It was a perfect late spring / early summers day. Oscar and I walked proudly, without our winters coats, to Etchells for some vitals. Suddenly the heavens opened - and closed with an unforgiving downpour. We'll hide in a doorway and watch sheets of rain bounce off the cars on Beech Road. Magical. I carry Oscar home. Outside the rain has stopped but inside there is a leak from the living room ceiling. In a weeks time Uncle Will will begin to work on our roof... Around the same time we will begin to work on this record at Moolah Rouge studio in Stockport. The first week is slow but Andy and myself shortly devise a working method and we record the songs. ...As Will takes his lunch break one day, I ask him about his Father, my Father's Father. I'd been told that he died in the Second World War. Will recounts a visit to his Father's gravestone in Northern France when he was 34. When he found the headstone it was as if he was looking at his own grave. WILLIAM GOUGH - AGED 34 TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE HE LOVED IS NOT TO DIE. An Epitaph with a beautiful sentiment. ...As I stand on a sunburnt stage in Portugal, ten of my friends assemble to perform hand claps on a new song called 'Four Leaf Clover'. Beck will put this in his diary in a weeks time. Andy and Jane will soon be married and this is the 'stag do'. Later on Boney Fresh entertains the audience single handedly with nothing but choice body moves. I then perform a duet with Mr Hansen, a favourite song of mine called 'Puting It Down'... ...A string of festivals come and go. All good and all different. Most notable was Witness in Dublin, the warmest reception imaginable to a host of new songs. The Irish never let you down... ...A very close friend passed away shortly after my birthday in October. I saw Matt Lanyon on a Saturday when he gave me a photograph of himself as a child in his mums apple tree. After much consideration he wrote what I expected to be the most unique and poignant message: TO DAMON, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE FROM MATTHEW. Typical humourous and eccentric. I nipped to the pub with Nige and planned to return with some new music form Matt to hear. Sadly I forgot the CD. This would be the last time I saw Matt. He passed away on the Tuesday. We paid tribute to him by releasing 33 white balloons to the sky outside Chorlton Irish Club. We watched the wind carry them in the exact direction of Matt's flat and our favourite Local Pub, The Trevor Arms.