Scotland, Soho, ice cream and autumn

So here are Todd Gordon and Simon Wallace, beneath the sign to Nowhere, in Largs, where they have an ice cream parlour so splendid, so mouth wateringly wonderful, that you cannot bear to leave it, tub in hand, lips licking. Its Nardinis, of course - http://www.nardinis.co.uk is their website. Gorgeous art deco frontage and full devil cream inside. It was our small Scottish jaunt which took in Le Monde.

 The Le Monde poster flew over George Street in Edinburgh for a couple of days. Queen of George Street. Great audience and we had rooms in the hotel. My suite - New York, was huge and modern, with lights you can't work and a TV the size of one of my London flat walls. The audience at Le Monde were wild, and Prof Ben Bowling, my brother in law, turned up at the end. I managed a trot around Arthur's seat and ate excellent Thai food down the side of the Meadows. A fine Edinburgh 24 hours, for sure.

Le Monde

Then we were off to Glasgow, and the City Halls. A lovely time in the huge ceilinged hall, lovely piano and terrific Glasgow audience. We stayed the night beside a bridge somewhere out towards the hills, and headed off to Largs. The ice cream I've written of, but the day was so sunny and clear we could see the Isle of Arran rising over the sea in the distance, and walked along the front for a half mile or so. The McKrays, Todd and Simon, felt that half mile was plenty, so we packed into Todd's superb touring auto and off we went to Beacon Arts Centre, in Greenock, which has to be in one of the best settings possible.

This is the view from the bar window!

Flew back the morning after Greenock and then prepared for the run at Soho Theatre. In Dean Street, Soho's where I did my first ever Dylan collection run in 2002, so it was a joy to return there as part of the London Festival of Cabaret. Some friends came down to the shows, we had couple of nice reviews, and the collection of love songs went down a total treat. I love singing for weeks here and there, doing a whole season. My ideal would be a 3 month run in a small theatre either in the West End (Soho take note) or Manhattan……hint hint. So all you backers out there, thats my gauntlet thrown right down.

The stage at Soho, with the red curtains - is so lush - love it.

And then the storm came - but not until I walked across Hyde Park the day after the Soho run finished. And in the sunshine the leaves looked so lovely. Autumn. I love it.