Cunard Queen Victoria 27th April - 6th May 2012

I’m now back working at sea this time with Cunard and the beautiful Queen Victoria. I’m back some what jaded from my holiday with my family and seem to have picked up a sore throat and cold again, we had the most lovely time in Tenerife and now I’m back to work and arrived in Pisa this afternoon for my transfer to the ship docked in Livorno. I am so very tired so no going anywhere tonight, I’m staying in and going to sleep once I have finished writing. I am on tomorrow night and don’t feel up to it at the moment so maybe a good nights sleep will help? The cruise director is a nice man and wants me to let him know how I feel in the morning, I so don’t want to let him down but on the other hand I don’t want to give a weak show either! Good night all lets see how things work out tomorrow! I slept my head off, what a sleep, I had a good 9hrs but woke to feel much the same unfortunately. I went down to see the cruise director Paul O’ Loughlin and he really needs me to go on tonight so I must get myself in the zone. Today we are in the ever so posh and trendy Monte Carlo and they are once again preparing for the Grand Prix so the crowd stands are all erected and the track is looks amazing. I went ashore for a good walk around with brilliant concert pianist Philip Lange and also took my new camera, we walked right around the bay and had a good old chat and a coffee, Philip is a good up beat guy and so he’s good to be around, he’s a half full type of guy! Back onboard and lunch was really nice, I’m now in the stateroom and have 1hr 30mins to rehearsal, so we’ll see! Oh Thank You God! I have a voice, not the best I have ever sang but there is a voice there so now I have some confidence for tonight, the soundman Steffan is a good guy and has looked after me well, please Steffan keep it the same tonight! All I have to do now is believe, relax into it and enjoy myself! See you later! I had a fab 8.30pm show and it was a full house. I want the 10.30pm show to go just as good, I want the 10.30pm show to go just as well…positive mental attitude (PMA). I have 20mins to curtain up and I’m here listening to my Shirley Bassey album “Performance” it’s fab, have you heard it? If not go get it, it’s a great album with songs written by todays songwriters like Gary Barlow for instance, I love it! Another great show, my voice held up good and now off to the Officers Ward Room for a nightcap with cruise director Paul O’ Loughlin! Good Morning from a lovely sunny Barcelona; we are in with quite a few ships today, a Costa ship, the Seven Seas Mariner, Navigator of the Seas and the Island Escape. I’m not going ashore today I’m just going to rest up, sit in the sun and may go to the cinema to see “The Iron Lady”. I did go to see The Iron Lady and I must say its one of the best films I have ever seen in my life, Meryl Streep was just awesome, there was a line in the film which I have read so many times in the book “The Secret” it was “what you think becomes who you are”. I cried all the way through and I know that must sound silly but it really moved me, if you haven’t been to see it please go it is fantastic! At sea today and it’s a lovely sunny day but a tad chilly. I saw singer Sinead Blanchfield last night in the Royal Court Theatre and she blew me away, what a voice and what a personality, she sang Opera, Jazz and a beautiful haunting Celtic song, and she was fabulous!

I also watched the Man City v Man United match last night in the Officers Wardroom and what a match, I’m not a big football fan but that was a great game, shame United didn’t win though! This afternoon I’m going to listen to Phillip Lange who is giving a classical concert in the beautiful Queens Room so I’m looking forward to that, Phillip is a world class pianist and has a great personality to, he makes light of his show but then plays like a dream, I have been so fortunate lately to be in the presence of two world class musicians Dominic John and now Phillip Lange. A great old mate of mine joined the ship yesterday Kenny Martyn who is an amazing clarinet player and tours his Tribute to Benny Goodman show back in the UK, Kenny and I last cruised together on the Silver Spirit over a year ago, he’s great company and I’m looking forward to having a good chat and a glass of wine with him later. Last night there was a jazz night in the pub the Golden Lion onboard the QV and the theatre band all got together with Kenny Martyn and what a set they did, the whole place was jumping. Today we are in Lisbon and the weather is cold, windy and raining, oh well I certainly can’t complain I have been in wall to wall sunshine for months, but I do feel for the guests who were looking forward to Lisbon. I have 3 sleeps left on here in-which I will be doing one more show in the Royal Court Theatre on Friday night then home on the Saturday and I can’t wait! The rain stopped and Kenny and I went over to the local bars that they have opposite the docks, some really nice restaurants and bars, we went into the Irish Bar that had free Wi-Fi so that was good and a lovely pint of Guinness! Kenny is on tonight with two shows 8.30pm and 10.30pm and he is going to play a tune for me, its called “Aria” a tune made famous by Aka Bilk in the 70’s.

Yes Kenny stormed it last night, I went to the early show and it was fantastic! After the show it was bed and a few episodes of Prison Break. Today we are at sea and starting our transit of the Bay of Biscay and the sea is nice and calm so far so good. Last night Kenny and I went for a pre dinner drink and we never made dinner! Today is the final day of this cruise and we are now in the English Channel heading for Southampton. I’m back on tonight in the beautiful Royal Court Theatre only this time with the Theatre Company so I have just 25mins. My rehearsal is in 2hrs time and I guess I should start my packing as I’m going home tomorrow. I’ll be on that 9.10am train to Bridgend. My phone just pinged and it was Andy Griffiths asking me to come to the studio to record a change to one of the TCW ads but I’m here on the sea…! I’m just back from rehearsal and sound-check and all is well, it really is a beautiful theatre, take a look at the photos! Tonight’s shows are 7pm and 8.30pm so best get crackin’ I suppose! I’m just back from the 7pm show; it went great but as I walked on and started to sing my mic was not on and didn’t really work until the end of the song, something must have happened? I have an hour now till my next show and I hope everything will be fine when I next go on.