My old mate Alan Day came round yesterday - bearing with him a battered copy of Mel Stevens' "Massif Central Tunebook, vol. 1", plus a folder filled with sheet music of French tunes. The day before that, I received a copy of Thomas Hardy's Tunebook which I've just bought from another 'Catter.

What riches! Just seeing them lying on the table in front of me is like having the key to an unknown Aladdins's cave. I'm almost reluctant to open them - delayed gratification, you understand...

Hours and hours of musical exploration and discovery, new tunes, new ideas, inspiration - couldn't experience all of that without knowing the dots. Poor old Clapton!