One of the best performances of the season by CD Marino was overshadowed by some questionable calls from the ref as Tenisca sneaked a late 0-1 winner. The La Palma side are on the edge of the leading pack in the division but for long periods of the game Marino outplayed and frustrated them but failing to turn that superiority into goals was to prove costly.

Confidence is a powerful force in football and after two straight victories the home side played with freedom and sprayed the ball around. A new look defence was particularly impressive, Bradley Mills looked at home in the centre alongside Mendy with Connor at right back and recent addition Christofer from Las Zocas on the left. Kevin Castro had an early chance bearing down on the Tenisca goalie who had to kick the ball clear. There was a home penalty shout when Javi was floored after a cross from Josito but the ref didn’t want to know.

Tenisca’s main weapon was a long punt up to the wings rather than playing the ball through the middle, they were well blocked by Connor and Cristofer when trying to take the ball wide and didn’t have any alternative plan. Josito created plenty of openings down the Marino right and with Airam constantly probing it seemed a matter of time until a goal arrived. Cristofer began to push forward from left back and Tenisca were lucky to survive from one of his prompts as the defence and goalie scrambled the ball clear.

When the visitors did find a way through they had the problem of beating keeper Marco Cicovic, he has grown into his gloves and looked solid. Sandro replaced Josito on the half hour and provided more problems for the La Palma team. The half time break was welcomed by Tenisca, Marino had them under pressure with a curling Javi free kick and a Connor cross. Just inside the second half Marino clipped the post with an Airam free kick, he repeated it soon after and a part clearance was fired back in, the goalie managed to grab it low down at the line. With barely 15 minutes left it seemed that a home goal just wouldn’t come, Tenisca must have sensed that they had weathered the storm and became more adventurous.

They tried a few more direct breaks, Chema raced through onto one as the Marino defence closed in, the away forward could have shaped up for a shot but went down a bit too easily and got a penalty that he converted. Suso was back in the blue shirt and off the bench and shared a neat interchange with Kevin Castro but it lacked a final danger pass. Sandro got in a good scoring position but was hauled back with a late call for a foul. Chema nearly made it 0-2 but was stopped by a timely Connor challenge. Marino were desperate to get at least a draw and pushed everyone, including goalie Marco, forward for a series of free kicks. The ball pinged around the penalty area, hit the post, and refused to go in, it was a harsh defeat to take but the overall performance will give Marino plenty of encouragement for the after Christmas campaign.

Like the giant pink balloons that scraped the Tenerife skyline, the Walk For Life gets bigger and better every year. Last years tenth anniversary walk was always going to be difficult to equal, so they didn’t, they surpassed it. A pink and white army of 3,200 walkers arrived from all corners of the island, united many different communities, and raised an amazing 15,100 euros.

There was an early morning party atmosphere at the Magma Arts & Congress centre in Costa Adeje as people gathered in ingenious mixtures of the cause colours. Live music and dancing from the big stage set the tone, many sad recollections are stirred each year as lost loved ones are remembered but the atmosphere is always upbeat, hope, resilience, and friendship are the fuels for this event. The drum bands were shaping up, a few finishing touches were added to costumes for humans and dogs, and Mayor Fraga of Adeje and Mayor Jose Mena Perez of Arona joined founder, organizer, and driving force Brigitte Gypen to set us on our way.

As the walkers poured down the ramp of the Magma Centre the stream seemed never ending, police and security made we sure we got funneled across the road as bewildered drivers waited. There are always a few tweaks to the route but are first big objective was to head for the seafront promenade of Playa de Las Americas. It was nice to see so many family groups spanning the generations, the swallows, our wintering pensioners, and the Armada Sur, the CD Tenerife fan club I’m so proud to belong to, were making their usual commitment, there was even a youth team from Nandu Rugby Club.

The female motorbikers were another returning favourite, they have big bikes but even bigger hearts. All forms of transport were showing their colours, some people had mobility scooters, and further on in the walk we noticed the Los Cristianos sailing school, Escuela de Vela, had hoisted their colours to the mast as a show of support. At three points along the 4.5 km route there were opt out points for those who couldn’t manage the full distance, free shuttle buses were on hand to ferry them to the finish point. As we passed busy bars and restaurants many people added money to the rattling collection buckets and many others rose from their sun beds to cheer and encourage.

It looked an amazing sight as the procession spread all along the promenade at Las Vistas beach, the tunnel between there and the old beach was a bit of a bottle neck and groups had to go through a few hundred at a time as the other walkers marked time. Our route this time took us up the back way from the beach to turn right at the church plaza for the final approach to the cultural centre and the stage that had been set up there. There was a mix of relief, pride, and exhilaration as walkers fanned out into the Plaza del Pescador and tucked into the bananas and cold drinks that had been supplied. A burst of pink and white balloons filled the sky and those tired feet managed some joyous dancing to the singers who were giving their time for the cause.

The counting and registering of the collected money, and the drawing of the many donated raffle prizes meant the show glowed on for several hours. Los Cristianos felt the windfall of the walk as bars and restaurants were peppered with pink customers. I was chuffed to hear the Armada Sur raised 1,187 euros, big thanks to those who made that possible and to everyone who got involved this year. The good work of the charity continues, both mayors pledged their support to helping form a Walk For Life Foundation in time for next year so they can offer even more help to breast cancer sufferers. Click here to see the full parade of my photos from the Walk For Life, and Swim For Life which took place earlier this year.

According to Take That, It Only Takes A Minute To Fall In Love, how reassuring to know that CD Tenerife only need that same snatch of time to flip a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 win. Crisis club Mallorca looked on for a surprise win as CD Tenerife struggled to make any impact but young guns Cristo Gonzalez and Omar Perdomo turned the tide in a drab home performance.

There were surprises again in the starting line up, Abel and Ricardo were back in midfield with Alberto and Tommy Martin missing out. Mallorca made a lightning start with Swiss forward Moutinho scoring in the second minute from a Oriol cross on a breakaway. There was no spark in the home midfield, suspended Aitor Sanz was sorely missed and Abel wasn’t the answer. It could have been 0-2 soon after, Moutinho was looking to connect to a corner ball but Dani Hernandez raced out to punch it clear. Damia had a good chance for Mallorca but thankfully put his long shot well over the bar.

It was all a bit disjointed for Tenerife and Choco wasn’t seeing much of the ball up front. Ricardo tried to stir some action, he found Omar out wide and he cut inside but the Mallorca defence snuffed out the move. Suso made a half chance just before the break but it was a despondent half time break for the 8,005 crowd. Something had to change, Cristo Gonzalez replaced Abel and looked hungry in attack, ten minutes later Alberto was a straight swap for Ricardo. Then came that purple patch that changed the game, Choco passed the ball to Cristo and the youngster pulled it wide of a knot of defenders and tucked his shot perfectly past the keeper, a real class strike. The celebrations were still going on when Cristo turned provider and slipped the ball to Omar, the wide player had his back to a defender and the goalie but in a flowing move he turned and picked the ideal spot to grab the lead. Suddenly we were believing in Santa Claus again.

Mallorca were a spent force now, Tenerife should have taken advantage of their keepers constant straying outside of his area but the quick break never came. Jairo came on for Suso and took over the left wing with Omar switching to the right. Cristo had another pop at goal, this time his shot looped past the top corner. The referee started making some bizarre calls in favour of Mallorca and boosted Tenerife’s bookings to five on the night, leaving more players one card from a suspension. There could have been a third goal in injury time, Tenerife forced a couple of corners but wasted them with Vitolo and Omar getting nowhere with short corners. It’s now six games without defeat and even if this wasn’t a vintage performance it was another move up the table.

Goals have been the missing ingredient this season for CD Marino but hard work and perseverance paid off as they crushed Union Puerto 3-0 to smell the fresh air above the relegation zone. The visitors from Fuerteventura were just above Marino and looked a poor outfit but after some cruel defeats Marino took some time to find their confidence and cohesion.

A loose back pass and a speculative shot from Union gave home goalie Marco Cicovic a couple of easy saves before the blues started to make progress down their left flank. Marchena and Josito combined well to put pressure on the Union defence. Juanjo had a clear chance for Union after 17 minutes, he rose for a free header in front of goal but he went for power rather than direction and found Marco’s safe pair of hands. Kevin Castro was in a more central striking role, he got a chance to show his tricky ball control with just Omar to beat in the visitors net, he juggled the ball and fooled the keeper for a 1-0 lead.

Borja tried to hit back and found space out wide but Kilian came charging in to rob him with a firm tackle. Marino had their heads up and could sense the weakness in their opponents, a free kick floated in was only half blocked by Omar and he was lucky to get a second chance with Kilian ready to pounce. After the break Alexis replaced Coly and showed some nice touches. Airam was putting in a typical robust captain’s performance to inspire Marino as Union faded from the game. The captain came close from a free kick when he skewed a far post effort just a little high of the goal.

Too often Marino have let opponents off the hook but they were determined this time to snuff out any hope for Union. Airam  dealt the killer blow after 69 minutes from a Kevin Castro pass and Union were deflated. Pablo arrived for Marchena and swapped some telling passes with Alexis to add new purpose. Union were pinned down and struggling, a foul on Kilian in the box and Airam stepped up to beat the keeper from the spot and seal the points. It was a well deserved victory  and with two more home games before the festive break there’s a chance to climb the table.

It reminded me of that bloke painting Red Dwarf in the opening titles as the camera pans back to reveal him as a minute spot against the massive spaceship. Well the only difference was this chap was hosing down the sheer side of Mein Schiff 4 in Santa Cruz harbour – oh and it wasn’t in space, wasn’t fictional, and involved water instead of paint. I hope the gentleman wasn’t employed just to gloss up cruise ships, he would have to forget about tea and sarnie breaks, this was another record breaking day for the Tenerife capital with even better to come.

As I looked up from the quayside four cruise ships, AIDAblu, Thomson Dream, Norwegian Epic, and Mein Schiff 4 towered over me, and the Minerva was moored separately on the other side of the port. The combined influx of visitors was 9,900 passengers and 3,580 crew, the shops and bars of Santa Cruz were poised in anticipation for the sweet sound of ringing tills. Other towns would also feel the benefit as an endless stream of coaches whisked eager tourists away to varied destinations, Mein Schiff 4 even had an army of bicycles and segways ready for some closer roving. That ship was built in Turkey just a year ago, and the Minerva has a tale or two to tell. Originally built to be a Soviet research ship the Minerva now sails for Swan Hellenic who are based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. It’s one of the smaller cruise liners and specializes in cultural tours with intellectual guest speakers rather than cabaret acts.

My focus for the day was the Norwegian Epic and from the bridge I had a grand view of the port as it went about its business. Real Club Nautica looked neat and busy as a stream of  single mast sailboats set out as part of the two day Laser 4.7 race. It was quite a contrast to see them sail by one of the large oil platforms that come in for a makeover, a bit like Beast and the Beauties. Further along the road from Santa Cruz to San Andres the old steam ship La Palma stood proud, built in Middlesborough in 1912 it shuttled between the islands before falling into disrepair but a trust has been lovingly restoring it to be a floating museum. I was fortunate to cover a Peroni calendar shoot on the ship with some very able bodied sea ladies.

The port is always on my tick list for places to visit when in Santa Cruz so after my tour of Norwegian Epic I had a wander to see what was new. The Punta Salina rescue vessel was getting a few running repairs before going out to help those in peril on the sea. This is the time of year for the training ships to call in before heading out on their adventure trips with eager young recruits. It’s not really something I fancy, you have to pay for the voyage and also pitch in doing the work, scrubbing the deck, climbing the mast, and steering the ship. It teaches team work and builds character but I’d rather be enjoying the luxury of a cruise ship. Wylde Swan (above) had just come into the marina after being moored off Los Cristianos, billed as the worlds biggest two mast topsail schooner it had been making its way from Holland before embarking on a trip to Barbados. There was another tall ship nearby, this time from Sweden, Alva (below).

Santa Cruz port is undergoing a facelift, I noticed last trip that saplings were being planted along the inner edge of the marina and a raised ramp is taking shape for direct foot access to Plaza de España. This time I noticed the new tarmac walkway alongside the marina, special plaques have been mounted at discreet intervals to commemorate some of the great sea faring pioneers. That’s a nice touch, the port has already shown its respect for history by renovating the old French mini lighthouse, La Farola del Mar, down near the ferry terminal. The sea plays a huge part in the history of Tenerife and Santa Cruz in particular, visiting cruise ship captains often get presented with a bottle of malvasia wine, a popular old export to the UK and one of the peace presents bestowed upon Admiral Nelson after his failed conquest in 1797. Santa Cruz looks set fair for a new golden age of sea visitors, I hope they will be as impressed as I am.

Even on a day when five mighty cruise ships jostled for attention in Santa Cruz, Norwegian Epic had a bit too much class for her rivals and shone like a true star. Although five years old, this was the first visit for the pride of the Norwegian Cruise Line, 3,200 British and Spanish passengers plus many of the 1,300 crew joined in the party spirit in the Tenerife capital as they were greeted by traditional Canarian musicians and dancers. It’s a beautiful looking ship crammed full of every indulgence you could imagine, I was eager to get on board and see all the goodies. Our first stop was the bridge deck, a large open area with wide expanses of glass for all embracing views of the port. Former Tenerife Cabildo (government) President Ricardo Melchior, now President of  Puertos de Tenerife, exchanged momentos with Captain Idar Hoydal as waiters plied us with drinks and nibbles. The control panels, labeled in English, looked daunting and a couple of times when shrill whistles sounded I hoped I hadn’t brushed against an important lever by mistake. The Captain told me he had started with the company in 1980 as an able bodied seaman but had only been at this helm for two years. My feet and camera finger were itching to explore and our guide led us through the ship. There are 11 restaurants on the Norwegian Epic but most were empty as a fleet of coaches had whisked passengers off to many varied destinations. Le Bistro French restaurant looked very stylish and intimate while Taste restaurant hit the spot with stunning décor fanning out from a centrally placed piano. There were clear notices about the ships dress code, even without my football shirt I felt like I could be breaking several taboos. The Manhattan Room was also impressive with its more subdued colour scheme and black and white prints of old America. I stuck my head inside a few of the other entertainment rooms, The Cavern was a tribute to The Beatles, some of my scouse friends would love that – yeah, yeah,yeah. The Headliners Comedy Club looked like it could be a giggle, and the Fat Cats Jazz and Blues Club would have them swinging from the roof. There was a big parade of art on one landing, they have seminars and auctions. A squatting dog was passing his own artistic judgement, very appropriate for the start and end point of the trip, Barcelona, home of the Caganer. The social events caught my eye, a solo passengers gathering, Friends of Dorothy, and even cup cake decorating. A giant Wii wall dominated one area with an interactive game of ping pong that drew a few people in. There’s no shortage of things to do with a bowling alley, the circus themed Spiegel Tent, and the Epic Theatre where Priscilla of the Desert was the live show. Gamblers would be constantly challenged with the Epic Casino and a poolside casino, the lights were flashing as I strolled down a lengthy corridor of fruit machines and a passenger I spoke to later in Santa Cruz told me bingo was 39 dollars a game with the prize of an upgrade to the ultra swish Haven suite at the very top of the ship. Our next group stop was deck 15 and the Aqua Park water slides and kids pool, I took the steps to the launch point for the water tubes, it looked great fun. For those just wanting to chill out there were plenty of tables to sit at after raiding the Garden Café buffet and Waves pool bar. Looking around these floating cities I can see why some people don’t even venture out to the ports of call, Norwegian Epic pops into Tangier, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Funchal, and Malaga between leaving and arriving back at Barcelona. Norwegian Epic will be back in Santa Cruz on Christmas eve and makes another 66 Tenerife calls up to 2 April 2016.

The hard work starts now for CD Tenerife coach Pep Marti, the initial rush of enthusiasm from his appointment is giving way to the realism of a squad short of depth and lacking that killer instinct. After Alamo’s foul on Suso saw him off with a second booking it should have paved the way to turn the eventual 1-1draw into a win but sloppy passing and not enough ammunition for lively sub Choco sealed four points dropped in two home games.

Tommy Martinez was rewarded for his impressive run outs from the bench with a starting slot, Pedro Martin and Alberto returned and Omar kept his starting role with Aitor Sanz nowhere to be seen. Our River Plate loanee showed his pleasure with  a place in the starting 11 by slipping a lovely cross ball to Suso in the opening minute, his hot was saved but it was encouraging. Lejeune managed a flash over the bar but Tenerife had the best of the early play.

Raul Camara were getting in each others way as they tried to overlap down the right, maybe spreading it more often to Omar on the other wing might have given Girona more headaches. Sanchon was the best of a poor bunch from the visitors, he should have done better when dragging his shot wide just before the half hour. Tenerife’s have a very poor first half scoring record this season and it can encourage the visitors to test them out. A Girona break through Alamo on the right came to Pons at the far post, he headed the ball down and Sobrino had plenty of space to slip the ball in the home net. A quick reply was needed, thankfully it came with the break looming. Suso was fouled and the free kick swept into the box where Omar ran in to head the leveller.

It was cut and thrust at the start of the second half, Pedro did well to hold up a through ball but no one came to take advantage of his neat control, Girona managed a rare break which Dani snuffed out with a low save. I’m a big fan of our young defender Jorge but he had one of his weaker games, he lost the ball in a dangerous position in shocking style and was lucky it wasn’t punished by a goal. Jorge is very positive and looks to play the ball forward all the time when sometimes he might be better to lay it off or pass back, but that will come with experience.

The defining moment of the game should have been the sending off after 53 minutes, the man advantage fired Tenerife up briefly, Pedro had a shot ping off the post but it was offside. Choco came on for Pedro and didn’t look rusty after his injury, he always has an instinct for goal, twice he turned with his back to goal and fired in strong shots that tested the keeper. Jairo arrived for Tommy, the youngster has bags of enthusiasm but is another small player, we need a few imposing players who can get stuck in – something for the January transfer window? Pep Marti took the gamble of adding Nano in favour of left back Aurtenetxe but the spark was missing in midfield and the supply line wasn’t good enough. In the final minute Girona could have nicked it, Sanchon was clear through and it took a classy save from Dani to hold onto the point. Three games to go this year and the relegation zone is still snapping at our heels, this is where it all gets serious.

My nose was being tickled and teased by the warm waft of chestnuts roasting in tall metal braziers, and similar smells were drifting out of bars and restaurants as we walked up the main street of San Lorenzo. While rampant commercialism was whipping shoppers into a frenzy elsewhere, there was a traditional Canarian feel to the small town just above Los Cristianos.

It was the Night of Chestnuts, Sweets, and Wine, and Arona council had put on free buses from Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos to encourage more people to get involved. I went with friends Dave and Annie, we had to wait for a second half size coach to ferry us up there as demand was high.The evenings were beginning to get a bit chilly and it was a few degrees cooler as we got off in the busy Carretera General. Armed with the official leaflet we set about trying the chestnut themed tapas that several bars and restaurants were selling.

First stop was the Queseria Tasca Medianito for their cheese and chestnut tapas, it was lovely, bread and rolls of cheese with a little honey inside, and a spoon of chestnut puree. I’m not a big wine drinker but had a sip of my friends white to look willing, on the way out I noticed some bottles of 6% Danza Diablo (Devil Dance) black ale from La Palma, I will be back to try that in the near future. Next up was the Bar Fumero where we tried the chestnut croquetes, these had a very strong and pleasing flavour of the castañas. There was an alternative on offer, chestnuts with onion and tuna but we had more stops to cram in.

There was plenty of entertainment going on in the street and at key points there were stalls selling hot chestnuts, wine, and sweet pastries. We were a couple of days short of the big celebration of San Andres (St Andrew) and a few of those traditions were being honoured, children dragged strings of old cans along and opposite our food stop a mini version of las tables was taking place. San Andres is a celebration of wine and the breaking open of the wooden barrels, the wood is made into rough karts to ride down the steep streets, most notably in Icod. For us it was time to sample the full glory of chestnuts, the braziers were stoked up and burning with salted water boiling just below a pan of our delicious round friends. A two euro bag was plenty for me and they tasted so good, I’m sure they must have some very healthy properties as well. The 50 cent glasses of wine were going well too and a mountain of 50 cent pastries was being steadily reduced.

Another bar was calling, this time the Gipsy King, the walls were adorned with Real Betis posters and for once I didn’t have my CD Tenerife shirt on. I fancied the lasagne with chestnuts and was duly rewarded with the best tapas of the night. It was getting very busy and the poor barman was struggling to keep up with the till, hopefully all the local business’s will have made some good income from the night. As Dave left us for football, San Lorenzo v San Isidro in the Preferente League, we made our way to the free bus pick up point. A large group of traditionally clad musicians were tuning up, I noticed one had a small flashing electronic device attached to the neck of his timple guitar. I had to ask what it was for, it’s a tuning device for the strings, what a nice blend of tradition and technology. It was a good night and as always a pleasure to share in the rituals and celebrations of Tenerife.

It seems that neither injuries, suspensions, or bang in form visitors can deflate the new confident spirit that coach Pep Marti has instilled in his first three games in charge. Cordoba were expected to be a stern test but showed little threat and were fortunate to lead after 60 minutes, CD Tenerife kept their faith and their determination and a Nano leveler after 84 minutes for a 1-1 draw was no more than the home team deserved.

The ever changing defence held up well with German and Jorge partnered in the centre as Carlos Ruiz sat out his suspension. Aitor nearly opened up Cordoba after 7 minutes when he found Omar who forced a save from former Santa Cruz favourite Razak. Jorge had a near miss a few minutes later as his header shaved the bar. Cordoba seemed content to sit back and wait for their chances but the Tenerife defence severely restricted them and it as one way traffic as rain showers swept over the pitch.

Jorge gets better every game, he looks a class player, reads the game well, and is assured on the ground and in the air. The visitors struggled to muster any chances, the best in the first 45 minutes was a late free kick that they casually wasted. Razak was almost caught out just after the break and had to scramble the ball aside to concede a corner. Cristo Gonzalez was a bit off the pace and was replaced by Tommy Martinez after 56 minutes, the Argentine player is now showing his worth whenever he comes on and links well with his teammates.

It was a classic sucker punch that gave Cordoba the lead after 61 minutes, Tenerife launched another attack but when they lost the ball they were a little slow to cover and Florin nipped in to grab the lead. Back came Tenerife, lifted by the 8,967 crowd, Tommy threatened only to see Razak react well to push the ball wide. Jairo came on for Omar and Nano relieved Ricardo, the changes freshened up the attack and another wave of pressure brought its reward. A Suso corner came out to Tommy and he fed the ball through to Nano who held himself just onside before slotting the ball in the net. Despite a last big push a winner never came but it was a good point against a fancied side and another boost to the growing confidence of the squad.

The players look to be enjoying their football again and the coach has been like a breath of fresh air in picking up 7 points from a possible 9. Let’s not forget he hasn’t yet had a full squad to pick from, our star striker Choco has yet to play for him and Pedro also sat out this latest game. The bubble, unlike our coach tyre, wasn’t ready to burst, even that had a silver lining for the Armada Sur on the way home as it bought us extra drinking time at a motorway café. I’ll drink to that!

Just two guitar riffs, that’s all it took to dispel any doubts and reservations. Would The Dire Straits Experience re-capture that old magic from the 1980’s when they ruled the musical world? The opening bars of Telegraph Road cut a channel back through the years and when Terence Reis broke in with his vocals the 2,000 crowd knew this was the real deal.

Mark Knopfler is a tough act to follow but the new lead singer reveled in the responsibility and with original members Chris White on sax and flute and Chris Whitten on drums in cracking form. One of their biggest hits, Walk Of Life, was next and people were already up and dancing. The Magma Arts & Congress Centre in Costa Adeje is finally starting to get the amount of concerts it deserves, the cavernous layout with banked seating at both sides offers loads of space and with low key unobtrusive stewarding the party atmosphere was allowed to grow as the concert unfolded.

I knew it was going to be a packed crowd, getting a few cheeky Doradas’s beforehand at El Gomero and Las Rosas was a slow process and I recognized a lot of friends of a similar certain age as myself. Romeo and Juliet was another hit greeted like an old friend, Chris White was able to show of his mastery of the saxaphone and there was sparkling support from Richard Cottle on piano and keyboards, Tim Walters guitar and vocals, Paddy Milner also on piano and keyboards, and Michael Feat on bass guitar and vocals.

Some of the ladies in the audience were flowing with the music and dancing like demons. It wasn’t just us mature Brits enjoying the show, there was a good mix of locals and a few more far flung visitors. Tunnel Of Love was plucked out of their greatest hits catalogue and really hit the spot before Your Latest Trick,and The Man’s Too Strong followed on in style with Chris White switching to his flute to add another musical dimension. Private Investigations was more atmospheric and lingering and Down To The Waterline blended in nicely. The band were very much at ease and their enthusiasm was echoed by the fans, Lady Writer was one of their hits that I had almost forgotten about but I was glad to hear it again in all its glory.

Brothers In Arms was always a goose pimple song and it was more poignant than ever set against recent world events, Dire Straits Experience wrung out every ounce of emotion and for me it was one of the stand out songs of the night. Sultans Of Swing took us back to the earliest days of the band, it really got people pumped up and their were even a few air guitarists who were living every note. That was the final song, or was it? The clamour for an encore was met by the opening strains of Money For Nothing, the boys milked the audience on that one and the hall was a mass of waving arms and ancing bodies, while everyone pleaded for their MTV. Going Home was a fitting finale for two hours of pulsating pop, it was quite an experience.