Cutting out the estate agents, Paul has put his house for sale on the Web.

The disc jockey John Peel died of a heart attack in Peru last night, according to the BBC Web site.

Joining BBC Radio 1 when it started in 1967, Peel had been part of the soundtrack to my life for almost as long as I remember.

He was 65, going on 15, and one of my role models, even if I didn’t like a lot of the music he played. I hope I remain relevant as long as he did.

I feel so saddened by the news.

I spent this evening at the Brighton & Hove Business Awards at Brighton Racecourse, watching the great, the good and the successful receive their gongs.

It was a fab evening with good food and excellent conversation.

Thanks to my friend and client, Ida Lee, for the invitation. And thanks to Midnight Communications for making it all happen.

After much cajoling and waving of the Rosam cattle prod, my friend, best man, associate and sometime client, Peter Purton has got his Web presence up and running.

Let’s have another lunch soon, mate!

But you will go and have a look, won’t you?

Yesterday, my wife and I attended my uncle’s funeral. A sad, yet joyous occasion, as it had the usual effect of bringing the family together.

The cross-section of people who came to pay their respects to Wally was amazing – friends, family and colleagues.

Amongst those attending was a small, quiet Indian man, who offered everyone his condolences and said that he worked at the school where my uncle had worked once. He turned out to have beeen the deputy head.

More than that, we later found out he had been involved with Nelson Mandela in the ANC before Mandela’s incarceration on Robben Island. My uncle’s friend had to be smuggled out of South Africa, apparently.

I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted to talk about his relationship with Mandela on a first meeting, but I wish I’d spent some more time speaking to him.

But the main purpose of the day was to remember a family member that I felt I hadn’t spent enough time with. Isn’t that so often the case?

Goodbye Wal, we’re thinking of you.

I somehow missed this yesterday. Elvin Jones, one of the greatest and most influential jazz musicians died on Tuesday in hospital in New Jersey.

I’ll leave the BBC to give you the basic biog, while I wish Elvin all the best, wherever he is.

I met him once, briefly, about five years ago as he waited for his cab in the foyer of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.

He seemed a wonderful, dignified, yet sparky soul, willing to spend time with those who’d spotted him sitting in the corner and wanted to thank him for a great gig and all the fantastic music he’d created over the years.

Today, I’m going to make some time to listen to Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, music that demands 100% of my attention. It’s music that would never have worked without Jones.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Jazz drumming legend Jones dies

Prime Minister Tony Blair gets pelted with purple flour:

Father-of-two Ron Davies, from Worthing, Sussex, threw the flour-filled condom from an area of the gallery reserved for MPs’ and Peers’ guests and notable visitors as a second, activist, named by police sources as Guy Harrison, held up a poster.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Blair hit during Commons protest

You are Morpheus, from “The Matrix.” You
have strong faith in yourself and those around
you. A true leader, you are relentless in your
persuit.

What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

“My colleague’s son Josh James is currently undergoing treatment for a rare bone cancer – Ewing’s Sarcoma and has the dubious distinction of being only 1 of about 30 cases diagnosed in the UK each year.

We need your help…”

Ecademy – Connecting Business People

Just in case she’s reading this blog:

Happy Birthday Mum!