Music like ours never dies

Marion said the article could have been written with me in mind, and I riffled through the supplement and there it was: "Losing It - the Bay City Rollers Story".

The Rollers had everything, but threw it all away. They were egos on legs, emotionally cramped, and manager Tam Patton had a sinister, seamy undertow that eventually destroyed them.

Marion was right. Their story was my story. I was self-obsessed, vain, and paid slipshod attention to Marion’s needs. The Bay City Rollers were encoded in me. And Tam Patton? He represented my father. Emotions were unsilted, tears fell on Les McKeon’s face, and when Marion returned from her run, I hugged her close.

‘Darling, I will never allow us to become the Bay City Rollers.’

She flipped Les over. ‘This is the article I meant.’

EMOTIONAL INFIDELITY, it said, above a picture of a man and woman on a park bench.

Alone, I drew a penis jutting out of the man’s trousers and a moustache on the woman. That’s what the Rollers would have done. What matters is the moment, not everlasting fame.

Away day

Imagine you are happy. Picture it. You, happy. It can be you, yes. You can be happy, like everyone else. Picture it now. You, a happy person, doing happy things, without a care in the world. Have you got it? Can you see yourself? What are you doing? Don’t tell me, I know. You are in the countryside. You are with friends and family, the people you love. It’s a sunny day. You are sharing food and drink – wine, even. You are drinking from a paper cup, a tablecloth is laid on the grass. It is a picnic. You are having a picnic.

Everybody’s idea of happiness involves a picnic. A picnic has everything a human being needs. If there were more picnics the world would be a happier place. And what do our clients want from us but happiness? Isn’t that why they come here? Why the health service contracts us to deliver the service?

Next month the clinical psychology team are going on a picnic. Details are attached, along with a map. Please wear appropriate shoes and clothing.