I'm managing to resist watching the darts on the telly. Mostly. I've spent lots of time instead with Sibelius and Photoshop, preparing scores for the dance band. And some time preparing artwork with Robbie for our forthcoming 7" vinyl release ...

Yesterday, this article about Brian McMaster's report on arts funding in England was oddly encouraging. You can ignore all the New Renaissance BS which is just a way to make sure that the thing gets mentioned in the press; what's far more radical is the idea that funding decisions might in future be based on whether the work itself is any good. You'd think it was obvious really: the fact that it has to be suggested as a new guiding principle shows just how lunatic the system and its targets are at the moment. Why get involved in public funding when the public arts bodies aren't interested in whether your work is good or bad? I wonder when Scotland will take a similar initiative.

Ursula Leveaux rang last night to say that she was just about to go on stage with Timo Alakotila and Karen Tweed (gloating again ... only kidding), but also that Timo was looking for a harmonium for some gigs coming up, and he'd be in Glasgow today - could he come over and try mine? So he showed up on the doorstep this afternoon, the harmonium passed his test with flying colours, CDs, email addresses and plans for a possible wee collaboration in the summer were duly swapped, and I'll be his volunteer harmonium roadie when he's back here in a few weeks' time. I like Timo's piano playing very much indeed: that the Finnish Arts Council has given him a second 5-year grant shows that they certainly are interested in whether something is any good.