It was August 1988. I was working hard driving a pick-up truck in the day, saving money for my return to full-time education. It was about 10.00 p.m. and I was shattered, and about to go to bed.
There was a tap on the front door, my mum did her usual harrumphing about 'Well, who's knocking on the door at this time?' and sent my dad to answer. The voice told me that it was my friend Tim. All I wanted to do was go to bed, I was very weary, and I was no mood for an impromptu trip to the pub (which is what a knock from Tim usually meant). I hesitated. I could hear my dad saying 'I think he's gone to bed...' and I could hear my friend making his apologies, and making to go. Something told me to go and speak to him, so I did.

Instead of asking me to go for a drink, he asked me to join the local drama group in staging a production of 'Pride and Prejudice.' They were desperate for male actors, and Tim said he'd give me a try. As I say, they were desperate - I'm no actor. I can vividly remember sitting on my stairs, in nothing but my blue striped boxer-shorts (it was the 80s, remember)... Just saying 'Yeah, OK... That sounds good...' I didn't even hesitate.

At the rehearsals for the play I met the girl who became my first serious girlfriend. Nine years after that she became my first serious wife. Three years later we had a son, and three years after that a daughter. And six years after that here we still are. If I'd stayed in my room...

Never stay in your room.

April 2005 and Tony Blair calls an election. A few weeks later I was watching C4 News and as part of their election coverage one evening they used a song. Liking what I'd heard part of, I went onto their website to find out who the song was by. Turned out it was called As You Fall by Bent. Still consider a nice, wee song.

For some inexplicable reason that night I saw an ad on the C4 website for their dating service and I clicked on it and signed up. I'd never even been on a date before, so goodness knows what possessed me all of a sudden to think it worth a try. I filled out a brief profile, had a look at some other profiles on there, and very quickly decided everyone seemed far too interesting and good looking for me to even consider contacting them. So, within an hour I'd given up on the whole idea.

A couple of days later I got an email that someone on there had wanted to contact me. I replied back, we exchanged messages for a while then agreed to me. Three years later we got married. And had there not been an election in 2005 I'd have never met her.

That part of the story ends sadly with her leaving me last year less than a year into the marriage for someone else.

A few months of despair and loneliness followed until I started thinking about getting a dog for company. First chance I got I visited the local kennels and there I found a shy, nervous one year old Whippet/Collie called Jet that had been abandoned. Only took a few minutes with her to decide she was the one for me. Six months on and I couldn't imagine being without her now. Had there not been an election in 2005 that led me to meet my wife I'd not have then been walked out on and so not have that special day in December when I brought home my gem of a dog.

The Sisters Of Mercy performing 'First and Last and Always' and 'Marian' - nothing was ever the same after that and to this day it still thrills me.

we're all getting very 'touchy feely' these days on't Word forum, in't we?

post sixth form, leafing through the job ads when my girlfriend says "Hey look - Andy's Records are advertising for a shop assistant - you like music, you should try that". Almost everyone I spend time with these days, either socially or in the band, I made a connection with through that job. This week's Podcast guest worked in the warehouse at the time.

Just over three years ago I found myself having to get myself some new digs in London- and quickly. I spent a week viewing several rooms a night. Most were unsuitable for one reason or another- some were unbelievably filthy, some were populated by some incredibly odd & clearly dysfunctional people. I was getting disheartened.

One evening, feeling quite glum about the whole situation, I went to see a room not far from Word Towers in London's swinging Islington. Lord knows why I decided to look at it- up until then my searching had been restricted to a few parts of south London. Desperation perhaps? I was shown around the flat by the two ladies that already lived there and had a short natter before I had to run to see another flat. By the time I got off the tube at Clapham South I had text message from one of the ladies saying the room was mine if I wanted it. Finally, success!

On Monday, I will be celebrating the first year of a relationship with one of those ladies that I am lucky enough to call my partner (yes, it took us a while!). In two weeks time we shall be moving into our first flat together. I dearly hope that this is just the first of many years we spend together. In the scheme of things it's very early days- who knows what life will throw at us in the future? All I know is I've never been happier.

There are the unusual ones that are music related though.

I have worked for a variety of companies, from knicker factory to brewery, Imperial Leather hitmakers to exhibition centre. It was the latter that afforded me most freedom to enjoy working in my (lapsed) profession. It is an exhibition centre that does arena-style gigs.

Advert in local paper for Financial Controller. Immediately submitted CV and mine was the first one in out of 150. A series of 3 interviews. First one passed easy because of my concert promoting at college. Second one more technical but scraped through. Third was to decide which of last 2 candidates should get the job and took place in the bar of the Midland Hotel, Manchester with company chairman and former FD of Commercial Union. Also HUGE fan of Crowded House.

So how could I swing an informal interview my way? Just mention the fact that I saw Split Enz in their crazy costume days and watch his face light up in admiration. Sealed the deal that turned me into cool dad for best part of 10 years. Who would have thought that my addiction to live music would help out at a crucial moment.

Back in 1982 when I was out of work I made a phone call to Haringey Council's temporary register. I'd filled out their form a few weeks earlier and had heard nothing. I was fobbed off with some excuse but the next morning my phone rang and I was asked to go for an interview the following day. Some 28 years later I'm still working in local government. Thankfully not employed by Haringey, I just live there.
Some 6 years later my then girlfriend, now Mrs P, started giving me a hard time about a job application form I'd asked for. It was the last day I could fill it in to get it in the post for the deadline. That took care of the next 15 years for me, working for Wandsworth Council.
Just under 2 years ago, after Hackney made me and a few others redundant my wife was pressing me to sign up for another agency, that she knew had been successful at getting work for some people she knew. I countered that I was signed up with so many agencies, I couldn't see them finding jobs that others didn't know of. But I did and a week later started work as an agency worker in Croydon, which I got appointed to full time and I'm still there, working, I have to say, with probably the best team of people I've come across in my career.
Career plan! What's that?

though of course even a year starts with a single moment...
When I was around 15, I suddenly realised that I could be whoever I wanted to be. If I didn't like my gut reaction in a situation I could teach myself another way to respond and behave. And I took a long look at all of my set views on things and asked myself if that really was the way I felt or just what I had been tought to feel and had been too young to question at the time. I took inventory of myself, decided what I didn't like and what I wanted to replace it with. And what sides of me that I did like and should develop. And I started looking around at other people, taking notice of what kind of behaviour I admired and what kind of behaviour I was repelled by.
And from there I started to build my character to become the person I wanted to be. Of course there were traits that I was born with that cannot be extinguished completely, but the ones I didn't like I tamed and delegated to particular tasks.
For instance; I have a fanatical personality ( inhereted from my mother ), but I abhor fanaticism, so I only allow myself to get fanatical about insignificant things that only effects me. I no longer paint myself into corners in silly arguments with other people about shit that really doesn't mean a thing in the bigger picture.
But I used to do that, and it took a lot of energy and I hated it.
Of course, having constructed myself from the ground up doesn't mean that I am perfect or a saint or that other people think I'm just wonderful; but the point is that I can live with myself and feel comfortable with who I am. And I have a deeper understanding of myself and the way I behave, and can avoid situations that I know triggers the uglier sides of my personality.
As I said; not a moment as such; but it has absolutely changed my life for the better, and probably the people around me as well.