Monty's Bistro, Lerwick

After being given directions during the day I finally found Monty's. Good write-up on the net - specialising in Shetland food and a cosy little upstairs dining area. Not sure about the orange walls.

Mussels to start in a double cream, lemon and a touch of green chili sauce. Super big mussels (hope they were local) but the sauce didn't have much chili touch at all.

Followed by Thick sliced heather-fed lamb in its own juice, buttered rosemary carrots and mashed Kerrs pink potatoes. That's what the menu said but it turned out to be lamb and 2 veg. Couldn't spot the difference the heather or rosemary or kerr made to the dish. Good food, well made but lacking in sparkle. Never even asked how I wanted the lamb cooked. Expensive wine. £35 all in.

Osla's, Lerwick

Difficult to find any restaurants in Lerwick. The net said there were nearly 20 but arriving in town it was a bit quiet. Eventually found Osla. Al Diavolo Pizza, Caesar Salad and bottle of red. Salad was interesting. The usual ingredients but a generous helping of anchovies, olives and for the first time ever a chinese lantern fruit.

Pizza was disappointing. I ate it as I'd been sitting in Aberdeen airport for the previous 4 hours and was starving but when the waitress asked if it was OK I made the comment that it wasn't very spicy and she said 'people don't like them too hot". The jalapenoes were insipid, the chili con carne sauce was without chili and it was very bland. Why offer such a pizza if you don't give it a bit of a kick.

Bob Dylan, Manchester Arena

Hail Caesar! (that's enough - Ed)

Started at 1943. Band walked on and started playing. No chat. The MEN arena is huge. We were nearly 70 metres from the stage and all we could see were half a dozen stick men playing various instruments. Took half an hour to decide which one was Bob Dylan (playing piano and occasional harmonica). No chat between songs at all. Songs were OK - reworked versions of old classics but rarely anything that required extensive singing. Bob's voice was there somewhere but he insisted on singing off the beat and raising his voice at the end of a line. Mesmerising stuff. Finished at 2115 without saying a word in between songs. Came back on for an encore and finally introduced the band who were excellent. Did rolling stone and all along the watchtower. Did teh same old trick as he did at Earl's Court in the 80s - switching all lights on as they sang 'how does it feel' and the audience fell for it all over again. Finished at 2137. No support band, no chat just a maverick doing his own thing. Revenue for the night about half a million. (all pints of beer were £3). Took 45 minutes to get out of the car park.

How much did you take Bobby? Do you really need it?

Went home and listened to Blood on the tracks CD.

Talbot Inn, Worcester

Pizza for a change. They offered an al diavola pizza which when I ordered it came in three styles. Not well-cooked, medium or rare but spicy, hot or fiery. Naturally I went for fiery. And it was. Clearly home made with wholemeal pasta base and real fieriness (or is that fierocity...). A 4 quid bottle of aussi shiraz for 11 quid and the meal was complete. No caesar. Hotel was tropically warm; all radiators on, all windows open but sweatdrippingly hot.