I called up Ben who runs the Ashington Folk Club yesterday afternoon to enquire about tickets for Clive Gregson’s gig. There was no reply but half an hour later he called back and told me it was admission at the door. I then asked about floor singers and he said he’d not booked any support but would I like to do a spot to open the evening. Somewhat nervously, I agreed.

I sang three songs; an old favourite about a gambler who attempts to kill his lover (called ‘The Gambler’ and on ‘The Singer-Songwriter’s Last Stand’); ‘Jack Sheppard’, a true story about a young villain who escaped from Newgate Prison four times and was finally hanged at Tyburn in 1724; and finally ‘Richard Thompson – Just A Man In A Silly Hat’, which Sofie advised me not to do but which went down very well. In fact I did not realise at the time (having only just looked up Clive’s biog) but Thompson and Gregson worked together back in the Eighties – before Clive teamed up with Christine Collister. I told the audience the true story of how, when Sofie and I first met, we played their cassettes on the car stereo incessantly whenever we went out. Happily, he sang some of those old songs – plus a few new ones.

It was a great night out and would have been even if I’d not played. Oh, all right, Clive said he really liked my stuff. He also seemed like a genuinely nice bloke.