A Perfect Weekend

So there I was in Birmingham for the weekend doing Jongleurs there.

I love playing in this city, the audiences are brilliant, don't take themselves too seriously, and are always up for a laugh - handy thing that, in a comedy audience.

The hotel - the Copthorne - is a 'proper' hotel, not a hostel for marauding gangs of men and women desperate to have fun at any cost, so I had a gorgeous room with a massive comfy bed, and staff who understand the meaning of the words 'service industry'. It's in between the shops and the gig, which is perfect too as a weekend in Brum ALWAYS involves shopping!

This weekend I was on a real mission, I needed to get some VERY hot weather clothes for my forthcoming trip, not to mention a swimming cossie that fits the new smaller me. So Friday morning, after a cracking gig the previous night, especially Addy Van Der Borg who was just on fire, I was up and out early.

I can't begin to describe what an amazing feeling it is to go into regular clothes shops, pick something up that looks tiny, try it on and have it fit beautifully. As a result, The Gap, Oasis, H&M and trusty old Primark all copped for a hefty proportion of my weekend's earnings. I got shirts, t-shirts, a denim jacket, linen trousers and tops, a cossie, just about everything I could possibly need in a place that has temperatures of 30 celcius and 80% humidity at this time of year.

On Friday I also hooked up with my pal Alisdair from The Glee club, who hasn't seen me for aaaaages. He was so gobsmacked at my weight loss that he couldn't stop grinning all through lunch. We went to Yo Sushi in Selfridges which was perfect for me as I could have small portions and get some much needed protein into me.

That's the only downside of this op as far as I can tell, My stomach has trouble taking in and absorbing enough nutrients, and one of the side effects of not enough protein is that your hair begins to fall out. Luckily for me I had lots of hair, so it's not noticible to anyone but me and my hairdresser at the moment and I have no intention of waiting till everyone notices before treating it, so after lunch I shelled out an absolute fortune on Phyto products which my Doc reckons should help.

Friday and Saturday night's gigs were amazing too with Geoff Norcott replacing Addy. If you haven't seen Geoff yet, make it your business to do so as soon as you can...he's fantastic! He really set the tone for a good night of comedy on both nights. Added to that, he's great to be with in the dressing, which is always a massive bonus.

Saturday I treated myself to a cool new digital camera as my old one gave up the ghost in Paris. Now I know I could get one cheaper probably in Hong Kong, but I wanna hit the ground running - photo wise - when I get there on Wednesday.

Saturday afternoon brought a pleasant treat in the form of a visit to the hotel from Steve Harris, who I haven't seen in a very long time. Seems I'm not the only one who's been undergoing a transformation weight-wise. He's lost four and a half stones and looks faaabulous!

Last night my mate (and former Dexy's bassist) Pete Williams came along to the gig with a friend of his. I haven't seen him since early last year, and he too was amazed by the 'new' me. After the gig, the three of us went off and found a quiet pub just off Broad St and sat catching up till gone midnight...I can't remember the last time I did that, and I had such a good time.

Got home today after a pain-free journey on Virgin, to find my itinerary and E-ticket waiting in my email inbox, a perfect end to a perfect weekend.