The day I've been waititng for! MADSTOCK!!

Got up late due to many wines and ciders at the DC. Too excited to be hung-over though! We had a few minor glitches trying to find the right train to get to Bethnell Green, including being told the wrong line, and then missing our stop and having to back-track. Three London fans got off train with us, nice blokes, so walked and chatted with them. One was called Tom and I swear I know him from somewhere.
A fair hike to Vic Park, and none of us knew where we were going. Soooo bloody great to see heaps of people along the way dressed as Madness fans, in black and white and wearing a fez, pork pie, or pith helmet. Like a bloody dream world to me! Unreal!
Eventually made it. Was told at the gate that if I videoed I'd have the camera confiscated! Bit wierd as we'd al received emails from Madness asking us to film everything and then submit it for editing in to the official Madstock DVD!
Stopped in the middle of the ground to talk to Chigs and Kitty, and that's where we stayed. Over the next 3 hours various fans came and went, Graham, LouB40, Jon, Heather, Looby,Patrick, oh God, I could go on!
Two Geordie blokes dressed as the chemists from House of Fun video, with facemasks and pork pie hats! Wanted to have a drink to calm the old nerves but didn't want to have lots of liquid due to severe lack of public toilets right at front of stage, so got a cup of wine with a double shot of vodka. Then got another one. Job done.
Jon said that Jerry Dammers was crap, so we didn't head over to the main stage (it was a festival with 3 stages) until about 6. To secure a good spot at the front ready for Madness at 9.
Found Jade and Jenny straight away, so struggled in next to them. Right in front of where Chrissy Boy and Lee were going to be on stage. Adam Nicholls, Mad Julie and TMS were with us too. Sean Gaskin was a bit over from Kellie.
Absolutely pissed down for about 3 hours, but me and Kellie had red disposable waterproof ponchos on, so stayed dry.
The Blockheads were brilliant. Minus Ian Dury of course, as he's dead. Really really enjoyed them. Realised how fantastic it would have been to see the great Fancy Pants himself sing with them. Suggs was watching from the side of the stageright in front of us, for the whole set. Swoon!
Then the Pogues. Should have seen kellie's face when Shane McGowan staggered on stage with a tall glass of vodka in one hand, fag in the other, and a pirate's eye patch! Brilliant! Their set was fantastic, even though I didn't know any of their songs. Really good.
Then there was a bit of music through the speakers for half an hour, Bad Manners, the Specials, Selector, The Beat, stc. All of us (20,000 I think it was) had a right old sing along. It was great and really got you in the mood. By now my adrenaline rush was constant!

Then finally my life-long idols appeared. Ooh, my heart's racing just remembering it! Haha. Would you believe as soon as they came on the bloody rain stopped! Amazing! Unfortunately Louise and then Gav got dragged out by security straight away. It was just too rough where they were, and the paramedics told Gav he was in shock.
Me and kellie had tied my big Aussie flag to the front barrier where we were squashed up in true Madness gig fashion, and we kept waving it now and again. I wanted the band to know that some of us love em so much we've come all this way, and I wanted to let Chrissy Boy know who I was. He did notice me waving it and winked at me. Made my night.
Their set was brilliant of course. The videos from Chris' "Axe Cam" (small vid camera on Chris' guitar) on YouTube are so bloody funny! Jerry Dammers (Two-Tone founder and general Legend) joined them on stage for Night Boat to Cairo during the encore. Not something you see every day. We were honoured to witness that!

At the end, Graham found us and said a few were going to DC for a drink. Then we lost him and his phone was turned off. Can't believe I didn't go! Aargh!
Rushed down the very long street to tube, along with a few thousand other fans, and eventually fell into bed at about 1.30.
What a bloody brilliant 30 hours!

Off to Londinium!

Caught Mega bus from Kingsway. Managed to sleep a fair bit on the way up. On phone to Graham for the first time, asking him to help me find a spare battery for my vid camera. Off at Vic coach stn, tube to Kings Cross. Pretty hot. Out hotel (The Macdonald) was just accorss the road in Argyle Sq. Gav has told me since that the outside of the hotel is actually the bit at the beginning of "Bed and Breakfast Men" where Suggs' cousin walks along the street! How bloody funny is that?!!
I got the tube straight away to Tottenham Court Rd (videoed the street sign for Carl cos Tottenham is in the lyrics to one of his fave Madness songs). Found a spare battery straight away, back to hotel. Me and Kellie caught tube to Camden, for the Madmeet befor Madstock. I was sooo excited! To be going to Camden Town and the Dublin Castle again (home of Madness, where they first started playing before the record deal), and also to be finally meeting some good mates from Smash Forum and Madness Central forum.
Walked in and Gav recognised me from behind! Must have been the tattoos. He was with 3 Swedish fans who I'd never herad of, but nice anyway. Then others started arriving and the night kicked off. I had an absolutely bloody excellent night! Finally met good mate Graham, saw Chigsy Wigsy, Tommo, Emma, Spatie and Jhonboy again, and met Andy Schultz, Dicka, Lucy, Looby Loo, the two Patricks, Adam Nicholls, Julie, Stucker, Jade, Jesus Jenny, Jon Young, and God knows who else!
Me and Gav left at ablut 12.15 but Camden Tube was shut so we haggled with a taxi driver. Gav slept on the floor of our room, which must have been a shock for Matt when he woke up in the morning and had to step over some random Chinese guy to get to the bathroom!

Catrin and mad dash for battery

Catrin came over after lunch. She was my best mate through our teens. We navigated our teens and boys and feelings together. Massive bond there that, of course, will never be replaced. Love her to death. Funny, when I opened the door to her I just said, "Hiii, come in" and we just fell back in to it. No thought of hugs or "Oh my god, so great to see you again". It was like we'd just seen each other a few months ago. Me and Catrin will always be like that, I think.
Soon as she sat down, Tracy Jones rang. First time I'd spoken to her for at least 23 years (she tells me that we Did see each other once after school). Tracy filled me in with osme of the goss over the years - who's doing this and that, and would you believe Richard Osbourne and his wife are really into s+m, swinging, and have a 'dungeon' in their house??? Jesus!
Went with Catrin to pick up her daughter Phoebe from our old primary school. Memories!
Can't believe how much Phobe's grown (she's 10). Beautiful long blonde hair and blue eyes but still looks so much like Catrin, somehow.
They dropped me off at the top of St Mary's St. Had a yarn with a guy from Brisbane at the Walkabout.
Cut through Caroline st. some massive bloody new thing being built up the Hayes. Already massive new shiny buildings around there - how much room do they think they've got? It's turning in to a mini Japan!
If you don't look up it's still the same down St Mary's and the Hayes, which is quite comforting. Even Spiller's Records is still there. That's where me and Catrin bought our tickets to see Madness in Port Talbot in Oct 81. I walked in and actually remembered the feeling of waiting at the counter and finally receiving the tickets in our little 13 year old hands. Wow! I was right back there, that excitement of loving them so much, being 13, boyfriends, bying ska badges, falling asleep to "Seven" on the tape player. Brilliant.

Outside St David's Hall there was a massive screen showing the graduation ceremony of Uni of Cardiff. Went to Argos to buy a bag for London. It's in the Queen's Arcade, which
is now a two storey mall sith a grand double staicased entrance.
Rushed to Jessop's to get a battery for my new vid camera. Don't remember Queen st being so short! Jessop's is right by where I took a photo of Catrin in her pork pie hat when that tramp was trying to talk to her.
Bought a UK sim card, then a big black assistant at Cardiff Central bus stn who I thought was a Maori (I was wrong. he had a funny accent) showed me where to get a bus to the Bay.
Met Louise (my sister and Kellie at 'Salt', and was surprised to see my mum there. I thought Kellie must have come with her, but turns out Kellie was as surprised as I was. Great to see louise but wouldn't mind some 'just us' time with her. Didn't get much of that last time.
They left, Kellie was starving, so we looked at the restaurants there. Two Italian restaurants right next to each other had exactly the same menu and prices!
Downstairs got talking to a posh couple from North Wales. They recommended a chinese joint round the corner but when we got there the doorman was in the middle of ringing the cops and trying to get rid of three mouthy 12/13 year olds who were giving him jip. Bless 'em.

Went back to the first Italian restaurant we'd looked at, that could've been a bit cheaper. Shit loads for a folded-over pizza, and $30 for a bottle of plonk. It mattered not because I had the company of my daughter, in a nice atmosphere, looking out at Penarth Head. Not many times I can say that, now is it?

Raced to the train cos kellie was freezing, changed at Queen St, unplanned change of trains at Central, Kellie fell asleep on the new train while we were waiting for it to pull out.

The old stomping ground.

Sun 12th July.
Mum took me for a drive to Culverhouse, and around Barry. Parked at the steepest street in Barry to film Stacey's mum's house from "Gavin and Stacey". If you haven't seen that show yet, you should download series 1 and 2 straight away. It's Tidy!!
Couldn't find an extra battery for my silly new video camera which only takes minute ones. Will have to buy 2 spares for London, I reckon.
Walked through south Dinas Powys from east to west, videoing where I used to hang around with Catrin and Sharon around 1979 till 1982. Funny to see these places through an adult's eyes now.
Called in at Catrin's parents' house and had a chat with them. Walked home and it started to rain again. I don't mind cos it's not heavy rain anyway.
Mum has a beautiful back garden and I love looking at the plants while I'm out there having a fag.
Got pretty pissed talking with mum at night, then went on computer till God knows when!


Mon 13th July.

Got up really late, 2pm, and mother was really not pleased at all! Have gastro. Really really sharp pain under my ribs every few minutes. Walked over post office in Camm's Corner to send b'day Card to my little Carly-pops. Kellie and Matt were there when I got back. They had been staying with Richard and just spent the day with Tanya (Kellie's sister).
Kellie went for a jog, in between showers, down Millbrook Rd where I lived from 4 years old till 9 (LOVE that house!), and up towards Penny Turnpike.
Chicken casserole for tea. Very nice. Was knackered and wanted to go to bed but Kellie wouldn't let me.
They slept in the newly-transformed loft, on a new blow-up mattress.
I woke up at 3am to them walking around above me and pumping up the mattress cos it'd gone right down.


Tues 14th July.

Mum took us 3 to the Big Pit in Blaenafon. It's a coal mine which has been turned into a tourist attraction/museum, and you go right down under the ground to the coal seam. If you're ever in South Wales you should got there. It's really interesting, and really sad.
Drove up through the beautiful little villages, then drove back through Cardiff. This whole place really is gorgeous. Sorry Australia! lol
Mum dropped us off here at Dad's. Tonight I have to get on with sorting some kind of itinerary for London.

Chillin on a Saturday.

Sat 11th July.

Went for a walk up town. Funny to be back in town and not see anyone I know. Bought some souveneirs. Wandered around a few times. Bought a skirt too. Was going to call in at my old friend Rhian's but it was raining again, so I went home.
Dad brought me down to mum's in Dinas Powys. Went shopping in Tesco's. Wasn't sure which wine to buy, which is surprising seeing as I drink so much of it. I always drink the same stuff at home though. Spotted a bottle of Brown Brothers, so took my chances with that. Drinking it now, and it's soooo sweet. That's tooooo sweet.
Rang Steve Kennedy (old mate from my teens) but no answer. Rang internet/Madness friend Graham for the first time but his mobile coverage dropped out mid-chat.
Tonight I opened my Madstock tickets! Yay! It's more real now that I've got them.
Checked some home videos that I'd converted from mp4 to avi, and there's no bloody sound! Aaargh! Not sure why.
My mum still has Rosie the cat. She's really gorgeous and hairy. She just put her front paws on the couch next to me, I scratched the side of her face, and she went mad! Turning and rubbing her head in all directions against my fingers. Cool. Glad to be of service!
Spent hours tonight editing and converting home vids. Now my eyes are killing me, so off to bed.

Fri 10th July.

Went down beach to meet my mum and Haydn (kid from next door) at Rabaiotti's. It rained of course, but only drizzle. Bought myself a really nice pewter Love Spoon. Matt walked down the beach so we followed him.
At tea time, Richard (Kellie's father) came to pick up her and Matt. They're going to stay with him for a few days while I go and stay with my mum.
Had chips and peas for tea, read a book, and fell asleep for about 15 hours! Bed must be too comfy!

HOME, James!

Two weeks ago my computer at kellie's house kicked the bucket. I rang a computer-fixer-guy and left a message. Four o'clock this morning he rings my mobile!
Couldn't get back to sleep so went on net, got back to sleep about 7am. Half an hour later Kellie brings me the phone with an important call from Centrelink (Social Security). Happy to take the call cos it's sorting out my money, pension etc. Just have time to hear someone say they're Miss So-and-so from Geraldton before the connection fails. Oh well. Don't care. I'm on holiday ;-)

Paula transferred the Michael Jackson memorial thing on to dvd for me, but had to do it in 'real time'. Watched bits of it while I was packing. Really sad. Love Jermaine.
I'm not the biggest MJ fan but i loved the Jacksons, and Michael was just brilliant. My Carl likes MJ but it's sad to see that most younger people just knew him as some freak in the papers.
Let's face it, we can't believe everything we read in the papers, can we?
A very close friend of mine once had a similar experience, and was prompted to write a song called "Don't Quote Me On That".
OK, he's not a very close friend. But I named my son after him. That's kind of friend-ish isn't it?

Sooo... My dad picked us up from Paula's. He'd got lost on the way in so Andrew led us back out to the M4. As we turned the third bend i mentioned to kellie that it was lucky Paula wasn't leading us out, or she'd be on the motorway already.
For those of you who haven't been in Paula's Vaxhaull X something R something Sports, while Paula's driving, it's an experience.
I sat in the front the other day, and it's just as well I didn't have my video camera with me cos it would have been a waste of battery. Cars, people, livestock and whole villiages whizzing by.
They haven't brought an HD camera out yet that could've captured the world that wasn't inside the car! And she used to be such a quiet little thing when we were young!!

Got to the M4 and Kellie fell asleep! We're going HOME Kellie!!
Matt was in the front chatting away to my dad. We crossed the WRONG Severn Bridge (new one. not the same!), but at least there was a "Croeso i Gymru" sign. I nudged kellie awake and said "We're on the bridge", but she didn't share my electric feeling of jumping out of my skin with excitement at being back in Wales. She's an Aussie. They're laid back.

A few minutes after crossing the bridge I looked around at the landscape and said to Matt, "Do you see it's more hilly now that we're in Wales?" and he agreed.
See, before today I would say that as a joke, but it's true! It really looks like Wales as soon as you get off the Severn bridge.

I was born under traumatic circumstances at Lydia Beynon hospital for women, which is now the Celtic Manor Hotel. The Ryder Cup is being held there this year.
It's a laaaang story, but my mother had to give me up, she emigrated to Australia, and we met again when I was 18. That's how come I live in Australia now.
So when my dad announced that the Celtic Manor was coming up on the right, I turned the video camera on, said to Matt excitedly, "Oooh, I was born there!", then found myself having a little cry.
Didn't even know I was crying till I moved my head from the window a few minutes later and my chin was wet.
Those things SHOULDN'T have happened back then. I'm lucky that I can't imagine having to leave kellie when she was six weeks old.

Anyway, I was gonna say where we went tonight, but I'll do that tomorrow. Nye nyes!
Ooh I'm back. Kellie's half sister's mother (Debbie) just added me on Facebook. I've never met her but Dean (my first love) was seeing her behind my back 22 years ago. Then me and Richard had Kellie, I went to Oz, Richard met Debbie and had Kellie's sister . Oooh!
Going to bed now.

Lazy dayz

Guess what!!! My tickets to MADSTOCK arrived at my mum's house in Wales today! Yipeeeee.
It rained most of the day, till about 2.30.
Went for a walk up through the villiage this arvo. Took some video and pics of the beautiful houses and gardens for a while, but then my video camera battery ran out!
I reckon I'll have to buy another two batteries for the London trip. Not cheap.
Since coming back here I've been trying to convert the video footage from mp4 to avi or mpeg. Can't do it cos everytime I import the vids on to AVS video converter an error message says that Quick Time video codecs are not installed. I have Quick Time, and I've been searching and downloading for a couple of hours now, and I'm getting a bit frustrated.
All this time, Kel, Matt, Paula and Andrew have been playing Mario sports on the Wii. Hysterical laughter coming from the other side of the bedroom door. kellie just said she'll be sore tomorrow from the exertion!
Matt's made a lasagne which is nearly ready. Smells lovely but I'll have to scrape the meat out. Ha ha.

Getting there.

Left Kalbarri for Geraldton on morning of Thurs 2nd July, to hook up with daughter kellie and her fiance Matt for the drive to Perth. My housemate Frank drove me, which was lucky because i was pretty tired. At the same time, my good mate Jason was driving all the way to my ex-workplace at Tardun (300 kms away) to pick up my goats and return them safely to Kalbarri. Onya Jase, I owe ya one!
Matt drove all the way to Perth, and I had a little sleep in the back.
Stopped in Midland for Kellie to get some jeans, and I wandered over to a bridal shop. Keliie and Matt came over and she ended up trying on two wedding dresses which looked beautiful (they're getting married on 24th Aprl).
At the motel I opened my suitcase and couldn't find my passport. Thoughts were racing through my mind of who I could ask to find it in my house and drive it 600kms through the night to me, but then I found it.
We went to a pub for tea, then I tried to get some sleep on the tiny little bunk above Kellie and Matt's bed. I must have got some, as Matt later complained about my snoring!

Fri 3rd July.
At check-in, I discovered that my suitcase was 1.6kg over weight, so took laptop out. Am now wondering how I'm going to buy souveneirs and get them back to Oz.
Very very very long flight and I was nowhere near a window seat, which would have been handy for views and somewhere to rest my poofy bean-bag neck pillow. Nicotine patch firmly attached to arm. Four hour stop over in Brunei, which went surprisingly quickly because we got chatting to a nice couple. They're Indian, lived in Perth for 2 years, and she was born in St David's hospital. That's in Cardiff, where my sister was born, and where I had my daughter Jessie's first ultrasound.
From Brunei through Dubai to London our plane had the tv screens on the seat in front, so watched a couple of movies. Landed half an hour early in London, and we were the only arrivals at customs. Cool.
My mum and Mike hadn't arrived yet. When they did, we drove to Reading servo for coffee, then to Paula's, my cousin who we're staying with for 5 nights. My mum's internet directions of course led us down the "quickest" route, which was a very narrow country lane and not the quickest route at all. Ha ha.
Paula and Andrew live in Purton, which is a beautiful little country villiage. House is fantastic. One half is 180 years old with very low ceilings, and the other is only 6 years old and very modern. Kellie and Matt are sleeping in the spare room upstairs, and I'm in the study, which used to be the kitchen. Door from my room opens to the side path, where I smoke. Wicked. :-)
Funny to think that people were cooking in my bedroom just as Western Australia was being colonised!
They all went to the Working Men's Club after tea but I stayed here. When they came back, they lit the log fire for Kellie and Matt, and she was sitting on the couch with her jacket on! Haaaahaha!

Sun 5th July.
Took my video camera up this road to video some beautiful houses. Some as old as the old half of Paula's. And the beautiful gardens.
We (me, Kel, Matt, Paula, Andrew and sons Conor and Mark) went to the annual Cotswalds Show. Never seen so many dogs all in one place! Heaps and heaps of German Shepherds of all colours. Must have chatted to ten owners. One big beautiful male I saw a few times has me wondering if I want a male instead of a female.
Bloody video camera stopped working!!! It cost over $1,200 just two years ago and has heaps of footage on there! It'll turn on for a second or two, but then flickers and turns itself off.
Bought a pork pie hat for Madstock. That's the big MADNESS festival that me and kellie are going to in London on the 17th. For those who;ve never met me, MADNESS are my heroes, my idols, my loves, and my favourite band.
For over 2 hours, we watched a demonstration by Gary somethingorother, who is what's commonly known as a horse whisperer. I was mesmerised. Kellie wasn't, as she's seen it all before and used the same basics with her horse Woody.
I acually got a bit sunburnt, which was later met with peals of laughter from internet friends!
We went to the Working Men's Club while Paula went to put the roast on, then she joined us. Got a bit pissed, then went home to a lovely roast chook. Yum.

Mon 6th July.
Went to a shopping centre so I could fax off my very late Centrelink form. Bumped in to Kellie and Matt who'd just used Andrew's free passes to the leisure centre, where they had sauna, spa, etc. Had lunch with them at Macca's but had to get rid of them so that me and Paula could pick up Kellie's birthday cake from Asda.
Paula took me, Kellie and Matt to Cirencester, which is an old Saxon town. Absolutely beautiful church right in the middle of the town centre. Went in and spoke to the information guy, and of course he's been to Kalbarri a few times!
Bought a new vid camera. Really pleased with it cos it's tiny, but would rather not have had to buy it in the bloody first place! Great big chunk out of my holiday budget. :-(
After a late tea (it gets dark soo late over here in summer) we watched, or rather took the piss out of, some corny movie called Dark Water, with that blonde guy from Hey Dad and the "Mum's doing a lamb roast" ads. Couldn't stand too much of it so went to bed and bought heaps of stuff from the Retro-Madness website for me and Carl.

Tues 7th July.
My baby's 21!!
Paula and Andrew gave Kellie a digital camera, which was really cool cos hers just gave up the ghost the other day. Went shopping in Swindon and bought 3 (yes) London guide books, another pork pie hat, this time with chequered band, and chequered boots. Cool.
Did I mention it's been raining a lot here? Drizzling most of the time except Sunday arvo. Doesn't bother me, just think it's quite funny.
Took Kellie out for tea at Sally's Pussey (no, really). Very nice food, then off to Working Men's Club. Got chatting to a bloke who lived in Oz for 2 years, including Gero and Broome. Recorded Michael Jackson's memorial on TV. Will watch it tomorrow. Very sad. Really really sad that he died. He was bloody brilliant. :-(