Hello again, I hope all is well with you. I trust that you have had a good start to the year and eased yourself into it nice and gently. I can’t believe how quickly the first half of it has already gone. It has just flown by. I have decided not to have any alcohol for the whole of January. I normally go at least a couple of weeks before drinking anyway but I thought I would do the whole four weeks to start the year off with some sort of detox. I have done it quite a few times in the past. So I must admit I do find it very easy. Good luck to you if you are taking a break from something this month or if you have started a new fitness plan or healthy eating routine. Remember what they say. Everything in moderation is the key. But then again, who wants to live moderately?

Tonight I am going to my Uncle’s fiftieth Birthday Party. Which is taking place at his house. And which I am now hoping is not a surprise or I may have just ruined it. It will be nice to catch up with the family again. Having not seen them all since before Christmas. With me being tee-total currently. As it is a bring a bottle party I have got the difficult decision of deciding what soft drink to take with me. You see when I am out at a social occasion I do like to keep a drink on the go at all times.

But when you are not drinking alcohol. It is difficult to find something that you can steadily drink all night, that doesn’t make you feel too bloated or sickly, in my opinion. Pints of coke will leave me wired and unable to sleep and J2O seems to have so much sugar and so many additives in it. I fear it may be worse for you than actually drinking beer. Plus I can only manage about three of them, before I can drink no more. And do not get me started on non-alcoholic beer. What is the point of that stuff? Removing the only reason you drink beer, seems ridiculous to me. Would it look bad to just turn up with a big bottle of mineral water? Or is it acceptable to drink tea all night? I will still be the life and soul of the party but I just might need a coaster wherever I go, to put my cup down on. I am really looking forward to it though. It will be a good fun night.

So pantomime season is over for another year. Nice to see so many people I know being nominated for awards for their performances this year. Good luck to Andrew Fettes, Eric Potts and Holly Brewer in their individual categories. I hope they all are winners. My mate Ben Langley has also finished his Panto run and is now writing his new play Ha Ha Hood and the Prince of Leaves. The follow up to the play I made my cameo appearance in at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre last year. I haven’t asked him if he is writing a special bigger part for me this year. Mainly because I would very much expect the answer to be no, definitely not. Though I still maintain I did get a really big laugh during my first and last appearance. Which in a comedy play is a very good thing. Watch out for Ha Ha Hood at a theatre near you, later this year. When it heads out on a nationwide tour.

I watched the first episode’s of two celebrity based television shows this month. I think the makers of programmes realise we are more likely to stay in and watch TV at this time of the year rather than go out. Maybe because we have over spent or partied too hard over Christmas. So basically they are less selective on what they put on for us. That is the only conclusion I could reach.

I watched the first night of Celebrity Big Brother to see who was going into the house. And was pleasantly surprised to see that I recognised about a third of them. Which is more than in previous years. For me though personally that is where my interest in the show starts and ends. Once they are in. I tend not to bother because the way these things are cast and produced tends to lead to some very awkward moments. Which I find too uncomfortable to watch myself. I like to watch people having a laugh not having a massive public breakdown then arguing. Even though it could mean eating something unpleasant. Given the choice I would rather go on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here than Big Brother. If you get kicked out of the jungle early you can sunbathe at a six star hotel. While if you end up leaving the house early, you just get hounded by the papers.

The other show I watched is also one that I would never want to do. That said fair play to the celebrities who do take part. I think they are very brave and it is certainly a personal achievement to compete in it. I am talking about the diving show Splash. Vernon Kay and Gaby Logan are excellent on it. Tom Daley is amazing on it to and he comes across like the talented and friendly lad that he is. But from a celebrities point of view to appear on prime time Saturday night television in just your swim wear, before throwing yourself off a diving board takes a lot of courage.

Seeing some of them on that first show I did wonder if may be some of them were not paying complete attention in the meeting with their agent about their appearance in the competition. I think they may have just heard the fact it was a big Saturday night show and the fee they would get. Specially the one who was scared of water, heights and Olympic medal Winners in very tight trunks. She had possibly picked the wrong showcase for her talents. I have to watch this one from between my fingers to as I am worried one of them could hurt themselves, when doing their dive. The reason I watched the first one was so I could see which celebrities had signed up for this year’s series. And definitely not so I could just see what Michaela Strachan looked like in her swimming costume. Well I am one of the generation who grew up watching Wacaday and The Really Wild Show. There is no way I will be able to watch the latest celebrity sport show “The Jump”. Where the contestants attempt a Ski Jump. How on earth they managed to get insurance for that one, I have no idea. Proof that sometimes being famous can lead you down a very slippery slope.

I have started reading David Jason’s autobiography in the last week and needless to say it is absolutely fantastic. Fascinating and expertly written. It is a must read for any young actor or fan of TV and Theatre from the 1960’s to the current day. Lots of great and very honest personal stories. All explained in a very reasonable and fair way. Showing the mark of the man and giving a glimpse into his personality. Which is interesting to see as he is not really a man who makes many personal appearances as himself. It was so good to see him on lots of different shows promoting the release of the book to. He came across brilliantly demonstrating what a naturally funny and generous man he is. Can’t wait to finish it. And I have a long way to go, as he has only just made his first couple of TV appearances currently at the point I am at.

I am going to the Birthday Party of the person who runs the Laughing Badger Comedy Club at the start of next month. Which I am looking forward to. I have performed at a few of these nights in the past and they are always good fun. The night in question will include a performance from the comedian Lee Nelson. Now I have met him before because I actually appeared alongside him in a sketch for the pilot for his television show Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show. I played a football club Press Officer in a scene involving his character Jason Bent. Which we filmed at White Hart Lane. Being a Spurs fan that is always a place I love visiting. So it was quite nice to have a look behind the scenes, while I was there. I am wondering if he will remember me. Well I guess we will find out the answer to that pretty soon at the party.

A very talented guitarist I know called Tom Toomey is now in The Zombies and has recently spent a lot of time in America with the band. He is playing locally next week so I am hoping to catch up with him after the gig. In the past he has put on fantastic outdoor live music events for charity in Somerset. Which I have hosted for him. They were always brilliants nights with great performers and a good crowd of people who knew how to enjoy themselves. So I am looking forward to seeing him and talking old and new times with him.

I’m pleased to be continuing my work with the FA at Wembley Stadium this year, which is always good fun. I still get a bit of a buzz every time I step inside that place. Happily I am also working on a couple of new radio projects currently. Which I hope to be able to bring you more news about soon.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a very enjoyable couple of weeks. Spending lots of time with family and friends. I had a fantastic Christmas and New Year period. Basically just having lots of fun.

The Sunday before Christmas Day I went to my Uncle’s annual pre Christmas house party. Which is always brilliant fun. We are a quite a big family. So there are always lots of us there. And we all like competing for the chance to be the centre of attention. Aiming to be the focus of what is happening in the room. As well as having a few drinks and a good laugh. It was great to see everyone there, enjoying themselves. We had the now traditional family Christmas sing-a-long. My cousin’s boyfriend is a very accomplished and talented guitarist. Who can read music and literally play any song it would seem. That he can get the music for on his I-phone. Another one of my cousin’s loves singing. So much so that we have even got her a small battery powered Madonna style microphone. So we can now send her to the front of the room to lead the singing. We sang for about forty-five minutes performing our own very unique versions of several big Xmas hits including Do They Know It’s Christmas, Last Christmas and Fairly Tale of New York. Now this concert was filmed but I am hoping footage of this never makes it outside of the family. I enjoyed it, but never has the phrase well you had to be there probably been so apt.

Before Christmas it was The Strictly Come Dancing Final. Which I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed. The whole series this year in my opinion was amazing. Simply excellent Saturday night family entertainment. I have to say It Takes Two every week night during the show was also top quality. Giving you chance to get to know the couples better and to see behind the scenes. With Zoe Ball presenting it expertly. Unfortunately it was not a great night for the couple that I was supporting Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Brendan Cole. Who were the first couple voted out of the final. So meaning they did not get the chance to dance their breath taking Charleston again. Which was a great shame. As it was arguably the dance of the series. And my back up pairing of Susanna Reid and Kevin Clifton did not manage to win it either. That honour quite rightly went to Abi Clancy and her partner Alijaz Skorjanec. Who deservedly lifted the Glitter Ball Trophy. They had been brilliant all the way through the competition. I think she surprised quite a few people along the way, by how good and nice she seemed. It does of course mean that the statistic that none of the professional dancers have ever won the title more than once, still remains firmly in place. At least for another year.

There has however been some very good dance news for me though. My favourite male professional dancer on the show Brendan Cole. Who lives fairly locally to me. And who I have seen twice. Once at a pantomime and once at a well know DIY store. He is going to be starring in his own brand new dance show. Which is touring all over the UK this year called Licence To Thrill. His dance partner in it is going to be my favourite female professional dancer Aliona Vilani. So if I do go and see one dance show at the theatre this year. I think you can already guess which one it will be. Good luck to them both . I am sure it will be a spectacular night out.

In the week before Christmas I was in doing a little bit of work at one of my old radio station’s Mix 96. It was really nice to catch up with everybody and be in the studio there once again for a while. I was helping to produce an outside broadcast show that my good friend Nathan Cooper was presenting. Great fun and nice to work with the team there once again albeit briefly.

I have to confess I think I have got Christmas present shopping down to a fine art. I never panic about it and I never do it too early either. This is the way I do it. I sit down before I head out to the shops and write a list with exactly what present I am going to get for each person. That I am going to give to one to. I then decide where I am going to get them. And then in my head I quickly work out roughly the order I will head to the shops, to purchase my required items.

This year I set aside the Saturday before Christmas for this operation. Once again it was a huge success. From arriving in the town where I was shopping in to leaving with all the gifts and cards I required. It took me just under two hours. Which I think is very good going. Everyone had something that I knew they either wanted or would like. I did not waste time browsing as I knew exactly what I wanted. And somehow I still managed to avoid any big queues in all of the shops. Not only that but I actually had all the presents wrapped and the cards written by the time I went to bed that night.  Completed with no stress and no hassle. May be I should write a book as a guide for men. Telling them how to shop more efficiently for gifts. So they can spend more time in the pub on Christmas Eve.

I had a lovely family Christmas Day. I was at my parents for the whole day. So we started it with a nice fry up. Before then opening our presents. I then left my dad and mum to get on with cooking the dinner. While I went and met my uncle for a few lunchtime drinks at his local. Which did include a nice glass of champagne courtesy of the very generous landlord there. Then I arrived back at the house in perfect time for a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, which was sensational. Once dinner had settled. As always it was competition time in the house. As the WII console was switched on. And me and my dad who were happily exchanging presents earlier in the day, suddenly became big enemies. Trying desperately hard to beat each other at every single game we played. To say we are a competitive family, would be a huge understatement. But once the games were finished there was a friendly handshake and we settled down to end the day watching some TV. The perfect Christmas Day, as far as I am concerned.

On Boxing Day I did watch Still Open All Hours. A new version of the classic comedy that starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason. Both of whom actually have links with the town where I was born Aylesbury. Ronnie Barker made his professional acting debut in a play in Aylesbury and to mark that milestone. There is a statue of the great man in Fletcher from Porridge guise outside the Waterside Theatre in the town. The legend that is David Jason also lives in the area. And I have been lucky enough to have been in the same room as him on more than one occasion. I enjoyed the new show. Once I got my head around the fact that Granville had literally morphed into Arkwright and his son was just a modern replica of him as a lad. There were some great lines and cameo’s in it. My favourite appearance being a non-speaking glimpse of one of the Chuckle Brothers, being dragged around by a huge dog. I thought David Jason was brilliant. As he is in everything he does. I got given his autobiography for Christmas. So I am really looking forward to reading it. I just know it is going to top quality.

This New Year’s Eve was the first one I have not worked for quite a while. It is normally a night where I find myself doing a disco somewhere. But this time around I decided to give myself a break and have a night off. I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to do I thought about going up to London to see the fireworks. But in the end I thought it would actually be nice to stay in and see the new year in at home for a change. So all very last minute a mate of mine came round and we fired up the Karaoke machine. And celebrated the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 with what can only be described as a concert. Which would have made a Bruce Springsteen concert seem short. We started singing songs at about 8.30pm and sang the last one at around 1.30pm. So I saw in the New Year with five hours worth of singing. I had a great night and really enjoyed it. To be honest I have not actually spoken to the neighbours yet. So I do not know if they share my views on it or not. But it was a fun start to the year.

I have lots of exciting and interesting things lined up during the next twelve months. Which I very much look forward to telling you about as the year progresses. I know it is going to be a great one. Happy New Year and may 2014 be everything you want it to be and more. Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.