Amazing, amazing, amazing... so we set off about 3pm and amidst fears that we might be too tall for the petrol station filling up with diesel for the first time, walking back to the van I see some guys filling up their car with oil, all looking pretty styling - hair and shades at various angles, jackets and hats on, torn trousers - all leading to a feeling they might be...a band!

Walking closer I saw the drum kit in the back of the car. "You broken down?" I said and five minutes later they were in Maya (the name we have christened our beautiful spacious new mobile home) tuning up my two guitars to their melodica, and about to christen our caravan and our trip with a song in Spanish.

A ska tune in Spanish? Does it get any better than this? They were so sweet... even offering us the singer's house in Edinburgh to do a gig in when we head up there around September 1st. They're called Big Hand - playing tonight in Bristol, check 'em out if you can - and they're brilliant. The song over, they headed out and realising we had been having this mini gig while still parked up by the diesel pump, we got going too.

You can check out the moments we first met them here... we'll put the song they played up in a while. Still haven't found our first hitchhiker yet... thought we should pick up everyone we meet and see if they'll play a song too!

Right... next stop bristol... xj