Last night was cool! Four of my friends are in a band – kind of the campus house band – and were playing last night in the limelight club, Crewe, in a charity gig for St. Luke’s Hospice. The limelight is one of those cool little places where you feel like you’re entering some underworld, although I was cursing the designer for putting in so many steps. You go up some steps to enter the place (where there’s the foyer with the bar which sells old speckled hen) then down into the room with the stage. Steps having been negotiated, I sat down with my beer.

Almost inevitably, given the purpose of the gig, I thought of school. Before the bands came on, Bryan Adams’ everything I do’ was playing on a big screen: that reminded me of a trip with school to centre parks back in 1994. we went to the one in Sherwood forest, and Miss. Tomlinson put Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves on to help prepare us. I thought of my class, hoping that they were having as much fun as I was. But then, the truth of that situation is complex, and, given that three of my old class had MD, prone to make me think bleak thoughts. Aye, I know about hospices…

That bit of thinking having been done, I sipped my pint and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Brand new day were the last of four bands to play, all quite good. One band was made up of teenagers, and – as Nicky remarked – the lead singer looked like Elijah Wood, which struck me as funny. I then saw the lead guitarist had a passing resemblance to Samwise Gamgee, and mentally branded the band Hobbits.

I spent the evening talking and dancing. I realised too that I don’t like Brand New Day simply because I know its members – I like their mix of rock, Irish folk and strong procession. Charlotte rules on the violin, and I don’t just say that because she’s a good friend. These guys have a truly great sound.

Life rules more and more these days; I am almost considering trying to slow down. I can’t believe we’re about to enter our last term.