But with me, the colds, flu and general chest infections were sticking around longer and longer every winter particularly, the breathless nights, becoming more regular - so yeah - it was time. Every morning I was coughing my guts up at about 6.00am till I was practically blue in the face, and my chest sounded like a blimmin' dovecote- That's a smoker's cough sure enough, and if that's all I come away with for all those years, then I consider myself to be one lucky fella. I remember our old woodwork teacher at school coughin' himself bright purple in the face in front of the pupils - he was smoking around 60 Senior Service plain (untipped) a day. He'd literally cough for about 5 minutes at a time, non-stop. Killed him in the end. No one was surprised to hear he had expired from lung-cancer a few years later. It did for him.

So for me, no doubt it is time to kick the devil in the balls once and for all. And the quack has been waving the red card at me last few times I've seen him as I told yas all before - he wasn't doing that to be an arsehole - he was simply telling me, that it was now or never - period! So in honour of the snouting years, we had a final farewell smoke-up in the local hostelry as it was the last day before the ban in Wales comes into effect, so - the end of an era was celebrated...Along with some of my friends' pate-making competition of all things. I guess it's a country kind of thing you got to expect in a rural community.



It was a beautiful evening tonight, and the blossom on this tree looked fabulous - a great night to give  up the cigarettes, and be able to smell the scent for once...



Friends, John & Anne...last chance to spark one up inside a public place for good.



The exhibits for the pâté tasting competition at the local. Doesn't look too appetizing eh? A few fag-butts in an ashtray look a tad more inviting!



Charles thought he'd won it, but came 3rd - sorry, buddy! He's organizing the Raglan Festival again this year - best stick to that one, eh Charlie-boy? Leave the pâté to the professionals (one of the few things those Frogs are good at...and ahem, making wine of course!) Can't think of much else - oh yeah, they're very fast runners when the Gerries came their way in the 2nd World War! We saved their arses, and they've hated us for it ever since. Ungrateful French cowards - the English Channel can never be wide enough for my money!!

It's day one (2nd April) and I set off to the darkest wilds of Leighton Buzzard (armed with my nicotine patches) where we are mixing the live album from Tokyo. I've got a few keys and vocal replacements to make on the recordings, nothing major - I'm just tidying up stuff, but it all takes a pretty long time - much longer than you guys out there might think. Anyway I'm working in a non-smoking environment from today, so that's a good sign, and I headed off to the local for dinner on the first night Monday. Had a chat with John Young, who has just returned back from the States for his gigs there. He lives very close, so we caught up on a few bits and pieces. I like JY - he's a talented player.

More full-on in the studio, on Tuesday, and it's off to an Indian in Wing, nr. Aylesbury in the evening with Martin for a low-fat curry. Bloody good it was too.

Had a few twinges on the smoking front but nothing mega. You know, I guess it's going to kick in a bit after you've eaten. Gotta keep going though...Will power and determination are of the essence.

Wednesday - JW's coming up today, and we're carrying on with tidying up the bass and vocals. Thankfully, there's very little to do on that front - you know, the man's note perfect! Chinese takeaway, and a late night meeting watching the cricket. We lost to the Indians in the last over. Hopeless! We are almost as bad at cricket as we are at soccer as a national team - and, we invented these flippin' games. And not to forget tennis...we haven't had a Wimbledon finalist since Virginia Wade in 1977, and she was a lesbo. It's a good job we had some success in the rugby a few years ago - at least that restored some national pride to a degree, but - I reckon us Brits are crap at most sports these days. Perhaps the synchronized swimming team might win an Olympic medal next year? Ha!



Davvers & JW in the office



Fabulous view from studio across the Bedfordshire countryside



Mixing the live album inside this converted barn/farm building. This is where we also rehearse for the ASIA tours just in case you wondered where all that takes place...



Martin's swimming pool and barbecue patio - his pride and joy!

Thursday, we're just wrapping up all the bits and I head off back to Wales in the afternoon. It's a glorious day, and a very picturesque drive along the A40 back to Wales. I skirt close to the towns of Oxford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth. All very historic places - and a lovely drive. But there's one stretch, which is really dangerous - the A41 from Aylesbury to Bicester. It's only short, about 15 miles but there are signs warning of the massive fatalities on this section every year. Every bend's got a sign saying something like: "18 casualties on this bend in the last 3 years"....pretty scary, so I always take it easy on this part of the journey. It's known as the 'road of death'.

Well tonight I head out for a few drinks in Monmouth with my, Sean - bit of a pub quiz and the inevitable Indian to follow.



Night sky over Monmouth and the River Monnow reflecting in the foreground - was one hell of a sunset I can tell you



My favourite curry house - bar none! Actually the recently discovered Spice Of India, Paddington, London comes close, and the Ragam Southern Indian near the Post Office Tower - very, very good indeed



Me with my old chum, the waiter - I'm the pale guy on the right without the tie and suntan!

So it's Good Friday, (it feels like a Saturday!) and went to pick the car up in Monmouth from last night. Well we left it there - didn't want to risk drink-driving. That would be crazy, and really not worth it. I made that mistake many years ago - and it really is a crazy thing to do. Don't wanna end up like Paris Hilton or David Hasselhoff in the slammer, right?...Cor, old Baywatch Dave's in a bit of a state these days, eh? You seen him lately? Blimey, he can pack it away! In fact the only 6-pack he totes around these days comes in a brown paper bag! Saw my old mate Nicky Hopkins there briefly - his poor Mrs got her head trapped in the boot (trunk) of a car and was suffering from concussion. Oh dear, I shouldn't laugh, but it all seemed a bit of a strange story! It's a weird and wonderful World out there that's for sure...

Now I've got quite a big beef this month. In fact it's been simmering away in there for quite a few years...here it is...it's a musical beef! - I really hate those widdly, widdly guitarists. Ya know the ones that go meaninglessly about a hundred miles an hour up and down the fret-board? They seem to be multiplying like a plague of locusts these days - they're everywhere (particularly at music fairs and on Myspace), and quite frankly - it all leaves me stone cold. It's not real music - it's just plain - crap. They've all based themselves around the Steve Vai, Joe Satriani school of shredding on low action guitars, and it's a f**kin' horrible noise. You'll never get anyone saying: "Hey that was a great tune, man - you played 400 notes a second and every one of them was just perfect. It moved me to tears." What a load of bollocks! Ya know, it's like saying the greatest artist in the World is the one who can paint a picture in the fastest possible time. "Hey Leonardo, get a move on with that portrait - the quicker it's finished, the better it'll be!" It's absolute nonsense. Ya know I can paint music by numbers pretty quick, but it's meaningless crap. As is the Vai/Satriani brigade - total and utter musical diarrhoea. You look at the true great rock guitarists there have been, and they were all pretty minimalistic - with great tones and had a complete command of their instrument. Look at Hendrix...He played tunes - not meaningless bumblebee shit. And Dave Gilmour: 4 slow notes, and you know you're listening to the genius intro of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Clapton, Page, and my good old chum Steve Howe - these guys know what they're doing. That's what's it's all about to me - so if you're one of those fiddle-diddle tapping merchants - pick another job for my money, and don't bore the pants of us all with that buzz-buzz-a-diddly shit! Nobody likes it apart from a bunch of misguided 'muso-s'. Wallies!

And I guess I feel pretty much the same way about trad jazz - does anyone here get that one? What the Hell...? A load of old brass, wind and banjo players wandering around the streets of the Southern States all a-solo-ing at the same time? It's a bloody cacophony. In fact, all jazz generally leaves me pretty much cold. You can play any old shit and get away with it. And there are a small band of saddos out there claim it to be fantastic music. Don't be fooled! Call me daft, but I just don't get most of it. Ya know they talk about Miles Davis being the greatest modern jazz musician of all time  - but why? I remember one track, he just plays one note (sounds like a fart) out of the trumpet, and all the jazz freaks are hailing it as one of the great solos ever performed. I'm sorry you jazzers out there, but I think it's a load of old toss! Jazz is - well like I say, I just don't get it. Jizz would be a better term. Prove me wrong!

Well right now I seem to be fairly comfortable giving up the snout - but I'm having a hell of a battle with the weight. It's inevitable really, as food tastes a lot better - so you eat more. I should really have given up the weed some time ago, but I guess it's never too late...

More stuff to piss me off (ee I'm having a right old moan this month!)...in the paper today (I'm serious here), there were the suggested new names for ordinary jobs being put forward by the PC Brigade - Waste Removal Engineer = Binman, Crockery Cleaning Officer = Washer-upper...flipping' hilarious. The World has gone well and truly mad! And ya know - we seem to be more accommodating in this department than most countries to this crap. It's just simply - nuts! Those bleedin' Lefties running our country. There's some good news on the horizon though...looks as if that odious wally Blair is on his way out - there are whisperings. Not before time! Fingers crossed...however - the bad news is, that Gordon Brown (the proposed successor) is more of a twat than Blair, if that is at all possible, and so as long as those Commies are in power, we've got no chance of getting Britain back on the straight and narrow, or becoming a force to be reckoned with again. It's sad seeing the demise of our once great Empire. Maybe after my lifetime it'll be OK. But I feel sorry for you Americans having to put up with Blair and the Wicked Witch on seminar circuit for the next few years. Can't ya bump 'em off like the Kennedys? Ah well...

It's Easter Sat and it's a walk about Monmouth in the morning. Then it's up to Lord Nelson's (John T's) for a Saturday night meal, which was nice. They do a mean Thai curry up there, so we had a bit of a jam session after that, and headed off home.



On foot around the old town of Monmouth (It used to be in England) - right on the border, and currently just inside Wales...wonder if it'll change back again?



The bible-bashers are out in force in the town square, congregated in front of the town hall with a wooden cross. The statues of Henry V and the inventor, Rolls, look on impassively. I guess it's an Easter thang...There was a whole lot of wailing going on...and you know how shit-scared I am of these loonies...I left 'em to it.



Some of the little shopping arcades look beautiful in the sunlight - You could be in Spain or Italy for all you know



But you'll only find this sort of weird shit in the UK - a mechanical teddy bear blowing bubbles outside someone's front door...



The real deal - original portraits of Nelson up at JT's place. Nope, they ain't for sale!



...And Lady Hamilton...

So Easter Sunday was generally quiet - took a stroll up to the local with a few buddies early night.

Easter Monday, took a drive out to Stourport, Worcester via the Easter market in Hereford - it was kind of OK but wasn't good too to see my mate the old man, Paul D. running a flippin' fairground up there or something - hangin' out with the gypos (sorry, New Age Travelling Persons, or some other crap you've got call them). Don't know what the hell he's playing at these days. There are better places on this planet I can tell you. This place attracts all the scuzzers from Brum. Ah well! Few drinks with Kate and Ryan my buddies from the local village at night, then bedtime.

Easter Tuesday
Got new plates for my Jeep (personalized jobbies) and went to DVLA in Llanishen, nr. Cardiff to get them authenticated. Went into Cardiff - Piq is getting an outfit for Rhiannon and Matt's wedding next month, so we head out to some stores. A lot of legging about. Bought Kate a prezzie and dropped it out to Usk on the way back - it's her birthday today.

Wed, 11th
Paperwork to do, so spent the day at the studio office fishing through some old publishing papers I need to get moving on. Took the whole day. The weather's been nice but didn't see much of it today. Unfortunately, stuck inside - I hate that!

Thu, 12th
Went to Bristol - Piq didn't get what she wanted t'other day, so went to Cribb's Causeway in Bristol. That's a big shopping mall off the M5. Anyway, splashed out on a nice outfit for her. I'm trying to buy her out of talking about babies and shit like that. Money talks - ya know, women love cash, right?!

Fri, 13th
Off to the studio again in Leighton Buzzard early - Got to the studio at Martin's around 12.00. I was first there and then Carl, JW and finally Steve. We had a long meeting later in afternoon. Martin's long-suffering wife Marion cooked us all a great meal - English roast dinner - Superb. I hit the sack after that - was very tired. And nothing went wrong on Friday the 13th!...Makes a change...

Sat, 14th
Carried on mixing today and left the job with Steve Rispin, the engineer. It's sounding great, and he knows what he's doing. I headed off mid-afternoon back to Wales. It was a fast drive - it's about 150 miles on the motorways but sometimes (weekends) it's quicker than the approx 115 miles on the A-roads. I went straight to the pub to watch the football FA cup semi between Man U and Watford. Was with my old footie muckers Ryan and Moose. Now tonight, I had some major twinges on the smoking front, but nothing I couldn't deal with. It's always a bit harder when you're around people who smoke - but fortunately, now the public places are all no-smoking, it's a bit easier than it would have been. So I'm hanging in there and gone 2 weeks now without a puff. The

Sun, 15th
Chill out day - sat in the sun in the garden reading the papers. Very quiet!

Mon, 16th
And it's back to Leighton Buzzard/MK today - I'm there early and the others aren't coming in till tomorrow. I got some bits to be getting on with. Head down all day in the studio working on stuff.

Tue, 17th
Well we're all pretty happy with the way it sounds now, so it's back to Wales. The final mix has got to be with the label, Eagle Rock by Friday, so everyone seems happy with it all. Getting used to this journey. Back home along the A40 this time.

Wed 18th
Studio -wiring and Mac Installs

Thu 19th
More installations. I'm really trying to get all my Macs tuned in. It's a big job.

The Weekend:
Spent mainly at the studio prepping the templates for the songs with John.

Mon, 23rd  
It's off to Bournemouth today. I'm catching up on some of the tunes with JW we've been working, so we spent the day writing. It's going to be good. We've got some great ideas coming through - a couple of right corkers! Stayed overnight at the Village Hotel in Bournemouth. Did the usual Toby Carvery for dinner in the evening. It's only a couple of minutes from his gaff. I'm clocking up some serious miles over the last few weeks....buzzing about here, there and everywhere.

Tue, 24th
Putting the finishing touches to more of the songs with JW, then it's a drive back to Wales from Bournemouth late afternoon.

Wed, 25th
Running around dropping the animals off at the cattery, and the kennels. It's quite a lot to organize in one day, as it's...

Thu, 26th
...Off to Lanzarote with the old bag and Lou today. I'm kind of looking forward to a bit of a break. It's all been pretty hectic these last few months. Out from Birmingham Airport early and it's a long flight (nearly 5 hours). Arrive there early evening. The hotel's OK, but the room's shit. It's one of those all-inclusive holidays, so no doubt I'm going to pack loads more weight on, particularly with the lack of the appetite-suppressing tobacco. I'm gonna have to jump on this one - quick. Otherwise, I'm gonna end up looking like Elvis...(that's Elvis at the very end!)



This is the place we're staying for the next week - The Hotel Papagoya Arena, Lanzarote, Canaries.



Went for a walk round the cliff next day on the Friday towards  - quite nice. It wasn't that warm however. Seems the deal is that the sun doesn't burn off the cloud layer until early afternoon



Tipped up at this harbour, which is also quite nice.

Now Lanzarote? Volcanic and windy. That's about all there is to it. OK this hotel is pretty shit too. The food's good but, I don't really need any more food, right? In fact I'm thinking of having my jaw wired shut!



The entertainment on the complex - trite and unimaginative. Rubbish every night. Now last year in Ibiza it was excellent...this is: cock!

But my friends, I have a cunning plan - because, on my travels I stumbled across a bar conveniently located just around the corner from the hotel, that's showing all the UK football matches...so my stay here might be a little more pleasant than I had first thought. I certainly can't sit through the crap entertainment on the complex every night, that's for sure.

And the staff in this hotel are really f**kin' rude. They look at you like you're scum, and there isn't one happy face amongst them. In fact, to be honest I wouldn't recommend anyone coming to this place. If you asked me for a Trip Advisor score it would be a 2/10 tops...and it wasn't cheap either. It's a flippin' long way to come for a bit of cloudy sunshine, so yeah, not to be recommended. But hey, we'll make the most of it. Got footie, booze, bit of sun, sand and English newspapers...what more does a man need?

But ya know the Spanish - they paint themselves as a happy-go-lucky bunch of dudes right? Ya know as far as Europeans go, they ain't the sharpest tools in the box by any stretch, and they just seem generally quite happy to get on with bumming around, sleeping most of the day and scoffing a few grilled sardines and calamares. We kind of know that, and it's OK in small doses. We put up with them, and they put up with all the British slobs going over there on the piss, right? It's a kind of symbiotic relationship. But not in this place...No way. The Spanish punters and staff alike go round with permanent scowls on their faces, ready to spit on anyone who looks vaguely of British origin. Viva Espana - not a chance. You know where they can stick their paella? Have you ever eaten that stuff? It's bloody horrible - salmonella city! They just chuck in everything you didn't want to eat the before with a bit of rice thrown in. They can keep it!

Well it's Saturday 28th, and they're showing live premiership football here in Lanzo Grotty - I'm watching Chelsea and Manchester United live, so that's pretty cool. Ya know, you gotta make your own entertainment in these places. Can't rely on the Dagos for the action...you'll be waiting on a heck of a lot of 'manyana' if you do.

So Sunday - more of the same. Bit of sun, bit of a walk, few drinks. Can't stop bloody eating. I'm turning into a right fat bastard!



Think I overdid it a bit on the vodkas last night, or summat!



Had to take a picture of this nearby...Marina RUBICON!!!!



Nice view round the coast to Playa Blanca. It's actually quite picturesque here - but still very windy!

Next couple days just chillin' in the sun. I'll still be here in Lanza Grotty at the beginning of May...so will catch up with yers all then. But hey - I did it! Not so much as one suck on a ciggie for a whole month. You proud of me? Yowzer. Cheers buddies. Next time...GD