He says: "In January I severed a tendon in the finger of my left hand while I was emptying the dishwasher - the irony is I'd just spent two days chainsawing firewood without incident. My hand was in a splint for six weeks.

"Luckily my son Matt is a bass player too and he was available to deputise. I'm raring to get back on the road and really looking forward to playing with the band again."

He adds, "Fairport will deliver a set of old and new songs on the tour, which is described as having "an intimate feel."

They'll follow the run of shows with their annual Cropredy Convention on August 7-9, which this year features Marillion, Steve Hackett and The Australian Pink Floyd Show among many others.