The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 6 June - 16 June 1996
June 6th
Go to Avis & pick up car for Scotland.What a mess-we prepaid for a small car..there are NO cars.Thirty people waiting.Pull rank and do the "Crowded House-Number" on the manager.We leave 10 mins. later in a barnad new top of the line rover (for the same price). Iusually dont do the "name bit" but i figure with CH expiry date used up I might as was-sure beats waiting in 40o heat! We cruise up the A1,North to Scotland.Stay at the Novotel in Sheffield-the town i deserted at 6.00. heaps of smash & grabs from shop windows.
June 7th
Shoulders sink,Head clears,feels good.No one knows we're here,no phones,no press,no one asking the million dollar question on the split.Cross border to Jedburgh.This IS cool-an abbey and a very old town.Pig out on Lentil soup-its equal to the Galleons back home. A cute Scottish girl tells me that all the yellow flowers in the fields are Grape Oil Plants.Was she pulling my chanin-does anyone out there know???Stay at Edinburgh(Holiday Inn)Video channel chews up-no "Pet Detective 2",No "Breastman". Oh Well!
June 8th
EDINBURGH CASTLE.Mark says its just like Alcatraz-it is,great vaults,very high on the hill.Spot 2 tourists in Crowded House tshirts-that freaks me out a bit-dont mention it to Mark he'll think we're being followed. Close my eyes and imagine 300 brave Scots taking back the castle from the Brittish.Find my ancestor Archibald Boyce (Mums side) in the faded war logs in the Church.Jools Holland Show on tonight. Have to get that Patti Smith quote right. "Artists dont retire,they shift conditions". Will put that on a card for Neil. Neils Mum and Sis were only here days before-cant escape the Finn clan.
June 9th
INVERNESS-Could almost live here.Charming town on the shores of Loch Ness.Video a fake Loch ness Monster (we bought a Purple Dinosaur & floated it)the tourists in the castle all started applauding...(famous for another 10 seconds). Have now driven 1000 miles.
June 10th
Glasgow-No decent bands...or have I just not found the right gig? get to HMV store at 9.05.They have "INSTINCT" on the racks already-buy 6 copies and the new Doctor Who Movie Book. Drive back across the border and stay at Carlisle (A town named after a member of the "GoGo's-how starnge).The Hotel is full of rabbits and bears in knitted outfits.Mark brings a huge stuffed elephant into the room and tells me that Cliff Richard stayed here (but did he have sex here). Eat Pizza and "Distant Sun" is piped" over the system.We realise the band are no more-I feel sad. Finally finish my Rollins Book.
June 11th
Wake up feeling Homesick.Breakfast is full of "Oldies" and "Suits",we are placed in the "no mans land" area of the restaurant-between both parties. I love the girls at the local school,they tell me how they've made the papers. St Marys Oxfordshire-they got their 16 minutes of fame today-front page.End of term exams and ran riot in the school.Loved the graffitti on the wall "we're no angles" (dont they mean "Angels").By mid afternoon they are bumped off the front pages by Bob Geldoff and Paula Yates court battle over their 750,000 pound home. Paula Keeps it and Bob is sent to live at Micaheil Hutchences pad down the road.How strange. Drive to Cheltenham & find Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones Grave.The cemetary is very old and all the headstones are grey stone..except Brian Jones's...its so white-like its been covered in fake tooth whitener. Brian and Keef are deffinately the coolest Stones. Pick a rose and throw it on the grave. He actually hated this town,not sure why he's buried here, Mark thinks his parents wanted him there. Stay at the regal "Queens" Hotel,its 150 years old.High ceilings,chunky drapes and Napolean Chairs-Love it.
June 12th
back to London. Parking Bitch from Hell give me a ticket-she was relentless,drive the car up on the curb,run her over several times and hear her verterbrae shatter in several spots. That will teach her. OK so all I really did was call her a bitch.....and I wanted to spit on her but my window was up. Read William Shatners new StarTrek Novel (The Return),its actually good,except he makes Kirk "Glisten" too much. Fire alarm goes off-sit in Foyer shoeless (at least I put something over my calvins).The girl next to me is dripping wet,she was in the pool when the alarm sounded. False alarm.
June 13th
Loads of calls-Diane calls from san Jose and wakes me up-its cool weve slept in and besides I always wake her. Says nice things about the web site and nearly 200 people have clicked on . Neil calls,he sounds happy-in the middle of the conversation the mid week chart comes in for "INSTINCT". Its #6. If it sits around that area it may well bump "Weather" off as their biggest UK single.Neil jokes that the "split is a great marketing ploy"-wish thats all it was. Just told that I'm off on the USA FInn tour for 2 weeks. I'm officially the "LIghting Director". Johnny and Cameron call by-JJ uses the Gym for free pretending to be Mark...and Cameron confesses that he has been very wicked. May all who read this take note "Cameron Craig IS a stud". Buzz Aldrin (yes the Apollo astronaut) is at Planet Hollywood signing his new Sci Fi book. Veronica our housekeeping girl has worn knee high patent leather boots into work-she looks like a Supermodel. We plot Johnnys next career move-he deserves to be gigantic-his songs are really brilliant. So any record company people reading this take note.
June 14th
The long slog home-we work out its going to be 31hrs of flying & airports-thank god we are being spoilt in business class. The AIRNZ flashback movie for the trip is "Saturday Night fever".Oh Joy. The plane has 482 people on board and carries 115 tonnes of fuel-where do they put it all. This is my 323'd flight-I have on my lucky travelling bardic pendant.
June 16th
Finally home-Alison is waiting at the airport-zoom through customs. Answer emails,its now 2.00 in the morning,couldnt sleep so I'm in the office working,on my lonesome-I'd love for someone to bring me a coffee-feeling very lonely tonight-probably jet lag. Winter is here,the trees at "Belmore" are all naked,the only noise is the central heating purring. Speaking of Purrrring Hairball is so happy to see Mark. Trudy did a good job looking after her, the cat is nearly 13-she really is like a child.I'm a dog person usually but I have to admit hairball is unique. Greg Macainsh (Skyhooks) just sent me an email , he's back in America,we just missed him. Send Debbie who is my web site Master an email saying that a contact email address will be on the "Famous.." page in August.