Monday 31 October 2011

Max Boyce at Swansea Grand Theatre Supported by my Brother Phil

Last night my mother, father and I went to the Max Boyce show at the Grand and my brother Phil was his compare and support act, oh my goodness Phil tore the place apart, I was and am so proud of him, what a show…well done Phil Doyle…he’s my brother!




Saturday 29 October 2011

Theatr Hafren October 28th 2011

We had a great night at Theatr Hafren in Newtown, fantastic audience who made us feel so welcome
see the clip below



Also a great chance to catch up with various elements of the Doyle Dynasty!!!



Tom Doyle, Yvonne Doyle, Mike Doyle, Janice Doyle and Penny Doyle.




Martin Doyle, Tom Doyle, Mike Doyle and Shaun Doyle.

Celebrity Eclipse October 2011


Once again I only had 48hrs at home and was soon on my way again to join a ship, this time I’m back on the beautiful Celebrity Eclipse and joining me on there is my old mate and very funny man Pete Matthews, www.crazyjuggler.com so I will have plenty of stories to tell over the coming week…stay tuned!


I joined the ship after having 3 flights to get to Palermo and I was welcomed by Pete Matthews and went out that night in Palermo for an amazing pizza, it was a great night with great company, also with us at the table was Bret Cave, I haven’t seen him since 1991, he was working at Osmington Bay Holiday Park near Weymouth which was a Pontins Park and I was there once a week as guest entertainer, it was one of the best parks to work and we all had a fantastic time, so quite a shock to see him again, he’s on the Eclipse too and has a great act I hear.

I found out that Sam Kane is joining the ship in Venice, I can’t wait to see him as I want to shake his hand for what he has done for my son Tom, every year Tom does panto for Qdos and for the past 4 years he has worked with Sam and his lovely wife Linda Lusardi and has learnt so much and Sam has been very good to Tom, so as a Dad I want to say a big thank you to him, he is with Sam and Linda again this panto season at the Grand Theatre Wolvohampton.
Today we are at sea and sailing to Venice, my show is tonight 8.45pm and 10.45pm.

Also cruising with us are two very good friends of mine Richard and Gladys who I have affectionately called for many years “The Duke and Duchess of Kent” it’s a long story but once upon a time on Oriana I jokingly called them the Duke and Duchess and a routine was born and I have had hundreds of them since, but Gladys will always remain the first, the original, never equaled and most worthy Duchess of them all. I am meeting with them in 30mins time for a coffee and a catch up.

I am so pleased to see that Adam Scott is still here, he is my favorite guitar player ever, he plays Spanish Flamenco and is world class…here’s a photo of Adam and I.



I had a great lunch this afternoon with Pete, I had a beautiful sirloin steak and a ceaser salad, the food on Celebrity is of a very high standard as it is on most top cruise lines to be honest, talking about food I do miss my mate Executive Chef Trevor Connolly from P&O Cruises Arcadia, now he is an amazing chef.
I have my rehearsal and sound check in 45mins for my show tonight so see you later.

Great band, great sound, great lights and a fantastic theatre, I can’t wait to work tonight! I haven’t seen the cruise director Dru yet, he’s a great guy and he and I work well together, he’s great to do an impression of!




I love this ship!

I had two great shows last night. Pete came to both bless him, he’s such a mate.

Today we are in Venice and just as I was having a coffee with The Duke and Duchess of Kent (Richard and Gladys from Royal Tunbridge Wells) in walked Sam Kane and his wife Linda Lusardi with their children, I couldn’t thank him enough for what he has done for my son Tom, as I said earlier my son Tom works with Sam and Linda every year in panto, so once again Sam and Linda a huge thank you to you both.

Here I am with Sam Kane and Linda Lusardi.



Here I am with the Duke & Duchess of Kent (Richard & Gladys)






I rang my son Tom and Sam Kane went on the phone first of all and Tom had a great surprise, Tom thinks the world of Sam and he feels the same about Tom…I felt so proud!
Sailing out of Venice was awesome, take a look at some of the photos I took sailing out from the ships bow.





Stunning!

These photos were taken from the Helipad on the bow of the mighty Celebrity Eclipse.

I know the sun is out but it is quite cold in Venice today.


Breathe taking!

Beautiful place, I have been lucky enough to have been coming back and for to Venice for over 15yrs.
I have been so complacent the past over where I have been and now I’m older I so very much appreciate it more and more each day.

Now I have a nice camera it’s such a pleasure to be able to take such lovely photos, I hope you like them too!


You can’t really take a bad photo here can you!

Here’s one of Linda and Me….sorry!




Yes sorry indeed…no I’m joking I have know Linda for years, we met in Blackpool in 1991, we did a Radio 2 show together on top of an open top bus going around the Prom in Blackpool.
Tonight it’s Brett Cave in the Theatre so no doubt Pete and I will be going along!

Brett did a fine job last night, he did loads of Billy Joel and Manilow stuff so I liked that allot! check out Brett Cave at www.brettcave.co.uk
Today we are in Dubrovnik Croatia, it’s a lovely sunny day with a slight chill in the breeze, and we are in with a few ships, the RCCL Voyager of the Seas and the Saga Pearl 2. I got off the ship for a walk and take some photos and when I walked over to the Saga ship and as I was standing at the foot of their gangway chatting to the security about the Saga Rose and Saga Ruby, there are still some of the Cunard boys working on the Ruby as it was the Cunard Caronia before it became the Ruby, Marie and I loved the Caronia.

Taken from the Lawn Club onboard.


Tonight we have my mate Pete Matthews in the Eclipse Theatre, he is such a good act he really is, I always feel a sense of pride when I watch Pete work as I was there at his very first summer season, we were on the Cannon & Ball Show at the North Pier Theatre Blackpool together in 1991 and then again in 1992 at the Britannia Pier Theatre Gt. Yarmouth, I always knew he would do great things in his career, well done Pete and I can’t wait for the show tonight.

We are about to sail now and have two days at sea ahead of us, I have an afternoon Q&A tomorrow afternoon at 3.30pm and it’s Sam Kane’s show in the Theatre tomorrow night, I am looking forward to that.

I have just seen Pete Matthews show…unbelievable, clever and very very funny, Pete has come on miles since we did our summer season with Cannon & Ball, what a performer and so much energy it’s unreal! Well-done Pete a top show.

I spent the day with Pete today playing golf, well putting really and enjoying the sun, he had a lot of great comments about his show last night…good for him too as he was on fire last night.

Tonight is the Sam Kane Show but before that I am going to Qsine for dinner with F&B Manager Mark Tomley.
Qsine was as always an amazing dining experience and thank you Mark for a fabulous dinner.
Next was Sam Kane in concert and what a concert it was, he sang some beautiful songs including One For My Baby, A tribute to Dean Martin which was stunning and he even did a Michael Buble song, he is a great act and a great bloke too and his lovely family Linda, Lucy and Jack, it has been a pleasure.
Today another day at sea and I have a long day ahead, my talk is at 3pm then my shows which I share the stage with the brilliant Brett Cave at 7pm and 8.45pm then I am in the Liar’s Club show at 10.45pm then I must pack to go home tomorrow!
My 3pm talk went great and I got a full house so many thanks to those who came along, it was a bit nerve wrecking to do the talk infront of my fellow turns so to speak but to be honest they supported me brilliantly…thanks guys.

Pete rehearsing!




Just an hour to go to my 7pm show and now I have my talk out the way I am looking forward to it.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Independence Of The Seas 11-16 October 2011

I only had 48hrs at home this time, poor Sam he doesn’t half put up with me and Marie too! In this short time I still managed to record another ad for TCW and enjoyed some of Marie’s fab home cooking, sausage casserole I recommend it to everybody.
I picked my son Tom up at noon today and made our way back to our house and another lovely meal from Marie, we were soon picked up by Executive Cars www.executivecarswales.com and taken to Cardiff Airport for a 5.25pm flight to Amsterdam. We are then flying to Lisbon from Amsterdam and should be there around 10.50pm. We stay in a hotel tonight and join the mighty 162,000ton RCI Independence of the Seas, it will be Toms first cruise on her and he is very excited, it will be a nice break for him as he has worked so very hard all year on his stage management course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, all this will be all very well but Tom has a sad day ahead of him in fact we all have, his Granddad passed away last week and the funeral will be when we come back from this cruise, his Granddad was a fine man and worked at Cadbury’s all his working life, whenever I have a bar of chocolate I always think of him and I always will! My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Tom and I are now onboard the plane to Amsterdam, it’s only a short flight about 55mins then we have the mad dash to get to the next gate for Lisbon.

It was a mad dash we got to our next flight by the skin of our teeth, so glad we opted to take hand luggage only, it’s the way forward in travel I tell you.
We got to our hotel the beautiful Radisson Blu and were given beautiful suites one each, how posh. After a good nights sleep we got a taxi to the ship, Tom as I thought was blown away by the size of this thing, he loves the Royal Promenade with the Morgan sports car parked out side the Vintages wine bar, the pub, the theatre took his breathe away, its 1700 seats by the way, we walked around the whole ship and it seemed to take ages, its that big it took an hour, the weather is fab its 30degs today and set to stay the same for our cruise.


I’m not working for three nights so lets relax and enjoy!

Tom and I met at 6.30pm had a quick pint at the Dog & Badger Pub and then went to see the amazing hypnotist Christopher Caress what a show, I last saw him on the Celebrity Eclipse, he has an amazing show www.christophercaress.com if you ever get the chance to see this guy go see him.

Bed early tonight as we had such a long day yesterday and we feel really tired so early to bed it is then! Good night!

Tom was knocking on my door at 9.30am and we had a fab breakfast around 10am, we have been invited to the Ice Show at 3pm this afternoon by James the Cruise Director so we are very excited about that. We bumped into Christopher Caress in one of the shops and we had a great chat in one the café’s he is a very interesting man, he invented the “Thompson Gold” holidays, has been a cruise director and of course an amazing hypnotist, he gave my son Tom some very good advice too!


Lunch was spent at the awesome Johnny Rockets American Diner, Tom thought it was a really cool place, all the waiters every 20mins dance for the guests, and it really is an amazing place to go eat.


We then went to the Ice Show in Studio B and what a show, they have ice stars from all over the world, it’s hard to come to terms with the fact there is an Ice Rink onboard a cruise ship and it was packed there must have been about a thousand people in there.

Tonight Tom and I are going to the theatre to see a huge show called “Under The Big Top” and we can’t wait. Tomorrow it’s my turn.

We are in Gran Canaria today and it’s a bit cloudy unfortunately. We sail at 7pm and my first show is at that time so I do hope I get some people in. My rehearsal is at 5pm and shows at 7pm & 9pm.

Just in from the 7pm show and I couldn’t believe it, we were 80% full and we sailed at the same time 7pm…I am so pleased, thank you to everyone who came. I have the 9pm show to do now in 50mins time and I am well up for it.
Oh yes what a crowd, what a night, I loved it and I got 2 standers so well happy, thank you for being a great crowd.


We are in Tenerife today and it’s lovely weather, we sail at 6pm and tomorrow Tom and I fly home to Cardiff from Funchal via Lisbon and Amsterdam, it will be a long day, we fly ay 11am so taxi at 8am from the ship and we will be home at 9.15pm into Cardiff, back at the house around 10.30pm, but well worth it as the job went really well and Tom has had a nice holiday.

Monday 10 October 2011

Grandeur Of The Seas 6-9 October 2011

Another plane journey and another destination, I left Cardiff on the 9am flight to Amsterdam and onto Rome I should be landing around 4.55pm. I’m staying in a hotel tonight and joining the RCI Grandeur of the Seas tomorrow afternoon, it’s a lovely ship and I went very well the last time I was there which was only about a month ago.


My birthday came and went so to speak, we had a lovely day with my Mam and Dad arriving in the morning then after they went home Marie Sam and I went down Cardiff Bay and it was absolutely packed down there, we all had a go on the merry-go-round and then we had a quick drink at the Terra Nova and that was packed out the door, the weather was amazing for the time of year, it was 27degs and in Heathrow it went up to 30degs and it was October, unbelievable it was fantastic with everybody walking around as if it was the height of summer, what summer I here you say, I know, so this was a most welcome change for us all.


We Had a great night at Bar 46 Broadlands Bridgend on my Birthday, in the pic is Stuart (owner) Nicola (his partner) Marie and I.











Without going to much into it, although it was my birthday and the weather was amazing it was all clouded over by the sad news that a close family member had been taken seriously ill with a major heart attack and was rushed to a hospital in Birmingham, I had known him for 31 years, sadly he died on 3rd October. It is so very sad for all concerned, may he rest in peace.

I stayed at the Hilton Rome Hotel on the airport last night. I woke this morning to more bad news, Steve Jobs of Apple has died aged 56, it’s all over the news, what a guy he changed the world in how we communicate what with iPhone, IPad, IPod, MacBook’s and iMac’s, I have only just come over to Mac and what this man has done will be with us forever.

On to today, my car is picking me up in half an hour to take me to the Grandeur, which is docked in Civitavecchia a place I go to allot, I was there last week when joining Celebrity Silhouette and just like that ship I will be on Grandeur for only 3 nights so I might be working tonight, I hope it is tomorrow night as the guests will be ever so tired tonight because they would have been on tours to Rome all day, it’s a very exhausting day walking around Rome, so much to see and do. I will see you later on the ship!
My taxi arrived and the driver was the worse driver in ages, his driving skills were something to be desired I must say. I got to the ship and was welcomed by the Production Manager Rob and was soon settled into my beautiful suite. Once unpacked which took all of 5 minutes as I have finally learnt to down size (thank you Gary Williams) I went to lunch and had a look round as the sun is shining and the temp is a cool 27degs, I haven’t any sun cream as I couldn’t bring it with me due to size, ah I have down sized you see, I am beginning to think if this “down sizing” is a good idea at all.

I have my shows tomorrow night one at 7.15pm and the other at 9pm so an early night, so more time to play with my new Blackberry Bold 9900 and my MacBook Pro, look at me with my new toys!

Ok see you later.

Today we are in Palermo in Sicily and it is a beautiful day the sun is shining and with a high today of 25degs that’ll do for me. I had not such a good sleep last night, this bed is strange in that you start to sleep on one side of the bed and keep ending up sleeping across the bed, the mattress falls to one side after years of guest entertainers sleeping in this bed, it’s a strange thought with hotel beds as so many have slept in the same bed, it’s not good to think about it too much.

I was up at 7.30am and watched as we sailed into Palermo, we are in with some other cruise ships, check the photos, I was taking photos of the other people on the other ship taking photos of us.

OK…it’s breakfast!
…and lunch was lovely too!
My rehearsal went well, I had to tweak the sound a bit but got there in the end, I am spoilt so much on Eclipse and Silhouette as I have had the same sound guy all summer long Steffen Edwards. I love the Theatre on here it is so beautiful and when packed the atmosphere is electric.


I spoke to Marie a few times today on our brand new shiny Blackberry Bold 9900’s what a phone, it has touch screen and can do loads that an iPhone can do, you know squeeze and pinch, slide back and fro but I am still using the touch pad, but seriously this is an amazing phone, best BB have ever made.
Sam and Marie are going to see “Johnny English” in the cinema today, I wonder if Sam watches it all, he’s so used to being able to pause, stop start his telly at home, he works the sky better than Marie and I. I only have tomorrow now, then I will be back home for a while, then away again next Tuesday with Tom to Lisbon to join RCI’s enormous Independence of the Seas, it will do Tom good to get away with his Dad for a few days, the ship is going to blow him away!

We are about to sail now and my first show is at 7.15pm, which is in 1hr 55mins, I do hope it all goes well…here I go again!

I’m just in from the early show, it was about 60% full and what a great crowd of mainly Brits and two couple from Wales one from Rhiwbina Cardiff and one from Penarth but made some great noise, yes I really enjoyed it, my job just flows when they love you, it’s a different story when it’s the other way round I tell you. My next show is in 45mins time and the Captain and some of the ships officers are coming to see me, no pressure then!
I love this ship and I love this theatre, what a night and what with the Captain and what looked like half the ships officers in the audience we had a great night it was 100% packed to the rafters.


After the show the Cruise Director invited me for a drink at the champagne bar, I had a beer of course, we met some lovely people and after that we had a couple in the night club which was heaving and everyone just having a damn good time.
Good Morning, we have all woke up to a force 9 gale and the ship moving about like crazy, if the BMX show doesn’t go ahead tonight I may be asked to do another show, we’ll see!

It has been rough seas all day today, I watched Wales beat Ireland in my room and just as the last few minutes of the game were being played the phone rang, it was Rob the Production Manager and just as I thought I was asked to work tonight as it is too rough for the BMX Bike Show, so my rehearsal is in 20mins time and I am back on at 7.45pm tonight. It is my pleasure to help out tonight as Ricco the Cruise Director is a true gent and he needs help tonight, boy it’s rough seas out there!

The show went great, it was quite bumpy to work in with the sea still really rough, but I enjoyed it and so did they thank goodness!

I now have to finish my packing as I’m up early in the morning and off to the airport and fly home direct to Cardiff so I should be home by 3pm…. lovely!

This is a fab ship and I recommend it to anyone looking for a cruise especially if it’s you’re first time!
I left the ship at 9am and got to the airport by 9.20am so now the wait for the check in to start I should be first in the que as I am here so flippin early. It is a beautiful day here in Palma what a difference to yesterday, I felt so sorry for the guests as it was a really bad day in terms of weather that is, the ship handled the rough seas well and the ships officers and crew did a magnificent job taking care of us. THANK YOU!

I’m sat in a café with no drink in front of me and typing away on my laptop, I hope I don’t get in trouble for not buying anything, I mean there is only so much coffee you can drink, I am thinking of cutting the tea and coffee out all together, I tried mint tea onboard and it was quite nice, also I have been trying to drink as much water in the morning as I can, it does work and it makes you feel more alive and ready for the day ahead!
Thank you once again for visiting my site and following me on the blog, Facebook and twitter, don’t forget to book some tickets for the tour we start back up again at Theatre Harfen in Newtown on 28th October, keep an eye on my diary page for full details and on Facebook!
Thank you for your support!