Knees

No advice from me about knees, Kelly - I inherited my weak joints from my Dad. Playing football for years didn't help, but the worst was when I ruptured my medial ligament back in 1970 at football training - just after Jo and I met. No keyhole surgery in those days - I was put in plaster - hip to ankle - for 3 months and was unable to go back to work full-time for 6 months. I remember my boss, Duncan Crawford "thoughtfully" brought some work out to our house to keep me occupied during my convalescence!

My first meeting with the future in-laws was on crutches - and it was a year before I played football again. Of course, I retired from football when we got married and Lucy came along, but took it up again when we moved down to London in 1974 - although I didn't do any training then - I only played on a Saturday during the winter.

I retired again by the time I was 30, but I started off the Veterans 5-a-side group in Banchory a decade later in 1988 as I was approaching my 40th birthday. By this time, I was playing squash regularly and I also took up running - taking part in some great events like the Great North Run, the Great Scots Run, Aberdeen Half Marathon and lots of other events.

It was a couple of years later that I really started having problems with my right knee - the one that had been operated on when I was 21. It was during one of my frequent visits to the hospital that I discovered the real reason for the pain and the fact that I've never been able to fully straighten my right leg - the surgeon who had operated on me in 1970 hadn't noticed that my cruciate ligament had also come away. If I could have remembered who he was I would have sued him!

The road running was not a good idea in retrospect - I wish I had taken to cycling to keep fit instead. But Kelly, you're made of sterner stuff - you certainly don't have the Stewart legs so shouldn't have the same joint problems I've always had. The only piece of advice I would offer is not to take too much notice of your GP - not unless he or she is into sports. Best to see a medic who specialises in sports injuries. I certainly know that everytime I ask a doctor for advice on injuries, their usual riposte is simply "how old are you?", as if to say you shouldn't be doing this at your age!

Woodend Barn

Great evening last night at Woodend Barn - Beth Nielsen Chapman is such a natural performer - and a great songwriter too. She was able to create a wonderful atmosphere - not only when singing, but also the way she chatted in between.

The support act (http://www.emilysmith.org/) was very good in a traditional Scots folk style, but there was a huge step up in class when Beth got on stage. There's lots of her stuff on You Tube - but this is a snippet of the end of one of her best known songs - I Find Your Love:

Francis even got a mention - Beth is staying at Shannaburn this weekend. Fiona and Beth met up at Celtic Connections in Glasgow a couple of years and have kept in touch since. Fiona made her cameo appearance which she prefaced with the story of how she went to Ellis Island and was struck by the tales of the many Scots emigrants to USA who turned up with all their possessions in a trunk - or "kist" - the germ of a new song, which Beth finished off and they both sang beautifully last night:

As well as the Kilgours, the McWhinnies and Sharps were also there last night and we went back to John and Joan's for coffee and a look at their huge new conservatory/extension.

It's another stunning day today - but freezing cold. I've got the thermals on for the trip to Pittodrie this afternoon with Ross and Gary - looks like a good day for football. Jo has gone down to Ballater for an Advent festival/celebration with Anne, Johanne and Myra.

Songs featuring London are pretty easy, aren't they? There's lots of them - some a bit better known than Gary's include Streets of London (Ralph McTell), Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon), Waterloo Sunset (Kinks) and London Calling (Clash) - the latter group also had lots of other songs featuring London boroughs - Brixton, Hammersmith etc.

Friday frustrations

Well, I didn't go to the KGV meeting last night after all - I just stayed home and vegetated - catching up with some of my Sky + recordings and transferring them to my laptop for next Friday's headbang - talking of which, our host Dave may have a problem with making it back up from Reading in time. He suggested changing it to Saturday night - but I didn't think that would go down very well!!!! Let's hope he can make it on Friday.

I sat through a good live concert from a small club in Memphis while Jo was having a bath. It was on Sky Arts HD and the quality was excellent - you really got the feeling you were there as Elvis Costello and the Imposters ran through their act.

Our golf group continues to frustrate - they keep changing their minds. I thought the dates for the spring trip were finally settled yesterday, but today it's all change again! Well, at least it looks like the revised dates will suit me a bit better - out on 27th February - but I'm not booking anything yet until I get absolute confirmation from the rest.

Fiona Kennedy (Clark) will definitely be making a cameo appearance on stage with Beth Nielsen Chapman tonight - looking forward to it, although I hear Beth's "got religion" - I just hope she doesn't overdo the sanctity.

I think we're all either mentally challenged or there really aren't many modern songs with Scottish place names in the title - but here's one I'd never heard of before - Glasgow Star - Eddi Reader - check http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oE_1npcLIbk. There's also, of course, the execrable Mull of Kintyre by Wings.

Believe it or not, it appears that the UK place with the most songs mentioning it is Birmingham - although many of them refer to other Birminghams - Alabama etc. A lot of them I've never heard of:

Paint Me A Birmingham - Tracy Lawrence

Birmingham - Amanda Marshall

Boulder To Birmingham - Emmylou Harris

Birmingham - Randy Newman

Bethlehem In Birmingham - Toby Keith

When Jesus Left Birmingham - John Mellencamp

Postmarked Birmingham - Blackhawk

Sparrows Over Birmingham - Josh Rouse

Halfway Back to Birmingham - Mark Chesnutt

Hello Birmingham - Ani Difranco

Birmingham - Drive-By Truckers

Atlanta & Birmingham - Deana Carter

Breakfast In Birmingham - David Lee Murphy

So my lists are morphing in to quizzes - if I said London (including places in London), how many can you get?

Booked at last

It's finally done - read your e-mails. We travel Friday-Friday. Now get your holidays booked. Kelly and Craig still to sort out their travel plans and, of course, likewise Lesinas with their transatlantic trip - they will be coming to Banchory some time round about 20th March (Jo's birthday), I think - then fly out from Aberdeen to Tenerife with us, return from there, then head back to USA again.

Of course, it could be that Kelly and Craig might also come to Scotland for all or part of that first week? One way flights to Tenerife from Aberdeen are £139.99 on 27th March.

Well, that's one lot sorted out - believe it or not, you lot are a lot easier to deal with than our golf group! We're looking at next year's spring and summer trips, which, ironically, could both also be to Tenerife. We had our 10th anniversary of our Iberian Cup (on tour) trip recently - to Florida of all places - but it will most likely be back to known pastures next year - Tenerife is the favourite, but Marrakech is favoured by quite a few. This is on a line of latitude with Tenerife and also, believe it or not, Orlando! Perhaps the terrible events overnight in Mumbai will deter a few from travelling to Muslim Morocco however. Incidentally, Michael Clark was due to fly out to India tomorrow with our sales manager on a Food For Britain exploratory trip - naturally, they've cancelled now - they also need to go to Thailand soon, but Bangkok airport isn't exactly a place to head to either just now!

The early spring golf outing, which was in Cape Town this year, will also be the 10th anniversary of our "Desert Classic" - and it looks like being Tenerife as well. We usually go late February, but there are some logistical problems for the rest of the group and they're trying to put it off until 13th March now - this would mean me going out, coming back for a week, then going out again on 27th March! I'm trying to get them to change their minds and we're hoping to have another chat about it this evening.

I'm supposed to be attending a meeting of the KGV development group tonight - they're keen on building squash courts there too, but their time scale is even longer than the Laird's Hill of Banchory project. Don't know if it's worth my while or not. Besides which, I feel tired and sore after playing 5-a-side at the school last night. I've been nursing a lower abdomen pain for a few weeks - Jo thinks it may be a hernia - and it's tender again today.

Tomorrow night, we're going to Woodend Barn to see Beth Nielsen Chapman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Nielsen_Chapman). By coincidence, Francis Clark walked in to the office on Monday and said to me "where exactly is this Woodend Barn?". I asked him why, and he said there this was this girl staying with them this weekend and they were going to see her sing. It transpires that Fiona ("Kennedy") knows her quite well and they've even written a song together - maybe Fiona will make a cameo appearance herself on stage tomorrow?

Come on - songs with Scottish place names!

Friday flights?

Final, final call! Flyglobespan flights on Friday 27th March cost £259.98 (incl taxes) for everyone (including children). This is a little better than I said earlier. Please confirm asap that I can go ahead with this.

Edinburgh

So - it looks like we are going for the Sunday - Sunday flights then? Kelly's comment about Craig having to see when he could get his holidays gave me temporary collywobbles - especially as I've now booked and paid for the villa! I presume Kelly meant they didn't know how much additional time Craig could get off? I take it as read that both Kelly and Craig will manage to be in Tenerife for at least as long as we are all there?

I went down to a dinner in Edinburgh last night. It was held in the grand surroundings of the Signet Room library - see link below for details. The speaker had a name like a second rate porn star, but he was actually very interesting:

I got the train down and back and stayed at the King James hotel overnight - a lot easier than driving up and down and haring back in the small hours of the morning.

I'm disappointed that nobody has come up with any suggestions for my last list of modern songs featuring Scottish places. I thought that Jo, in particular, would have suggested the Proclaimers "Sunshine on Leith" at least - not to mention their very first record "Letter from America", which listed a number of Scottish towns - remember "Lochaber no more, Methil no more, Irvine no more, Linwood no more, Bathgate no more" etc? Come on you lot - you can do better!

Tuesday

Nobody seems to mind whether we go on Friday 27th or Monday 29th - except Lucy, who prefers Friday - so it's now time to book the flights - last chance to stop me!

Heading for a dinner in Edinburgh tonight - I had originally planned to drive home afterwards, but, what with the weather and the thought of putting more miles on the car, I've decided instead to catch the train, which means I'm staying overnight there.

Tenerife

The villa owner has said that it's available for the 4/5 April so if we want to go Sunday - Sunday instead of Friday - Friday, that's OK with her.

Now, all you fence-sitters, time to come down and make some decisions - and take some action. Lucy has a slight preference for Friday-Friday, despite the slightly higher costs. Kelly doesn't mind either way, so what about Jo, Ross, Gary and Carole?

The cost of the villa is my treat for the week, but I trust you can all manage your own air fares? I'm happy to book and pay for them just now and you can perhaps all recompense me later?

Tenerife

Kelly says she and Craig may well go to Tenerife for 2 weeks so we can just go ahead and do our own flight bookings and they will fit in with whatever days we choose. I guess now it's up to the villa owner - if she can accommodate us, it might be better to fly Sun 29th to Sun 5th? Comments please.

Sunday morning

I've decided not to get dressed today - no need to go anywhere, plenty of sport on TV and Jo picked up the Sunday Times on her way back from church.

I did go out yesterday after all - to play squash - the 3rd time this week - haven't done that for a long while. The roads were very tricky, though and I don't intend to repeat it today - tomorrow's soon enough to be going out in the car.

I've just discovered another flight to Tenerife, which leaves on Sunday instead of Friday - and it's a bit cheaper - it's Fly Globespan (the other is Airtours, operated by Spanair). The Sunday flight departs at 7 am and arrives just before noon, with the return leaving at 12:40 pm getting back to Aberdeen at 5:30 pm.

The Spanair Friday flight, however, has almost the opposite schedule, leaving Aberdeen at 12:55, arriving at 17:40, with the return leaving Tenerife at 7:05, getting back in to Aberdeen just before noon.

I've asked the owner if the villa is still available on 4/5 April - but I've just realised that it may not be so easy for Kelly and Craig to change from the Friday flights. I've done a quick search and it seems there are flights from Exeter to Tenerife on Tuesdays and Fridays. Sod's law, the Tuesday one is cheaper (£232) - the Friday flights are shown as £331 - unless Kelly knows any different? The Tuesday flights would not really be cheaper, however, if Kelly and Craig had to stay an extra 2 nights in a hotel.