I went to Paul's funeral today. I read a small piece for him along with a few other people that also read about his life. He had three children with his wife Wendy who is in this picture. Wendy Has asked me to say a few words today about Paul. I first met Paul in 1985 when we started working together, we soon became friends along with a few other people and I’d like to try and express how he affected our lives and those he came into contact with. Paul was always extremely knowledgeable about a range of subjects, such as Art, theatre, music, movies, comedy, sport and almost anything you could raise with him. In 1986 I produced a few editions of a magazine with Paul and Barrie Howells, it was our attempt at a Private Eye with the influence of punk and left wing contemporary culture thrown in, we gave it the title of Minestrone. I was given the grand title of co -Editor with Paul, but he was really the editor. We needed to publicise the magazine and Paul came up with the guerrilla tactic of producing stickers that were cheap to produce, with such slogans as Minestrone - not so much a magazine, more a slice of beetroot, and although Paul wouldn’t hurt a fly, the dangerous sounding, Minestrone Magazine, buy it now or we smash your kneecaps I remember we sold the magazine in the office and Paul’s manager didn’t like the surreal sense of humour that ran throughout, Paul enjoyed describing how she said “it’s rubbish and my son likes comedy and he said it is rubbish too”. We ran out of steam with the magazine and I tried to get Paul out of musical retirement and back on his drum kit, we tried to form a band called “Flip Flop and Fly” after a favourite Big Joe Turner tune of Paul, we tried to sound like20 the impressive R&B bands of the 40’s and 50’s but we sounded like weedy Welsh kids playing Joy Division. Paul ranted at Wendy one day and said that he could write a better review than the one he had just read. She told him to have a go and I'll be proud of you, and he did indeed have a go. He wrote hundreds of album and gig reviews, he was published in many roots and blues magazines and an encyclopaedia of music, he was interviewed himself on the Paul Jones radio show and he interviewed many blues musicians and these included well known stars such as Van Morrison, Ronnie Hawkins, Geraint Watkins and Jools Holland. Paul was a private person that didn’t particularly like having visitors, Wendy says that one of his favourite comedy sketches was one where a chap in a posh detached house in the middle of nowhere has a brick thrown though his window. The chap picks up the brick and reads a note that is attached- “Hello, from your new neighbour, I just wanted to say hello” “what a fine fellow” says the chap “at least he didn’t have the audacity to knock at my door”. Anyway, I just want to end by saying that like the George Bailey character in a favourite movie of Paul‘s called “It’s a wonderful life Paul made a huge difference from being here.

I have never actually been to a shoe sale before. I mean, I've been in shoe stores while sales have been going on, but I've never gone out for the purpose of going to a shoe sale. And when the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, I decided I knew why. The sale was at Army and Navy, which is generally where I shop when I need to buy something but can't afford to spend much. But my little brother's girlfriend wanted to go, and I wasn't doing anything... It was actually kind of fun. There wasn't really any need to get there early since there were people restocking the shelves all morning, but that's kind of part of the whole experience. There's nothing quite like racing someone for the last pair of cheap flip-flops. That's not quite fair. There actually were quite a few pairs of decent name brand shoes on the shelves. This pair isn't one of them, and they're completely unlike any shoes I've ever owned, but I love them! (I told my mom the other day that I have to stop buying things because I "love them". Not going to happen.) I put them on as soon as I got home and have been wearing them ever since. I think these are my new favourite shoes.