Jimmy Savile, Reflections on Creation and the Fight for Hay-On-Wye's Future

I'd like to pay my respects and say R.I.P to Sir Jimmy Savile, who died on Saturday. I met him only once, weirdly, it was at a dinner at Chequers in October 1999. I was first to arrive that evening (sad but true) and I was standing talking to Tony Blair, who was rocking his Gap casuals. Anyway, who is the next guest to arrive, but Jimmy Savile. At that point I thought life is definitely getting surreal. Rock 'n' roll to the end, he spent the entire night trying with persistence to chat up my wife, Kate. He was a rock 'n' roller even in his 70s, a bit like my Dad. Actually, my Dad just does the rock 'n' roll, not the charity work.

Further to the last blog, I am sorry to say there's still no good news on my good friend Dan Treacy of TV Personalities. Let's all continue to hope he pulls through.

I'd also like to pay my respects and say R.I.P. to Sir Jimmy Savile, who died on Saturday.

I met him only once - weirdly, it was at a dinner at Chequers in October 1999.

I was first to arrive that evening (sad but true) and I was standing talking to Tony Blair, who was rocking his Gap casuals.

Anyway, who is the next guest to arrive, but Jimmy Savile. At that point, I thought life is definitely getting surreal. Rock'n'roll to the end, he spent the entire night trying with persistence to chat up my wife, Kate. He was a rock'n'roller even in his 70s, a bit like my dad. Actually, my dad just does the rock'n'roll, not the charity work.

On Friday I spent a very funny night watching the Creation film on BBC Four, which was great.

Although an earlier Omnibus documentary from the 90s was shown after and I have to say it's a better watch. But anyway, I watched the film, Creation at the BBC and Omnibus whilst also watching the Twitter masses' opinions flood in.

Some of the comments were very funny and I would say 9/10 people seemed to like it; it seemed to spark of a load of nostalgia for the time which was just as good to watch.

So I've been in Wales for a month resting up after seven weeks of dashing about all over the world, but I have had a nice to visit London this weekend. But it never beats my love of Wales - it's a spiritually calm place, and that you can't beat, but they are trying to change a small part of it...

Hay-on-Wye is going crazy about a major retailer trying to buy into the town. Hopefully it won't go through. I moved there because it reminds me of what the UK used to be like.

We already have a Co-op and a health food shop so we are well catered for, thanks. There are only 2000 of us and the whole town seems to be up in arms, which is great.

I hate corporate culture; every town in the UK looks the same. They all have the same shops and if this retailer moves in, we'll just be another.

It's not Waitrose so maybe it's the other big one. If they get their way then the gates are open, and how long before all the other mass culture outlets pile in? You know the ones; McDonalds/Vodafone shop etc.

Every big city and town now looks the same to me and has done for years. It's one of the reasons we moved here to get away from and not live in that corporate world, so let's hope those gates stay closed. Kate, my wife, has also written a blog on this which you can read here.

Last weekend I was DJing in the Welsh valleys at the Mountain Ash Inn, which is the most rocking venue in Europe on any given Sunday night.

There you'll find 300 kids having it large amongst bands and DJs, all for free. In any other club you would think it's a Friday or Saturday night, but it's a Sunday night! All these 23-year-old kids having it with The Beatles, and for one hour yours truly was DJ. Big respect to the owners Tony Rivers and his wife Claire, who together make sure the Welsh valleys rock hard every Sunday night.

This week I also found myself doing the Jo Whiley Show. There I was in Wales, dressed head to toe in Barbour looking like the country squire, to the backdrop of the Black Mountains whilst talking about Freddie Mercury. I'm sure they thought I was taking the piss but it's how we dress in Hay! I did however keep the Gucci's on and left wellies indoors, never once using the walking stick to make my point.

Today, I'm off to Treadwells again to see what I can find to buy. They do have an amazing Crowley first edition which I will try and not buy, hopefully when I head off to meet up with some friends for coffee later it won't be coming with me!

I'm currently working on 23 paintings with Alex Lowe as 'The Aquarian Conspiracy'. Alex is great occult painter and of course it's with a twist but all will be revealed next year!

It also seems the Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh idea seems to be back on the burner again with a TV company... not to worry though - all names will be changed to protect the innocent...

Some thoughts:

Change is the only constant phenomenon.

I require no justification.

That I do it is sufficient in itself.

Life is its own answer and my spirituality is the way I live it.

I will believe in whatever brings me joy, power and ecstasy.

The secret of the universe IS the secret of the universe, known to me in the silence and the storms.

Please read The Committee of 300 by John Coleman (he's ex MI6). It was written in '91 it explains what's going on in 2011.

The Creation movie is on BBC iPlayer if you missed it watch it here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b016myqs/Upside_Down_The_Creation_Story/

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