I managed somehow to get a badly infected big toe a few weeks ago so I hobbled along to a nearby walk-in, or should I say limp-in, clinic. They diagnosed an in-growing toe nail and said I should toddle along to another walk-in clinic at 8a.m. the next day, in Parsons Green, my old stamping ground from my earliest days in London. Here, after battling through the Monday morning rush hour, the diagnosis was an infection and the treatment was a dose of antibiotics. Ah the benefits of a second opinion.

The treatment worked well and the pain receded after a few days and I was able to walk normally, though the calf muscles had cramped up so much during the time when I was trying to decide whether I was hobbling, limping or attempting to emulate the funny walks brigade. I was due to return for a follow-up visit on the Monday but on Friday I was in a lot of pain in my chest and back and finally was persuaded by friends and family and a phone call from a GP, that I should go along to an accident and emergencies department, which I duly did.

They took my blood pressure which was 193 or thereabouts and decided to run me through the mill with blood tests, X-rays ECG scans, Ultrasound scans and yet more blood tests. I have a heart problem which gets checked every year, so they were pretty thorough and finally decided that I wasn’t having a heart attack or anything that necessitated keeping me in overnight, so after about six hours I was released and got to The Squirrel pub in time for the last few numbers of the band and time to say hello to Chris Hunt. Pain killers did the trick over the weekend and by Monday I was fit enough to return to the Parsons |Green clinic where they gave me the all-clear. As I went after the rush hour I was able to celebrate in the pub next door, The White Horse, another old haunt of mine.

The following weekend, I met up with Chris Youlden for a drink and we compared health notes as he had had a few incidents in his ongoing leg treatment, part of which meant limping along to an unscheduled clinic visit to get new bandages and dressings for his leg as his regular nurse was away, I also was able to let him hear one of his songs on my I-pad which has been covered by Bettye Lavette and will be released in January. Finally, continuing the music theme, I am playing every six weeks at the Squirrel (see events), The next two gigs are on Boxing Day and Friday the 13th of February. Is some-one trying to tell me something?