Pics link here

My mate  Johnny Mogs and I popped out for a couple of pints of Bathams the night before the Convention and so woke to the sounds of birds singing, and the chuckle of milk bottles being put on the step.  I rose to my hands and knees and wobbled into the house.  Here I collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep once more to be awoken by my darling wife and the words "It's 11.00 am you know.  You'll be late!"  And so we were.

Scratch had called around to pay his respects with his bird Sue.  He volunteered to drop us off at the Robin Hood 2 as it was totally out of his way and would make him late for work.  Having gone three miles we went back for the camera.  We arrived at 1 o'clock.  We'd missed a whole hour.

On entering I noticed Jeanett and Anne at the bar.  Good move!  Mark "GLAMMAN" Buckler blurred past us and in the distance was a figure well into his third metre who could only be Henka!  Mogs and I went to the bar and ordered a beer.  After much meetings and greetings we toured the stalls for goodies.  The selection of CD's, vinyl and TShirts etc was mind boggling and wallet stripping.  Steve Baily reckoned he was down £150.00 already, but had loads to show for it.  (If Steve's wife is reading this I apologise for the typo. it should say £1.50).

The Hellraizers came on stage with Steve (erstwhile of BCSWEET) Mulvey singing lead.  they'd only been together for just over a week, but they did jolly well considering.  Steve Mulvey, whose pouting lips make Steve Priest look like Zoe Wanamaker seemed to be enjoying himself and Julian on drums held things together.  They weren't afraid to try songs new to them either.  As they swam into the murky depths of ACDC it was clear no-one had bothered to learn the ending of the song, but undaunted they simply went around the roundabout a couple of times until they got dizzy and fell off to good humoured applause.

Karen, a nurse, had been awake for almost a week since I'd last seen her in the TWIST in Colchester, but she still went forth on six inch platform thigh length boots to sell raffle tickets for the SWEET FA GOLD DISC that was the prize.  Now there's dedication.  Well done girl.  I bought a good tenners worth, as did Mogs.  But did we win?  No!  were we downhearted?  Yes we were.  "YOU LUCKY BASTARD," I shouted.  "YOU LUCKY, LUCKY BASTARD!!!" as the winner walked off with his prize.

The beer was still nice and cheap, but we retired to the chippie across the road for Samosa and Chips(?).  That was a first for me.  Mogs had a veggie pastie that blew his pants off later in the day and was clearly Vindaloo hot. We ate our fayre sitting on the wall of the police station and we were teenagers again.

Back inside Andy and Co. played an informal set which was interrupted by Mick pulling me away to meet Frank Torpey who had driven up the motorway at about 130 miles an hour fearing he'd be late.  He said he remembered me from Brian's tribute which was amazing as my only contact with him at that event was to thrust him onto the stage.  He never saw my face and I only met his bum. We persuaded him to do a couple of songs later with Hellraizers in their second set.  On stage he reminded me of a rabbit I once saw in my headlights.  Still it was all in fun and he showed what a good humoured sport he is.  A couple of his riffs actually were impressive.  He could go far with the right management.

I had a brief chat with Danny of Paddy Goes to Hollyhead.  I was in the bog with severe wind from the beer and he was at the urinal.  Henka joined us and Danny tried to get him to buy some Paddy CD's.  Ah the music business..... it's so romantic.  Danny and I shook hands and then washed them.

The Paddy's did a fun set that is described on Stewart's site by Steve Goldspink, so I'll not dwell on them, but they were a lot of fun.

Andy's final set was probably the best I've seen them.  Some people, not many, have said he appeared disappointed in the turnout, but I can assure you he was enjoying every minute.  The set was predictable, but highly  polished.  Jeff was better than ever singing lead, but for me the highlight was Andy singing DREAM ON.  As the sweat trickled down between the crack in his bum cheeks you could see his mind was far away in the late seventies in a pub called the Allpool with a young lass who was to inspire this classic ballad.

As the band left the stage following a beatific encore I was left to ponder if life could get any better.  Then Mogs gave me another beer, shouted "Coming for a Balti?"  And I realised it could.  The Sweet, Beer AND a Curry.  Now that's a heavenly Saturday in my book.  As Steve Baily kindly drove us home with the music still ringing we all agreed it had been quite simply A BOSTIN BOSTIN DAY.  And if you want to know what that means then go and live in the Black Country for twenty years and you'll catch on.

HERE'S TO THE NEXT ONE