Helpful techniques to stop worrying so much. — The lyrics of Bob Marley’s song “Three Little Birds”, delivered in that laid-back Jamaican, reggae style, contain sage wisdom. When I hear the tune, I can picture myself in a tropical paradise without a care in the world. It’s a great song with a helpful refrain telling me not to…

Two countries divided by a common language — It may have been George Bernard Shaw, and it was definitely Oscar Wilde in “The Canterville Ghost” who observed that Britain and America are two countries separated by a common language. …

Advice please on what to do next. — The hard work is done, isn’t it? The text is written and the story told. The illustrations are finished and everything has been formatted to the specifications that Amazon requires. The cover is looking good and the complete package is uploaded and ready. Every check has been done, and we…

The story behind the song — In 1974 Wishbone Ash, complete with new guitarist Laurie Wisefield, released their 5th studio album, “There’s the Rub.” The record still had the characteristic twin-guitar sound but with a much smoother, American feel in the production. Songs included “F.U.B.B.” which was controversial at the time because the title was an…

Three of the things that being a musician has taught me — It’s been a hectic and stressful day, and finally, I am home. It is time to relax a little before going to bed. I put my feet up, have a glass of wine, and unwind. Without thinking, I pick up my guitar and strum and finger-pick a few notes and…

A life in six songs — I was born in 1961 just one year after the Silver Beatles became the Beatles and, the rest, they say, is history. I have listened to and enjoyed music in each of the seven decades I have lived through, music that has been the soundtrack of my life. In a…

Having an older sibling was the biggest influence on my taste in music — I think I have an eclectic taste in music. I listen to, and enjoy, an immense variety from the haunting, sublime purity of The Sixteen performing Allegri’s Miserere to the simple, toe-tapping twelve-bar blues of Status Quo. …

Why labels matter when telling history — I am a product of my culture. No matter how independent, critical, and questioning my reading of history is, I cannot help but be influenced by my education and socialisation. …

Everything is slowly returning to normal — Six weeks since my operation and I am feeling more normal, whatever normal means. The other day was beautiful and warm, unseasonably so for mid-October: it could easily have been the end of August and so we travel a little further for me to take my daily walk. …