I've basically only just woken up. No sign of the postman yet (who should be delivering two CDs, a DVD and a vinyl some time soon), and I have one of those weird, dull early-morning headaches. I always get them after having the mother of all lie-ins.

So, the plan! First, I will have a glass of mango juice. Second, I will have a bath. Third, I will get dressed and dry my hair. Fourth, I will take that one hour brisk walk I said I was going to. Fifth, I will come home, stick a record on and tidy my room.

This, in essence, is my gap year. But at least I'm not being captured by pirates in Hong Kong or chased by Mexican banditos.

I've had a pretty neat idea for what we'll call 'the teatime dilemma' - the fact that teatime's the only meal that I don't have control of, as my Dad cooks it and he always cooks junk food. I'll just have cheese, tomato and lettuce sandwiches (the best sandwiches on Earth), and maybe a couple of Weetabix while I'm at it!

Dear Hotmail,

Let me access my e-mails. Please. I want to go to bed.

Sincerely,
~ A Knackered Individual With Aching Legs

P.S. By 'access my e-mails', I mean load.

It's with a heavy heart that I bring the following news. Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme, the Mellotron master of John Lees' Barclay James Harvest, passed on yesterday.

He'd been taking a break from performing on doctors' orders due to nervous exhaustion. Unfortunately, his condition worsened over the following weeks and for reasons undisclosed, he took his own life.

The world has lost a brilliant musician, and such a loss has sent shudders through the lives of many - his family, his friends, his bandmates, his fans. When I read the announcement in the JLBJH e-newsletter, I actually felt the magnitude of the loss - it was like being kicked in the chest, hard, rendered breathless. It was the feeling of a massive hole being torn in the world - a star going out. Woolly was truly great; a man of magnificent talent, and there will never be another like him.

A particular post on the Book of Condolences really said it all...

John Steele - "Heaven has plenty of drummers, guitarists, pianists, singers and drummers but God wanted a mellotron talent."

Woolly has, in many ways, gained immortality. He will live on through his music, both with BJH and his solo work, and through the joy it brings to listeners young and old.

Woolly's Biography [x]
Woolly's Discography [x]