Blog stalker....

I think I have a blog stalker.... Ha ha... here's why.

I sat down to judge rinkside tonight here in Glasgow and on my pad someone had written. MR BLOG! It wasn't in blood or anything so dramatic. And it's not exactly a threat or anything but.... who could it be?

I have my suspicions, in fact I think I know who you are... Ha. Nothing like intrigue to add interest to an evening of judging.

This is perhaps the thing that crime novels are made of? Or maybe not! Maybe I should just relax and go get a Guinness... Yes I'll do that.

More important things to deal with such as seven days and one hour to go to being a married man... Wow - seems a long way off still. Being on the road is like being in a bubble. We get catered for and looked after very well. Will have to learn to cook and shop again when I return. After a week away on a cruise that is.

Me with Christiane...



Life's rich at the moment.

Anybody reading this from Glasgow who came to the show - thanks for the noise. Great audience again.

Love

Nicky

Glasgow

Ahh to be in one place for a couple of days how lovely.

Awful journey up for me. Well awfull in terms of sleep. Watched Spinal Tap and Be Cool on dvd drank a large amount of lovely white wine and killed a bag of Cadbury's buttons. Thanks for leaving those Bonnie - totally clobbered my fitness diet! Slept for 15 minutes and arrived at 5.40. into a room that had a sound going like I was still on the bus! Moved rooms .... you know when you're so tired and you've got into bed and you don't want to move... anyway.Then moved again the next day.

But... wrote the outline of a poem about the journey. Inspriation always comes in experiences.

SURREAL

Rock n Roll Touring
Dvd's - Spinal Tap then Be Cool
Travelling to Scotland on old Vantool
This sleeper’s seen some action
Axels bump and groan
Insomnia rules for me as it rocks n rolls
We've got to stop soon
The driver needs to break
Rock n Roll with Health and Safety
Surreal, I'm still awake

Rock n Roll touring
Glamour this is not
Arriving early morning
Show me to my cot
Room so loud too tired to scream
Six am move to a change of scene
Ahh sleep... move me tomorrow
Goodnight - or is it good morning
Time to dream....

Had breakfast with Bonnie. She's a wonder and inspiring. She gave me some wise advice. Great to get to know people more on the tour.

Off to try out a portable studio and buy a replacement case. If you see me in Glasgow you may notice to fake tan. we had it sprayed on yesterday and i definitely got my money's worth! Hope it's not orange in the sun!!!!

Love

N

Bus Travel

2.45 am. Leeds. Arrived and bags delivered, movie finished. 12 days to being married. Hmmm.... Hmmmm...

Nervousness amongst tour members re my blog postings. Or maybe they want one themselves? Anyway - as if I would post anything that would not be flattering. Ha. News of the World... Nothing here for you.

Newcastle was great for us. Sell outs again. Different winners in the competition. Clare winning with friends and family and Andrei's family present was a great moment. Duncan won too. Bonnie tonight - changing times.

I made a fopar tonight. Teeth not in straight. 7,000 people heard me get into a hesitation phase!!! Not ideal. Ha - I need to write my notes more clearly.

Feels like the downhill part of the tour now for me. 10 days to go. A great experience. Super people and, as ever in something like this you learn a little about yourself...

Catering - led by Susie putting me on a wheat free diet for rest of tour to get me in shape for marriage. Skating once a day so getting fitter. Had a night off tonight on the journey though. Lovely 2001 Rioja G thanks... Getting a little Rock n Roll here. Plus chocolate and crisps... well once in a while... perhaps indulgence is ok.

Fighting with keyboard - it's PC based. Rats - I love Macs. Expected this issue. Reading and fighting with manual - the power of the machine and it's PC basis makes it a monster to tame. But.. well it's a challenge. Will be good to overcome. Korg - you don't make things user friendly here....

Sheffield, Scotland, Ireland.. Brighton, cruise = my next three weeks. Busy time.... Then......... Brighton looking over the sea :)

I love this show business. Talking backstage today, being a part of the whole set up. this is a great world to be a part of from Paul - Swannee on sound to Mr Rommell leading in the nine trucks to ship the equipment onwards - I love it all.

Rock n Roll.

Love Nicky

PS - KB reading this, arms were much better tonight... :)

And previously on the DOI Tour

Sheffield was very nice. They have a Renoir in the gallery above the library - bizarre.

We stayed at the 5 star Lowry Hotel in Manchester - this was the view from my window.

Bowling and shooting

After the show in Notingham last night we all went bowling after the show... I got 3 strikes! Then beginners luck ran out!


It was great. I ended up shooting zombies with Stef. Very satisfying.
Eggy with Heidi. TV playback director and ITV exec come show caller for judges.

Hugo. Thanks for the pictures....

Nottingham - Dancing on ice Show 24

The Tour is hugely successful with packed houses every city and every performance. The skaters are improving and the show repartee is developing all the time.

Picture is of the Dancing on ice rig. Nine trucks on the road with the tour. Rock n Roll.

Had a fun moment in the Lowry hotel in Manchester when the window cleaner dropped in – on the sixth floor. And there’s me in bed with the blinds open. Ha ha.. Very funny. I had a similar moment some years ago with a girl fiend at a time we were having the outside of my place painted and scaffolding was up. We woke up with a painter outside studiously painting the window frames. We were both starkers and had to hide under the covers for ages!!! No such trouble at the Lowry I got up and took a happy snap. Five star treatment or what?

We have one show a day this week and to be honest I think I prefer the rhythm of a two-show day although I’m having loads of time to work with my new keyboard. It is amazing. I want to know everything about it and improve my performance skills in a week… It may take longer than that but that’s the drive. So that, working out and one show a day plus a party tonight and tomorrow is quite a packed schedule. Think I’ll go for a skate tomorrow I had two skates in Manchester, which was good…

Need a recharge too – saying the same things over and over is a bit boring. Keep trying to get new things to say… about the same routines. More stimulating for everyone when it’s fresh routines for us judges….

Wedding plans coming together. May 5th is not so far away now. Apparently Hello and OK don’t want to send a photographer – but Hello would like to see the pictures. Think my demographic is too old and my notoriety too low for them. Ha ha.. Well it’s one less thing to think about on the day.

I’ll next see my beautiful Christiane as she walks down the aisle. I hope someone has a hanky ready. She’s being brilliant organising stuff and Neil is co-ordinating along with other teams. Feels a bit luxurious and indulgent to just be turning up on the day but I did design the website and order of service etc so I think I’ve done my bit.

Need some new shoes. Jason and Robin both agreed that my show shoes (boots) would not do when I asked them. Well I’m in Nottingham so shoes are not a problem.

Hotel is superb but my rooms a bit noisy. It’s across from the old courthouse. They used to hang people below my bedroom window apparently. Across the road in the courthouse is a museum. I popped in yesterday. Did you know a giblet was a device that a dead body was held in and hung up so people could come along and see it deteriorating – a kind of deterrent of olden times. I saw one yesterday – a giblet, not a dead body silly... macabre! Well at least I’m learning things on tour.

Wrote a couple of songs in the last week. Lyrics feel strong. Had a summery song coming today as I walked back from the gym – have the chorus – I think it will be an ABBA type piece.

The people on the tour are great. I travelled on the rowdy bus from Manchester with the skaters. We stopped for a drink in Rochdale hotel and Stefan bought me a Guinness. The landlord let me take it with me so I’m sat on the bus with a Guinness and pork scratchings heading towards Nottingham as Stef plays his guitar and everybody sings along…. Rock n Roll!

Must get the pictures up.. They will follow when I can find the lead… and the camera!

Love N

WEMBLEY - DANCING ON ICE TOUR

Dancing on ice Tour hits Wembley. It’s show thirteen of forty two today and every house is full and the audiences are loving the show.

Last night the bus was swamped by people on the way out – very rock and roll. Love that. Hate my picture in the programme though – apparently I’m told I’m looking better than I did in the series – must be the good eating, lack of alcohol (for lent) and working out… Have to keep it up now!

I got a deciding vote in the Bolero the other night – we were tied as a panel and Andy Peters came to me… Quite a moment to remember my birthday by as opposing groups of fans desperately tried to influence my decision. Interesting to have 7,000 people shouting their opinions at you and to keep calm and keep going. I pleased fifty percent of them with the final result!

Last night I gave Duncan a 6.0 for his birthday. His mum was in and we all wanted to see him skate bolero. Great fun.

We are staying at the Landmark Hotel in London. Which is extraordinarily expensive; has huge rooms and has rubbish service in the breakfast area and bars. Don’t stay there. The guys bringing in my keyboard were excellent as they carried it in (thank you) but such a shame they are let down by other areas. When you have to ask four times for a coffee that costs £5.75. Water £9, vodka and tonic £12. Maybe this is normal – but not in my world. Twenty five minutes to get breakfast – that costs £25! Hello. And there’s no kettle in my room. Have to go and buy one! I like a little cup of coffee whilst playing the keyboard. Everyone is experiencing the same thing. Whoever runs the breakfast staff should be shot… metaphorically you understand. (In case any M15 spider is reading this and thinks me subversive!)

Had my fiancee Christiane and my brother Kim and his son Sammy to the show yesterday – a great day. We all ended up playing football out the back of the arena with Andrei and Alexei and Paul our sound guy. Good fun.

Also met with one of my best friends Neil and his new lady Tracey today. She is lovely – as expected and they are very much in love. A lovely time together.

Christiane has gone now – and I’m a bit bereft. I won’t see her again until our wedding day now which is May 5th.. So I see her next in her wedding dress. Now that’s an exciting prospect.

And we’ve got great news of going on a cruise the day after the wedding for a week. A nice little trip to Amsterdam and back – after that we’ll probably chill in Brighton for another week. Our main honeymoon will be in the autumn going around the world.

And the photo - team members at Champneys! A relexing morning.

Must go. Change of costume for the second part of the show. I’m getting a little late as we get used to the show running time….

Love

Nicky

ON TOUR...

On Dancing on ice Tour, George, Oasys, et al…

I love being on tour again.

It’s show day 4, show 6. Things are wizzing along. Superb audience reaction a great show and the celebs are taking to ice show touring like ducks to water.

And I’m enjoying this touring life. The best touring food you could imagine – thank you Susie and Rachael and the team. Lovely hotel, and today off to Champneys. I’ve never been before. I came out all floppy… work out, sauna, steam, Jacuzzi and lunch with a .. well I have to own up facial … I need it! Brilliant fun. What a life.

And this is part of my strategy to get in shape for my wedding on May 5th. But it’s hard work. No alcohol for lent, no carbs, eating well and working out every day! Christiane will have a new me – if I can keep this up for another few weeks!

GEORGE
Welcome George Slater – who came into the World – now was it Saturday? How time flies at 9lbs 8 ozs to my brother Kim and Mo – his mum…. Sammy and Harry now have a brother to look after! And I have three nephews. I can see a boys day out in Brighton in the future.

OASYS – ENVISAGE – ACHIEVE…!
I have always had the idea of building up a set of touring cases that can be with me on touring shows as I travel around. I saw a friend of mine with this set up a while back.

Two years ago I developed this and invented the idea of me being able to be on tour being able to write and produce music as I travelled. Last Friday I realised the latter of these two ambitions. Albeit not in a way I had completely envisaged. Here I am on Dancing On Ice Tour with my new (awesome) Oasys keyboard / studio. It’s case is being made – they are not that quick at making them!

The other evening it was like flying a plane over Birmingham, you can perhaps see from the pictures. I am delighted with it and spent an entire day learning about the operating controls…. Now to write some melodies.

That’s it for now – sat in the Production Office absolutely knackered. 10 minutes to home. Too tired to go.. must get on.

But finally thanks to Yvonne Debbie and Sue who welcomed me into the rink – their picture is attached.

Talk soon

Love Nicky