February and the band stepped back into the studio to record a freshly written song, it was good to see everyone and keep our paddles in the water. It felt a little like everyone was waiting for the bell to ring as there were other things afoot, like a baby being born. The song developed through the day and although i can’t remember it now it seemed like a good place to be, back in the room. Something we should do more of. Squeeze have a great year ahead of us, intriguing indeed. And a baby was born to the Large family congratulations to them, what a treat, new tiny feet, new tiny smells of beauty. With a song and a baby under our belts we can now plan for the next album, tours and a great summer playing festivals.

I down loaded an app, it tells me where i have been each day and for how long, its called Moves. Its scared me, i seems that i spend 4 sometimes 5 hours a day in my car, 1,000 miles a week, 80 hours a month, time i could be sitting still writing, being doing and breathing in the air with Mrs D. Have i made a huge mistake bringing the family down from London to the fields of Sussex, in the first few years it was a distraction from things greater than ourselves, but now I’m not sure how everyone feels. We have tried hard to plant roots here in the barn, but without ownership can we. We have a wonderful home we have the children at good schools and we have food on the table with a smile. Thats a lot of wee’s. In the quarter of life ahead of me time is a big issue and to find a safe seat, a bed in the heavens i have found that nothing is a given in this life. Apart from two things, birth of sweet babies and the passing of time itself. Luck must play a role in everything, i have luck and im nearly there with the peace.

On the other side i have been working with Boo Hewerdine on a play with music, its been going on since my last album Cashmere If You Can in 2010, flaming 6 years. A hobby of sorts. The story develops and many singers are involved, as well as a huge investment of money to get us to where we are today, and I’m so grateful for that investment, thank you Peter, soon it will be time to pay it back, thats the hurdle we brace ourselves for. More on all of this in the coming months, I’m proud of the songs, i was hoping for David Essex to sing them  but he turned me down. Next stop David Van Day.  I did a gig with Boo at Kings Place and he played a new song in his set, it went down very well but may have mystified people in the audience. Cinderella being a song about wearing make up, which I’m doing more of very soon!

I gave a trailblazer  award to Billy Bragg at the Americana awards in London, he was very gracious, a soft and gentle man with the sort of vision i wish i had, but i don’t because i have this one. It was a  nice night in the good company of Bob Harris, and later tea at his house with the lovely Trudie, not forgetting the most amazing Baked Alaska, id never had it before what a belly buster. I’m floating this month, I’m in the uplift of change and i can feel it all around me, thank God i have Racheal and Rocket to look out for me at work and Mrs D for her love and patience at home, i feel disjointed by some things going on but only if i focus on them for too long. There is no regret after all, how can there be. Home is here in the barn, and even though its not going to be ours its ours for now, like a port on route to our destination, with a Quayside like no other. I beg your pardon i did’t promise you a rose garden, as the song goes, and what a great song, a great time when music was gentle and on the radio music was filling our hearts with joy. At least thats how it feels now. Bob Harris was there on the TV, he introduced me to music from so many different emotions, mostly stoned emotions. I lay back on the beanbag and soak up the sounds of the 70’s. hey man, whats going on, room spin.