Dear everyone,

This will be a fairly short newsletter for 2 reasons. 1) The main purpose of it is to enclose the application form for the new Dire Straits Information Service and explain about that, and 2) I've dislocated my collarbone and am off work till Christmas so can't do very much! I'm working from home as I'm not allowed to drive or type or write much (someone will type this newsletter for me). I did it playing tennis, and it's very painful, and I'm just hoping it will mend without me having to have an operation on it! If you ordered your set of photos recently, and haven't yet had them - I will send them as soon as I possibly can!

OK, enough about me, let me tell you about the new Information Service. We've decided to make a charge to fans which will just cover paper, envelopes, photo copying, stamps, administration, etc. i.e., just the running costs. Any 'offers' will be extra. We could have done as many fanclubs do, and charge quite a bit more, and the charge would include certain things like membership pack, poster, badge etc., but as some of you will probably not want these things it seemed a bit unfair. We'd rather charge just for the newsletter service, and these of you who want extra things will pay extra at the time. The 3.00 pounds charge for 1987 will cover 5 newsletters. The first one will be in March, because it will take me a long time to go through all the applications and enter your names on a computer (I've yet to learn how to work the thing!!!). The application form is attached.

Now the news: As you will no doubt have heard, Mark went to Australia to race in the Celebrity Grand Prix in Adelaide! He did really well in the practise sessions and started the actual race in pole position. However, he didn't do so well in the race itself, crashing on the first bend, and cracking his collarbone (no, I didn't do mine in out of sympathy...) He wasn't badly hurt though, and is now fully recovered, it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for racing. He's been in London since then, and he has 2 definite projects lined up for the first half of next year. From Jan - April he will produce an LP for Willy DeVille, who used to lead the band Mink DeVille. From May - July he will be doing another film soundtrack. This will be for a film called Princess Bride directed by Rob Reiner, who did Spinal Tap.

Quite a few of you have written to ask if the music he did for the ITN documentary on Prince Charles and Princess Diana is going to be released on record. Well the answer is no, Mark didn't think it was substantial enough to warrant being released as a single.

Our other Artist, Paul Brady, has been in the studio recording an LP for release next year and Mark played on one of the tracks.

John has recorded a few tracks for a future solo record, but has just left to go on holiday to Australia for about 3 months, so nothing further will be done until he gets back. Chris and Terry worked on some of the tracks too. Alan has spent quite a bit of time routining Tina Turner's band for a filmed show at London's Camden Palace (although he is not actually in the band). He has also been doing sessions with Kiki Dee. He is now back home in Newcastle to continue working on his own material, and he is not now going to work on Mick Jagger's solo LP. The Tina Turner video special has now been filmed and will be an TV in late December. Terry flew to St. Louis, USA, in November to play in a special for Chuck Berry's 50th Birthday celebration. He also worked an a film clip for Bob Dylan, no release date has yet been set. Guy has been working on a Belouis Some record in New York and London - again, I have no release date yet. Jack has been living in Los Angeles, but has now formed a group of his own to play a few concerts in Perth, OZ in December. His band include two members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. No Dire Straits concerts are planned at this stage for 1987.

There is one piece of sad news that I should tell you, although I know some of you read about it in the papers. Pete Granger, who has done the sound at all the Straits shows for the past 9 years or so, was killed a couple of months ago, by a hit and run driver. He was walking near his home in Gloucestershire with his son James in his arms, when the car mounted the pavement and hit him (James, luckily, was thrown clear). Pete died a couple of days later in hospital, having never regained consciousness. Needless to say, all of the group, crew and office staff were shattered by this, as Pete had been 'part of the family' for so long. Dire Straits have used the same crew members all along, and there haven't been many changes in personnel at the office either - it's a very close-knit organisation.

Discography: Because I've been away from the office this is not yet completed, however it will definitely be in the first newsletter of next year.

MTV AWARDS: The group won 2 awards: l) Best Video of the year (Money For Nothing), 2) Best Group Video (Money For Nothing). A-Ha won most of the others.

The BBC tell me that Local Hero, (the film for which Mark did the soundtrack a few years back) is to be screened over the Xmas Holidays, do look out for it!

Finally, you may like to know that the release of Your Latest Trick as a single raised a lot of money for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and the band have now donated over £25,000 to this hospital. They have also donated a track to the Amnesty International LP, and one to an Anti-Smack LP (both compilation records).

PS. Those of you who have a copy of the very rare Brothers In Arms CD single (I know a couple of you have as you won it in our competition earlier this year..) may be interested to know that its current value is £150.00 and rising so hang onto it!!!

That's all for now, except to wish all of you a very merry Xmas and happy New Year from me, all members of Dire Straits, and all of us at Damage.

Best wishes,

Stop Press: It looks very likely that Mark will appear as a guest at Eric Clapton's shows at London's Albert Hall on January 6th, 7th and 8th, and 10th, 11th and 12th, so if you're going, enjoy yourselves! Some of these shows are being recorded for a future live LP to be released on Warner Bros.