Evening! Just a quick update on what’s been going on.

My sponsorship for the British Heart Foundation bike ride is coming along nicely; so far I’ve raised almost £140. There is still a long way to go before I reach my target of £350 but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get there. If you haven’t sponsored me yet please do consider it. It doesn’t have to be huge amounts - every single pound raised makes a difference, and those pounds soon add up if enough people donate them! Please click on the icon below to visit my online sponsor page. Thank you!

In preparation for the bike ride, I took a trip into Derby to do a bit of shopping last weekend - I came home with a new cycle helmet (the first I’ve ever owned) and a pair of padded cycling boxer shorts! The helmet is something I’ve been intending to get for a while now, but never got around too. The padded boxers may not get used too often but I’m hoping that they will more than pay for themselves during the 36 miles or so that I will cover around Sherwood Forest. Mountain bike saddles aren’t the most user friendly of things you know!

So far, I’ve managed to avoid Lynda’s efforts to get a photo of me in the helmet but it looks like the one below. No doubt I’ll get caught by Lynda, and her camera, on the day of the ride. By then I may have gotten used to being seen with half a blue and silver melon on my head!

This week has seen my “Autumn Chill” music tour stepped up a gear with an acoustic gig by The Reasoning on Sunday afternoon and then a Karnataka gig last night. Sunday’s gig proved to be a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon; we had a steady drive up to Rotherham, lunch in the pub and then almost an hour and a half of great music. After seeing Neverland acoustic and now The Reasoning acoustic I’m starting to get a taste for these sort of gigs. Being held in pubs, on a Sunday afternoon, helps too!

The Reasoning, having fun!

Karnataka last night was a more serious affair - almost two hours of full-on “prog rock”. It’s over 18 months since I last saw this band play live and, half-way through the set, I found myself wondering just why I’d left it so long. There has been a change of drummer, and the addition of a backing vocalist, since I saw Karnataka last and the overall sound has benefited from it. I’m not saying there was a problem with the music before - far from it - but it sounded even better last night. Pity that I’ve so much going on right now or I’d go and see them again later in the tour.

Tomorrow, I’m off to see The Reasoning and Mermaid Kiss play in Crewe and then on Sunday it’s The Reasoning, once again, and RiverSea as support. I love my live music but it does start to get just a little costly when everyone starts touring at the same time!