Elles Bailey at Islington Assembly Rooms

London, England. Thursday 19-March-2026.

This is the eighth or ninth time we have seen Elles and obviously we keep coming back for more. This concert was the start of a tour to promote her latest album “Can’t Take My Story Away”. 

As always Elles is very supportive of other artists and used this tour as an opportunity to promote a band we’ve never heard of Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast a band from South Carolina. Normally they play with a full line-up but just the two of them flew over for this tour. They will be returning in the autumn with the full band. They played a half hour set and got an enthusiastic reception

After a short break Elles came on with her band now augmented by trumpet and sax. The latter definitely added a richer sound to the band and it was all sounding like they were ready for the big time. The venue was packed - it definitely looked like a sell out. Surely they are ready for stadium size venues.

The set list was evenly split between songs from the latest album and a selection of tracks from her back catalogue.

Elles looking the part in her trademark sparkles, rocking the rhinestone cowboy, Americana look. I once went to a gig where the band all wore grey suits, looking like a bunch of accountants. I like a bit of visual pizzazz from my entertainers. It’s not just about the music. It’s also about the entertainment, the show they put on.

As with many of Elle’s gigs, the lovely and talented Demi Mariner was on stage to provide additional vocals and play a range of percussion in addition to guitar.

At the end they got a well deserved standing ovation.

City Break - Belfast

Belfast, Northern Ireland. Friday/Monday 06/09-March-2026.

Our first ever trip to Northern Ireland. Oh, look there is a Queen’s parkrun which gives us a “Q” for our second alphabet!

Friday 06-March-2026.

Another first: flying out of Newcastle Airport. A modest sized, regional airport slightly larger than Southampton and on a much more human scale than the London behemoths of Gatwick and Heathrow.

Our accommodation was in the Queen’s University area which, like many cities that expanded in the Victorian era, was a mixture of typical bow-fronted terraces with a mixture of Georgian until you got closer to the centre when shiny office blocks took over. 

Supper at the local Holohan’s Pantry including the not-often-seen Guinness West Indies Porter.

Saturday 07-March-2026.

One of the high points of the weekend is that #parkrun/parkwalk in Northern Ireland, like the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, does not start till 9:30 so we get an extra half hour in bed.

Queen's Belfast 06/03/26 31:21 [126/183]

Fabulous event with sun and blue skies. A lovely, slightly convoluted course composed of an out and back with a loop round twice at the far end with its own out and back. Mostly on tarmac paths, around sports pitches and parklands with mostly gentle ups and downs. 

Great crowd of marshals so no chance of getting lost, thanks to all of them. Lots of tourists, some like us, there for the "Q". Cafe at the sports ground for parkfaff afterwards..

Afternoon was sightseeing. Here are just a few of the fabulous buildings in and around the centre. Clockwise from top: Queens University, view along May Street and the back of the City Hall, the bustling St. George's Market and a splendid looking former Methodist Church sadly now boarded up.

We booked a two-day open top bus ticket and spent some of the afternoon being driven round the city. Then got off and had a nose round the foyer of the city hall with some impressive stained glass windows. 

Appropriately these included the Belfast Women's Window, as it was the eve of International Women's Day. The window was unveiled in the week of International Women’s Day 2016 by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Arder Carson on Thursday 3 March 2016 and was designed, manufactured and installed by Alpha Stained Glass.

Celtic Myths & Legends Window 

"This window was commissioned to contribute to our shared history and to demonstrate that this is a City Hall for all. The central story is from the Cattle Raid of Cooley in the Ulster Cycle of myths. Queen Medbh of Connacht and her warriors attempted to steal the great bull, Donn Cuailnge, owned by the men of Ulster. Medbh wanted the bull to match the white bull of Connacht, Finnbennach, owned by her husband. The central figure is Cuchulain shown at the 'Gap of the North, protecting the borders of Ulster against the onslaught by Medbh's armies. The Connacht warriors were no match for Cuchulain, who was said to become divine when engaged in battle. The Irish text on the window roughly translates as a blessing be upon all such as faithfully keep the Tain in memory as it stands here and shall not add any other form to it and was taken from the 12th Century Book of Leinster."

That evening we had an excellent seafood supper at Mourne Seafood Bar followed by a stoll round to soak up the atmosphere.

We ended up in Lavery's for a night cap with excellent live music from Donal Scullion and the House Band.

Sunday 08-March-2026. 

After breakfast we took the bus into town for a meander round the river and visit the Salmon of Knowledge.

We then took the open top bus tour (day 2) and completed the rest of the route we didn't cover on the Saturday. We were booked in for the Titanic Exhibition which, as it turned out, was not just about the liner but also featured extensive information about the growth of Belfast through its massive expansion in the Victorian era thanks to the linen and shipbuilding industries.

Included in the ticket was a tour of SS Nomadic which acted as tender to ferry passengers to the Titanic at the start of that fateful voyage. The SS Nomadic toilets feature Thomas Crapper’s Valveless Waste Preventer.

That evening, we dined in The Crown Liquor Saloon. We ate upstairs in the less fancy dining room and then went down to find ourselves a snug in which to have one last drink and admire the fabulous Victorian décor:

Our snug!

George and the girls drank Guinness but many of the pubs serve an Irish red ale which for me is a very acceptable alternative to Best Bitter.

Back to the apartment tired after a full day.

Monday 09-March-2026. 

Up bright and early for a flight at 10:30. At Newcastle we were parked in the short stay 2 carpark in the corner nearest to the terminal and carrying hand luggage only which meant a fast getaway and home in time for lunch. 

Wine Tasting – Same Wine, Different Vintages

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 05-March-2026. 

Our last visit to Bassenthwaite Lake Station (BLS) for their monthly wine tasting before we head back to Italy for the summer. As usual we went for the winter break deal (dinner, bed and breakfast) at The Pheasant as we were not going to be driving home afterwards, that’s for sure!

The theme was to take two different vintages of the same wine and do a compare and contrast. Sometimes literally the same wine, different vintage, sometimes different styles that required different periods of maturation. An interesting test of taste.

Wine, ABV Supplier Price

• BLS Tasting Notes
• Mary's Notes. ✱ Rating out of Three

1 Taste the Difference Cotes Du Rhone Viognier/Grenache Blanc 2024, 12.5% Sainsbury, £9.75 

• An interesting comparison to start us off - two 'identical' Cotes du Rhone wines form the Sainsbury Taste the Difference range, one is 2024 and one is 2023, both priced the same and with identical descriptions (apart from the grapes varieties) and food pairing suggestions
• Nothing outstanding, ✱

2 Taste the Difference Cotes Du Rhone Viognier/Grenache Blanc 2023, 13% Sainsbury, £9.75 

• BUT The 2023 wine is higher in alcohol and has named grapes of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne and Bourboulenc whereas the 2024 is showing just Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Both are described as complex & elegant and pair well with grilled fish and roast chicken
• Much more complex, fuller body. ✱✱✱

It was interesting (and heartening) to see the difference between the vintages. This means the winemaker makes the best they can with each year rather than blend to a consistent style.

3 The Ned Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2025, 12.5%, New Zealand Majestic, £12 

• Majestic's best selling white wine, this delicious Marlborough Sauv Blanc is refreshing and packed full of gooseberry and grapefruit flavours and is seriously aromatic. It would pair really well with Thai flavours.
• Typical SB, a bit over the top. ✱½

4 The Ned 'Skyscraper' Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 13%, New Zealand Majestic, £15 

• A great balance of zingy grapefruit, apple and stone fruits and a balancing minerality and acidity on the palate with a long finish.
• More complex and balanced. ✱✱½

Surprisingly, I preferred the younger, tarter SB, contrary to my usual preference, whereas Mary preferred the 2024.

5 Bread and Butter Chardonnay, 2023, 13.5%, California Majestic, £16 

• A lush Chardonnay with flavours of bread and butter! Full and fresh, this blend from two distinctly different regions produces understated flavours and silky-smooth citrus and vanilla notes. Great with creamy dishes and soft cheeses. 
• Overpowering vanilla. Nul point

6 Bread and Butter, Reserve Chardonnay, 2022, 14.5%, California Majestic, £29 

• Classically balanced and concentrated wine with aromas of melon and grapefruit, flavours of tropical fruit and toasty brown sugar from oak ageing, this bold and complex wine will pair brilliantly with grilled fish, rich creamy dishes and soft cheeses. 
• Still oaked but not as much, more harmonious and balanced. ✱✱½

Mary is not a fan of oaked Chardonnay so had no liking for number five, whereas I was quite happy to drink it.

7 Matsu El Picaro, 2024,13.5%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £12 

• Tempranillo is King in Toro and much better value than in Rioja (its more famous neighbour The fiercely hot climate produces complex and intensely-flavoured wine. This younger wine is vibrant and fresh with notes of blackberry, spice and liquorice shining through. Great with roast beef.  The label features the son of the family.
• A good example of a fresh young style. ✱✱

8 Matsu El Recio, 2023, 14.5%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £16.50 

• The middle wine of this series of three, El Recio tempranillo produces full-bodied, heady, intense wines with chocolate and vanilla notes that would pair really well with roast lamb or flavoursome griddled vegetables. The label features the father of the family. 
• ✱½

9 Matsu El Viejo, 2022, 15%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £31 

• Our 'wobbliest' wine of the evening, the extra ageing and mature vines produce intensely complex and elegant wines. Look for jammy black fruits, smoky spices and great structure. This is the Matsu flagship wine and is remarkable in its depth of flavour. The label features the grandfather of the family.
• Age and selection show through - more complex, balanced and flavoursome. ✱✱✱

A three-way comparison. Most of the crowd preferred either seven or nine. I was in a minority preferring the middle number eight.

10 Vinalba Reserva Malbec 2023, 14%, Mendoza, Argentina Majestic, £12.50 

• Malbec flourishes in Argentina and the complex style of this Reserva enhances the excellent Mendoza reputation. Look for rich, chocolatey black fruit flavours. Grilled steak is Malbec's best friend and a Malbec with steak is one of life's delicious pleasures!
• ✱✱½

11 Vinalba Gran Reservado Malbec 2022, Mendoza, Argentina Majestic, £19.50 

• This is Vinalba's flagship wine. It has rich, stewed summer-fruit flavours and soft vanilla notes. It is intense and smooth with soft tannins pand a long finish. A great match for a meaty steak pie. Advisable to decant!
• ✱✱½

The house style was evident but there were distinct differences between the wines. Both were good tasty wines but lacked a bit of typical Malbec character. Number 11 may have been their flagship Wine but I preferred the cheaper 2023 vintage.

At the end of the tasting there was the usual decorous stampede to finish off what was left in the bottles.

After that Diane produced a bonus bottle. A bottle of their house Malbec.

12 Hornhead Malbec 2024, 13.5%, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 

• Gold medal winner in the best value category of the Anivan de France Wine Awards, this is a delicious, mouthfilling, juicy French Malbec. A little softer and yet more approachable Malbec from this hidden corner of France
• A bit soft for Mary. ✱✱

Poppy, their black lab, came to join us. I think she was hoping for some of the nibbles to fall off our table. She was disappointed!

A last nightcap back at the Pheasant Inn before bed.

Milkfest 2026

Halifax / London. Friday / Monday 27-January / 02-March-2026.

A two part weekend. We bought tickets for Milkfest some while back and were thinking of a weekend in London, but then comparing diaries to arrange a visit to our parkrun friends Tim and Sue in Halifax we hit upon the triangular trip solution.

Friday 27-January-2026. 

Train down to Halifax followed by a meal with live music from the Landlubbers singing sea shanties. The pub was rammed so we only got a distant view of the band.

Saturday 28-February-2026.

As always Saturday is #parkrunday. Halifax parkrun was always the plan. 

Halifax 28/02/2026. 32:07 [104/187]

We got there early as Tim was doing the first timers’ briefing.

“Halifax is Hilly” said the sign and it was not wrong. Definitely not a PB course. But then these days for me that is true of all parkruns.

The crocuses are out and looking lovely.

Then we went into Halifax to see the town’s number one attraction: the Piece Hall, a Grade I listed building built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell the woollen cloth "pieces" they had produced.

Evening was a delicious supper at Tim and Sue‘s.

Sunday 01-February-2026.

After a great cooked breakfast at Tim and Sue’s we caught the train down to London, straight to the hotel to dump our bags and then on to the Indigo at the O2 for the festival. 

We laughed this at this Traffic Light Tree on the route from the tube to the hotel. Mary had booked a Radisson Blu hotel believing it to be close and convenient for the O2. It was close as the crow flies but not convenient on account of the fact that the Thames was between them!

The entire event is organised by The Milk Men as a charity event, this year in aid of Dementia UK. There were Dementia T-shirts and a raffle for a guitar signed by all the band members performing that evening. They modestly put themselves as the opening act rather than the headliners at the end of the evening.

2pm - THE MILK MEN. 

We missed The Milk Men, but were in time for the start of Mississippi McDonald…

3pm - MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD  

Having recently had the pleasure of seeing Mississippi MacDonald at Blackpool performing two sets, acoustic and electric, we were pleased to be able to arrive in time to catch the whole of his set. In a different venue and all seated, it felt very different to Blackpool but still hugely enjoyable.

4pm - ERROL LINTON  

We first saw Errol 10 years ago at the Green Note Café and enjoyed his set then, a blend of blues and reggae, the latter a nod to his Jamaican heritage - his parents were part of the Windrush generation. Today he brought the same up-tempo energy to the stage. Very enjoyable.

5pm - ROBBIE & STEVE  

Another blast from the past. We saw Robbie McIntosh a decade ago at the Half Moon in Putney and enjoyed his blues driven set. He played with The Pretenders for a number of years and as a session musician for a roll call of famous names This time his planned oppo Hamish Stuart was indisposed and his place taken by Steve who did not pass my “fast fingers on the fret board” test. He mainly strummed chords to accompany Robbie.

6pm - ALICE ARMSTRONG  

We just caught a snippet of Alice at the UK Blues Festival 2025 and were impressed. This time getting to hear a full set from her she rose significantly in our estimation. We appreciated her song writing skills and she belts out the songs with great joy and enthusiasm. Reminding me a little of Janis Joplin but not so raspy. Partway through her set, as an extra treat, she was joined by one of our favourites, Elles Bailey, for several numbers. 

Elles then graciously stepped back to become a backing singer for the last couple of songs allowing Alice to showcase her talents. 

Will definitely be looking out for her in the future.

7pm - BRAVE RIVAL  

Another favourite band who we saw in Blackpool in February. More rock than blues but hugely enjoyable. The bass player has a serious case of hipster beard!

8pm - CLIMAX BLUES BAND  

We enjoyed the Climax Blues Band on the previous occasions we’ve seen them but we did need to fit in supper at some point so choose this set as band to skip and go for a curry. We did get back in time to catch the last couple of numbers. The lead singer is starting to grow on us the more we get used to the fact that the lineup has changed - not better or worse, just different.

9pm - CHRIS DIFFORD 

I would not have recognised the name of the headliner but Chris Difford was guitarist and composer with Squeeze responsible for such classics as “Up the Junction”, “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” and my favourite “Cool for Cats”. His set was entirely composed of the Squeeze back catalogue which, truth to tell, is what the audience want to hear and he delivered along with a modicum of banter.

Then it was back to the hotel for a nightcap. We couldn’t be bothered to summon an Uber and wait for it to arrive so treated ourselves to a black cab from the rank. It may have cost a little more but we were tired enough to decide we were worth it. 

The only slight disappointment of the event was that each band had a strict 45 minute slot so there was little time for the banter that we usually enjoy. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and evening. 

Roll on Milkfest 2027!

Dinner Party Recipes

London, England. Early 1980s.

Back in the early 1980s dinner parties were a thing. I moved to London from Oxford in 1979 and fell in with a sociable, fun-loving crowd. As well as going out eating and drinking, theatre and cinema, we also did a lot of dinner parties, taking it in turns to host on a regular basis.

I had a very specific regimen when it was my turn to host. I would leave the flat at 12 noon and walk down to Safeway in Wimbledon High Street, opposite the station, to buy all the ingredients. I would then return to do all the prep, as far as humanly possible, including chopping and slicing the vegetables and putting them in little plastic food bags in the fridge. 

By 5:30 I would be all done and could sit down with a gin and tonic to watch The A Team which was broadcast at that time. That meant by the time my guests arrived I was calm, relaxed and ready to host with minimal panic required in the kitchen and could enjoy more time chatting with my friends.

There was, of course, lots of “You must give me the recipe!” My inbound recipes were recorded on the flyleaf of a cookbook long since gone but I recently discovered in the attic a photocopy of that ancient, bygone flyleaf.

I originally thought of doing a separate post for each recipe with an introduction including a thumbnail biography of the recipe provider but then decided that, given the number of ex-girlfriends on this sheet, it would be ungallant of me. Instead I provide them here unannotated!

John's cheesecake

Base: 

• digestives
• muesli
• 1 oz butter
• brown sugar

Filling: 

• 1 carton hazel yoghurt
• Lg carton double cream
• Lg carton cream cheese
• 2 oz icing sugar

Method: 

• whip cream
• mix the rest
• add to cream

Top: 

• hazelnut 
• crushed flake

Jeffa's lemon pudding

• 2 oz butter
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz castor sugar.
• 2 large lemons
• 2 oz self-raising flour
• ½ pint milk

Pre-heat oven mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C.

• Beat sugar, butter & lemon 
• add egg yolk & beat in 
• fold in flour milk & lemon juice alternating until all gone 
• beat egg white to soft peaks then fold in mixture

Cook 40-45 minutes in centre of oven

Sheri's bread

• 1 pint warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 teaspoon dried yeast mix

Leave until frothy

• 1½ kilo wholewheat flour
• 4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 5 oz bran

Mix, add yeast, add 1¼ pint warm water
Knead, leave to double in size
Knock back, leave to rise in tins
Pre-heat oven to 450°C
Cook for approx 40 mins plus 5 mins with bums in the air.

Eve's rum butter

• ½ lb soft brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg/cinnamon
• Small glass rum

Mix

• 4oz butter

Melt (allow to get cooler) 
Beat well with sugar & rum
Chill

Andrea's honey curry chicken

• 3 oz butter
• 6 oz clear honey.
• 12 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 6 tablespoon german mustard
• Salt & pepper
• 8 chicken tits (Andrea says 4 is enough)

Melt everything (except chicken) together until well blended
Put chicken in roasting tin, cover with sauce. 
Cook for 1 hour at 375°f turning once.

Ms London's chocolate roulade

• 5 eggs
• 6 oz caster sugar
• 6 oz dark chocolate
• Shot of brandy/rum/grand mariner
• ½ pt double cream
• Icing sugar

Beat yolks and sugar
Add melted chocolate
Fold into whipped whites
Put in lined greased swiss roll tin
Bake 25 mins at Mark 5/375°F/190°C
Pour liqueur on cool sponge
Spread whipped cream & roll

Stuart’s honey cake

• 7oz self raising flour
• 5 oz butter
• 4 oz soft brown sugar
• 6 oz honey
• 1 tbs H₂O
• 2 eggs

Melt butter, sugar, honey, H₂O
Cool & beat in eggs
Stir in flour
Bake 45 mins at mark 4

Naomi's gougère

• ½ pt H₂O
• 4 oz butter
• 6 oz flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 oz gruyere

Melt butter in H₂O
Stir in flour
Cool & add eggs
Fold in cheese 
Bake 40 mins

Recipes very much of their time although I might be tempted to give one or two of them a try.

Wine Tasting - Quiz Night

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 05-February-2026.

Another visit to Bassenthwaite Lake Station (BLS) for their monthly wine tasting. As usual we went for the winter break deal (dinner, bed and breakfast) at The Pheasant as we were not going to be driving home afterwards, that’s for sure!

This time, rather than have a theme, it was a quiz night with most of the wines presented blind.

We started with a glass of sparkling but could we identify what it was? Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, English sparkling or Cremant? As it turned out, it was a Cremant though, judging by the show of hands, people’s guesses were pretty random.

Next it was a wine blind tasting of four wines where we had to guess the hemisphere, continent, country, main group and price within 50p. Mary and I generally worked on guessing the main grape and working backwards from that.

The second round was a number of general wine questions which we did alright on.

The third round was our suggestion. At a previous tasting we had suggested a Call My Bluff round. A white wine was presented and three people were volunteered to read out a description of the wine. The crowd then had to guess which of the three descriptions was the correct one. Then the same again for a red wine.

Next a round of general wine questions followed by a number of literary and film quotes relating to wine. With no clues or hints it was a complete stab in the dark and I think hardly anyone guessed correctly

The final round was three glasses of the same wine, a Rioja, but three different qualities (and vintages): a Crianza 2021, a Reserva 2020 and a Gran riserva 2018. We had to guess the price and points were awarded for how close we were. 

No tasting notes as we didn’t know what we were drinking (apart from the last three). Fortunately BLS provided us with tasting notes at the end:

Wine Name and Details Supplier and Price 

• Tasting Notes

1. Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Cremant Brut, % Majestic £14.50

• A Loire Valley sparkling wine (primarily Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay) known for being a crisp, refreshing, and affordable alternative to Champagne. It features fine, persistent bubbles with tasting notes of green apple, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and distinct toasted brioche.

2. The Ned Pinot Grigio, % Majestic, £11.50

• A distinct, aromatic, and textured wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, recognized by its pale salmon-pink hue derivedfrom skin contact. It features ripe orchard fruit, white peach, nectarine, and floral notes with a creamy, rich palate. This dry, "lush" style is often described as having a crisp, refreshing finish with hints of spice.

3. Le Pierrier Sancerre 2024, 13.5% Lakeland Vintners, £27

• A crisp, aromatic, and mineral-driven 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. It features high-toned aromas of gooseberry, citrus, andwhite flowers, with a palate of green apple, grapefruit, and limestone minerality. This biodynamically produced, unoaked wine has a bright, textured and long finish.

4. Dancing Flame Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2023, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £15

• An elegant, Chilean red from the Leyda Valley, offering intense aromas of blackberries, fresh raspberries, and cherries. Aged in French oak,it features a smooth, medium-bodied palate with soft tannins, earthy nuances, and a persistent, fruity finish, often described as a vibrant and well-balanced option.

5. Chateau Corbin St Emilion 2021, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £20

• Château Corbin 2021 is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (Bordeaux) featuring a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Known forits elegant, fresh style, this vintage displays red fruit, violet, and peppery notes with a fine, airy palate. It is highly regarded for its value and refinement.

6. Daniel Dampt Chablis 2023, 12.5% Lakeland Vintners  £20

• A beautiful, floral white flowerbouquet, the palate is quite opulent, pure and clean with notes of green apple and a tangycitrus acidity

7. Two Hands Tenacity Shiraz, Australia Majestic £16.50

• A full-bodied, rich, and velvety Australian red, showcasing intense dark fruit flavours like plum, blackberry, and dark cherry. Sourcedfrom old vines in McLaren Vale and Barossa, it offers notes of chocolate, spice, and pepper with soft, fine-grained tannins and a long finish.

8. Cune Rioja Crianza 2021 Majestic £12

• A bright, ruby-red colour and a fragrant, fruit-forward nose of red berries, vanilla, and spice,balanced palate with smooth tannins, moderate acidity, and a lasting finish featuring cherries and liquorice.

9. Cune Rioja Reserva 2020 Majestic £15

• An intense, deep ruby red wine offering a complex, traditional Rioja profile. It features rich aromas of bramble and autumn fruit, complemented by vanilla and warm spice from oak aging. The palate is smooth and balanced with notes of cherry, plum, and tobacco, finishing with soft, structured tannins

10. Cune Rioja Gran Reserva 2018 Majestic £20

• A classic, elegant Rioja blend (primarily Tempranillo) showing intense dark cherry colour, complex aromas of black fruits, vanilla, and spice,with a full-bodied, smooth palate featuring fine, polished tannins. It is aged for 2+ years in oak and 3+ years in bottle, often showing notes of leather and tobacco.

The scoring was done on an honour system, you marked your own sheet not like in a pub quiz where you swap with the table next to you. We did OK, we came second. We did well on the tastings and questions but were let down by our lack of knowledge of current prices!

UK Blues Festival 2026

Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Friday/Monday 30-January/01-February-2026.

Part three of a January road trip. A couple of days in Essex, six days in Italy and a return to the UK to pick up our car from Stansted mid stay and drive straight to Blackpool.

This was our third visit to Blackpool for this festival. We booked shortly after it finished last year to take advantage of the early bird ticket deal. We were so quick off the mark that we got tickets numbers 3 and 4. When I pointed that out to Steven, the organiser, he joked that we should be book earlier next time.

Our accommodation was a real find, high quality beautiful place within 5 minutes walking distance of the venue and with off-street parking

Friday 30-January-2026.

Friday Timetable.

Friday Main Stage. 

Mississippi MacDonald ✱ ✱ ✱. We missed the first band on the main stage but arrived just in time to hear an act we discovered two years ago and he gets better each time we hear him. Great voice, great playing and great band. Memphis and Delta Blues.

Deborah Bonham Band. ✱ 1/2 Sister of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin fame. Unfortunately no surprise appearance Robert Plant like two years ago. Accomplished musicians but not our favourite style of music.

After a day of travelling we needed an early night so left before the end.

Saturday 31-January-2026

Lytham Hall 31/01/2026 30:38 [159 / 308].

Saturday morning was, of course #parkrunday. Having done the two nearest parkruns in previous years we had to go slightly further afield to Lytham-St Annes for a parkrun run at the majestic Lytham Hall.

After a return to the apartment and a shower, it was off to the Winter Gardens for more music.

Saturday Timetable.

Saturday Acoustic stage.

In previous years we have enjoyed the acoustic sets played in a lovely room that looks like an old pub.

Mississippi MacDonald.  ✱ ✱ ✱ Old school blues this time the acoustic version.

Steve Pablo Jones standing in for Demi Marriner  ✱ ✱. Next up was supposed to be Demi but she was suffering with some kind of lurgy so withdrew in order to save her voice for the evening set. Not sure about him at first but he grew on me.

Saturday main stage.

Mick McConnell and Blue Thunder.  ✱ 1/2 - rockers, accomplished but nothing to distinguish from others.

Demi Marriner. ✱ ✱ ✱  We had seen Demi perform before but only as part of Elles Bailey’s band so it was a delight to see her with her own band. Even under the weather, absolutely magic. Fantastic personality, amazing voice, great songwriting, great band.

Climax Blues Band.  ✱ ✱ Great tight band, enjoyable but can't stop comparing them to the line-up we first saw at Skegness in 2020 with a different lead singer with a distinctive voice, especially as we listen to the CDs from that era.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.   ✱ 1/2 Competent and versatile musicians, the three siblings rotated between lead, bass and drums which was impressive but risked them being jack-of-all-trades but master of none (especially on the drums). Their music style had shades of Madness but not for us.

Sunday 01-February-2026.

Sunday Timetable.

Sunday Introducing stage.

McHale's Permanent Brew. ✱ ✱ ✱ Rock band with a difference. Great musicianship and songwriting, tight band and, like last time at Liverpool, great banter. They come across as fun, caring people.

Sunday Acoustic stage.

Brave Rival. ✱ ✱ ✱   Great set, fabulous comedic banter.

Lindsey Bonnick and guitarist Ed "the Shred" Clarke traded insults in the best possible way.

Adam Sweet. ✱ ✱ Accomplished singer-songwriter. Enjoyable to listen too but not memorable enough to buy a CD.

Sunday Main stage.

James Oliver Band.  ✱ ✱  Amazing guitarist but banter, music and band set up so does not work for me.

Mary left me guarding our seats while she went off to catch some of the other acts:

• The Outlaw Orchestra - Introducing ✱ 1/2 Trio - 2 guitars & drums. Not sure about the drummer, guitarists good but not remarkable.
• Sean Taylor - Acoustic  ✱ ✱ 1/2 Guitar & bass. Only heard 2 songs but liked them and audience obviously loved him. Proper acoustic, old style blues then folk / rock (Freedom ex Richie Havens), good banter
• The Living Cup - Introducing ✱ 1/2 Five  piece, four guitars and drums. Good musically but not great, not sure about lead singer's voice.

Sunday Main Stage.

Will Wilde ✱ ✱ 1/2 Great band and vocals / harp playing. Five piece: Will on vocals/harp, two guitarists, keyboards and Animal on drums (aka Kev Hickman).

Brave Rival.  ✱ ✱ ✱ Lovely to hear them for the second time in a day and compare the "acoustic" and full force versions.

Andy Fairweather-Low and The Low Riders.  ✱ ✱ ✱ A musical history lesson & masterclass from the 77 year old Andy and his band of cronies.

Andy on vocals and the only guitar with two brass, a bass and drums. His voice may be going but guitar skills are still amazing as was his array of seven guitars!

Fantastic weekend in Blackpool, massive thanks to Solid Entertainments and their Blues, Rhythm &Rock Festivals UK.

Tally this time: 

• 1 x luxurious and comfortable apartment 
• 1 x parkrun 
• 1 x fabulous festival in a great venue 
• 18 x music sets (16 different bands) 
• 3 x opportunities to wear my festival hat 
• 7 x CD's 
• 1 x t-shirt 

Mary’s very stylish Vera Black hat.

That's a wrap. Bye bye Blackpool, see you next year! 

Next morning pack up, clean and tidy the apartment and a short drive home.