Today is Tuesday, September 3rd, and the last UK stop for this tour (and 2002 as a matter of fact) which ends in Bristol, England. From here we fly (really early) to Athens for 1 show and then it’s really over… This adventure started with our Virgin Atlantic flight Aug. 20th and now, fourteen days later, after navigating the M25, M6, A500 and an assortment of other ‘A’ & ‘B’ motorways, we find ourselves in the South of England (note from Caryne, it’s actually the West, but never mind), a stone’s throw from Wales.

Although I am much better I have not fully recovered from my throat illness (which has also affected my right ear) but I would like to relay to everyone how wonderful the Scottish, Dutch and British LOVE fans have been. With the exception of Rotterdam and Canterbury, all the shows were sold to capacity and it’s the nature of such fans that makes all of this work on so many levels.
Be it Torben in Denmark, Ed in Holland or Jeff and Allison coming to four or five shows, we see all this and feel blessed and appreciate everyone’s kindness and spirit. We only wish Scully could have made it, for I believe he would have truly enjoyed ‘August’ and a few others we’ve added to the set.

I was feeling so sick during the Holland show I didn’t know what to do. I, luckily, had just visited a doctor and was on Antibiotics but was woozy most of the night. By the time we arrived in Birmingham I was, finally, able to get some food in me and had an early dinner with Ringo and our very good friend, Steve Edmond, along with two of his mates. The meal did me good because I thought the Birmingham show was tops on this tour, in my opinion. So maybe it was the Chicken Salad at ‘Weatherspoons’ or was it all those cute ‘Brummy Lasses’ in the audience!?!?

Either way, I’m well on the road to recovery and, following Thursday’s show in Athens, I’ll be on holiday on an island off the coast of Greece for five days… Last night’s show in Crewe was fun. There isn’t much to the city (sorry) but the people were the best, just tops. The Singer actually got handed a cell phone at one point by a fan whose mate (on the line) couldn’t make the show. The Singer was very nice to the guy but then explained he had a show to do and handed the phone back! Well, as I finish the Diary I must recommend ‘Quincy’s American’, still in Bristol, in the ‘Shield Retail Park’ (Filton City East). The food is great. Not only was it a sunny day but I got a great meal in England that was a curry.

Mike Randle