back from hols

Well another great holiday in LA. I just love it over there. We know so many people out there now. Went to Andrew O'conner's new house in Brentwood. Its magnificent. We stayed down in Santa Monica at a wonderful hotel called the Mirimar. We had a bungalow by the pool. Its weird the weather isn't as good by the beach. We had a real laugh on the trip home. Guns and Roses were on the flight, they are really nice guys, and they just adored Kate.....dangerous. Noel Fielding was also sitting opposite us and Kate loves him as well. So she just flirted all the way across the Atlantic. I of course kept my fatherly eye on her all the time. So home now and back to the pissing rain. Had a panto music meeting yesterday and its all looking great. My head is into panto ....I cant believe how quickly it comes round. Ok bye for now...

Hello

Had a great meeting with Andy Gray this week. I couldn't believe its 3 years since worked together....it seems like yesterday.....and you know what a shitty day yesterday was.....sorry old gag. It was great. I have written a play for Aunty May and Hughie (Andy). It was the first draft and Jo Freer played the female parts. I was really pleased with the way it went. I now have to go back and put all the great ideas they both came up with into the play. I'm hoping to put it on in the Autumn of 2011, but we might go out with Jolson again at that time so it might have to go to 2012.....God its scary when you start planning everything so far in advance. The fact that I'm signed to panto in the Kings till 2017 is very weird.

I've decided not to do a show after the panto this year as the only week available was too soon after the season.

I've one more ship contract then I'm off to LA for 3 weeks. Really looking forward to it. I love it out there. One of my old friends from Copy Cats, Andrew O'conner, has just moved out there permanently. We have so many friends out there now.

David still loving working with Example and doing the whole pop start bit. He will leave the band in December to pursue his own thing. He is putting out a free down load soon of a great song Virtual Love. Kate just back from Ibiza living the millionaire life style as she does. Jane great and busy again, but cant wait for the hols.

Paul and I have almost finished the panto. It is looking really good this year. Got some funny bits for Andy and I, and Granty boy is particularly bad this year.....I mean that in a caring way darling (Edna Evarage voice)

Ok Bye

quick update

Nothing much happening at the moment, sorry to be so boring but its all just work. Panto script coming along nicely and Paul Elliot and I have had a few meetings about it. Sitting in a Norwegian Fjord at the moment. Doesn't do much for me, but the passengers seem to love it. But then they like comfortable slacks £9.99 so what do they know. Oh yes they like me as well so maybe they do have good taste. David still on tour with Example the new single is out soon and they are predicting a number one....that would be nice. Jane busy and Katey Koo, as I call her, has been such a lovely little baby recently. I have been working on an idea for a new show which I might do after the panto at the kings. It has always worked really well in the past so I think its time to do it again. Well that's it. bye

Hello

Hi, just back from thousands and thousands of miles or travelling. Flew to Singapore, round to Mauritius, then flew to Dubai, round to Cairo and then flew home. I was away for 3 weeks. I never usually go away for as long as that but unfortunately that was the only way it could work this time. Actually I enjoyed the whole trip. The audiences were great and I had good mates on board so I wasn't bored.....that's quite clever isn't it. Lionel Blair and his lovely wife Sue were on the Arcadia and we laughed for 7 days. He did a lovely act called Tap and Chat, where he showed an amazing film of him tap dancing with Sammy Davis Jnr. The weather was amazing and I just lay around burning for 3 weeks. I know it's not clever but I love it.

It was great to get back though as its such a difficult time at home and I need to be here for Jane and the kids. I'm lucky most of my gigs for the next month or so are short 3 day trips. I'm off on a new ship in a couple of weeks, the Celebrity Eclipse. It's supposed to be stunning. David is off on tour with Example again and he has a big management company interested in him. They are all very excited about his music.

Andy Gray is back in the Edinburgh panto this year which is great news. We haven't worked together for about 4 years, so the old gang is back together.

Ok that's it for now. Bye

His Honour Gerald Butler QC

I am writing this with a heavy heart. My wonderful lovely father in law, Gerald has died. He was 79, and I loved him like a father. I spoke to him most days when I was home and he was the cleverest most generous man I have ever known. He had so many friends and he enjoyed life to the full. We as a family are devastated. My strong beautiful mother in law, Stella, is trying to come to terms with such a sudden shock. He was an incredibly well respected Judge at Southwork crown court. When he was a QC he changed the face of the music business when he represented stars such as George Michael, Gilbert O'Sullivan and Tony Mcauley. He never failed to support his family and he doted on his grand children. He will be sadly missed by all.

At least he is now with his beloved son Mark.

Hello

Hi, not a lot to tell you. I had a good cruise on the Oriana. Managed to really relax on the 10 day crossing from the Caribbean. I realised I needed to recharge my batteries after the Panto. Actually I decided on the spur of the moment, because I had a few weeks off, to fly out to LA and see my pal Ross and his fiance Brianna. Jane couldn't leave the business, so she said go. I feel guilty, but its not often I have time off. So I'm going. When I come back I'm flying out to Singapore to pick up the Aurora for part of the world cruise and then straight onto the Arcadia in Dubai. So I will be away for 3 weeks....not happy about that. I only like to go away for about 7 days at most. But that's the way it worked out, so that's that.

David is on tour with Example and it was a great buzz when the single got to number 6 in the top 40. I never got near the charts in my recording days.

I saw that Abbey road was up for sale. It brought back the memories of me as a 15 year old standing in studio 1 with my drum kit and guitars all round me recording Brain Beat with George Martin producing and Dick James signing me up for publishing. So close to the big time. If only Brian Epstein hadn't been in the States, my life might have been different. I don't regret it though. I probably wouldn't have had such a wonderful career and life if I'd had a pop career.

Ok that's it, everyone is well and that's all that matters really.

bye.

Its over

Well, what an end to a great season. We had the audience from heaven on Saturday night. They just roared at everything. Then Sunday first matinee was great fun with a few different gags (that's tradition on second last show) then the last show..... I was feeling a bit down and not feeling like doing the show....then we get the news that Susan Boyle was in the audience. As I do an impression of her, I thought this is going to be fun. Then I get a message that she would like to come on stage with me and I think, this is going to be a bit of showbiz magic. I mean who gets the biggest name in the world at the moment to walk on at the end of your impression.....and she did. It was wonderful. The audience went wild. They screamed and shouted Su Bo, Su Bo. She was lovely and had photo's taken with the cast back stage. I said to her before she came on "Hello darling thanks for doing this" she said "Oh its great this is great fun." I couldn't see her after the show as she was going back with her friends. But she certainly set the place alight. My mate Ross King and his lovely fiance, Brianna were in Edinburgh and saw the show the night before. So I called him and said get down here now, its going to be great. So he was there as well. So it was the end to an incredibly successful season. Now we have to start again for next year......

bye