Sometime last October or November I managed to injure my shoulder in the midst of one of our Monday night football matches. For a few weeks, I would flinch whenever anyone bumped into me, then it reached a point where without Orynthia’s help I was struggling to put on shirts, jackets of coats. As is common with most people, especially those that play any sport, I decided not to trouble my doctor with my self-inflicted problem, which would surely ease in the next week or so.

Well by April the problem was much less marked but was still hanging around and Orynthia persuaded me to go to see our local doctor, he agreed that I had much less mobility in my left shoulder than my right, consequently this morning I found myself at Southmead Hospital for an appointment with a physio in an attempt to get to the bottom of the problem. After much poking and prodding it was decided that I had actually sprained my collarbone at the joint with the shoulder, which had then fussed in a position, which restricted my movement. I have been given a small range of easy to follow exercises, which will hopefully ease the discomfort over the following weeks.

Everyone always moans about the NHS, but I have to say that as always I was dealt with in a very efficient, friendly and professional manner. If only I had listened to Orynthia and gone to my doctor last year, maybe then this (admittedly) minor discomfort would be behind me.

At last we have a few gigs to look forward to over the next few weeks. On Friday evening my colleague RLF is doing his splendid “Godzilla” set at The Cube, in support of Biosphere, in August the 5,6,7,8’s are playing at The Thekla then a couple of days later we have the unusual pairing of Paul Burch and Joanna Newsome at St Bonaventure’s. Finally in September P J Harvey pays a visit to Bristol.