That is when you go for haircut and have a number 3 rather than number 4, and are told when you arrive home that it looks a lot better. A number 4 is no longer short enough-especially on the top!

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In recent years, Billy Connolly, one of Scotland’s greatest cultural exports, has become as well known for his travel documentaries and movie roles as for the stand-up comedy that first defined him after failed attempts at a folk-music career.

A decent banjo player, Connolly proved far more successful at talking between the songs, his honest thoughts pouring from the stage with a circumlocutory delivery that has now become a staple of stand-up and flows through to a younger generation (Danny Bhoy).

The other stylistic device that helped to make Connolly a household name is his furious and glorious overuse of words that begin with f and rhyme with truck; fans did not miss out on profanity in this performance, as Billy, reminding everyone that he is “really old”, raged on into the night, speaking out against the “beige-ness” of the world and of how we all have a duty to stop the boredom.

He told us the end of the world was coming with war and financial meltdowns, with global warming (“I got a suntan in Dunedin!”) and with people dressed in three-piece suits (“liar’s clothes!”).

Connolly will always have a special place in the hearts of New Zealanders because he married one of our own (Pamela Stephenson) – and with perfect timing he begins the show with a little Kiwi anecdote, telling us to take responsibility for our own weather rather than cursing in his direction for bringing it with him.

From there it was off to cover familiar themes (the peculiarities of English expressions, the madness of conversations with strangers) and in some cases to flat- out repetition (he seems to delight in talking about fat and ugly people; surfing against the PC tides).

When he did cover old ground it was generally still funny and, even if the unstructured nature of his show (“I have to tell you another story first before I tell you the first one because then it will make more sense”) did mean some conversational cul-de-sacs turned in to dead-ends, Connolly’s ability to mock himself (again usually with a barrage of expletives) drew a steady stream of applause.

He was preaching to the converted and while he’s offered better sermons and there are now sharper players who roll out more interesting material, there’s nothing quite like seeing Billy Connolly. And this will probably be one of his last visits here in this capacity.

We were there. Overall I agree with the review. Going out on a Monday night though is not the ideal time-I was flat, maybe he was as well. The performance did not give me the buzz that I have enjoyed before. Some material was a revisit, and he even resorted to telling a joke!

Otherwise what was notable?

1 The number of very large people

2 A plethora of Scottish accents-the most since I have heard since living here

3 An observation-is it only people with tickets in the middle of the row who feel comfortable with turning up late?

We did not see this live but when Sara asked the taxi driver on the way back from the restaurant who had won. He said grumpily “New Zealand came second…beaten by Britain……England.”

It could be no worse than that.

Just as aside, if you watched the coverage on the tv then you would have seen wellington put a show on for the world in terms of weather. It has been very warm here, in the mid- 20s, 26C yesterday I believe, and more of the same today. All good bar the unseasonably strong wind.

Today is New Zealand’s national day, and commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, generally accepted as being the founding document of New Zealand. A reaty signed by the maori tribes, and the Crown. Controversy still reigns regarding its place in modern New Zealand, all not helped by the English and Maori language versions not being equialent.
It is a national holiday so the local world in the main is out enjoying itself. We have been to “One Love”, a music festival at the Velodrome, in Hataitai. It is the cool festival put on by Radioactive, in recognition od it also being Bob Marley’s birthday today. The performers included Little Bushman, previously mentioned on this blog, and The Black Seeds.
The Little Bushman played and eclectic set with echoes of Pink Floyd again, Jimi Hendrix and a number of “Blues” style numbers.
The Black Seeds were very professional and played well, and the crowd loved them, lapping up their well polished, recognisable tunes. The are white boy reggae artists-think UB40 but better with their own original material.Eleanor and her mates seemed to enjoy themselves, though Isaac was a little less impressed with the event. The pizza and ice cream seemed to help his mood.

So today makes the nation think what is means to be a Kiwi. So what does one need to do or think to be in the Kiwi mindset, and have a good change of passing the citizen examination?

• love the All Blacks
• think 7s rugby is important
• consider the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy as the best films ever
• winge about Australia stealing all the successful Kiwis for its own
• think it rains more in Britain than NZ, and is always cold there
• think you cannot have too many hakas
• think that NZ has the ideal “lifestyle” captured
• hot dogs come on a stick
• one needs casual and formal jandals

Happy Waitangi Day!

Ps It was 24Celsius today and not a drop of snow insight.
It’s always snowing in England.

Today was momentous. Joseph’s first day at St. Patrick’s College. Senior school has arrived, a new era.
The uniform is new and clean and in good condition-how long will that be the case?