After a folk club gig I was having a chat with a member of the audience who asked if I would play a gig at their house one Sunday evening and how much I charged. I thought about it and said,…
Watching Italy v England Six Nations rugby match reminds me that I am proud to have Italian ancestors and I am in fact a quarter Italian. As far as I can make out my Grandad and Grandmother (mum’s mum) was…
My first full time job, at the tender age of 15, was working as a sales assistant in the Burtons Menswear store on the Parade, Leamington Spa. There I learnt to sell. If a customer came into the store to…
I always forget to breath when I first start a gig. There are so many things to think about when you are gigging. I know that breathing should come naturally but for me it isn’t so simple. I breath enough…
Steve Knightley is a Singer Songwriter based in the South West of the UK and performs both as a solo artist and as part of the duo Show Of Hands with super musician Phil Beer. If you haven’t heard of Steve…
Every now and again I visit an Hypnotherapist. His name is Peter Delves and he helps me with the “Issues” I occasionally have. I have to admit I am in two minds about Peter. Is he a top bloke? Or, has…
The Brexit debate reminds me of my Great Uncle Arthur Bates who, in July 1850, had the honour of meeting Queen Victoria. As a young man Great Uncle Arthur had to leave the UK for reasons unknown and after many…
Searching Your Family Tree Is Like Searching In A Forrest, In The Dark, At Night, Without A Torch, Wearing A Blindfold. The conversation with my mum went something like this….. ME: “Mum, would you help me make my family tree? MUM:…
Louise and I recently visited Avebury Henge in Wiltshire, which must be one Britain’s truly wonderful sites. I think it is more impressive than Stonehenge because you can actually walk around the stones and touch them. Some of the stones…
I have just come down from my loft and discovered loads of old 78 records and newspapers relating to my my Great-Granddad, Corporal Arthur Bates. Arthur was a musician and performed various concerts to soldiers in the First World War….