Albert Tatlock

Not sure. Maybe that was someone later. AMan might know.

Autumn Almanac - Kinks (Bit obvious, but there you go) I Smell Winter - Housemartins That song Justin Hayward sang on the War of the Worlds concept album (somehow evocative and in my memory, not particularly favourite) Van Occupanther - Midlake (Just curl up somewhere cosy listening to this) Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel (Just sad - like the onset of autumn)

Not so sure about the looking forward - what with the catalogue of injuries ... Also, November 3rd - JPR doing a book signing just around the corner. I'll try to shoulder charge him on his way up the stairs (I know where they hide them in the book shop until they come out to do their bit). I expect to be at the bottom of the stairs shortly afterwards, but it must be done.

Just found out that Beirut are one of the supports for the London show (think all the UK shows). Not too bothered myself from what I've heard, but I know some here like them/him.

.... the wicked dentist

Spooky. Flick = Mystic Meg!

I suppose wasps are the exception that proves the rule.

Second rendezvous completed. Surrogate hugs transfered as ordered (for Donna, stiff upper lip protocol won't allow man-man hugs). Tom given several 'best of British' CDs, including All Mod Cons by The Jam, Fisherman's Blues by the Waterboys, and a Beautiful South compilation. This should should set him straight on a couple of things. Some exposure to the Jam should put an end to some of his rather worrying positive references to Green Day at least.

One of my thoughts exactly. The silence at the right times during the London solo show was one of the things that made it magical for me. The other thought was: half the trailer seems to be aimless camera poking out the car/bus window footage. Not very inspiring/original. Anyway, I suppose I'll get suckered in around Christmas time.

That's the sort of info that keeps me coming back to VC.

The hotel that inspired Fawlty Towers reopens Also, if your family comes from the UK and you have an out of the ordinary name, this may give you an idea what part of the country your family came from (alternative searches for recently and 1881):- http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/default.aspx Mine seems spot on - our branch of the Dowdalls moved from Ireland to Cardiff, and South Wales is shown as an area of concentration. The others are also generally areas where there were alot of ports or sea traffic, and we've always had a history of merchant sailoring. http://www.spatial-lite

I've just put one of these in the post to you. That should do the trick.

And a certain someone else ... I will be monitoring your blog for an appraisal.

Sidestep like Phil Bennett, unfortunately.

This is more my style

I thought of you when I was at Tower Bridge again, watching while Tom posed for some Wilco holiday pics competion entries (Is is still summer? Is it still going?). I was artistic director for a later one on the theme of I'm A Wheel (any ideas?), and there's a good one of Donna and Tom separated by a Life Guard.

Sorry, but black and orange means only one thing to me, and it's not good when you come from Cardiff: http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/ P.S. Enjoyed the Dirty Pretty Things piece.

Done. Wander round Tower Hill, boat to Embankment, wander up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. Back to work - but meeting for meal this evening. Kidsmoke taking many many photos. Tom is a top man.

Under the moonlight, The serious moonlight. Kidsmoke rendezvous: T - 29 mins

In a moment of submission to VC mind-control, I did buy the Midlake album last week. It was the only CD I had with my for a week and a half on holiday - so constant repeat for a hours at a time in the car, and was most appropriate for the scenery I was experiencing. Great stuff. I was even growing a beard. So, thanks for the recommendation. (Sorry Welsh Rich )

Naah, he's just resting. (I knew you'd get that one immediately ) I'm going to try to take the day off (but may be tricky as I've been away 2 weeks and stuff has happened that I need to check on), but at the very least I'll see them in the evening. More classic comedy. Ray Galton and Alan Simpson - writers of true genius. Love Harry H Corbett too - I saw him in a deckchair on the beach at Bournemouth once when I was a kid.

Two things. I did think of the Western Isles alot when in some parts of Norway. I have been to Skye, but had wanted to visit some of the more remote places. I think I can save myself that now - Norway is equally remote in those beautiful parts, but seems to have better infrastructure to enable easier travelling, as they are a whole nation geared up to sustaining small communities. Second - waterfalls. This is actually one of the dullest I saw. I only took it because it was the single day of mist & rain on the holiday and I wanted to take something that would trigger memories of that day's

Good news - Norway is so close and I never fully appreciated the magnitude of it's scenery. Bad news - for that reason I might never need to go to the USA again (except Norway has no deserts, and I do like a desert). My ears were burning - and I thought it was just the wind whistlling through the fjords (which I am already pining for).

Great set of programmes on BBC4 last night. Loads of memories. I think it continues tonight. What I enjoyed most was how outrageously amateur everything looked on the TOTP performances - bad lip synching etc., no slick PR grooming, but there were some great characters around then. Wreckless Eric, Edmunds/Lowe/Rockpile, early Madness, Elvis Costello, Tenpole Tudor, Ian Dury, The Pogues etc. etc. etc. Even Lena Lovitch raised a smile - who I never thought I'd ever see or hear again. Bit of an interview relating to the TV event here: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/f...icle1587921.