I gave it up for music and....

The Panini boys continue to make good progress on the re-build. Most of the floor is now down and much of the new skirting is in place. The new French Doors arrived today and were unpacked and inspected. The Panini boys continue to feed us well (we have no complaints) although we did have to express concern when Dad-Panini suggested we might like some vegetable soup in our bowls for lunch. 100%-canine Haggis, in particular was so distressed he had to go and have a lie down.

Meanwhile, Mum and Dad are exploring some unheard of music avenues. One of Dad's allotmenters, and "Dad" to shaggy-bearded Finzi, the black lurcher, turns out to be a proper professional muso, who has performed on stage with Martin Carthy (him of Steel-eye Span etc, electric folky stuff) and Billy Bragg (presumably not together!), writes his own stuff and has released several CD's. He's about to go on tour with his latest one (including at the Gulbenkian (Canterbury) this month.

He gave Dad a copy and he's been playing it round and round in the car; he's 100% impressed and is looking on the guy with new found respect. There are songs about Kent, Spitfires and all sorts including, rather marvellously, a song inspired by Dad's own twisted asparagus as came up this Spring.

In addition Andy, Dad's co-owner of the 2CV project car Mademoiselle, is an ace electric-bass player and has lately been appearing in band headed up by his ex, "Zinta and the Zoots". Mum and Dad went off to see them in the "Smack" pub in Whitstable last night. Again (they said) some good stuff, enhanced by the rather mad-cap on stage antics. Andy at one stage whipped out his "rocket bass" (oo-er) - a bass guitar enclosed in a big silver space-rocket shaped body - big fins on the "tail end" and a pointy nose-cone over the machine-head, like something out of Fireball XL5

My future in the system
was thought about and planned,
but I gave it up for music
and a free electric band.....

Deefski (breaks away for searing guitar solo)