-----Original Message-----
From: Bottleneck Blues [mailto:john_at_bottleneckblues_dot_com]
Sent: 07 July 2007 20:10
Subject: Geoff Achison, 31st July, Important News.
Importance: High

Well that's Geoff's 12th tour completed & it was one of the best I've ever had the pleasure & privilege to be on. The boys played the best I've heard them play & the audiences were totally knocked out. For some unbiased comment visit www.bluesnights.co.uk www.digitalblues.co.uk or www.bluesinthenorthwest.com where you'll be able to read about some of the reactions at other venues. Congratulations Geoff, Sam, Dave & Paul......good on yers!

They recorded an excellent programme with Paul Jones which goes out on BBC Radio 2 on August 13th & can be listened to for a further 28days on-line _at_ www.bbc.co.uk Schedules can change.

This would normally be the last gig of the season with the club opening again in late September....I'm working with some friends & regulars to make this happen....buuuut....

You will know if you were at Geoff's gig, after nearly 12 years of running The Bottleneck I must sadly announce that I am hanging up my gig spurs.

I have all but sold my house & will be moving to Hampshire in September to develop a new business JetLine Executive Travel www.jetlinexec.co.uk john_at_jetlinexec_dot_co_dot_uk

We have a fleet of Mercedes Benz mini buses & Lexus 600s & have tied this in with Manhatten Jet Charters & Villa in Dalyan to offer discrete travel arrangements to sports people, musicians, businessmen & anybody needing luxury transfers, flights or holidays.

I have made many friends over the years both at the club & on the road touring with my artists. It's down to you that the club has been so successful. I'm very proud of what has been achieved over the years & have strived to only ever present what I consider to be "World Class Music" but I can't support myself just promoting blues/roots so must (as my dear late Mum said on her death-bed) "Get a proper job!".

However, you may not have got rid of me that easily!! I've agreed to help (from a distance) anybody who wants to take on the task of continuing The Bottleneck. I'm also getting stick from The Souldiggers to continue with the tours....I can't give an answer on that just yet & have asked them to give me time to develop my new business & we'll look at 2008 in the New Year....so you never know...I might be poking my head around the door in the future.

I would like to thank a few individuals without whom my task would have been considerably tougher over the years.........Brian Henlsow for his welcome at The Roffen, Ciaran of Mu Mu, Alan Kyle & Terry Fergusson for their splendid assistance in rigging (& de-rigging) the gigs, Roy Middleton for all sorts of bits & pieces, Richard Studholme without whom none of the superb CDs we've released could have happened, Paul Jones, Fran Leslie, Ashwyn Smyth & the many other DJs & journalists who have always given me more time & space than I deserved, the many promoters who have booked my artists, the musicians whose art is so often under-valued & you lot....it don't happen without you.

And so, it's the end of an era. I'd love to see as many of you as I can before I go so try to make the next gig....if the idea of me crying all over you is a bit of a turn-off just think of the great music on offer (& wear a bib).