But is it talking the talk? 29 years ago, I had just left college and my mum gave me a bit of cash to make up for the fact I had  to buy my own clothes since I was 14, and possibly to make up for the fact that when I was 19 they sold the family home when I was out at the shops buying sweets – so I had no-where to live.

I bought a teac 4 track reel to reel tape recorder, a microphone and a return ticket to an ashram in America. I suppose I should have bought a tent and a sleeping bag. Sadly I sold my beautiful teac 4 track reel to reel years ago – somebody told me it was in the way, taking up space, but the microphone is still with me and I use it most days.

It is an AKG 330 BT and has done me proud…I have dropped it many times. I once made the mistake of putting sellotape round the end with my name on which made the silver bubble a bit, apart from that, it is good as new. It has treble and bass boost and cut, which still work. Of course one day I would love to have something like a fancy schmancy Nuemann. Industry standard for decades. Beautiful valve sound, bit like the difference between driving a VW camper van ( my poor little functional microphone) or a Bentley. Neumanns cost about £2000, so about the price of a camper van, not a Bentley-hurrah…one day my dear, one day!

SONG OF THE DAY

Adele is an extraordinary performer- this is a magnificent song. When It came out, Mickey thought the vocals sounded like the vocal arrangements we used to do. Adele’s uncle used to sing in one of me choirs! So….. one removed once again. I notice something like 60 million have watched the video for this track…here is her singing it live. Go girl!