But it hasn’t all been good...

In the northern town of Cumbria, last year’s flooding left people without electricity and water. Carpets were ruined and property destroyed. Good lives were lost.

The rescue teams did an amazing job but the town is left traumatised and millions of pounds worth of damage was wasted. Steve Hogarth is from Cumbria and he was dismayed. It Bites are from Cumbria and were shocked when they saw the TV reports. Steve Hogarth and It Bites didn’t sit around watching the terrible tragedy from the comforts of their living room chairs... they hatched a plan.

Within a week they pulled out all the stops to re-record their top ten hit Calling All The Heroes with a little help from their friends.

Maybe it was coincidence when last year I suggested on our ProggyStyle Radioshow that a charity record should be recorded. When it comes to charity I would never want to seek out credit.

Calling All the Heroes – FloodAid version is a worthy cause and it would be great to see a well deserved hit from such a great band. It it hoped that the song would be available online from such institutions as iTunes and on CD from various retail outlets (formerly known as 'all good record shops') on January 18th.

There is even a facebook page devoted to getting it to Number one in the charts!

For further details and how to buy this song and video visit www.itbites.com

What Else?

Princess Diana has been gone for over a decade now but not a day goes past without someone thinking about her.

As a royalist she would have loved the 500 year anniversary of something to do with Henry VIII at Hampton Court. Rick Wakeman performed his Six Wives and Diana was absent through no choice of her own.

It’s the start of a new year for us, but for the ex-Princess of Wales will not get to see or hear all that Prog has to offer. She’ll miss out on the Winter’s End festival on March 13th and 14th in Stroud. I know she would have adored Touchstone and Crimson Sky who will both appear at Winter’s End.

Diana might be gone, but I bet she’s got an ipod in heaven packed with Fish, Big Big Train, Jadis, IQ, Frost, Marillion and TransAtlantic.

Finally

Our message is to Peter Gabriel.

You owe it to the fans to perform The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway for the fans.

If it makes you feel better you can give away the £millions to some African goat charity or something. They must need water or schools in Puerto Rico, that would be nice.

Do it for the world children, do it for the fans, and least of all do it for yourself. Just do it before any of Genesis die. Remember it is us fans who put you where you are, without us you’d have been working in McDonalds or selling cars.

Charlie O'Mara - He'd cut off his own penis for Prog!