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Luckily my sister in law A and a friend M warned me against feeding hedgehogs milk and bread, it gives them the Brad Pitts and can make them extremely ill, so I`ll be giving him pet food in future. I witnessed another afront to animals at a club, not living creatures you understand, a so called comedy duo performed a puppet show using a letcherous Sooty and Sue the panda. Sue was dressed in a flared skirt which Sooty lifted to look underneath, then he attempted to have it off with her, so she whacked him so hard that the puppet flew across the stage. Well, enough of puppet perversions for now, suffice it to say that I would never allow MY puppets to behave in such a manner, but my audience are of pre-school age. The rest of their act relied on jokes aimed at the women, so not on my list to see again.

The writer`s group at the Lit and Phil went well, Catherine Graham took the workshop, the subject was The Journey, she read a poem by Auden first, we discussed it then took 45 minutes to write. New member to the group Rosalyn is taking next months workshop, I`m thinking of putting myself forward for the June one. Afterwards, me and L went to the Station Hotel for a coffee and cabatta, it`s a beautiful building with fabulous chandeliers in the foyer.

Met some brilliant older residents at the Cruddas Park Community Centre, I donned my pinny and turban, acted out some of my poems, then we had a good old chinwag about their memories. Joyce`s parents were manager`s of the Gunn pub on Scotswood Road, then they took over the Hydraulic Crane, she is bringing photos next week. It would be great if we can get a book out of this. Barbara drew my attention to the fact that I have missed writing on pigeon fanciers and allotments, something I`m working on now, have written two. She is arranging a meeting with a couple of fanciers, so I can pick their brains.

Brilliant band Old School were performing at the Lemington Labour Club on Saturday, must go and see them again, they gig at North Shields regularly. Bob Barton is the lead singer, what a voice and a great guitarist, drummer and bass guitarist in the band. Bob was in Beckett in the early seventies and can be seen in a clip on the Old Grey Whistle Test on youtube, beats me why they didn`t become huge. They are well known among musicians.

Keith Crombie, another locally known icon is running the Jazz Club in Newcastles Pink Lane, he helped to run the Downbeat and Club a Go Go in the 60`s. I could never get in to the Downbeat as I was too young, but managed the Go Go, saw Long John Baldry there. I chatted to Keith for a couple of hours, writing down his memories as he is also a Benwell lad. The bands he must have seen, Alan Price and the Animals among them. So it was great when the first song Old School performed was an Animals number.

I`ve saved the best bit till last, so G and girlfriend E have put in an offer for a house.....I daren`t breathe...could this be the end of whiskers blown from the shaver across my bathroom, empty pizza boxes, penicillin in the cups under his bed?
I pray that it goes through, me and D will be like the couple in the advert...they stand at the front door, looking on as their son (about 40) places the last of his possessions into his car. They wave him off, then the camera pans behind them and they each hold a Champagne glass!!! I have plans for his room, it will be a larger guest room than the box one we are using at the moment. I can hear some of the mothers of young children saying "What a heartless cow!" But...he is 32 this year, so wait till your little darlings are leaving four pairs of number 10 shoes around your gaff before you judge me.