diff --git a/vim/colors/customred256.vim b/vim/colors/customred256.vim
index 14421b4..a888888 100644
--- a/vim/colors/customred256.vim
+++ b/vim/colors/customred256.vim
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ let colors_name = "customred256"
 
 
 hi Normal		guifg=#c0c0c0 guibg=#000040						ctermfg=lightyellow ctermbg=16
-hi ErrorMsg		guifg=#ffffff guibg=#287eff						ctermfg=white ctermbg=lightblue
+hi ErrorMsg		guifg=#ffffff guibg=#287eff						ctermfg=232 ctermbg=250
 hi Visual		guifg=#8080ff guibg=fg		gui=reverse				ctermfg=lightblue ctermbg=fg cterm=reverse
 hi VisualNOS	guifg=#8080ff guibg=fg		gui=reverse,underline	ctermfg=lightblue ctermbg=fg cterm=reverse,underline
 hi Todo			guifg=#d14a14 guibg=#1248d1						ctermfg=251	ctermbg=none
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ hi DiffText	cterm=bold ctermbg=red gui=bold guibg=Red
 hi Cursor	guifg=black guibg=yellow ctermfg=black ctermbg=yellow
 hi lCursor	guifg=black guibg=white ctermfg=black ctermbg=white
 
-
+hi Error ctermfg=255 ctermbg=none
 
 hi Comment	guifg=#80a0ff ctermfg=238
 hi Constant	ctermfg=magenta guifg=#ffa0a0 cterm=none
@@ -77,23 +77,138 @@ hi PmenuSbar guifg=blue guibg=darkgray
 hi PmenuThumb guifg=#c0c0c0
 
 
+
+
+" colours
+hi CRNormal ctermfg=166
+hi CRBright ctermfg=208
+hi CRDark ctermfg=160
+
+
+
+" sidebar colours
+hi BarH1 ctermfg=255 ctermbg=none
+hi BarH2 ctermfg=250 ctermbg=none
+hi BarH3 ctermfg=248 ctermbg=none
+
+hi BarNormal ctermfg=240 ctermbg=none
+hi BarNormalBright ctermfg=245 ctermbg=none
+hi BarNormalDark ctermfg=238 ctermbg=none
+
+hi BarComment ctermfg=124 ctermbg=none
+hi BarCommentBright ctermfg=166 ctermbg=none
+hi BarCommentDark ctermfg=88 ctermbg=none
+
+hi BarSpecial ctermfg=lightred
+
+hi BarCurrent ctermfg=255 ctermbg=240
+
+hi def link BarFlag CRNormal 
+hi def link BarFlagBright CRBright
+hi def link BarFlagDark CRDark
+
+
+
+
 " Tagbar highlighting
-hi TagbarFoldIcon ctermfg=237
+hi! def link TagbarFoldIcon BarNormal
+
+hi! def link TagbarHelp BarComment
+hi! def link TagbarHelpKey BarCommentBright
+hi! def link TagbarHelpTitle BarCommentDark
+
+hi! def link TagbarKind BarH1
+hi! def link TagbarNestedKind BarH1
+
+hi! def link TagbarScope BarH1
+hi! def link TagbarType BarH1
+hi! def link TagbarSignature BarNormal
+hi! def link TagbarPseudoID BarNormal
+hi! def link TagbarHighlight BarCurrent
+
+hi! def link TagbarAccessPublic BarH2
+hi! def link TagbarAccessProtected BarH2
+hi! def link TagbarAccessPrivate BarH2
+
+" NOTE for TagbarNormal to work it must be defined
+" with the following line in the plugin 
+" file tagbar.vim:
+"
+"   syntax match TagbarNormal '.*' contains=ALL
+" 
+" This must go before all other syntax
+" definitions in that file.
+" TODO see if its possible to extend that plugin
+" rather than placing code in the plugin's file.
+
+hi! def link TagbarNormal BarNormalBright
+
+
+
+" NERDtree highlighting
+hi! def link NERDTreeDir BarNormalBright
+hi! def link NERDTreeFile BarNormal  
+hi! def link NERDTreeOpenable BarNormal
+hi! def link NERDTreeClosable BarNormal
+hi! def link NERDTreeDirSlash BarNormal
+hi! def link NERDTreeFlags BarH2
+hi! def link NERDTreeCWD BarH1
+hi! def link NERDTreeUp BarH2
+"hi! def link NERDTreeCurrentNode BarCurrent
+
+hi! def link NERDTreeHelp BarComment
+hi! def link NERDTreeHelpKey BarCommentBright
+hi! def link NERDTreeHelpCommand BarCommentBright
+hi! def link NERDTreeHelpTitle BarCommentDark
+hi! def link NERDTreeToggleOn BarFlagBright
+hi! def link NERDTreeToggleOff BarFlagNormal
+
+hi! def link NERDTreeBookmarksHeader BarNormal
+hi! def link NERDTreeBookmarkName BarH1
+hi! def link NERDTreeBookmarksLeader BarNormal
+hi! def link NERDTreeBookmark BarH3
+
+hi! def link NERDTreeLinkFile NERDTreeFile
+hi! def link NERDTreeLinkDir NERDTreeDir
+hi! def link NERDTreeLinkTarget BarSpecial
+
+
+hi! def link NERDTreePart BarSpecial
+hi! def link NERDTreePartFile BarSpecial
+hi! def link NERDTreeExecFile BarSpecial
+
+hi! def link NERDTreeRO BarSpecial
+
+hi! def link NERDTreeCurrentNode BarH1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
 
-hi TagbarHelp ctermfg=243
-hi TagbarHelpKey ctermfg=255
-hi TagbarHelpTitle ctermfg=238
 
-hi TagbarKind ctermfg=220
-hi TagbarNestedKind ctermfg=214
 
-hi TagbarScope ctermfg=220
-hi TagbarType ctermfg=214
-hi TagbarSignature ctermfg=88
-hi TagbarPseudoID ctermfg=160
-hi TagbarHighlight ctermfg=255 ctermbg=245
 
-hi TagbarAccessPublic ctermfg=136
-hi TagbarAccessProtected ctermfg=130
-hi TagbarAccessPrivate ctermfg=124