The last couple of days have been fun! I've been able to indulge in my two favourite hobbies; music and wine.

Thursday night was spent at the Islington Academy, a venue new to me. I was there to see my favourite guitar player. Derek Trucks. Derek has played with The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton and is widely recognised as the finest exponent of the slide guitar player in the universe.

I'd managed to beg a photo pass from the band's management. We found a decent vantage point upstairs, and with my new 300m lens I managed to capture the action. I turned everything on my digital camera to manual, including the focus. Any way the gig was as fantastic as I knew it would be, after all I've flown to NYC to see him play!

Friday. I was up early, and still a little deaf from the previous night's gig! Met up with Nick (Editor of London Eating, come on keep up, I've mentioned him before). We were going to a wine tasting at Bookers vineyard in the sleepy village of Bolney West Sussex. Shame the weather was a bit misty. We were shown the vines where the various grapes are grown then it was off to see how the grapes became wine.

Then the good bit, the tasting!! Quite nice but typical English wine, a bit thin and low on alcohol! Still enjoyable. Our guide was a genuine wine anorak, but entertaining and informative.

A buffet lunch followed the tasting and there was a free bottle of vino to take home.

Looks like I'm back in the world of advertising next week down in leafy Godalming.