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Your Dad had a great Glastonbury, finishing with the entire audience on stage chanting "Your Dad, Your Dad". Then a week later we did Workhouse Festival, which was a charming little event. On the same weekend there was my local festival Glasson Music Festival, which I had to rush back for for a Guns of Navarone gig at the Victoria, Glasson Dock. On the Saturday evening I had a Stuff Like That gig in the Holiday Inn, Bolton - an extraordinary building converted from a very large church. They hated us. On Sunday afternoon  I did a gig supporting Paul Guppy's marvellous choir, Gladly Solemn Sound, on my harmonium. (There's a number from this gig on MySpace/ccambler), and then, to finish off a truly exhausting weekend, on Sunday night we had a session in Bill Lloyd's beautiful yurt on Glasson green (finishing at 7am on Monday). Marvellous.

Refreshing to hear, on Radio 4 the other day, Eva Figes saying what I believe. That Isreal is one of the most hate-filled racist cultures in the world (Ashkanazi hates sephardic hates Temani and that's just the Jews) and that Isreal acts in very similar ways to the Nazi regime in Germany. It's certainly engaged in a sustained, and fairly successful attempt at genocide against the Palestinian people. Why I say 'refreshing' is because one so seldom hears a coherent criticism of Isreal from our cowed and partial media.

Greg Morgan and myself had a couple of good gigs in London - at Cafe Oto and Flim Flam Club. On both gigs we were on the bill with trad free jazz outfits (squeeky sax and incessent drumming). One of the incessent drummers was Tony Marsh who I knew when i used to drive and sometimes play with Major Surgery - Don Weller's great band of the seventies.  We neither of us recognised each other. However, the following day I bumped into Jimmy Roche, also in Major Surgery. We recognised each other - but had nothing to say to each other. The same can't be said for Sir Gideon Vein, who had a lot to say as usual - and very interesting it was too.

Just returned from an idyllic Lancaster Kids Kamp at the exquisite Iver Great Hill where Andy & Vicky are developing a garden of Eden. Heard from Jon Cainer re Sunrise whilst at kid's kamp. Big Chill will honour Sunrise tickets and Jon will not go bankrupt but will pay all in time. Good man!

I have just returned from Sunrise Festival which was actually cancelled 5 hours after opening because the arena was under water. I personally had a marvellous time but a whole lot of people saw all their effort of the past few months washed away in a few hours and one at least is totally financially ruined. I will write in full about this event later, but watch out next year for THE BIG WET Festival.

"Son Ambler" has got a good MySpace for his new band - New Potato Scene (see links)

I found an amusing clip of King Crimson circa Lark's Tongue in Aspic showing my old mate Jamie Muir doing all sorts of odd and amazing things watched by a bemused but admiring Bill Bruford. Bruford had just left Yes or some such hideous progressive rock band and was at that moment generally credited with being one of the technically top drummers in the country. I went to see Muir just after he'd joined Crimson and asked him what Bruford was like. "Oh he's a lovely guy - terrible drummer, but really nice". I've posted the clip on my MySpace.(http://www.myspace.com/chasambler) under "who i'd like to meet".

The Tour De Presteigne was a triumph for both Your Dad on the Saturday evening at the Dome and for the electric bike rally the following day, when 60 competed for the amazing tin cup that some eccentric artist had knocked together for two pints and a pie given to him by the Bernie Eccleston of Electric Bike racing, Pete Mustil.

The long promised Santa Ria pages are now on the site. As yet there's no link but you can get them (minus images) at  www.chasambler.com/santaria_page1 (2,3,4,&5).

To download Basildon Hood - my song about arms dealers http://www.vuze.com/details/IO3JTUTTN2GUSTCSRJFX3HC4P35B5SGK.html

I've got a new MySpace called C.C.Ambler at www.MySpace.com/ccambler  with some new songs and demos of some of the bands I play in.

Your Dad are recording "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor" in their own quirky version (with Cat's Chorus and orchestra).

I'm currently organising to make a few radio programmes of my mother (who has recently moved to Morecambe) concerning her earlier life in show-business.

We've also put together a new band doing Sheryl Crow material - Shel and the Crownies. Next gig soon.

The "war on terror" continues - and will till the end of time now (how can it ever finish?)

Chas Ambler's Gigs 2008