Tim Leaning - thanks for that. Yes it's been an odd 12months for me but I'm not gonna let it beat me.

weelittledrummer - I'm gonna have 3-4 x 15 min sets so that I can vary stuff. I could get bored with singing the same songs but I've found that sometimes a song I've sung over and over suddenly takes on another life. We'll see what happens.

The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice - thanks, you are right. We have a few open mics starting up in my part of England and they all need support. If I go along it's helping get these things off the ground and helping me with this glitch.

Suegorgeous - I know what you mean. I have a couple of songs where I vary the volume and intensity of the words and it tends to bring the audience back. Not always but mostly. I once started a song in a crowded pub singing the first line very loudly and then stopped... it had a brilliant effect. Everyone stopped talking cos they wondered what had happened. I then carried on a little less loudly, and i'd got them in the palm of my hand! (actually i'd forgotten the words!)

Sal