day 3 - happy hallowe'en!

greetings from portsmouth. since i last wrote i've been in oxford.

i'm merching inside the venue again tonight. so agian this might be a bit scatty...pretty sedate crowd tonight. getting to know the set and starting to recognise my favourites by the intros. i think i've shimmied more that anyone else here and i'm not even paying attention.

last night was really cool. on the DC bus for the first time. it was emptier than usual as the london based band members headed home for a few days of commuting to and from the gigs. i had a really nice welcome from neil (frontman), tim (drums), john (guitar), and simon (bass). they taught me how to play a cool dice game called Perudo and we had a lot of fun with a drink and a small wager. i lost my 5 euro fairly swiftly but it was a small price for a really entertaining night. neil sang, carrie doesn't live here anymore by sir cliff and that was it, i felt right at home. i went to bed relaxed and woke relaxed and by the sea.

so duke special has a new voluntary position. he's now become purveyor of snacks for me. jayne will be cheering at this... when he comes off stage he comes to the desk to see if i need anything. tonight i was feeling hungry as i hadn't had anything since lunch. so i've just polished off a platter he created with his own paino playing hands,
and containing,
3 rounds of sandwiches - cheese and tomato and veggie pate with veggie chicken
banana
plum
mini twix
mini skittles
mini milky way stars
bottle of mineral water

at last, the place is starting to liven... neils been doggedly trying to get the crowd to loosen up and now the gay contingent are starting to get into the groove. the 'cover' in the set on this leg of the tour is prince's raspberry beret...lovin' it.

right, better get this posted,

only a few mins to the end of show and then my busiest part of the day begins...and in less than hour it's all over for another day.

i've loved it so far...
LB,x