So that’s it then. The annual Drama Splinter Group returned from Eastbourne having fitted in brilliantly with the locals. A bus trip to Beachy Head and another to Hastings all included. My my here we are having joined the stick and wheel club and I don’t even remember applying for membership.

These free passes almost make advancing years worthwhile. You watch some git cancel them, but I guess we are safe until after the general election.

Hastings is a place I have never been to before and the word disappointed springs to mind. Scruffy is another. However we did find Hastings Old Town in pursuit of our quest to find landmarks relating to Foyle’s War and that made the whole trip worthwhile. For those of you who don’t know this is the area where the series was mainly filmed and it is really something with quaint old streets and beautiful buildings from another era. So Old Town Hastings is now featured in my forthcoming book ‘That sounds nice-I think I’ll visit there.’ On Saturday afternoon we went to the theatre to see ‘The Grass is Greener’ with Lisa Goddard and Christopher Casenove. They were in the play not sat with us you understand.

This play, written by High & Margaret Williams, is described as ‘A hysterical battle of the sexes’. Well battle of the sexes it might have been but hysterical it ain’t. I nearly lost the will to live during the first act sitting through long tedious monologues and no action. Although the cast were faultless and the set superb, the play wasn’t for me I’m afraid. The grass certainly must be greener than this somewhere.

And so to the antics of Old Chuffer. He accompanied us, well when he could keep up, and was on fine form. We left him for a swift constitutional along the front one evening and returned to the hotel to find him engaged in deep conversation with two ladies of a certain age. What Chuffer had in mind I shudder to think but it took three of us to drag him away. Then we were all disappointed there was no repeat of the Marylin episode from last year, but Chuffer didn’t come up with the goods this time I’m afraid. Better luck next year.

Regarding ‘Still Life’ rehearsals are nicely coming together and books are nearly down. A great play and I am enjoying rehearsing again for the first time in ages.

Now a young boy had just obtained his driver's licence and inquired of his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said he'd make a deal with his son.

"You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we'll talk about the car."

The boy thought about that for a moment decided he'd settle for the offer and they agreed on it.

After about six weeks his father said, "Son, I've been real proud. You brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm very disappointed that you haven't had your hair cut."

The young man paused a moment and then said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and there's even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair.

And his father replied, "Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went?