Losing my hair

Shop applications stay open until April 1st.

You can only apply for a shop role if you already volunteer in an Oxfam shop (you'll need a reference from the shop manager) or have worked at 2 festival shops in the last 3 years.

I missed out on Big Jeff's IVW tour, I wouldn't want to be in the crowd trying to keep him crowdsurfing! I've met him a couple of times - great bloke.

What a great weekend. Saturday, saw Working Men's Club supported by two local bands - Baby Lung and The Anteloids - in Northampton. All 3 bands were really good. Sunday, saw Warmduchser supported by Maddonatron in Bedford - another great night. Congratulations to whoever organises Independent Venue Week, it's a great concept.

Done. Good luck with the degree.

Little disappointed by that as I love the festival. I've seen/have tickets to see most of the acts I'm interested in apart from Bambara and Do Nothing. I'll have to check out the unknowns before buying a ticket.

loved.builds.cover takes you Blackwell Street. Nigel Blackwell - Half Man Half Biscuit??

This is where it belongs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46861137 where nobody can hear it.

I heard about it from some friends who went last year and decided to go because of the line up. It seems to work on the basis that you pay for a room for the weekend so if you can fill an apartment it can come in at under £100 each for the weekend, which if you then do self catering is a bargain. Loads of people I spoke to had already booked for next year - tickets were on sale on site. The vibe seemed very similar to Bearded Theory, I spoke with several people who do both, and the bands all seemed to enjoy it. There is an element of the surreal about it because of lot of the amusements are closed down for the winter and there's refurbishments going on. And the beer selection is rubbish - spent most of the weekend on Guinness.

Crikey, halfway down page 3 - things have been quiet. Just back from a fabulous weekend at Rockaway Beach - I never thought that you could have so much fun at a Butlins. Highlight of the weekend - Nova Twins; anybody with a Bearded Theory ticket is in for a treat.

1. 67 2. From Neil's rumoured list - Diana Ross (preferably Supremes heavy), Elbow, Macca, Kinks, Thom Yorke, Warmduchser. 2. From my list - Nick Cave, The National, LCD Soundsystem, The Murder Capital, Richard Hawley (apparently he doesn't like doing festivals but his Roundhouse gig last year was one of my highlights), Young Fathers ( I can only hope that their recent absence is because they are in a studio somewhere, the album will drop soon and then they'll smash it on W Holts) 3. Sorry, has to be 3 Pyramid headliners - my dream team would be Tom Waits, REM, Kate Bush

I've not been here for quite a while and so I've probably - almost certainly - missed out on lots of news but frankly I really can't trawl back to mid November in order to catch up - I just hope that I haven't missed anything truly momentous. I trust that everybody is well and that life is treating you at least tolerably. I'm so looking forward to June on the farm but as an early season taster I'm off to Roackaway Beach at Bognor Regis in a weeks time. Happy New Year to everybody.

Happy New Year one and all. Partying by myself tonight after spending the day cooking in preparation for the children & grandchildren coming over here for lunch tomorrow. Lunch will be preceded by the Annual Duck Races on the brook through the village - the ducks are plastic and no animals are hurt in the making of this event; although last year we were joined by an otter in the brook which was an amazing sight. It's almost exactly like this

And I thought I was doing well when Louisa Roach said Hi to me at a She Drew the Gun gig a couple of weeks ago.

Were you just sticking pins in?