I came home to find some good news in my Inbox.

First, Debsey from Dolly Mixture wrote with the news that the documentary made about them in 1981 is to be re-screened in London this autumn - details tba.

Second, Stephen's wife, Sarah had asked me to try to arrange a benefit concert or musical event of some kind to give praise and thanks for Stephen's recovery from his RTA. Sarah chose the performer/music that Stephen really wanted most and asked me if I could conatct the musician in question re booking a date in July 2006. Which I duly did before going away on holiday and forgetting all about it - until my Inbox went 'ping-pong'. It was amessage saying that the preferred performer very kindly agreed in principle but suggested a different date, in December 2005, at a different (but better and more suitable) venue. This then meant the submission of a formal request to... blah, blah, blah.

But the GOOD news is that...

in principle at least...

subject to booking the venue...

at least as far as the performer is concerned...

etc etc etc... IT'S ON!!!

Then Sarah phoned me to say that she'd just had a phone call from Stephen who was sounding 'down'. So she suggested we meet at the hospital and give him the good news. After all, we had the 'who' and the 'when' if not yet the 'where'. Stephen had had 4 sessions of physio and was very tired when we got there but he hauled himself out of bed, into a wheelchair and wheeled himself onto the terrace. He cheered up noticeably when we told him the news - in fact he had a little weep - but he was definitely VERY happy indeed!

When I finally got home it was to a ringing phone: it was Gary Lucas sounding in fine form :) We've agreed to meet up.