I am on my knees grovelling for forgiveness for the ridiculous lateness of this month's ramblings. My only excuse (and a very feeble one) is that it's been unbelievably busy and… well… sorry!

It started off with my spending time in Erik Jordan's studio recording some choir parts for both the kids at Level 2 in Felixstowe and also the Bury St Edmunds Cathedral choir in preparation for the Suffolk Celebration at the Cathedral (which because of my tardiness… was last night… and brilliant too)!

Also, during the first few weeks, the finishing touches were being added to my studio and a whole day of electrical work and two days of Erik setting everything up. The first projects are already lined up for recording, more about some of them further on in this belated ramblings!

There have also been many hours spent signing 3,750 single sheets to be inserted in the new book which Random House/Penguin are releasing on October 29th. It's called The Wizard of Prog and is over 100,000 words, so a hefty read!!! We are still putting the photos together which will be in the book… I will admit that I look at the ones from the 60s and 70s and wonder if it's really me!!!

On a lighter note, I once again had the honour of opening our village fete and also judging the dog with the waggiest tail. I couldn't decide, so they all won!!!

I've also had trips to London to record at Global Radio for Guess Who's Coming To Dinner… you choose 5 dinner guests, dead or alive and I chose Serge Prokofiev, Boris Johnson, Queen Camilla, Cyril Wakeman (my father) and Martin Luther King Jnr.

I also recorded two podcasts in front of a live audience at Trading Boundaries in Sussex. They were a lot of fun and Mark Jeeves and I have said we definitely want to do some more if we can find the right places to do them in. Trading Boundaries is quite unique as many of you know.

I also had a great lunch with Sir Terry Waite, (if you don't know his amazing story then I highly recommend you google him and prepare to be astonished). It's the second time we've met up, (first was at Alfie Bole's concert in Ipswich), and we have other meetings in the offing to work together with charitable aims.

I also did an evening "In Conversation With" at Hoddesdon for my Water Rat Brother Kevin Orkian. That was good fun and also a couple of ladies from Stitch and Bitch (a knitting club) presented me with some gloves they had knitted for me as they'd noticed that I mostly play with gloves because of the arthritis… they are seriously colourful, so watch out for them on the short Xmas tour in December and on the big ERE Wizard of Prog tour next February and March.

On Thursday 25th, three of my cars will be sold at the Bangers and Cash Mathewson's auction.

It's part of my big clear out. which will continue right through until the end of next year. It will include everything from musical equipment to stage props, furniture, stage clothes and so much more. I will just hang on to my main keyboard rig and personal nostalgic memorabilia.

The rest of this month I will be preparing for the river cruise in July, which Adam will also be on so we're bound to end up playing together… and also preparation for the short Xmas dates (just 6) with Mollie and Oliver.

July and August are also wonderfully nuts!!! Lots going on and lots of interesting stuff too with the Return of the Red Planet soon to be released, (I am so happy with how this album has turned out. I listened to it all the way through for the first time in months as that's the closest I can get to hearing it for the first time and some of the playing is extraordinary, and I don't think my bits are too bad either.

There are some wonderful projects in the pipeline, but more about them in the July Ramblings which I PROMISE … won't be late…

Enjoy the UK hot weather if you can!!!

Cheers Rick

---