Aside from a difficult Sunday (one of those don't want to get out of bed for fear of the world days), it's been a pretty good week.
Saturday Amanda and I went to the Memorabilia show at the NEC, and although the celebrity guest list was rather less than stellar (Toyah Wilcox anyone? Fifth stormtrooper on the right?), we had a pretty good time and I bought the two disc Superman Returns (which sounds mighty fine on 5.1), and a beautiful signed David Mack print, which now adorns my mantelpiece. Later Ade made the trip all the way from London to spend the evening with us for my birthday, and we had, as usual, an excellent time into the wee small hours. Despite having about 20 cans and bottles of beer in the fridge, we only managed two apeice, and then settled for tea. Must be our age!
On Monday (my birthday) Amanda took me out for dinner at The Boat in Catherine De Barnes, and had a great meal. Amanda bought me a lovely framed Marilyn Monroe print (now over the fireplace), a Burlesque themed vase (also on the mantelpeice), and the absolutley fantastic Rainbow Six Vegas game for the Xbox 360 (many hours have been spent killing terorists in Mexico City thus far).
And yesterday an old friend made during my Forbidden Planet days, Pete Brown, paid a visit, and again, a fine old time was had, well into the wee small hours, talking about music and life and then watching the frankly quite bizarre Marillion/Richard Stanley film for Brave. I haven't seen Pete for about two years but it didn't feel like it at all, and it cheered me no end to finally catch up again. Pete and I have a bit of a Bernie Taupin/Elton John thing going on as (and I'm sure he'll be a bit embarrassed about this when he reads it) Pete's the most gifted musician I've ever met; a multi-instrumentalist songwriter with so many ideas it's almost criminal. Three or four years ago he put a lyric I wrote The In/Out to music, and created a Floydian epic out of it. Although he'll swear blind that it's just a rough version, it's a staggering piece of music, and even now when I play it, it gives me goose-pimples. And yesterday he brought over a new song he worked on Invisible Ceiling, this time all his own work, and again (sorry Pete, more embarrassment) when he played it for Joe and myself, we were completely bowled over by it. Built around an almost oriental piano motif, it's a fully realised and utterly individual piece of music that sounds like no one but Pete. He's beginning a Live Journal soon to document the construction of his first album, and judging by this song and the fragments of ideas I've heard so far, it'll be nothing short of astonishing.
He's also a top bloke. This is a man who stays cool and doesn't go all fanboy (as I surely would) when Robert Plant sits and sings him demos! Thanks for coming over, mate. I had a great night.
The older you get and especially after some up and down times these last few years, you learn to really value the friends who stick around. Good birthday week all round then...