The Gig

It's been a good couple of weeks and as usual I'm completely behind. On Sat 9th of September there was a musical extravaganza almost (well, not quite) as brilliant as Joseph at our church.

When we went in the whole place didn't look like the church anymore it looked like some brilliant concert venue. There were smoke machines (well, they should have just saved themselves some money and just got Lizzie in) and fancy twirly coloured lights that change colour and direction and spin and do whatever they're told to do... and as usual the sound quality was great.

Opening the show was the one and only Jamie Wilson (album available from http://www.jamiewilsonmusic.com/shop.htm) He sang at our wedding before he hit the 'big time'. Actually, I think it was us that gave him his big break really.

After that we had three singer-songwriters on stage at once. Yvonne Lyon, Gareth Davies-Jones and Neil Alton. They were very good, both entertaining and also sharing good testimony at the same time... with a little politics thrown in.

I would heartily recommend you purchase albums from each of them.

Gareth Davies-Jones
http://www.headingwestmusic.com/shop/index.html

Yvonne Lyon
http://www.yvonnelyonmusic.com/store/

Neil Alton
http://www.neilalton.com/

If you go to Neil Alton's store you're probably best to avoid the 'Taller Trees' album. I've heard that the piano and accordian playing is pretty naff on that one.

Who Is The Stig?

Whilst I was writing about Richard Hammond it got me thinking, "Who Is The Stig?". Does anybody actually have any opinions?

OK, I've kept quiet on this for too long... it's actually me. The fact that I'm fat, can't drive and am registered blind is actually only a cover story.

I've heard numerous theories but the most complelling suggestion is that it's Damon Hill. Among other reasons back in the summer Davina McCall was booked as a guest and pulled out on the very day they record (it's a wednesday) she appeared at a later date in the end, but the show was all set up and ready to record and they had no guest - the only celeb they had on the location was Damon Hill - why was he there? because he is there every week, Jeremy played it quite well - "first time we have ever had a F1 driver, "you took that corner differently than the stig" - "everyone thinks you are the stig etc" and of course they had to come up with a new board for F1 drivers.

It's also perfectly possible that Damon Hill isn't always available and there are stand-ins (such as Colin McRae) from time to time.

Anyone care to confirm or deny?

Envelopes

Perhaps one of the most boring things in existance are envelopes and I've always hated attemping to print them as they always come out squint, printed the wrong way round on the wrong part of the envelope but recently I was asked to print 4,600 for church.... I didn't tell them that I actually printed out 17,361,285 and just picked out the best 4,600 from them.

Get Well Soon Hamster

From time to time you feel like you get to know a TV personality so well that they almost seem like an old friend or evenly a family member. Of course, you could walk past them in street and they wouldn't have a clue who you were and if you started being all friendly they might think you were slightly strange. 'Celebrities' experience this all the time. At first I'm sure it's flattering but after a while it must get pretty annoying.

On Wednesday the 20th of September 2006 in the afternoon whilst filming for the new series of Top Gear (THE most downloaded TV show on the entire planet, none of your 'Lost' or 'Desperate Housewives' rubbish) Richard Hammond was driving at speeds in excess of the land speed record (it wasn't an official record as there was no official judge present). A tyre blew out causing an astonishing crash at up to 380mph (may well have been more like 300mph, but still faster than I can run). Now, as far as I'm aware this is probably the fastest car crash ever in the history of car crashes... with or without survivors.

Like many people, I was extremely concerned when I heard the media coverage and immediately starting checking news headlines for updates hoping to hear some good news. All the media said was that he had been air-lifted to hospital and his family were by his side as he lay in critical condition having sustained a substantial brain injury.

I'm not at all into cars given that I can't drive but Top Gear has to be very high up on the list of my favourite TV programmes and is certainly one of the funniest programmes I've ever seen. The final episode of the last series was absolutely hilarious when they did a 'challenge' involving Vans. On that occassion had a crash when his van rolled over whilst going too fast round a corner whilst trying to escape in a police chase involved by Chief Inspector Stig. Jeremy Clarkson, before even knowing how Richard was, turned to the camera and said "If you'd like a job on Top Gear, write to us at "I'm Better Than Richard Hammond WAS, BBC Television....". I've also watched him on his 5 o'clock show and Braniac as well as some other programmes he'd done. He wasn't due to be coming back for any new series of these programmes having just signed an exclusive contract with BBC. Over the last couple of years he has become one of the best loved presenters on TV and I'm sure that this near-loss will only underline his popularity.

So what now? It sounds like the hopes and prayers of a nation have been answered and that Richard is going to not only survive but also that he has a very good chance of a meaningful recovery. News reports suggest today that as he slipped in and out of consciousness he insisted on doing a piece to camera which would certainly be in character for someone so brave and (too) fearless. Jeremy Clarkson and James May report that he woke up, asked if he'd been driving like an idiot, and walked shakily to the toilet... which somewhat contradicts the media coverage saying that only several hours before it was very touch and go as to whether he'd survive. I think the issue was that they were dealing with such an unknown quantity... nobody has ever been in a crash at that speed and if you're in a crash at a quarter of the speed you're almost certain not to survive it. I am just so relieved that his two little daughters will be able to see their Daddy again.

I, for one, wish him and his family all the best for a speedy and absolutely full recovery and will be looking forward to seeing him compete in many more daft (but safe) challenges in the next series of Top Gear.