling this birthday album 'These Stars Are Fire.' Things might change, of course, but I'm happy with this title for the moment. Getting closer to Emi's trip to Japan....will be alone for 17 days or so, as I've mentioned before, but hopefully ok. Need to start buying 'ready meals' to freeze in preparation. Have been tempted with a second-hand Tokai 'Firebird' copy advertised locally...Do I really need yet another guitar? I've always had a hankering after a Firebird shaped guitar, and these Tokai ones seem to be very good, despite not carrying the Gibson name and being somewhat cheaper. Have to decide soon though as it's about to end its sale period on the internet. How to justify this to Emiko though...? My son Elliot coming over for dinner on Wednesday. (Elle away in France at the moment.) Perhaps, when Emi goes to Japan next week, my three children will 'rally round' to cheer me up a little. Eldest daughter Julia is currently shaping up for a visit from London with my grandson Luke. An injured rabbit in our garden today...had to push Django into the house to stop him from attacking it. Poor thing, it appeared to have been already savaged by something or other, and seemed half blind. I didn't know what to do, felt somewhat helpless but managed to usher it into a carboard box and took it into the nearby fields where I released it. I don't think it will live long though. Sometimes, nature is so cruel. Every animal I see that goes through pain and suffering I feel deeply for. Have to get the results of my recent blood test tomorrow...and later in the week a doctor's appointment to check out my finger/hand problem. The new bass guitar neck requires quite a stretch of the fingers on my left hand and, with no position markers on the guitar's neck, it's taking some getting used to. But it sounds good and I'll just have to endure. #TheseStarsAreFire

Haven't found time to write a journal entry for over a week...busy, busy, busy. One major task completed was to copy all the tracks for the 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' and 'Dynamos And Tremolos' albums to Fairview's mastering computer for my buddy John Spence to master, ready for manufacture. However, on hearing the 16 tracks that I'd sequenced for 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' playing back on Fairview's speakers I had some doubts about the sheer number of songs on it. I asked John to hold fire on assembling the actual master until I'd had another think about the album's content. Back at home, I listened through again and removed four of the 16 tracks, reducing the album's length to 12 tracks. It suddenly felt more concise. I removed one vocal track and three instrumentals. The album is now completely vocal-based apart from just one instrumental. So, what to do with the four tracks left over? Well, I've decided to release the vocal track and one of the instrumentals as a free single on my website in the near future. The other two tracks, both instrumentals, I've put aside for an album I'm currently working on, (as yet untitled.) This album will be one of the releases timed to go with my 70th birthday party event in December. I'm also working on several new backing tracks to possibly include at that same event. Struggling a little with my ongoing finger problem but managing to get the work done. And whilst on the subject of dodgy digits, I cut my left hand thumb open two days ago whilst slicing some bread. A careless mistake that produced a nasty wound. It's currently bandaged up and very sore. One positive piece of news: I've bought myself a new bass guitar. It will be delivered on Monday. I've played the bass parts on my recordings from a keyboard for several years now and I thought it might be good to switch to bass guitar for a while. My old bass is an inexpensive 'Eros' semi-acoustic which I bought in the 1970s, but I think a new, shiny bass guitar might inspire me to lay down something different from the keyboard produced bass parts of recent years. So...I'm awaiting my new Yamaha bass with a certain amount of excitement! All for tonight. More later...

Visited my mum in Wakefield today, (as opposed to our usual Saturday visit,) as today is Mothering Sunday. Took her some gifts including a new watch with a nice clear analogue face that's easy to read. We went to Sainsbury's supermarket to get her shopping, then back at her house and had a little chat about days gone by. Mum will be ninety years old this coming August. She was just twenty when I was born in 1948 and those seventy years since then have flown by. I asked her how old I was when my parents and I moved from my grandmother's home at Marriot's Buildings in Wakefield to a brand new council house two storey flat, at 28 Conistone Crescent on Eastmoor Estate. (I sometimes get confused as to whether I was three or four years old at that time.) Mum confirmed that she and my father had been given the keys to number 28 on my third birthday, December 18th, which would be in 1951. Astonishing then that I have such vivid memories of living at my grandmother's house prior to our move to Eastmoor. Marriot's Buildings, now long demolished, was a relic of Yorkshire's early industrial age. Built by Thomas Marriot, a wealthy Mill owner, to house some of his poorer employees, it was a somewhat grim edifice. Dark and sooty brick terraces built around a cobbled courtyard, each dwelling possessing dingy cellars and dusty attics, no hot water, no bathrooms, no toilets. Its back yard sited on the edge of an equally ancient printing factory just off Lawefield Lane. I remember my infancy there vividly. Playing out in the back yard with neighbouring children, peering through the windows of the printing works and marvelling at the machinery grinding away within. Those years from birth to three years old are, (amazingly,) fixed indelibly in my mind. When we moved, not long after my third birthday, to Eastmoor Estate, it felt like we'd moved into the future. A shiny new kitchen and white bathroom with hot running water, an inside toilet and, miracles of miracles, a bedroom of my own. The new flat, when we took up residence there, smelled of newly sawn woodwork and fresh, bright emulsion paint, a smell that, even today, I can conjure up in some part of my mind that deals with olfactory sensations. I was only an infant, but deep inside, whatever form constitutes our material existence, I somehow felt timeless and acutely aware of my surroundings. I felt, bizarrely, as if I had been alive forever. These thoughts could be seen, by some, as illusory or fantastical. However, such conclusions would be wrong. These memories of mine are extremely real, profound, and accurate. Whether brought about via science's mysteries or by mysticism itself, they are the facts of my early life and I treasure each bright revelation that they accord me, even today after so many years. But, enough of such ancient ponderings... Have this evening sorted out the correct bunch of DAT tapes to take to Fairview studio tomorrow to transfer to the studio's mastering computer for my old friend John Spence to eventually bring his mastering skills to bear on. Also printed out the track lists for the two albums we're preparing to release in the near future. These lists are needed to put the tracks in the correct order for each album. Also, in the last few days, I've completed the brief interview with Mojo Magazine for their 'Work In Progress' feature. My official and highly regarded photographer Martin Bostock came to take photographs of me in my studio on Friday for use in the article. The photographs, as usual from Martin, are excellent! One worrying development is a newly occurring pain in my left hand, more specifically in the middle finger and knuckles of the left hand. This discomfort is making it difficult to play the guitar. My agility is definitely impaired and I'm concerned that it might not be something that I can easily override. When I've got tomorrow's mastering session out of the way, I'll need to make an appointment with my GP to check it out. I have to admit that this latest health development is very much concerning me. As some wag once said...getting old is not for cissies...

Had my head down for the last few days, working intensely in my studio, helped, initially, by the bad weather keeping me indoors. But now the snow has vanished and the temperature risen to a more comfortable level so yesterday and today have allowed me to venture out into the world for a much needed walkabout to lower my blood-glucose levels. (Moderate exercise helps this.) I'm currently working towards recording a selection of new backing tracks for my performance at December's 'PLECTRONICA' event. The two titles completed so far are 'The Eye Of Heaven Shines' and 'A Long Time Ago.' Both feature found voice samples. I've also made mixes of each with overdubbed guitars for use on an album I'm planning to release as a celebration of my 70th Birthday in December, (for which 'PLECTRONICA' is being staged.) Also have another track 'in the oven' which I'll further work on tonight. Tomorrow I have a short interview to do for Mojo magazine. A modest feature about work in progress. Then on Thursday, Martin Bostock, ace snapper, is coming over to photograph me in the studio for the same magazine piece. I am also being interviewed for a school project organised by a teacher who lives locally. Then on Monday I'm heading over to Fairview studio to transfer all the tracks for 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' and 'Dynamos And Tremolos' ready for John Spence to master. These will be the next two album releases, though there are several more still awaiting their turn. Emi is out this evening, attending her monthly Flower Guild meeting, so I'm 'cooking' my own dinner. I say that in inverted commas because all I'm doing is sticking a bought basic ready meal in the oven. I guess I'll need to try harder when Emi goes away to Tokyo for ten days next month as there simply aren't enough ready meals available with the required low sugar and carb levels to take care of my diabetic requirements. I've become so used to Emi taking care of that side of things, it will be a shock to have to deal with it on my own. And now I must go downstairs and turn the oven on....

8:29, 1st OF MARCH: Another bitterly cold day with another layer of snow overnight. No sign of a thaw yet. Have been confined to the house for two days now...for someone who needs to get at least a couple of hours walking in town to keep my blood-glucose levels in check, it's not an ideal situation. Sitting in front of the computer or mixing desk all day is unhealthy, but sitting in front of the tv being mindlessly 'entertained' is worse. Nevertheless, I've completed the recordiing and mixing of a track titled ' TOO HOT THE EYE OF HEAVEN SHINES' which I've mixed in two versions, one as a backing track to possibly use at the 'Plectronica' performance planned for this coming December, the other as a finished instrumental with lead guitar overdubs. Sounds good.... Lit the log fire again. Need to backup the rather weak central heating our house suffers from. Wondering whether to start another new piece for 'Plectronica' or close the studio down for the night. The blinking lights of my recording equipment are beckoning, guitars are calling to me from their cases in the storage room...I surrender.

Woke this morning to heavy snowfall, as predicted, winds whipping it into swirls of white fog. Everything still and quiet as it always is in these kinds of conditions. No vehicles going down the lane except for the occasional big 4-wheel drive, making slow headway. Since then the sun has come out and dominated the day, causing some minor thawing on the hedges and trees but still solid underfoot and slippy. We're staying put for the day, though we walked a few yards from our home to take a couple of photographs. Local schools seem to be closed as the neighbour's kids were out sledging at midday. It's warmed up a bit since last night but still bitterly cold, (currently minus 2 according to my computer temperature reading.) I had a flashback to my childhood and the excitement we experienced as kids when the snow began to fall. I remember at my very first school spotting the first fast flakes, spiralling outside the classroom window and the teacher letting us rush to look out through the panes of glass at the rapidly whitening scene outside. After being collected by my mother and walked through the accumulating snow back home, I couldn't wait to get my tea out of the way and dash out to join the other kids. Snowball fights, sledging, building a snowman and even an igloo in the front garden with my best friend and neighbour, Bronwyn Jackson. Happy times. We'd be allowed to play out until twilight began its turn into night and then ushered inside to take off wellingtons, scarves, balaclavas, gloves and coats to sit in front of the blazing fire with a glass of warm milk and a couple of biscuits, fingers and toes and end of noses tingling with the change of temperature. All that was a long time ago, back in the early 1950s. Here in 2018 at just after 4pm, the sun has begun to sink and the sky is looking like it may snow again before too long. The bad weather is predicted to last for the next few days. Had a call from my son Elliot a couple of hours ago. He was driving back to his girlfriend's house in Todmorden. He'd set off from York in sunshine and what he thought would be reasonably clear roads but he said that as soon as he got onto the M62, conditions dramatically worsened and he was currently in a blizzard. I'd suggested he turn back as the B-roads he'd have to navigate, once off the motorway, were bound to be more treacherous... but he said he was about half-way there and wanted to risk going on. I urged him to be extremely careful and asked if he'd packed a shovel and a flask of warm tea in case he got stuck. He said he hadn't as he didn't expect it to be this bad. Hopefully, he'll get there safely. I'll give him a call later to see that he's ok. Have started work on a new track, possibly to include in my solo performance at the 'Plectronica' event in December. In fact, creating some new pieces to play at the event is my next and ongoing task. Just a basic framework for this one yet, and no title fixed but I'm about to switch on the recording gear and make a start on building it up into something usable. Onward...

Suffering from this afternoon's eye injection. Black 'blobs' floating in the centre of my vision from the drug injected into my eyeball, and a strong, stinging, painful sensation with it. This is just how it goes, every time I have to do this. Tomorrow it will ease, hopefully. As I said in my previous journal entry, I don't enjoy this procedure at all, but it's neccesary. Snow not too bad during the day. Some sunshine melted it away where the shadows didn't keep it in place, but tonight is different. Temperature minus 3 as I write and dropping along with renewed snowfall. The morning will reveal an impenetrable white landscape, I fear. Despite my vision difficulty from the injection, I started a new track tonight . It may end up as a live performance in the 'Plectronica' event planned for December. I'll eventually mix it as a finished track for an album but also do a backing track mix that I can use live. Maybe the album that I'll put the finished track on could be released to coincide with 'Plectronica.' I have a vague title for this...'Stylus.' I've knocked up a flyer, which I'm posting here. Just another one of those 'imagination in motion' things that may or may not come to fruition. Enough for tonight. Time for a cuppa and a sugar-free buiscuit...

Snow and freezing weather coming our way over the next few days. Blizzards and icy conditions threaten to disrupt the country, especially in our neck of the woods. It was cold enough today when I had to venture out to fulfill a podiatrist's appointment at a local medical centre: 0 degrees but the wind chill made it feel colder. Apparently we're in for a lot worse than this tomorrow, according to the weather prophets. After the podiatrist thing today I have to attend another medical appointment tomorrow afternoon at the hospital. It's for my regular, dreaded, eye injection. I hate this with a vengance but it has to be kept up if I'm to escape blindness. However, despite these regular injections directly into my eye, my vision isn't any better, if anything probably a little worse, but what it would be like without these treatments I dread to think. The 'Concert For George' event was on tv last night. I've had the DVD of this since it first came out a good few years ago, but Emi was watching the tv broadcast when I emerged from my studio so sat down to watch it with her. I think it's one of the finest examples of what musicians can put together when they have a strong motivation. I personally rank it up there with 'The Last Waltz' for heart and soul coupled with great musicianship. A wonderful, touching tribute to George Harrison who's skills as a songwriter and musician were too often overshadowed by the Lennon/McCartney axis of the Beatles. The log fire is blazing away downstairs at the moment whilst I'm shivering upstairs here in my studio typing these words. I was planning to start work on a new track tonight but...perhaps it's time to switch off and warm myself by the fireside and await the snow.

Will be driving over to Wakefield this afternoon to take my mum to the supermarket for her weekly shopping. At 89 she's frail though mentally bright enough for her age. Our regular Saturday visits are the only time she ventures out of the house as she needs to hold on to one of us when she walks. I speak with her twice a day, everyday, on the 'phone to make sure she's ok and my nephew Julian and his wife Lyndsey call whenever they're able during the week to take care of things that mum finds difficult to do for herself. Without my late brother Ian around, Julian, (Ian's son,) has stepped into his shoes to help and I'm very grateful that he's done so. There was a one-off 'Old Grey Whistle Test' special on tv last night though I didn't see it due to working in my studio. Apparently there were several interviews with artists and pundits from forty odd years ago. I think my teenage nostalgia is for an earlier time. I was always a fan of 'Ready Steady Go,' the tv show that broadcast Jimi Hendrix's first British tv performance. There were several iconic acts during the show's run, including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and The Yardbirds in their heyday. I would watch it on Friday evenings before heading off to the local Mecca Dance Hall with my friend Ian Parkin. We would sit at one of the dance hall's balcony tables and discuss the bands we'd seen on 'Ready Steady Go' that evening. Two things I remember being really blown away by from that programme was The Yardbirds 'Shape Of Things' with Jeff Beck dropping to his knees to place his Telecaster upright for the indian flavoured guitar solo, and Jimi Hendrix performing 'Hey Joe' and playing the guitar solo with his teeth. Those were pivotal moments in my musical development and moved me on from the more orthodox guitar instrumentals I'd started my musical life with. Early Who songs were influential too, particularly their first few singles. (Astute listeners may have spotted the quote from The Who's 'Substitute' at the end of Be Bop Deluxe's 'Maid In Heaven.') Today, of course, all the passions of my long musical life have sunk to the bottom of my consciousness to form a gumbo-like mix, (or fusion,) of inspirations that are filtered and informed by my own character traits. The music I make now takes everything on board, from those early guitar instrumentals through rock, psychedelia, blues and jazz, classical, folk and the avant-garde. I rarely consciously choose a 'genre' but just let things flow. A single song often has several of these elements in it, but mashed up together into what, I hope, is my personal style... I try not to compartmentalise things too much and don't impose rigid generic limits on the music...it just roams free, wherever it feels right to go. And that can be simultaneously everywhere at exactly the same time. Musical quantum physics? Thinking about some of the yet to be released albums I have waiting in the wings, I created a flyer for an album titled 'Magnetic Travels.' A little old lady receiving the keys to a fabulous future car... Time to prepare for the drive to Wakefield....

The flyer I posted on Dreamsville, and on the various Facebook pages, has garnered a good and positive response from people wanting to come to my 70th birthday bash/concert at The Clothworker's Hall in December. Already, I'm feeling the pressure of coming up with something that will be seen as special for these people, several of whom will apparently be travelling great distances to attend. I'm always incredibly nervous about live performances these days. And with my added concerns of partial deafness, sight problems and diabetic energy levels, it's difficult to judge how things will work out on the day. However, the event is still a long way off at this point in time and things could fluctuate, one way or another, dramatically over the coming months. Park it on the back of my mind and deal with it later... Meanwhile, I've begun sending images to Martin Bostock for him to lay out for the design of the 'Dynamos And Tremolos' album, which I'm planning for my next physical CD release. I'm thinking of making this one another digipak package, similar to the 'Songs For Ghosts' album. These packages cost much more to produce but I feel that this album may warrant it. Anyway, some nice images sent to Martin today and maybe a few more to send yet. The concept is rather nebulous at the moment, things stirring in the ether, ideas coalescing, gradually shaping up, forming like ghosts from half-realised ideas, but coming together nevertheless. It will all be fine and dandy when it's completed. It always is. Some minor developments on the Warner Bros/Red Noise front but nothing to positively report at this stage. To be honest, I'm pissed off with the way the so called 'industry' ripped off artists like me back then. Suggesting that artists should become businessmen is like Trump saying that teachers should become trained gunmen. It's never going to happen in the majority of cases. So, that's it for today. Feeling a little low for some reason. But, there you go...