The Corona Diaries

It’s a gentle and meandering affair for this chapter of TCD (…sorry Lucy) which is podcast code for not really planned, and certainly not thought through.Saying that, the vibe is about right for a chat that takes place at the seaside and touches on fence repair, cricket and Susie Dent.The thing I can’t forget is to mention the chaps in the boat, who are called Adam, David, Jack and Sam and you can find out more about them by clicking here. The link that Vibes sent me is from Insta and covers them going over the Titanic.All of this will become clear as you listen to the pod. Oh.. and as you watch the clip, any resemblance to Ant and I rowing around Peasholm Park is purely serendipitous.Love'n sweating in a hedge…hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

For this week's episode of TCD (...sorry Lucy) we have been remembering Luis.So much of what Luis did had a touch of the mystical about it, he sprinkled musical magic wherever he went, and helped music transcend with just the shake of his tambourine. Of course that goes a long way to explaining his career, and the legacy he leaves behind, but it doesn't explain the multiple ways he has touched the lives of me and the rest of the marillion family. That was down to something else, the magic of the human being that was Luis Jardim.It was a joy to have him contribute in the studio and a joy to have him on the road with us. It was also a joy to have him join us for TCD back in October 2022 and if you want to listen back to that episode then click the link below.Chapter 129. Tightening it up when it's a little loose, and softening it when it's a little stiffObrigado meu amigohTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Of the things that fly-in-and out of this week’s TCD (….sorry Lucy) Gene Wilder was already lodged well and truly at the front of the ol’ synapses. Having finished my evening in Berlin with him (and Anthony having a similar soft-spot), perhaps it wasn’t too much of a surprise that he found his way into the chat.Combining the letters D, M and T with the number 8 however, wouldn’t have even been a fleeting blip on the radar feed of my brainiacles* before we started. So how that made an appearance was down to kismet, the power of TCD, and a downward slide into nerdishness (which we will henceforth try to keep to a minimum). The rest of the conversation was bubbling under the surface somewhere, jostling with the other accumulated randomness, and waiting to happen.Love, and do tell The Edge to turn that soldering iron off. Oh, his poor mother’s carpet..h*A word I am proud to introduce to the world, and encourage you to employ whenever you feel it might elevate the conversation.Fostex DMT8Hohner PianetTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Well it feels like quite a while since we were here last… how have you been?What with the Leicester Weekend, and then dashing off on holiday I can't really remember where we had got up to, not that it really matters because this week was always going to be a bit of a catch-up and reset as far as TCD goes (...sorry Lucy).What I can tell you is that Lionel Plain, who is one of the Purple folk, came up with an inspired idea for the middle of the pod this week - which was welcome because it meant we only had to flounder around at the beginning and the end! Anyway, wonderful boating weather!See you in Oslo xh TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

There is a school of thought that TCD (...sorry Lucy) is just like listening to two blokes chatting in a pub, and there is indeed a lot in that observation that has merit.It would certainly go a long way to explain the slightly juvenile humour, the occasional grumpy chunter and the fact we often giggle uncontrollably and sound a bit pissed.And, as is the case with most good pub conversations, every once in a while we actually find ourselves having a relatively serious discussion. Today is one of those days.Love'n'proper silencehTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

There is a paradox at the heart of this weeks episode of The Corona Diaries (see what I did there…) and it is this.Getting Lucy Jordache on the zoom call was easy, she was more than up for a repeat appearance on the pod. Getting her to actually talk about herself and her life, was a darn sight more tricky. But we are nothing if not determined (creatives code for just bloody nosey) and between the two of us we were able to get to know a bit more about one of the significant dollops of glue that holds Marillion in place.Oh and if that wasn’t enough you also get an update on a PZ T-Shirt pre-order.Love’n’political skeletons,hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

We have hit a bit of a milestone, and it is sort of crept up on us. Would you believe it has been five years (and a few days) since we announced the upcoming launch of The Corona Diaries, and pretty much five years to the day that the first chapter (This Strange Podcast) was offered up for your consumption.And haven't we been through some crazy stuff; in fact haven't we helped each other through some crazy stuff. We are bound together by a heady mix of the half-remembered and the humorous, by the grief and the giggles, by the warm purple glow of our own accidental cult.So here is (quite literally) to the next chapter, and the next and even to the one after that. TCD (...sorry Lucy) is a journey that still feels like it has a few good miles left in it, and who would we be to argue with that.Love'n'kismeth & AntTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

I bet you never thought we would remember to pick up the Holidays in Eden chat. You know, the one we started before the first weekend at PZ. Well we did and we have.Of course it’s not without the usual TCD (…sorry Lucy) eccentricities. I was post-pub, post-airing cupboard and Ant was in a hotel library (who knew) that had more than a whiff of the Shining about it.But we did manage to get through to the end, both in regards to the plan and also the recording and we present it for your pleasure.And for those of you who aren’t familiar with the brand Tena, well you can find out more here. Let’s just say that if you need them, you’ll know.Right I’m off to try and return some mail-order socks.Toodle Pip!hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

I am not really sure how to describe this episode of TCD (...sorry, Lucy). If it helps to set the scene then you might want to consider the following;I am/was in Montreal at the time of recording, and Ant was ensconced in his villains lair, in Heckmondwike. The wi-fi was more than a bit iffy, in fact for the first five minutes so it was looking like a bit of a non-starter.I hadn't put much thought into the rest of my week, and Ant hadn't really put much thought into anything other than questions about my week.I guess what I am trying to say is that there are undoubtedly a couple of nuggets in #232, but you are going to have to go digging.Love'n'essencehP.S Ant now informs me it was Skegness, rather than Scarborough. But it definitely was a thing in the 80'sP.P.S I did giggle a lot as I was editing it...TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Here we go then, an episode recorded over the kitchen table at Ant's chalet in PZ.Nothing too complicated in the notes because we are up against it for time, needless to say there are a few Marillion Weekend night one spoilers in here, so please consider swerving this one for the time being if you don't want that kind of intel.Right I have to dash, stuff to do, gin to drink.Love'n'four doors down.hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Would you believe it’s been 34 years since we wrote and recorded the Holidays in Eden album…Yes of course you can, because you and I both know that a whole heap of stuff had happened since then. But still, 34 years, it does make you stop and think.Which is of course what I did, when I listened back to it the other day. So for this chapter of TCD (…sorry Lucy) we ar going to talk about side one of HiE heard through ears that are older by three decades and a little more.And if that wasn’t enough, there is a toe-dipping-opportunity for the non-Purps and a spreadsheet corner update for the rest.Love’n’stray brown strandshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

For your discerning palette.Appetiser:A fact-free riff on the history of the Rolling Stones, complete with rugs, confectionary and transfusions.Entree: Quite an interesting chat about Holidays in Eden and its significance in terms of both the back catalogue, and the evolution of our work. Not the conversation we set to have, in true TCD style (sorry Lucy), but worth a listen.Dessert:A selection of three; an alternative take on Valentines, abstinence for those that get easily distracted, and the support you get from your internal best friend (in my case Bob)Bon Appetiteh

As we approach the five year anniversary of the podcast (and who would have thunk that would have been a thing) I never thought I would have been reading a recipe out loud. But after a bit of kerfuffle at Ant's end, I received the JPEGs required to make it possible.There is of course good reason, and it's a little complicated, but it involves fish finger apathy and me forgetting to listen to Holidays in Eden and by the time you get to the end of #228 it should all make some kind of sense. And to bring you all bang up to date, I did indeed break out the pans and bash through said recipe and, despite getting a little over-enthusiastic with one of L’s devices and dicing mi onions to mush, it went down rather well with at least 50% of the household.Oh, and after consultation with L and Vibes, the man who wrote the Haynes manual for the Boeing 737 was (drum-roll) Charles Kennedy!Love'n'the-other-nobby-stilesNigellaP.S Ant apologises for being a bit snuffly.Cabin PressureTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Apologies in advance for the first 5-10 minutes of this episode of TCD (sorry, Lucy) as Ant faffed around trying to get his microphone to send a signal to his recording software. We kept it in because it's a little insight into the technical challenges that men of a certain age often face.And on that subject I did finally manage to send Ant those two pictures I promised, only took three days...Anyway onto to the business in hand, and today we return to the subject of Marillion Promo Vids as we round out the story with memories of filming These Chains back in 1998.And if you are now thinking "I don't remember a video for These Chains...?!" thats because it largely slipped under the radar, but thanks to Lucy J you can see it in all it's err ”glory” (?)…on the Marillion YouTube Channel.Love'n'lipsyncsh

Well hello, thanks for coming...it really is lovely to see you!Ant thought it might be nice to begin 2025 (HNY by the way, I hope you had a good 'un) with a bit of a pop quiz, based around what I can actually remember about my own podcast.Clearly he thought this would be hilarious, particularly as the only bit of a clue I was allowed was the chapter title and the date it was published. And because the whole world seems to be doing 2024 review-type stuff at the moment, we started with the first episode of last year.So, if you think you know your TCD, and you want to play along at home, these are the ones we had a go at...191 - Third drawer on the left in the laptop192 - in amongst the football boots and dog food193 - And some people know me as Papa194 - Dawn in California, Joe sends hugsAs you might imagine, I did fairly dreadfully.Right I am off to find my sea-legs, join me for a turn around the deck if you feel the urge.Hearts'n'bones,hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite