Good to see Robert and Alison on the Later with Jools Holland show tonight. The man looked well at home in his new found live environment and I’m looking forward to catching up with the show in London.

Of course any Led Zep related sighting on the small screen has always been something of an event in our house – no more so than back in 1976 when the Whistle Test showed that first ever clip of Black Dog from the Song Remains The Same. This was to be the very first time I would see Led Zeppelin in all their glory live on stage in action in moving pictures – yes actual film of the group on TV. I recall excitedly pointing my Kodak instamatic camera at the screen hopeful of having a permanent record of this worldwide premier as it happened. Alas…the wonder of technology (even back then) was not on my side and the results were not good. If anyone needs a photo of a 1970’s Alba colour television set with a completely blank screen, well I’ve got plenty.

May is upon us and with it some fine weather… at least this week. It’s amazing how much better a pint of fosters tastes with the sun beating down, and how much more bearable that old bus journey to work is as I pass by Bedfordshire’s green and pleasant fields, and indeed how certain songs come alive when the weather is as good as it’s been these past two days. On the Zep front that applies In particular to Houses Of The Holy – the likes of Song Remains/Rain Song/Over The Hills/The Ocean and Dancing Days have sounded even more uplifting against the backdrop of the sun filled day. ‘’It is the summer of my smiles flee from me keepers of the gloom’’ as the man put it. After all the cold wind and rain of recent months that’s exactly how it’s felt.

The month is shaping up to be a busy one what with the Robert/Alison gig, the TBL London meet on the 31^st (I’ll be sorting a venue soon), work on TBL 21 kicking off, Adam’s end of season football presentation (he’s now 2 away from 100 goals in four seasons with a game to go) and various other things. May also has it’s quota of friends and family birthday’s – the first being two long time TBL associates namely Mr Locke (May 5) and Terry B for May 8. Happy birthday to them.

Finally a quick request – if anyone has a recording of the Sandy Denny story broadcast last Tuesday on Radio 2 I’d welcome a copy. Email Davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com