Times are hard and, like so many others, the Maddermarket Theatre, former chapel and the spiritual home of am-dram in Norwich, is feeling the pinch. They desperately need an injection of cash to keep the footlights on. And so to raise a few coppers for the coffers, they put on a three-night explosion of talent. We pitched up for the middle fundraiser billed as…

“Showcasing the talents of some of our closest ‘Madder Mates’, our extended showbiz family are generously donating their time for a magical one-night event ‘CAUSE YOU GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS. An impromptu gala evening of stellar performances from great local artists…”

They weren’t wrong. It was a splendid happy clappy, foot-tapping treat. And if that wasn’t enough, I won some fancy bath oil in the charity raffle.

The theatre has some terrific artwork hanging around the bar. It’s worth popping in for a few sherries just to have a gander. It all helps with the theatre’s bank balance. This particular piece, from Bowie’s Aladdin Sane period, caught my eye. It’s made entirely of postage stamps.

Back in the seventies, I bought Aladdin Sane – a pun on ‘A Lad Insane’ – with an original gatefold cover with my meagre Saturday boy wages. Sadly, the album got lost somewhere along the way. It might be worth a few bob now.