Back Home Again

Well we've eventually made it back to good old Yorkshire, we landed at 7.30 on Wednesday 28th April at Newcastle Airport after a long but uneventful flight from Singapore via Heathrow. A nice touch from British Airways, they gave us access to the VIP lounge and we made the most of the food and wine. My two large Gin & Tonics went down very well thank you. It was a wonderful sight to get off the plane and see Pat and Julie waiting there for us, it's good to be back home.

Thank you Australia, it was sad to leave your wonderful country behind. So many wonderful memories, so many wonderful people we met along the way, old friends, new friends, thank you all so much for helping make this trip so special for both Vin and I.

This was Vin's biggest ever Tour In his own words his "40 Years Of Anonymity Tour" (We know better!). From Malaysia, down to Singapore and on to Australia, with concerts in 14 cities, full houses in 29 venues and four major Festivals, in fact as Johnny Cash would say "We've Been Everywhere Man"

All in all we had been on the road for 67 days, covered a grand total of 43,038 Km (26,720 miles) by road and air, with only a few minor hitches, the last 11,000 from Singapore to Newcastle being slightly more difficult than the rest.

From Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, to Darwin and Perth, Sydney to Canberra
Vin has delighted audiences and received outstanding reviews for his performances. For these last few months It has been a real priviledge to have supported a true proffessional, who's work and audiences come first and who gives his all on every occaision.

I would like to thank all the audiences in Australia who gave me their support and encouragement. Particularly as it was the first time they had heard my music and songs, without exception they could not have been more welcoming and supportive. Thank you for all your offers to come back and play in Australia again, I will definately be back soon.

We would like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of the Tour, From club to festival organisers, our hosts in the various cities who looked after us so superbly, drivers who picked us up from airports, those who fed us and kept us clean.

Along the way, we sung with and met up with some notable Folkies from Australia and the UK; the superb Eddie Reader, Boo Hewerdine, Dougie McLean, Les Barker, Emily
Smith, Eric Bogle, Kristina Olsen, Australian songwriter supreme Bernard Carny, Dave De Sante from Wongawilli, Keith Podger of the New Seekers, Canadian song smith James Keelaghan and from Chilli (one to note for the future) the 24 year old wizard of guitar and song Nano Stern, to name drop but a few.

We completed the tour on the 14th April with a superb farewell concert at "The Fly By Night Club" near Perth. After 12 relatively trouble free international and internal flights, we flew back to Singapore on the penultimate leg of this epic
journey, only to be stranded in Singapore by volcanic cloud dust.

A special word of thanks to Alex our host in Singapore for letting us take over his flat and giving us a place to stay. We think your great!

The rest as they say is history.

Watch out for a final summary (blog) coming out soon.

Things Are Looking Up!

Well thanks to Pat and the girls at Flight Centre we have been brought forward to a flight on the 30th April.

This means that Vin should get home in time to do some his Gig's, although he'll be a bit Jet lagged.

There is still a glimmer of hope that Qantas will schedule more flights out of Singapore next week and we have asked to be considered for one of those.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone for your E Mails and your growing concern for our welfare, I think the pictures of the pool, did it.

I'm writing this through an ever increasing cloud of fog, I thought this is unusual for Singapore, then I heard Vin coughing somewhere near the back of the room, nothing to worry about, the gardener is outside with a fog machine spraying against denghi fever and Vin looks a bit like a Denghi this morning!

Here are a few photo's taken from our park bench to help you understand how rough it is over here just trying to survive!!

23949495 Pte Graham ACC Reporting for Duty Sir!

In 1966 I came out to Singapore as a young Private soldier, I was 20 years old, it was my first overseas posting and I'd managed to switch my original posting which was to alcohol free, female less, Bahrain to wild wild Singapore. I did so with the rather dubious help of a friend of mine who was the Commanding Officer's postings clerk. Well that's another story.

I arrive at Gillman Barracks after a 26 hour flight in a VC10, which coincidentally stopped in Bahrain for refuelling, thank goodness I didn't get posted there!

My new unit was 40 Field Park Squadron Royal Engineers in Gillman Barracks, it was a bit out on a limb just a short distance from the British Military Hospital on Alexandria Road. The Barracks were situated on a rather pretty, very well manicured complex which comprised a single steep hill overlooking the Singapore Straights.

The Headquarters Building, the Quartermasters Offices, the Officers Mess and a handful of storage buildings were on the bottom level, as were the sports fields. The kitchen, dinning room and Gymnasium were on the first level up a steep winding road, the NAAFI, and series of accommodation blocks were spaced left and right on the third and fourth level as the road wound it's way up to the top. . My block was right at the top and gave us spectacular views of the surrounding area, the amazing sunsets, and the Chinese Pagoda which stood on a hill opposite. We shared the barracks with A Malay Regiment and 39 Commando Sqn RE. Stay with me if you can be bothered, this is relevant information, or of your bored go back to a previous Blog. .

Between the first and second level in the centre of a immaculately grassed area, was a wonderfully positioned swimming pool which was for use of soldiers and families alike, this is where I spent most of my afternoons swimming and sunbathing, someone had sent me to heaven. The work was interesting, life here for a 19 year old was exciting and the sport was brilliant. I spent my time playing Water Polo, swimming for the Regiment and playing football. We also spent quite a bit of time exploring the more dubious delights of Singapore whenever we could afford it. I had a red MG B GT sports car, which had very few MG parts in it, A Vespa Scooter and a licence to kill. It was the most wonderful posting anyone could ask for. The remainder of my exploits here are censored!

I'm getting to the point now, Vin and I had decided to get a bus into town and had studied the bus routs, having decided to take a chosen route, Vin promptly decided we should take the first bus that came along. The journey on the No 970 was to take us to the Harbour Point, which at the time seemed a good a destination as any.

We were nearing the end of our journey when much to my surprise we passed Gillman Barracks, I could not contain my excitement, at which point a very well educated Chinese gentleman sitting close to us stepped in and told us all about the area and the barracks. I decided there and then to return the next day.




The following day I jumped on the No 970 bus and sure enough was deposited in front of the Old Guardroom, now a rather up market Real Estate Office. the whole area was quite a posh eating venue. Just further up the road stood the Officers Mess in all it's glory and very much as I remembered it, let me point out , that I was never at this stage of my career an Officers Mess Cook, I was allowed at times to help the Master Chef, a ferocious Geordie called Jack Frost, with the Regimental Dinners from time to time, that apart I was unworthy. The Officers Mess, where I remember the Officers charging up and down the corridors after the formal dinners on a pair of life size articulated wooden horses, was now rather fittingly a posh restaurant.

Further up the road were a number of building which I don't really remember much about, in use and turned into yet another up market eatery. At the very top of the road, stood the Officers and Families Quarters, still very much as they were in 1966, but with a fresh coat of paint and modern windows.


Alass, I could not say the same for the rest of the soldiers blocks up the hill. I approached the road leading up the hill and it just stopped dead a wall of tropical jungle. It stopped about a hundred yards up, a building which had stood at the bottom of the road was being used by a builders merchants, so I popped my head in and asked some questions.



I was given some strange looks by the workers and the office staff, 1966 was anyone born then, how embarrassing , eventually a lady of some authority turned up who knew all about the barracks. After more strange looks, she said I was welcome to look around, but she had no idea what was up the top of the hill now, but the swimming pool was still there, under the mass of jungle off to the left of the now cracked and disused road. Don't go in there they all told me, it's full of Cobras and who knows what else, one look convinced me they were right. Here is a picture of the pool, I think taken in the early 60s? Followed by a view of where I think it is now!



There was one chance to get a look at my old accommodation block on the top of the hill, an Ariel walkway that went right across the back of the old barracks and overlooked the camp ran all the way up to Mount Faber which should have overlooked the camp and was I thought where the Pagoda was. Off I set, but after a half hour slog in the heat of the afternoon sun, I had seen nothing but trees and jungle. I stopped a young couple to ask them if the Chinese pagoda was still up there, they gave me yet another strange look. Eventually I did get a panoramic view of Gillman Barracks, bitter disappointment the hill where it once stood had been cut in half and cleared to ground level on the side that faced the ocean, probably ready to make way for yet another high rise multi million pound complex which will join the thousands of others that dot the horizon of this once beautiful un spoilt island. We'll you can't stop progress.

It really enjoyed my trip back in time, it brought back many fond memories of my youth, any adventures, many a close shave with authority, good friends now lost but not forgotten, the good old days.

Just goes to prove something I've always said to myself, it's never any good looking back you'll only end up disappointed.

Lights Out.

What If?

Vin, sorry to disturb you but could you pass me another ice cold beer and the sun cream.

By the way, what do you think would have happened if we had mentioned to the girls our original plan, which was to stop off in Singapore for two weeks holiday after the tour of Australia.

I think I know what Julie would have said, Pat too I suppose.

Oh well better not push our luck, but it would have been worth a try.

Careful don't spend too long in the sun it can be quite hot and that Tiger beer can go to your head, see you for cocktails at 4!

Singapore Sling

We'll not much sympathy so far, apart from Malcolm and Richard, bless you guys, we knew we could rely on you.

After breaking the news to Pat and Julie that we going to be stranded in Singapore for another two weeks, we decided to
re-assess the situation. In true British style we unanimously decided that we'll just have to make the most of our deplorable situation.

Our came the swimming trunks, sun cream, tennis shorts and yellow balls, no that's not an illness!

Alex, our amazingly organised Spanish friend in Singapore has very kindly allowed us the use of his flat for as long as is necessary, along with his girlfriend the loverly Claire, they have made life very easy for us and have been just brilliant, true friends in time of need.


Future Blogs will be sent from the poolside bar and include lashings of ice, small cocktail umbrellas and liberal amounts of gin, well we are in Singapore!

News from across the world has reached us, we know that Les Barker is still in Australia, Martyn and Danni Wyndham-Read are possibly stuck "Somewhere In America" and that Gordon Brown has come unstuck! Our world traveler Barbara Welford is also stuck in America. Do you know of anyone else we could mention. This could be a whole new blog!

Stranded

Getting out and back into UK seems to be a fundamental problem. We are stranded in Singapore waiting for the Volcanic Ash to clear over UK. We contacted Quantas this morning and they have re-booked us for a flight on the 4th May. What will we do for the next 16 days? I can see Pat and Julie having fits when they see this. Don't worry too much girls, we hope will be offered alternative dates once flights are back to normal. Singapore is not a bad place to be stranded, but it is expensive.

In the meantime we are considering our options; this park bench is really quite comfortable and sleeps two with ease, it in easy reach of the local opium den, our view of the stars at night is impressive and has it's own monsoon drain, which is handy for obvious reasons.

Our best and cheapest option so far would be a package holiday in Malaysia, Indonesia, or Vietnam. , offers would be welcome if anyone has a spare hut, house or air raid shelter near a beach in any of these locations. In desperation, we would be happy to accept any offer which provides us with a room and two beds until we can get back home.

Vin is already concocting a poisonous dip for the tip of the spear he is planning to use to catch fish, I had to tell him that mayonnaise with garlic and tomato ketchup is not going to work!

The Swiss Family Garbuttson.

No Strings Attached

In 2004 Vin bought an Art & Lutherie Hand Made Guitar in Canada, it was played for the full tour of Australia in 2004 and then left in good faith with Richard & Helen in their house in Perth, hopefully to be used on a future tour. There it laid hidden under a bed gathering dust and slowly warping for the next six years as Vin always brought another guitar with him. We spent days deciding what to do with the poor old dear, including sending it down to the knackers yard. Fortunately Tony Henry, who hails originally from Middlesbrough, has saved the day and restored "old Nosferatu" to it's former glory. Figure the name out for your selves. Well done Tony, you get the Vin award for services rendered; "We think yer great, you me".

Of course poor Richard and Helen are now lumbered with Vin's other guitar which replaces this one under the bed, good luck you'll need it. Anyone who needs a guitar in Perth we're open to offers!