Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. I have had a fantastic fortnight. That has been full of fun, extremely busy and which included a special weekend in one of my favourite places in the United Kingdom, Liverpool. I will tell you all about that trip very shortly. But first I would like to wish you a slightly belated happy St George’s Day for last Wednesday. I always feel that we in England never really properly celebrate our Saint’s Day. Well not like the Scottish, the Welsh and in particular the Irish do anyway. May be this is because in the modern world we have issues relating to a Knight slaying a Dragon. Which could still happen if Alan Sugar ever really laid into or had a go at Peter Jones or Duncan Bannatyne. Although whenever I think of St George now it makes me think of Shrek when he rescues Princess Fiona from the Dragon in the castle. It is a day I personally think we should really get behind more and make more of it. Perhaps when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s son becomes King in the future. He will want to make a bigger deal out of it. This year I celebrated St George’s Day by going out for a Chinese meal with a friend and former colleague of mine. So combining our English qualities with a culture in which Dragons play a big part. Therefore killing two birds with one stone or to put it another way slaying two dragons with one huge sword.

So the other weekend I went to Liverpool for a few days to attend a Wedding of a good friend of mine. Who I actually met through working in the radio industry over thirteen years ago now. I love Liverpool and as far as I am concerned it is one of the best nights out in the country. The Wedding was on the Friday but as I wanted to settle in and spend some time in the North West. I took the train up on the Thursday. Although the journey did take a little bit longer than I had planned. It is never a great start when your first train of three is late, meaning you miss your other two connections. But I eventually arrived and then checked in to my hotel room above the Parr Street Recording Studios. Where bands such as Coldplay. Beautiful South, Stereophonics and the Spice Girls have recorded alongside solo artists including Barry Manilow and Diana Ross. It is still a well used place, with lots of bands seemingly heading in and out of the place all through the period I was there. I did manage to stick my head in one of the studios. And it is far to say they have a very impressive set up there. As you would expect looking at the people who have worked in there in the past . As soon as I arrived I headed out to meet the Groom to be and his Best Man and we went to a couple of fantastic bars for a few drinks including the iconic Cavern. Which is just a truly magical place decorated with pictures and memorabilia from many of the great musicians who have played there over the years. On stage there was a brilliant acoustic guitarist playing Beatles songs. Which the whole bar were singing along to. I always like to pop in there when I visit.

The next day it was the Wedding Day. We met the Groom and his Best Man in his favourite pub right in the centre of Liverpool for a pre wedding drink to calm any last minute nerves. Of which there did not seem to be any to be honest. We then all jumped in taxis to head to the Wedding Venue. Which was actually the home of the team the Groom supports Goodison Park. This was the first wedding I had ever been to at a football ground, so I was really looking forward to it. We pulled up outside Everton Football Club and walked straight in the main entrance. Which is where the players arrive on a match day. Soon we were heading upstairs to the Dixie Dean Suite which is where the actual Wedding Ceremony took place. It was a very nice service with some great readings including a poem by Pam Ayres on relationships. Which I thought was a different but a very nice touch. Then we went and had all the usual Wedding style photos taken but in the main stand. We then came back inside and headed to the room where the reception was being held. While the Wedding Party headed down to have some more pictures in the tunnel and at the side of the pitch. Which the groom really enjoyed. The evening itself was perfect. The speeches were all great, the food was lovely and the whole night went with a bang. I got to catch up with lots of people I had not seen for a while. As well as having a good old dance. It is a bit hazy but I think I may have been having a small dance off to Steps and Tragedy with the person who will be shortly taking over the Radio City Breakfast Show. Now despite the fact that I did once win a competition doing this routine in Magaluf many years ago, she is a trained actress and dancer so was easily doing it a lot better than me. But it was good fun. It was a very special, funny and memorable day. And I would like to say huge congratulations to Jeff and Diane and thank them for inviting me to be a part of their big day.

Now the groom Jeff is not only a massive Everton fan but is also a king of rock n roll and can party with the best of them. The day after the wedding his beloved team were playing. So we all met up in Liverpool again to watch the game and continue the party. After the match we did a tour of quite a few of the amazing pubs that the city has to offer. All of which I have to confess I had been in many times before. My two favourites from the night were Lennon’s Bar where Jeff got up and did a brilliant version of the Madness song It Must Be Love on Karaoke. Before we all ended up stood around the bar singing along to Beatles songs that the DJ was playing. And the Tube which is an 80’s bar complete with music from that decade and a flashing colour squares dance floor like in Saturday Night Fever. It is such a fun place to pop into. The next morning I then met another mate who is a Liverpool fan for a cup of tea at Lime Street Station. He was up to watch the Liverpool versus Manchester City game taking place at Anfield. While we were at the train station we spotted former footballer Nigel Spackman in a coffee shop and Noel Gallagher from Oasis arriving off the train and looking like the definition of cool, as he walked across the platform to his waiting car. I then left my mate to go to the match and had a walk round the Albert Docks. Which is actually where This Morning used to come from until they moved it to London. At the Dock there was a Radio Caroline boat which is broadcasting for a short time in the area. Of course with my love of radio it would have been rude not to go on board and have a quick look round. Which is exactly what I did. The studios they had were actually set up a lot like they would have been on the original Radio Caroline pirate ship. In fact some of the equipment they were using was actually used on the film loosely based on the radio station by Richard Curtis The Boat That Rocked.

I was at Wembley Stadium recently again doing a little bit of work there with the Football Association. I was standing with a group of people in the players tunnel area just at the side of the pitch. Up in the stands I saw someone I recognised doing a few television interviews. I then returned to the talking to the people with me. Then a couple of minutes later the person I had spotted actually appeared in the tunnel area stopping briefly to talk to the group assembled before posing for a few photographs and shaking a few people’s hands. Then just before he headed off I wished him good luck for the World Cup and thanked him for stopping to see us. He then had a very brief chat to me before shaking my hand and then patting me warmly on the shoulder. I sure you have guessed who it was by now. It was the England manager Roy Hodgson. Who was fantastic for stopping and chatting to us. He is not only a top manager but a top bloke to. That is one of the things I like about working at Wembley the people you see. As well as the England manager I have also seen Sir Trevor Brooking, Clive Allen, Kyle Walker, Martin Peters and Gareth Southgate all walking around the place recently.

The last television show that I went to see being recorded at Elstree Studios “All About Two” was on Easter Sunday Night on BBC 2. It was good to see it again and see which bits actually made it on to the TV because as with all shows it is fair to say there were a lot more items recorded than were actually shown in the programme. It is so clever how they edit it all together to make sense. I knew of several parts where things went wrong and they had to re-take bits of it but watching it from the comfort of your home you would have no idea. Dara O’Briain is really great at hosting those sort of things. But my personal highlight of the night was being in the same room as Sir David Attenborough. What a remarkable man. He is clever, creative and also very funny. Strangely when I was watching it in the studio I had got some mini eggs and was eating them between takes. Then when I watched it at home on Easter Sunday weirdly I was also eating a packet of mini eggs once again. The odd thing about BBC 2’s fiftieth anniversary is the rather embarrassing fact that none of the programmes it was due to launch with actually went out. Due to a massive power cut in London that night. So the first transmission was from the BBC news room and was a pretty dismal short report on why this new big shiny channel was not actually available on it’s first night. That said when you think of all the great programmes that have started life on BBC 2 since. I think they have more than made up for it. If you did see it I hope you managed to hear my unnaturally loud clap. I could easily pick it out and on a few occasions I have to confess that I was that annoying person who puts in just that one clap too many.

I friend of mine was in hospital last week having an operation on his elbow that he damaged playing football. I went in to visit him, to see how he was doing and hopefully to cheer him up and have a bit of a laugh. Great though the staff are few people actually enjoy being in Hospital. He had been given a big bag of muffins from an earlier visitor, so as he didn’t think he could eat them all he very kindly gave me one. It never occurred to me when I took it but you should have seen the looks I was getting from people as I was holding a muffin that they must have thought I had stolen from a patient possibly because they had fallen asleep due to the pain killers they were on. It was an awkward feeling but I got through it and enjoyed eating the cake when I got home.

Finally most of the line up has now been announced for the Comedy Festival that I made my Stand Up Comedy debut at nearly two years ago now The Tringe. The event based in Tring is where many top comedians preview their shows for the summer’s Edinburgh Festival. I am hoping to get along to watch a few of the shows myself if I can. If you want to find out more about it and I would strongly urge you do. Please see the link.  http://www.get-stuffed.biz/ 

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

Hello again, I hope all is well with you. And that you have had a very good couple of weeks.Once again this past fortnight seems to have has flown by. I am already very much liking the fact that the evening’s are getting lighter. And that we are getting a bit more sun and a bit less rain. Which let’s face does improve everyone’s outlook on the world quite a bit. Since the Chancellor announced the latest budget. I am very pleased that so far I have managed not to fall into his clever trap. And therefore have not played any bingo or drunk too much beer. Despite him reducing the duty by about a penny of both of those products. To make them both I guess, slightly more tempting to people. But who is really deciding on what they want to do purely based on it saving them possibly about five pence a night. That said I have to confess there is a slight gambling and drinking theme running through this latest edition.

Last Saturday it was the Grand National Horse Race from Aintree. I guess this event is when a lot of people might experience gambling for the first time in their lives. Or it is certainly the day a lot of people make their annual pilgrimage to their local bookmakers. Or at the very least they probably end up doing the work sweepstake. So will therefore have a slight interest in proceedings. Personally I am someone who enjoys horse racing. And the National is always an important day in my sporting calendar. About ten years ago now I did a Wedding Disco with my mate Dez Kay for two jockeys who had ridden in the race Gee Armytage and Mark Bradburne. It was a great occasion in a Marquee in a friend of theirs field. Pretty much the who’s, who of horse racing were there including Clare Balding, John Francome, Carl Llewellyn and the champion jockey himself AP McCoy to mention but a few. I will tell you what though. They have a very tough, hard and dangerous job but when the time allows they really know how to let their hair down and have a good time. It was some party. A few years ago now I actually went along to Aintree for Ladies Day. Which is the day before the main event. I had a brilliant time. The whole place was buzzing with a great atmosphere there. Then the day after I found myself watching the National in a pub in the centre of Liverpool. Which was also a fantastic experience. I enjoyed this year’s race and was pleased that all the jockeys and horses were all fine at the end of what I thought was a very exciting race. I didn’t manage to pick the winner this year. Well done to you if you did. I always back every horse I choose each way and so did manage to have the third and forth placed horses this time round. So I did at least see a little return in money for my efforts.

Staying with Liverpool I am actually up there this weekend for a mate of mines wedding. Which I am really looking forward to. As I am convinced it will be a fitting and fun celebration for the happy couple. I love the City. It is actually one of my favourite places in the country. I have had some great times up there in the past. To make the most of it I have booked myself into a hotel for a few days. So I can spend some time catching up with people before and after the big day. I am going to be staying in a room above a recording studio. Where Coldplay produced their first three albums. It has also been used by Beautiful South, Elbow, Lightning Seeds, Shed Seven and Stereophonics to mention just a few of the big names. Who have worked their magic in there. Please be assured though that I will only be sleeping there and have no immediate plans to inflict my singing on an unsuspecting public. Not as yet anyway. I will report back to you about my Liverpool adventures next time we speak. My favourite previous memory of the place, I think. Is getting the night bus from the City Centre to the suburb where my mate was living. With the whole bus singing at the top of our voices the entire Beatles back catalogue. And then whenever it stopped and someone got off. We would pause the singing and give them a standing ovation. It was a great end to a wonderful night. And I am hoping for more of the same this weekend.

I do like going out and eating at new places. And trying new things as often as I can. Now I am probably a bit behind the times with this one. But recently I went out to a Jimmy’s restaurant for the very first time. I understand they are a chain. And there are a few of them dotted all around the country. They are basically as much as you can eat buffet places. With a slight exception to the norm. They offer a selection of world food from many different countries. Which then you can then choose as little or as much of as you want. So they had Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Italian, American, British, Japanese and Spanish food selections at various stations. You just pay a set price. And take yourself around these as many times as you like. With a fresh plate supplied every time. The food was really nice and very varied. There was loads of it on offer. So predictably I ended up eating way too much and feeling uncomfortably full at the end. Not helped by the fact that after I had been on a food tour of the globe. I then also visited the dessert section to. I really did enjoy it though. It made a nice change. I also got to try something new. I am a big fan of fish but I had never tried any Sushi. Because if I am honest the thought of raw fish really put me off it. And I thought it would be horrible. But in the Japanese section there was a few different types of Sushi. So as I did not have to order it specially. And because also if I did not like it I could just go and grab something else to eat to take the taste away. I gave it a try. And I have to confess I thought it was really good. So it is now something I would certainly consider having again. From time to time at least. See you are never too old to try new things.

I was out for a few drinks with a mate of mine the other weekend. We ended up in a pub in High Wycombe. We were at the bar enjoying a drink when I nipped off to visit the facilities. When I came back I found my friend chatting to a random magician at the bar. Who was doing a few different card tricks for him. He then did one for me. When he had finished he introduced himself and told me he was also a furniture Upholsterer before handing me his business card. He then turned back to my pal to do yet another card trick with him. Just as his finished that last trick I attracted his attention before reaching into my back pocket and bringing back out the business card he had gave me earlier. I then proceeded to hold it right up in front of his face before saying the classic line “Is this your card” Which I thought was hilarious and which led to him leaving the pub very shortly afterwards. I have always wanted to have the chance to say that to a magician for a change. And in doing so I actually made him disappear. There was also a covers band performing in the pub, providing some musical entertainment. They were a decent enough band. However I really like trying to recognise a song from the intro and name it before the vocals come in. Seriously I am brilliant fun to be with on a night out. The band in question made that game quite hard that night. As some of the songs could have been five or six different tunes based solely on the intro’s. But that made it more entertaining and at times more difficult to get it right. It was a quality night rounded off with a KFC. Which always does seem to be the case whenever I venture out with this particular friend. That said it tasted great!

I was back doing some work at Mix 96 in Aylesbury last week. Which was great fun. They took a couple of their shows out and about. So I went in to produce them from the main studio. The Breakfast Show visited Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham. Which is the station’s charity of the year. So while the two presenters were there meeting the staff and some of the patients. I was making sure everything was broadcast correctly from the studio. Making sure the show sounded as close to normal as usual. Even though it was coming from an unusual location. Then the day after I was producing Nathan Cooper’s Morning Show. Which came from the Kings Head Pub in Aylesbury. Where the brand new Mix 96 twentieth Birthday Beer brewed by The Chiltern Brewery was being launched. It was great to work with the team there once again. I had a very enjoyable couple of days. And after the second show I did actually get to pop over to the pub. Where I sampled an half of the new Mix 96 Birthday Beer. Which is called Bucks Best. I have to say it tasted lovely. Watch out for it on sale around Buckinghamshire. It is a nice drop and five pence from every pint goes to Tiggywinkles. I can’t believe that Mix 96 is twenty years old this year. I remember when it launched and being very excited about my home town having a radio station. During that first year while still at Aylesbury College I actually did a week’s work experience there. I also went to the stations first birthday party which was held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Funnily enough I went to that party with Mix 96’s very first evening presenter Jon Earley and the man who is now the MD Max Hailey. I can’t believe it is that long ago. And I wish Mix 96 a very Happy Birthday for 15th April. Which was the date in 1994 that it launched.

I do enjoy getting out to see live comedy and music as much as I can. I went to a gig night at a local pub last week because a friend of a friend was launching a new album. And doing a little acoustic set. I was really impressed. The guy had a good voice and had written some nice catchy and melodic songs. It was just him and his guitar on stage playing a thirty minute set. Which did include two very good and diverse cover versions. One was the Jessie J song Domino, while the other was the Phil Collins classic In the Air Tonight. Both very different and both sounded great. So I am marking that down as yet another successful night out on the town enjoying live entertainment. You really can’t beat it. Much better than sitting in and just watching the television any day. Unless that day is Saturday Night and you are watching Ant & Dec’s Takeaway. A great finale to the what has been a cracking series. Good to see Robbie Williams make his annual appearance with the boys. I am already looking forward to next year’s series. And I am wishing that may be I had booked some tickets for the upcoming live tour. Which I predict is going to be a right laugh. Which I think is something we should try to do as much as possible in life.

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