Birthday Celebrations!
Apologies for the lack of diary entry but it’s been hectic here.
Still coming down from what was a truly incredible week of celebrations for my 50th birthday last month. It all started on the Friday with a pub meet reunion of my former soccer team mates The Wallbangers FC (legendary in the late 70’s in this area believe me!). The Saturday was a fantastic meal over at our local The White Horse with close friends – including a reunion of three of the Earls Court Bedford vets: Tom Locke,Phil Harris and Declan Hickey. Steaks were eatan, beer and wine flowed then it was all back to the Totnes HQ for more music and mayhem. In attendance at both these events was the boy Mr Foy (thank you Gary,Carol and Jimmy for the cool Zep Fillmore T.shirt!). Earlier in the day Janet, Sam and Adam gave me their present, a very personal Zep related item that had me speechless – for a minute anyway. Suffice to say it’s something to treasure and a permanent reminder of this epic week.
Monday was taken up with a photo shoot here by the very nice Sarah for an article on record collecting I’m due to be featured in for a new lifestyle magazine called Heyday (yes it’s aimed at the senior age group – I now know my place!)
The actual birthday on the Tuesday was a fantastically relaxed day spent with the Lewis clan. Wednesday saw me undertake a ‘Last Of The Summer Wine’ nostalgic bike ride around my Bedford former haunts (mainly public houses) with my lifelong mate Max – a 9 pub stop off ending at the Fox watching England’s 1-0 win over Macadonia. I’ve had worse days! The pubs included The Bull near my old Dents Road manner and The Pheonix – a pub I’ve only been in once before many years back when Zep fan/ Shaken’N’ Stirred sleeve designer Tim Davies/Ellock came over around 1982
Thursday it was to London with bruv JL and Sally and my good lady for a surprise present – the Sinatra show at the London Palladium which was in turn invigorating,moving and celebratory. An amazing night.
This incredible week wound up at the Bedford book launch at the George And Dragon (yet another pub and scene of my 40th birthday bash) of the new Ritchie Blackmore biography written by local Blackers authority Jerry Bloom. On the night tt was good to catch up with fellow Tight But Loose crew members Terry and Kam. An excellent curry ended a great night out that not even Spurs dismal result at United could dampen.
Then it was back to work on Monday and coming down wasn’t easy….
Thanks to so many of you for cards/ emails etc. To all my valued friends for making it such a momentous occasion and of course the family Lewis clan for everything they did to make my 50th so special.
The DL 50 At 50 Birthday fave lists will be up on the site shortly.
Back to business
As the Autumn/winter kicks in there’s plenty of Zep related activity to look forward to – what with Jimmy’s contirbution to the Jerry Lee Lewis album,Robert’s Nine Lives box set and the November UK Hall Of Fame presentation.
Some recent inspirations:
The brilliantly clever Radio 2 TV advert featuring Elvis introducing an all star band incuding Jimmy (footage taken from the May 14′ 88 reunion I’d say), Sinatra At The Palladium (thank you JL and Sally) proving it’s still Frank’s world – we just live in it, Strange Sensation Soundstage DVD (thank you Gary), the astutely funny take on growing up in the 70’s Born To Be Mild novel by Dave Armitage….Ricky Gervais’Extras on TV ….Adam’s four goal start for Brickhill Wanderers – a captains performance!…..on the deck it’s been Franks’ September Of My Years vinyl (very appropriate), Zep Live In Japan 71 CD (35 years on), John Bonham Session Man CD (26 years gone), Plant Mighty ReArranger CD (still mighty) Richard Hawley Late Night Final CD, Bruce Springsteen The River CD (always one for grey autunm/winter days ahead), and the Zep Song Remains soundtrack CD (30 years on cricky!)
And that lot has got us through a rather action packed few weeks.
Older,wiser and facing up to life in my sixth decade…
Until next time
DL 06/10/06