WC July 27.
Had a great Monday morning talking to the Probus Club at Cowes. Lovely atmosphere and company and I met a few old friends and made a few new ones. They want me to go back on September 28 – so they must have liked it!
I love an adventure day and on Thursday my partner Bertie and myself headed for Oxford. A great train journey from Southampton and the purpose of my visit was to interview RAY FOULK, one of the men behind the 1968, ’69 and ’70 Island music festivals. Ray is soon to be a guest in a special 2-hour John Hannam Meets on IW Radio when he talks about the pop festivals and how Bob Dylan come to Wootton. He was in fine form. Ray and my girlfriend also had a chat about Yarmouth and the people they knew or know there. En route to Ray’s home we walked along the towpath of the Oxford Canal. I was in my element. I love canals.
Suddenly the weekend began to look busy with three interviews arranged – one on Saturday and two on Sunday. All on the Island, too.
On Friday two children who live next to me discovered a young bat struggling to climb up the huge wall at the side of my house. He didn’t make it and ended up at the bottom in something of an exhausted state. Within 30 minutes Graham Street from the IW Bat Hospital had arrived. What a great character! He soon worked on the young bat and there are hopes of a full recovery. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Graham is an entertainer and he has agreed to appear on John Hannam Meets later in the year. Great chance to play a Meat Loaf track. While all this was going on England were just going in to bat for a second time in the Test Match. A happy ending to both stories.
What a busy weekend. A Saturday afternoon interview with TV and stage actor GRAHAM POUNTNEY, who played powerboat driver Mark Foster in Howard’s Way. He’s heading for the Ventnor Fringe. It’s always nice when they come to my home to be interviewed. The following morning I interviewed COLIN TOOGOOD who was born on the Island. He has a fascinating story of being a top London club DJ, a transatlantic sailor, chef and now a campaign manager. On Sunday night I caught up with Casualty star AMANDA HENDERSON – who plays Robyn Miller – backstage at Shanklin Theatre where she was the guest star in the LEE MEAD show. Lee also knocked on the door to join us for a few minutes. It was nice to say hello to Bobby Davro and Vicki Wright, Joy Beverley and Billy Wright’s daughter, who came to see the show.