5. The Green Room. The Doctors Tonic. Welwyn Garden City.

I leave London early, around three to avoid the rush hour and take a relaxed drive north up the A1(M).  The weather is drizzly, foggy, grey and dark.
I haven't been to Welwyn Garden City before and though I have been briefed on its history, on arrival, I am still struck by the uniformity of the period and style of its parts.
Driving along Parkway I detect a slightly military feel to the layout and then Church road, where, in any other place I would discover an old church and the original centre of a town I am greeted by a far more recent red brick affair which does little to lift one’s spirits.
The Doctors Tonic seems to be The pub of the town. I park there and decide to wander on foot back in the direction I came, where I had passed a grand white bridge, perhaps over a river?
Everywhere I look I see the same homogeneity and out of curiosity and because I have time to spare and also because I remember I am writing a blog I go into an estate agent to ask a few questions.
Clare is from South Africa and doesn’t know much about it but, when I ask her, she does know about Rodriguez the singer songwriter from Detroit who is the subject of the film ‘Searching for Sugarman’ and who, unknown to the rest of the world became massively famous in South Africa and nowhere else.

Continuing my wandering I find myself in a health food shop where the lady on the counter tells me that the John Lewis building is one of the first to be built here, that there is one sixteenth century cottage nearby which has a sad story attached and that the library, very near will have lots of info.
I go to check out the bridge – no river.
The library is just next to it so in I go.
The librarians gather excitedly around me when they hear what I’m up to and show me into a room dedicated to the history of Welwyn Garden City.
Here I read about Ebenezer Howard, who in the 1920’s, appalled by the living conditions in London was moved to create new towns, how with little money of his own he gathered a team, bought the land and pressed on despite recession and doubt from his peers right on into his seventies.
What I read here brings clarity and helps me formulate a feeling I’ve had since arrival.
That It is just like walking around the imagination of a nineteen twenties architect.
When I step outside it is already dark. I roll a cigarette and gaze over the townscape, cars moving tranquilly and distant figures, some with dogs, move as if in a dream.
I think of old Ebenezer and wonder how he would feel if he could stand where I am standing now.

Back at The Tonic there is a huge poster outside announcing my gig tonight.  I go upstairs and am greeted warmly by Dog, Mungo and Jingles who enthusiastically set up the stage. We do a customary thirty-second sound-check. the sound is great.

Hanging around, Dan the proprietor comes up and asks if I need anything to drink or eat. I tell him it’s a nice place here and he says it’s good to have a bit of a name turn up. It’s the first time I’ve heard that.

On first are a couple of local acts. Listening, for some reason I am
transported back to the old days at the Troubadour in Earls Court where I first started playing to people, perhaps it’s the room or the performers. 
This is the Green Room. Sam Sallon rocks up about nine and plays his set, very relaxed and engaging with the audience. I myself am enjoying sitting at the back on a comfortable leather sofa. I don’t go on until ten about twenty minutes after Sam finishes. I play one song after another rarely stopping to say anything I’m enjoying being there and enjoying the sound. Eleven thirty arrives and I’m amazed at how quickly the time has passed.

Once again and so far at every gig on this tour someone comes up and raves about ‘Woman of The High Planes’ asking if it’s on the CD.