Tag Archives: BGT

My January So Far

January 23, 2016 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really good couple of weeks. Mine have been good but if I am honest, it has been a fairly low key start to the year so far. I do travel on the train in to London pretty much on a daily basis. The line heads through some pretty nice locations to live in, in the fine county of Buckinghamshire. So there is always the chance of spotting a familiar face or two.

Just the other week while heading in to the capital I found myself standing next to the former Wimbledon and Sheffield United football manager Dave Bassett. Now I had actually met him once before. Although I would really not expect him to remember, as it was around twenty-one years ago. When I was eight years old I attended an official Football Association Fun Week during the School Summer Holidays.

It was five days of coaching with fully qualified coaches and then on the final day there would be a special surprise guest to hand out the certificates. So at the end of the Friday afternoon session Dave Bassett appears to give us a talk on his football career. Which as I recall seemed to involve a lot of red cards, when he was a player.

He then did a question and answer session and handed us our certificates. It was very exciting to see him and he was the first proper professional football person I had ever met. I didn’t talk to him on the train. If I am honest it would of been a bit awkward and odd me explaining how he met me as a child. But it did bring back a nice childhood memory seeing him. He was holding a FA Coaching clip board to.

Staying with Football, as a child I was for a couple of season’s a season ticket holder for Wycombe Wanderers. I played one season for their Under 16’s and did have a trial for their youth team. Plus both my parents are big fans of the club and go home and away to watch them. So I was delighted to see them do so well in the FA Cup holding Aston Villa to a draw and getting a replay back at Villa Park. Which they narrowly lost. The previous time that Wycombe had played there was against Liverpool in the FA Cup Semi-Final in 2001.

So I guess you could say they do have a little bit of a Cup pedigree. And you know that clip you often see of John Motson standing on a snow covered pitch. That is at Adam’s Park Wycombe’s ground on the day they should have played Peterborough United in the FA Cup but the game was called off.

I remember it well because me and my parents were virtually at the ground when we found out it was off. And had to turn around and go home. So well done to Wycombe Wanderers for their cup efforts this year.

I am currently reading Steve Coogan’s autobiography “Easily Distracted” which I got for my birthday. The slightly weird thing is he actually released a fictional autobiography for his character Alan Partridge a few years before he bought out his own book. I am about two thirds of the way through it so far and it is very interesting. I do love reading about how people “made it”

He is very honest and open about his life in it. Which I feel you should be when you are writing this kind of book or you are just cheating yourself and the reader. I do like when these books are written how the person talks, if that makes sense. So as you are reading it you can hear them saying these things and describing them. How you would expect them to. It is interesting how he views his body of work and his career. And what are his biggest achievements in his opinion. It is a good read and I am really enjoying it.

Last weekend I found myself dog sitting for my sister. She went away to Centre Parks for the weekend, so I agreed to look after her pride and joy for her. She has had her dog for I think around seven years now. I did obviously come round to see it when she first had it as a little puppy. So the animal in question knows me very well. I am quite a good brother, really.

Every time I see the dog it is pleased to see me and always wants a cuddle and to sit on my lap. So I knew we had a little bit of a rapport. But this was the first time I was solely in charge of its well being. And just make things slightly more challenging the poor thing had been a bit ill recently, so was still on some medication. Which I had to administer.

I am pleased to report it was a success. I managed to feed and walk the dog as required, she didn’t seem to put out to be stuck with me for the weekend and we did not fall out during it. Plus I did manage to give her the medicine. Which required me trying to get her to sit perfectly still.

While I had to put a huge syringe type contraption in her mouth while using both hands to push the trigger down so the stuff came out. Trust me that is a lot harder than it sounds and I had to do that twice a day. Both me and the dog survived but I have to confess now having had hands on experience of what is required to look after a dog. I have absolutely no plans to get one of my own.

While I was in dog sitting I took the opportunity to watch Chris Ramsey’s first stand up DVD “All Growed Up”. I do really like him as a comedian. He has a really friendly style and with his Geordie accent his gigs really do just feel like a mate telling you stories and jokes over a pint down the pub or a cup of tea at his place. I have seen him live and that is really how it feels. It is like you are all in it together. And the way he constructs his shows is very clever. It is like you are all going on a journey together.

It was really funny and I would recommend seeing it if you get the chance. He was originally due to record the show in London for the DVD but then there was a problem with the venue and he ended up moving it to Newcastle. Which as he is from the North East having that home area crowd really added to the atmosphere and helped the show, I think. So although not the initial plan I think it worked out brilliantly doing it that way in the end. He is still touring this show, so keep an eye out and may be even catch it live.

I am looking forward to going to see the recording of a brand new television show next week. It is called “It’s Not Rocket Science” and is hosted by Ben Miller, Rachel Riley and Romesh Ranganathan. It is a new entertainment show which looks at new technology and gadgets that are meant to make all of our everyday lives easier.

It should be a lot of fun. It is being recorded at the BBC Studios at Elstree, which is the same complex where Eastenders is filmed. I have no idea when it is due on TV yet. But rest assured when I do I will let you now and I will tell you what the episode I saw was like the next time we speak.

I am also very pleased to have been invited along to watch another London audition for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent. I went last year and it was ace to see Ant & Dec in action. As well as the many good and bad acts which go in front of the judges. The game in the audience is trying to guess which of them will make it on screen. Sometimes it is easier to predict the bad ones rather than the good ones.

It is quite a long evening as they do pack in as many performers as they can. I will let you know if I do spot any potential winners. A lot of the banter and fun between the judges does not always make the shows final edit. So when you are there it is usually a lot more fun in between the acts.

I wonder what Simon Cowell will be wearing? I’m guessing it will be a white shirt, jeans and black Cuban heels but you never know I could be wrong. One thing is for sure, it will be an interesting night at the theatre.

I think Ricky Gervais may have seen something that I sent to him as a reply on Twitter and then passed it off as his own. I mean he might not of and it could just have been a total coincidence and just weird timing. Here is what happened.

He posted a tweet about people complaining more now as it is easier with social media to moan straight away rather than in the days before the internet having to sit down and write a letter, then post it to make a point. Most people didn’t because it was too much hassle.

I replied to it saying that also thanks to Twitter there is less writing on toilet walls now. He then two minutes after I had made that remark posts a new update on his twitter page saying pretty much exactly that with no acknowledgement to me anywhere to be seen.

I will never know the truth about this situation. Unless I ever meet him and actually get round to asking about it. If he did use it, I mean it would have been nice to get a little bit of credit for it. That is all I am saying.

Yesterday I went for an audition to be a contestant on a brand new game show. It is a completely fresh idea and format, so I can’t really say any more about the actual game play. However I had a really fun afternoon meeting the production team, showing off a bit and answering some general knowledge questions.

I should find out in the next few weeks if I have been selected and therefore when I will be invited along to the studios to play it. I do not know currently who will be presenting it or indeed what time in the television schedule it will be on. But I will of course keep you posted.

I am on the whole having a pretty quiet January. I am still not having any alcohol and will not have any until I go to a party on the first full weekend in February. I am doing plenty of running and weight training to get my fitness levels up ready to take on the year. I would like to say I am doing a bit of a detox but that is not true. While I am trying to eat lots of fruit and vegetables I am still having plenty of chocolate and crisps. Well if you are doing a lot of exercise I feel you need some rewards. I am feeling good for the slight sacrifice though, which is the main thing.

I am already starting to put some plans in place for the party to end all parties this December. I am already thinking about venues and exactly what kind of entertainment I intend to put on for the guests. I have got some pretty good ideas which if they do come off, they will be amazing. It is still a little way off but already I think I may have to take next January of the booze to compensate for the celebrations taking place at the end of this year.

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

Beatle Brum

June 6, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been great with lots of fun things going on. Firstly I would like to start by saying commiserations to Wycombe Wanderers after their League Two Play Off defeat by Southend United at Wembley Stadium. I used to see them play regularly as a kid. I have seen them win twice before at the old Wembley Stadium. When they won their two FA Trophy finals there. Back in the days when they were still a non-league team.

My parents and sister went to the big game this year. But as I was away I watched it in a pub up north. It was not so much the fact that they lost but the way they lost which made me feel sorry for them. Southend United equalised with just twenty-one seconds of the game left. And then went on to win on penalties. Which was heartbreaking for the Buckinghamshire side. That said well done to the manager Gareth Ainsworth and his players for a great season. And good luck to them for next year.

I could not go to Wembley as I was up in Liverpool celebrating the end of the Premier League Season and seeing my friend Jeff Nolan for the weekend. I travelled up on the Saturday, so that I was fresh and ready for the show piece occasion of the trip. Which was a visit to Goodison Park to see Everton play my team Spurs on the Sunday. After a nice meal and catch up on the Saturday. We had a fairly early night, so that we would be fully prepared for the game day itself.

There was a big group of us going to the match, so we met in the pub for a few pre game drinks before heading to the ground. It was lovely to catch up with everyone. And as I was the only Tottenham fan in with so many Evertonians. It is fair to say that there was plenty of banter flying about. The match itself was a pretty typical end of season affair. With both team’s minds possibly more on their summer holidays than on the pitch. But Spurs won thanks to a great header from Harry Kane. I was sitting right behind the goal where he scored. So it was nice to be able to witness his final strike of what has been a pretty successful personal domestic season for him.

I think it is the first time that I have seen Spurs win there for quite a while, so that was nice. I did manage to have the traditional pint of Chang at half time with Jeff inside the ground. After the game with visited a couple of the “Everton” pubs right near the ground before heading out in the centre of Liverpool. Once in the City we visited many of our usual and favourite haunts including The Cavern Pub. Where there was of course a guitarist/singer on stage performing Beatles songs.

We ended up in The Tube. Which is a really great eighties bar. That I have easily been visiting for around the last ten years. In fact I sill have a key ring somewhere from the first time I went there. So I basically ended the night dancing very badly to some big disco and classic party hits from the decade that gave us the Rubiks Cube. It was a great day out filled with football, fun and music. A perfect day as far as I am concerned.

Before I left Liverpool I did pay a very quick visit to the banks of the Mersey. The reason being, that while I was there Cunard, the cruise ship company were celebrating their 175th Anniversary by sailing the three biggest ships in their fleet up Liverpool’s most famous river. Led by the Queen Mary Two. Which is an absolute beast of a boat. It is like an actual floating city. It was totally heaving with people as the ships arrived in to view. I managed to get a very quick look at them before I had to dash off and get my train home.

The other week I fulfilled one of my lifetime ambitions and got to see one of the actual Beatles perform a full live show. It was always a dream of mine to see Paul McCartney play live, which I briefly achieved when I saw him perform two songs with Bruce Springsteen during the “Boss’s” encore at a gig in Hyde Park a few years ago. But I always really wanted to see one of his own solo shows. So when I heard that Sir Paul was bringing his “Out There” tour to the United Kingdom. I decided that I just had to see it.

I was thinking of getting tickets to see him in London at the O2 but then I spoke to my mate Jeff Nolan and found out he had a ticket to see him at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham. So I decided that if I could get a ticket I would join him there. I managed to get hold of one, so we decided to make a night of it. We booked a room at the Ibis Budget Hotel. Which to be fair did exactly what it said on the tin. It was cheap and cheerful but it did fulfill our needs. And the staff were really nice and friendly. They even let us order Pizza to our room in the early hours of the morning.

Now because Jeff and I had been getting so excited about the gig, pretty much since we had booked the tickets. We were keeping a close eye on the set list that he was performing on each night of the tour. So even before we arrived at the venue we knew we were going to be in for a real treat with all the big songs from pretty much every single stage of the singers career, likely to feature. As soon as we arrived at the arena the atmosphere was fantastic and you could feel the energy and the anticipation from the people there.

It was the first time I had been there and I was very impressed with the view I had when I took my seat. He had a DJ who came on and did about a twenty minute warm up set on stage. Then before the man of the moment came on. They played in a video with accompanying soundtrack from the man himself charting his whole life and career. Then the lights went out ,the tension built and when they came back on the band was in place and out walked Sir Paul McCartney to launch into an amazing version of Eight Days Of Week. Then followed around three hours of hit after hit performed so perfectly by Paul and his own excellent hand picked band.

He did change his guitars a lot, at one point joking that “the reason that he was changing them so often was that he had so many and wanted to show them off” before pointing out that the one he had just picked up was the actual one he played on the recording of Paper Back Writer before launching straight into that song. The whole show was out of this world but just some of the highlights for me included the pyrotechnics during “Live and Let Die”, the huge sing-a-long that was “Hey Jude”, the stripped down guitar only version of “Yesterday” and a fabulous version of “Band On The Run”

Paul himself is just so chilled, relaxed and at ease on the stage moving effortlessly between playing lead guitar, bass guitar and the keyboards. He sounded great and did not miss a single note all night. Finally for a gentlemen who is now seventy-two years old, he looks great and seemed to have the energy of a teenager. I am so pleased I went. It was a memorable gig and night. Everybody leaving the Barclaycard Arena that night did so with a large smile on their face. Thank you very much Sir Paul McCartney.

I returned to the Museum Of Comedy a couple of weeks ago to see the brilliant Josh Widdicombe perform a work in progress gig in preparation for his new UK Tour which starts in September. It is a lovely little venue, where a lot of very well-known performers do like to try out new material in front of audiences of around fifty people. I sat in the front row, having seen Josh before I did not recall him talking to the audience, so I figured I would be safe and get a great view of him in action.

My genius plan was then slightly ruined when he asked a question, I responded which led to a little light hearted interaction between us and me being the but of a few of his jokes. Which was perfectly fine. I like to give it out so therefore it is only fair and right that I can take it to. And it is only comedy it is just for laughs and not malicious. To be fair when he did refer back to me with another joke later in the show, he was almost apologising as he said it. He was as ever really funny and very clever with his jokes. And in the way he is beginning to knit the show together. So when it goes out on tour it will flow brilliantly ending with a big finish, which will tie up the whole performance.

I always like looking behind the showbiz of a celebrity and the fact that it is not always as glamorous and exciting as people think. Josh arrived at the place by himself, introduced himself on to the stage. Then at the end of the evening I saw him leave by himself. Then nip into the local newsagents to grab a water before heading off to his next gig alone. It is not always rock and roll. If you have got tickets to see his show later this year. You are in for in treat, it is going to be great.

The last act I saw at the Museum of Comedy was Trevor Noah. I have since worked out why he popped in to do a secret set. He was testing jokes and just running his performance through ready for his appearance on the new John Bishop Show. Which I am guessing was filmed that week. And which was on television just last Saturday Night. He was as ever brilliant on that to. Such a funny and clever bloke. In a couple of years time he could well be one of the biggest stars in the world.

I have to confess that I did watch the final of Britain’s Got Talent. If you remember I did actually go and see one of the audition shows being filmed at the Dominion Theatre in London. None of the many acts I witnessed on that day had made it through to the final though. For me the best thing about that show is still Ant & Dec. I think they are brilliant and they are what makes it for me. To be fair I do go along with the opinion that the standard in this year’s final was pretty high and that there were some good and entertaining acts.

Statistically though it would seem that you either need to be a singer, a dancer or a dog to be in with a chance of winning. Personally I wanted the magician to win. I thought his tricks were good, he was amusing and he seemed like a nice bloke. Who had served his showbiz apprenticeship. Plus it would have been the first time a non singing or dancing person or animal had won the title. I didn’t dislike the dog act and thought it was clever and well done. But that is the second time in three years a dog has won the competition. Which surely must make some people who are possibly thinking about auditioning think, why bother, as if there is a talented pet there. You will have no chance.

And for all the people moaning about a stunt double dog being used. It was a dog that had already featured in the semi final appearance, so we had already seen it before and in effect we voted for it as well to get to the final. And it still did the trick with the ladder itself. Lastly on the subject nobody complains when actors do not perform their own stunts in films. The dog of course deserved to win simply because that was the act that had the most votes. One thing is for sure if you are a comedian or an impressionist there is no way you will ever win that competition, it would seem. I notice that they are already looking for people to apply for next year’s show. So we can be totally sure it will be back next Spring. As long as the two Geordie’s are fronting it, I will still be watching it.

I spent another lovely evening at Windsor Races last Monday. I went with my parents as part of my Dad’s birthday celebrations. He is almost getting as bad as me for organising lots of different events. The weather was not very summery with rain and quite strong winds but that did not spoil any of the enjoyment. After doing so well when I was there previously. This time round I only managed to select one winner. But the feeling you get during that one quick moment where your chosen horse crosses the finish line first, is worth the trip alone. Whenever I am cheering a horse home in a tight finish. I always seem to turn in to Julia Roberts in the scene from Pretty Woman, when she is at the Polo. So we are talking lots of screaming and fist pumping.

I do really like horse racing and I would love to own my own race horse one day. Former Radio One DJ Fearne Cotton was there doing a set after the evenings racing had ended. Fair play to her and her audience for braving the weather and having a dance. Much respect to you all there. My mum had quite a successful evening picking a few winners. I am now hoping this does not lead to her developing a big gambling problem. It was a fun night with the family. Which is something you can never have enough of in my opinion.

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

Fools and Horses

April 9, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been great with quite a bit going on. I managed a celebrity spot on the train in to London the other day. Now to be fair I already knew that this particular person lived in this certain location, so I was always keeping an eye out for them every time I stopped at their station. So statistically it was bound to happen eventually and it did on that morning. I was just sat in my seat minding my own business when the unmistakable figure of Robert Lindsay walked past and took a seat slightly further down the carriage and facing me.

I was close enough to hear the full conversation he was having with his friend, with that wonderful and very distinctive voice that he has. So I am well up to date on his latest projects and immediate plans. He is a truly great all round performer. He can do it all act, sing, dance the lot. Most recently he has been starring in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in the West End. In the eighties he was starring in the musical Me and My Girl. When it was in London and then he went with it when it transferred to Broadway. In that show he does an amazing version of the Lambeth Walk. He seemed like a really nice friendly and approachable gentleman. So hopefully it will not be long before he is back on our television screens again.

A few Saturday’s ago I went and saw my mate Andy Holmes perform in the Harold Pinter play Betrayal at the Queens Park Arts Centre in Aylesbury. If you are already familiar with it. You will know that it has three main roles. One of which, he was playing. It is always slightly odd I find seeing a friend performing on stage. You want to enjoy the show but you are also just rooting for it to go well for them at the same time. I have seen him in a couple of things before but this was possibly the most dramatic piece that I have personally witnessed him in. I really enjoyed it. I thought the whole cast were great. And I know from speaking to Andy the time and effort that they had all put in to it, to make it work. Which I think showed in the performance.

He did have a couple of kissing scenes in it. In the fairly busy bar afterwards he made the mistake of asking me what I had thought of his love scenes, to which I replied well that is the most action you have had in ages. He did tell me later that the actress who he had to kiss actually had her husband in watching that night. Now I am no actor but that has to be a little bit awkward surely. It was a lovely fun way to spend the evening and congratulations to everyone involved with the production.

After seeing the play I then went to a pub in Aylesbury for a quick fortieth birthday drink with someone I have known for about twenty years now. His name is Colin Morton. We met when I joined Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio. This is how and why I decided to join. It was while I was in my final year of a Leisure and Tourism course at Aylesbury College that I really developed an interest in radio. Mix 96 had recently launched in Aylesbury, so I wrote to them and managed to get a week’s work experience there. It was while I was there during that week that someone suggested that I joined the local Hospital Radio, so I did.

Neil Quigley back at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio with Martin Kinch

Colin was already there and had his own show. You start out as a producer gathering requests from the wards. Then you get trained on the equipment and hopefully get your own show. All of which I did. Colin then got a job at Mix 96 hosting the evening show and the Saturday Sports Show. I have to thank him really for getting me involved in the Sports Show. As I think he suggested me, when they needed someone to come in and ring up all the local football clubs to get the scores. And then to read out the half time and full time scores from these games. Which I then did. And the rest as they say is history. That is what really gave me my break in radio, if you like. So it was great to see Colin and Andrew Duthie, who was also there for a nice catch up and to talk about old times.

I am still doing quite a bit of work at Wembley Stadium. I was there taking some people around on behalf of the Football Association before the FA Trophy Final between North Ferriby United and Wrexham. I was taking a select group of North Ferriby fans round. It is always great to be there on a match day. Walking through the Mixed Zone, being in the players tunnel and then going pitch side. You can really feel the excitement of the occasion building up. It was a cracking game as well with the underdogs winning five-four on penalties after a three all draw in extra time.

So well done North Ferriby United. I like to think my tour was a lucky charm for them. I think some special praise needs to go to the Wembley ground staff to. On the Friday Night England played Lithuania there. Then on the Saturday a Rugby Union game between Saracens and Harlequins took place. And then the FA Trophy Final was there on the Sunday. The pitch looked perfect and there was not even any trace of the rugby pitch markings from the day before.

It is always good to do new things in life and experience things for the first time. So last week I went for my first ever crown fitting at the Dentists. This was required because I have had a root canal treatment. And apparently to protect the tooth you need a crown on it. So to make sure that the finished crown fits they have to take impressions of your teeth. I have to confess I didn’t find that process much fun and it does not leave a very pleasant taste in your mouth at the end. It seemed like she took an impression of all my teeth not just the one required. So I am now slightly concerned she may be worried that all my teeth may be falling apart, and that she will need to replace them all. I have a temporary one on at the minute with the proper one due to be fitted in a week or so. Wish me luck.

On Good Friday I went with my mum to see Wycombe Wanderers play Oxford United in League Two. Now as a teenager I was for a couple of years a season ticket holder at Wycombe. I also briefly played for their under sixteen side and I did have a trial game for their youth team. However I did not get selected. I instead went and played for two years in the Aylesbury United Youth Team. Funnily enough my first game for them was in a one-nil win against the Wycombe Wanderers Youth Team in Beaconsfield. The Wycombe/Oxford game was pretty poor for the home side specially in the first half but they did battle back and make a fight of it in the second half. Although ultimately it was in the end a very disappointing result for the team who are currently chasing promotion. Plus let’s face it no one likes losing to their local rivals.

Before the game I managed to catch up with a couple of people I know. Firstly Daniel Freeman, who was there to report on the game for Sky Sports and my good friend Nathan Cooper, who was there covering the match for BBC Radio Oxford. Strangely the three of us have all previously worked on a game together before. When I was working at Ivel Fm in Somerset, Yeovil Town then managed by Russell Slade got to the League One Play Off Final at the then newly built Wembley Stadium in 2007 against Blackpool.

We managed to get full commentary rights to broadcast the whole game live on the radio. To do that we needed two excellent commentators to help us. I already knew Daniel and Nathan and luckily they were up for getting involved. So the three of us produced a full show from the National Stadium with Daniel and Nathan as the two commentators and me operating as the co-commentator for both of them. While presenting the show before and after the game. It was a busy but fun day out and I thought we did a brilliant job covering the occasion. It was great to see them both at Wycombe and good to see them still doing at excellent job reporting on football matches and bringing them to life on the radio and television.

Last Saturday it was the final show in the current series of the brilliant Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Once again there was nothing missing from the programme or the series. In my opinion it has taken all the best bits from about twenty different big Saturday night television shows from the past and put them all into one show. In handy bite size sections. But it all works so well and is great family entertainment. This weekend we will still be able to see the Geordie boys on our screens. As the new series of Britain’s Got Talent starts on Saturday. And if the first instalment is anything like the London audition show I went to see. We will be in for a crazy time.

There will be acts that will take your breath away and leave you feeling like that is the best thing you have ever seen. And then on the other side of the scale there will performances that will make you cringe and even cause you to cover your eyes and ears, so you do not have to witness it. I don’t know if it was just the session I was at but Simon Cowell seemed a lot nicer and more compassionate in his critique. So I am not totally sure if he was just in a really good mood that day or if becoming a father has seen him mellow a bit. I reckon we will know for sure if this the case or not by the final at least. The audition shows are always bonkers and give Ant & Dec plenty of comical moments to enjoy. Good luck to all involved with it and let us hope for a worthy winner this year.

I had a really nice Easter weekend which did involve eating quite a bit of chocolate. But life is all about balance and give and take, so I did actually go for a morning run on Good Friday and Easter Monday. To be fair that was not only to work off the sweets I had consumed. I did manage to have a few drinks with mates to, so these calories had to be dealt with and burned off. I met one of my friends in Marlow. Which is always a place I enjoy going to, specially in the summer. Normally for a nice walk along the river there. It really is a nice and relaxed place to meet people and have a good chat and a catch up. And it does boast The Hand and Flowers Pub, which has two Michelin Stars and is run by top chef Tom Kerridge.

I am up in Liverpool this weekend enjoying being there for the Grand National Race meeting weekend. I love the city and always really enjoy spending time there. I came up for this festival about five years ago and had a brilliant day out at Aintree for Ladies Day. It is an amazing experience everybody really dresses up and has a top time. This time I am just up there and enjoying the partying after racing rather than being at the track itself. The place is packed out in the evenings, with either people celebrating wins or drowning their sorrows, if they have lost. For sheer atmosphere alone watching the Grand National in a packed pub in the centre of Liverpool is only second to actually being stood there on the course at Aintree itself. I will tell you more about my time in Liverpool next time we speak.

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

TV and Radio Times

February 14, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been great fun and I have managed to get up to some pretty cool stuff. I will tell you all about that in a bit. But first Happy Valentines Day to you. I really hope my postman will not have to take six weeks off work again this year, after giving himself a hernia delivering all my cards last year. To be honest I have never really celebrated it much myself. Surely you should show love and appreciation every day of the year and not just once every three hundred and sixty five days.

That said a lot of my friend’s seem to make an effort, as pretty much all of their first born children arrived in November. You do the maths. One Valentine’s Day does stick in my mind though. It was Saturday 14th February 2009, when I presented my last show in Somerset at Midwest Radio after spending five years broadcasting in the West Country. They did not even send me some roses or give me a box of chocolates. Although to be fair we had been out for my leaving do the night before.

Sarah Parish started the Neil Quigley Fan Club

I few weeks ago I went to see the first episode of a brand new ITV 2 show called Reality Bites being filmed at The London Studios on the South Bank. It is a new comedy panel show based around reality television. It’s hosted by the excellent Stephen Mulhern with team captains Emma Willis and Joel Dommett. They just talk about reality programmes and then play some silly games. Which also sometimes feature current or former reality television stars.

In the show I watched, Emma Willis was joined by Jimmy Bullard and Joe Lycett and on Joel Dommett’s team were Bruno Tonioli and Luisa Zissman (who apparently was on the Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother but I have to confess I had never heard of her). By the way if you think Bruno is over the top or unpredictable on Strictly Come Dancing you should have been there to witness this. He was great value and very funny but man he has got some energy. He will not sit still and if you are looking for an innuendo, he will give you one.

They had three special guests on the show to help play some of the games. These were White Dee from Benefits Street, Charlotte Crosby from Geordie Shore and Alex Sibley from Big Brother three. It was a great laugh in the studio, everybody was on good form. Stephen Mulhern did an ace job steering the ship. And the three hours we were there during the filming passed by very quickly. I would like to congratulate the producers and the editors, who some how managed to edit it down to a fifty minute programme. Which was then broadcast on ITV 2, two days later.

As ever with these things some of the funniest bits on the night never made it in to the show. In some instances because they were unsuitable for broadcast, even after ten thirty at night and on ITV 2. Let us just say we learnt quite a lot about some of the members of the panel. Much more than we really wanted to know. The warm up man for the show was the brilliant comedian and entertainer Andy Collins. Who as ever did an excellent job. Making sure that the audience were primed and ready from the start and kept focussed and amused during any short breaks in filming. I have been lucky enough to meet him on quite a few occasions in the past. So it was really good to be able to have a very quick chat with him as I was leaving the studio.

I met up with a good friend of mine the other weekend for a few days of reminiscing, catching up and partying. I met him when he was working at Mix 96 in Aylesbury. He joined the station fourteen years ago and was there for around two years. So it is now twelve years ago since he left. As he is from and lives in Liverpool he had not been back to the town for quite a few years. So a few Friday’s ago Jeff Nolan ventured down from up north. And we met up in Aylesbury to have a look round the place and talk about the old times. We were joined for a chat in a coffee shop by another former colleague of ours Richard Carr.

Before the three of us then went to Mix 96 to meet up with Nathan Cooper. And have a look around the studio for old times sake. It was really nice to see everyone and see the station doing so well to. While I was there it was good to have a quick chat with Chris Maskery. Who I have to say has grown the most extraordinary beard since I saw him last, it is huge. Before we left Aylesbury Jeff and I grabbed a bite to eat in a venue that under its previous guise, we had both watched Alexander O’Neill and the Three Degrees perform there.

Neil Quigley in a still from the Mix 96 behind the Scenes Video

Our next stop on our crazy weekend tour was Bicester. Where we had booked in to a small bed and breakfast above a pub to stay for the night. After attending a Birthday Party that evening. The party was being thrown by Stuart Hosking, who was of course famously one of the contestants in Big Brother 2, to celebrate his 50th. Now Jeff and I met Stuart at Mix 96 not long after he left the famous reality show house in 2001. After being a guest on the breakfast show hosted by Chris Blumer and Jeff. The station offered him the chance to present a Sunday morning radio show.

A programme which I ended up producing for a short while. Which is obviously how and where I met him. While working together we did go for the occasional drink after the show. Which was always good fun. I remember one Sunday we managed to get a man from Aylesbury who had been on the previous night’s Blind Date in for a chat. That was interesting to find out first hand exactly what it was like being on a big show like that. If my memory serves me right, I think he also came for a drink after the show with us that day.

Anyway we had a few drinks in Bicester before jumping in a taxi and going to the hotel where Stuart’s party was taking place. He had hired out the whole of this very nice hotel just on the outskirts of Oxford. On arrival it was pretty easy to spot the birthday boy as he was dressed in all white and wearing a set of angel wings. So we said our congratulations and had a quick catch up with him, bearing in mind it was probably about eight years since I had seen him last. Whatever he is doing it is working for him as he was looking really well. There was free ale on a self service tap. It would appear Jeff is better at drinking it rather than pouring it as he managed to lose about a pint of it on the floor because he couldn’t turn the nozzle off. I did think about just laying under it Homer Simpson style but I then thought this might look a bit uncouth.

The entertainment was fantastic. There was a magician who was walking around doing some table magic and card tricks. But the main attraction was a band who were called Rockaoke. And yes you have guessed it they are a live brilliant band who play while you sing in a Karaoke style. If you are a big fan of Chris Moyles you might just remember that he did a big tour with this band around the country. We managed to have a chat to one of the band and they have done some pretty cool stuff. They have supported the Foo Fighters and played in the VIP tents of a lot of big festivals. So you can imagine the kind of people who were joining them to perform in those situations. They are so good and can play so many different songs. They so effortlessly move from one song to another. And they do have a singer who will sing backing, harmonies and also just chip in if you need a bit of help to keep the song going, to make you sound much better as well.

Now unfortunately I can’t sing and I am completely tone deaf. Which is a real shame as I would have loved to have got up there and belted out a tune with the band. Jeff Nolan however can sing a bit. So he treated us to a version of the Oasis song Rock N Roll Star with more swagger and attitude than even Liam Gallagher could manage. And while doing nothing for regional stereotyping. He also treated us to some Beatles and a bit of Day Tripper. We were trying to convince Stuart, the band and anyone else that would listen that we should close the night with a version of Let It be. Where we all sing an individual line each, in a kind of Band Aid sort of style. We were over ruled and Stuart and his rugby mates performed Thin Lizzy’s The Boy’s Are Back In Town as the the last song. Which on reflection seems fair and makes sense. It was a great night. The venue was lovely, the guests so friendly and the entertainment top quality. So thanks very much to Stuart Hosking for letting us join in the celebrations and a slightly belated happy 50th birthday to you sir.

The day after the party Jeff and I were up early and back on the road up to Liverpool. We left Bicester with the plan to stop at the next Mcdonalds we saw and have a little bit of breakfast. It would seem this particular fast food establishment is not so popular on the motorways as may be it once was. As the first one we saw was at a Service Station just outside Crewe. So we were virtually at our destination before we managed to get some food. We arrived at Jeff’s house in Liverpool just before eleven and I think we were in the pub for midday. I have said this before I but I do like Liverpool and always feel very at home there. May be that is because my granddad grew up and went to school there.

So needless to say I had a fun afternoon having a few drinks and watching some football before returning to Jeff’s in the early evening to enjoy what was a massive sixteen inch pizza. Which somehow I managed to finish. I think it is reasonable to say I have a decent appetite. The tour ended the following day when I got the train home. Which took slightly longer than I hoped. As it did require a bus replacement service for part of the journey, but that is Sunday travel for you.

On the train journey home from Liverpool I started reading John Cleese’s Autobiography So Anyway. As you would expect from a man so clever and intelligent as him. It is brilliantly written in a very informative and entertaining way. He does go in to quite a bit of detail about his early life, explaining it in such a way that you really get a flavour of what it was like being him at that point in his life. I have only read the first six chapters. He has got a place at Cambridge University but he has not started his course yet. He is working as a Teacher in what was actually his first school as a child. I did work experience when I was eighteen at my Secondary School and that was weird enough. So working full time at his old school must have been properly odd.

I am a huge fan of Fawlty Towers and all the Monty Python films. So I am really looking forward to him talking about them in the book. But he has already mentioned how things he saw or witnessed as a kid, in later life gave him ideas for character traits or comedy situations. It is a really fascinating read and I am looking forward to finishing it. But even after what I have already read, I would recommend it to any comedy fan.

As a Tottenham Hotspur fan I am afraid I can’t not mention last Saturday’s big game. Over the years I have seen us lose to Arsenal on so many occasions and sometimes quite heavily. But when I sat down to watch the North London Derby on television last weekend. I did feel very calm and confident that we would at least get something out of the game. Well done to the whole team, I thought everybody was fantastic and it was a truly great performance. Watching any Spurs game is always a roller coaster of emotions and this one was no different.

I would like to apologise to my neighbours for the shouting and screaming after Harry Kane’s equaliser and then again after his second. A brilliant header that won us the game. I have pretty much only just got my voice back. Great day for my team, I have to admit I was buzzing all week after that victory. Now I hope we can get our first trophy since 2008 by beating Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in the Capital One Cup Final on Sunday 1st March.

I went to see one of the London heat’s of Britain’s Got Talent last Wednesday at the Dominion Theatre. Just as I was arriving at the venue I witnessed Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden making their way through the front doors, with about thirty tabloid photographers trying to get pictures of them as they walked past. Then just before I went inside I saw Stephen Mulhern do a bit of filming with the audience that had gathered for his ITV 2 spin off show More Talent. Then it was time to take my seat ready for the action to begin. The warm up man Ian Royce comes on first to get the crowd going and then Ant & Dec come out to say hello and have a quick chat.

That was pretty much the only time we saw or heard from them all night. Because of course you will know, if you watch the show. They do all their work off stage talking to the acts before and after their performance’s. Next the four judges are then bought out and they to have a chat to the crowd. Now the next bit surprised me a little as the acts, when everything is ready for them. Seem to randomly wander on to the stage without being introduced. So we know nothing about them until they have that chat with the judges before they do their thing. Which does explain the sometimes rather odd applause they get, when they come on stage. As it kind of depends on at which point the audience spot them. I do not want to give anything away but it is fair to say there is the usual mix of good, bad and deluded acts on the show once again this year.

I did see some good acts but if I am honest I don’t think I saw this year’s winner. The banter between the judges is good. And to be fair on the whole they were being very nice, even to the not so good ones. One thing that did amaze me was how loud the buzzers are. When they go off it does make you jump. So no wonder the acts always look confused and pause for a second when one is pressed. It was a fun night out and I am looking forward to seeing the whole series on television later this year. There was a really bad singer on near the end. And I found myself walking straight past her as she was leaving the stage. I just chose to smile and say nothing. Which in that situation, I think was the politest thing to do. Mind you see did not look happy after getting four big no’s.

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

My January

January 30, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been pretty busy, with quite a few things going on. A lot of people this month chose to not drink alcohol with quite a few also being sponsored to do so. Therefore enjoying the health benefits themselves of not drinking for thirty-one days and raising money for their chosen charities. I have abstained from alcohol at this time of the year in the past. In fact one year I went two months without having any. And I have to confess I felt great, had loads of energy, was sleeping brilliantly and found I was up earlier in the mornings. So getting more from my days. So it is worth doing if you can. The best I managed this year was two weeks off the booze but there was a big celebration that I was involved in this month, which was part of the reason for that.

A couple of Saturday’s ago my parents reached the landmark of their fortieth Wedding Anniversary. To mark the occasion my mum and dad along with my sister and I had a very enjoyable weekend in London. We had booked in to a nice central hotel in the capital. So we went there first to get ready for our big night out. Here is a tip for you. If you are in London with a group of four or more people. It is actually cheaper to get a black cab to your destination rather than by buying individual underground tickets for the tube. Plus it is quicker and you arrive exactly where you want to.

The plan for the night was to go out for a meal and then see a West End musical. All of which had been booked in advance. And I have to say all excellently organised by my dad. The restaurant he had selected was literally right across the road from the theatre. Where we had a fantastic pre-show meal. The venue was amazing, the food was perfect, the staff were friendly and very efficient, plus the wine was decent to. It all made for a great all round dining experience. And a very fitting way to start the celebrations.

After we had polished off our puddings we made our way across the street to Her Majesty’s Theatre to see The Phantom Of The Opera. It is one of the few shows that I had not seen before. And it was the first time I had visited that particular theatre. I liked the place. As I do all the old fashioned West End venues. I love the feel of them and the way they look. Although to be fair there was not a massive amount of leg room inside the auditorium at this one. We had really good seats and were only four rows from the front.

The show itself was breathtaking,intriguing and captivating in equal measure. The staging, the props and the scenery is spectacular. The whole cast were excellent, making it so entertaining and the time there watching it just fly by so quickly. The story and the way that it is set up right from the beginning is very clever. Not to mention the extremely catchy tunes in the show courtesy of course of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. I always feel on such a high when leaving the theatre after seeing a great show. We then headed back to the hotel to have a drink and a chat before bed. A truly memorable weekend. Massive congratulations to my mum and dad on their forty years together.

I mentioned previously that I was reading John Bishop’s autobiography “How Did All This Happen”. Well I have now finished it and it was a very interesting read. There are some slightly odd things that happened in his life, many of which had already been revealed in interviews and on television shows that he has appeared on. The funniest thing possibly, ironically is that he only started doing comedy to take his mind off his marriage problems and because he could have nights out on his own without getting his friends out. Who were all married and settled down with children.

Then he almost seemingly accidentally got quite good, pretty quickly. And shot up the rungs of the ladder to getting paid to do big gigs. Which he continued to do alongside his very well paid sales job. Until it reached the point where something had to give. So with no guaranteed work. He left his well paid job to try and make it as a full time comedian. Sometimes in life you have just got to throw caution to the wind, bite the bullet and follow your dreams. It certainly worked out well for him. And speaking as someone who also left a pretty well paid job to move in to radio fourteen years ago. When I had nothing at all lined up to do. It does make life a lot more exciting and I have not regretted it for a second since.

I finally got round to watching the latest Lee Mack stand up comedy DVD, that I was given for Christmas, last weekend. I do like him and think he is brilliant on Would I Lie To You. In the last episode of the current series. They had the wonderful June Brown on. She admitted to once going skinny dipping with Letitia Dean. When they were on holiday together in Spain. That revelation came as no surprise to me as I was lucky enough to meet June backstage at T4 On The Beach in Weston-Super-Mare one year. And then during that conversation see told me that she often sun bathes naked in her friends back garden. Quite how this came up while were talking I have no idea, but I don’t think I have watched EastEnders since.

I am also a fan of Lee Mack’s sitcom Not Going Out. There are some very clever and very stupid jokes in equal measure in that show. And I appreciate them all. Anyway his latest live show “Hit The Road Mack” was very funny, and like all the top comics he very much has his own style on stage. I have also read his autobiography. And it is also quite interesting how he ended up in comedy and how his sitcom actually came to be made.

I am still spending time at Wembley Stadium and I narrowly missed bumping in to another comedian there the other week. I was there during the day and then later that evening Chris Ramsey was there doing a corporate gig in one of the function rooms. For a well known chain of restaurants, which he does seem to enjoy using when he is out on tour. I only know all this because I follow him on Twitter. I am not stalking him. Although I did see him live at the Queens Park Arts Centre in Aylesbury a couple of years ago. He was doing a warm up gig for his Edinburgh Festival Show. As part of the excellent Tringe Festival.

It is a nice little venue for comedy and it was a fun night. The show was very funny and I thought he was really good, coming across as being very friendly. Which made for a lovely atmosphere in the room. At that point he was just at the stage where he was starting to do a little bit of television here and there. While now he regularly appears on lots of different panel shows including Celebrity Juice and he was in the sitcom Hebburn, which ran for two series. Now he is just about to start recording a pilot episode of his own brand new television Show. He seems like a top bloke, so I hope that all goes well for him.

I was in central London the other day for a couple of meetings and to do a few bits and pieces. While I was there I did manage two celebrity spots. I walked past the well respected film critic Mark Kermode by New Broadcasting House. Which would make a lot of sense, as he does do quite a bit of work for the BBC. Then a bit later on just off Drury Lane I saw Duncan James from Blue getting out of a cab in front of me. He has done some musical theatre, so as he was in that area I wonder if he is lining up something else along those lines for himself.

I had a spare hour so I thought I would try and inject a bit of culture in to my day. So I went in to the National Portrait Gallery. Which have to confess after five minutes of looking around, I decided it was not for me and left. The exhibits I saw were good but art and photography have never really been my thing. I mean I still can’t even manage to colour within the lines now. If we all liked the same things in life it would be boring I guess.

On the way to BBC New Broadcasting House

I am delighted that my football team Tottenham Hotspur have made it to the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea on Sunday 1st March. I watched both legs of the semi final and as ever we made it difficult for ourselves and at the same time very exciting. I have said it before and I will say it again with the huge range of different emotions you experience as a Spurs fan during a game supporting them is bad for your health. I did have a very slight conflict of interests in the game with the League One team Sheffield United, as I am a shareholder in the club. This is because about twenty years ago a mate convinced me and another friend to invest a little bit of money in the club. He said they would get to the Premiership and we would make some money.

So we each put in one hundred pounds and bought some shares. And to be fair Sheffield United did make it to the Premiership but we did not make any money. In fact the only reason we still have the shares still is because they are worth so much less than we paid for them currently. That there is no point in cashing them in. Therefore I was very much one hundred percent behind Tottenham as I always am in all games. I am now really looking forward to the final and hoping to be there in the crowd cheering them on to victory.

This weekend I am catching up with a mate of mine for a slightly crazy two part plan. He used to work at Mix 96 in Aylesbury, so is coming back to visit the town on Friday. To have a look round and see a few people he knows.Then in the evening we are off to a birthday party in Oxfordshire. Before heading up to Liverpool on Saturday to go out there and celebrate his birthday. I do always have a great time up there, so it is sure to be fun. But it is a whistle stop one night only outing as I have to be back at a reasonable time on the Sunday. I am thinking may be I should hire a tour bus for the weekend.

I’m off to see the first episode of a brand new ITV2 show being filmed next week. It is a new comedy panel show from the producers of Celebrity Juice hosted by Stephen Mulhern with Emma Willis and Joel Dommett as team captains. They will be joined by celebrities and reality stars to discuss and dissect the latest happenings in all things reality TV. Which is why the show is called Reality Bites. It is always interesting to see new ideas and programmes, to see if they work or not. I will of course know if that is the case or not with this one in a few days time.

I am looking forward to attending one of the London auditions for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent at the Dominion Theatre. As a long time admirer of Ant & Dec I can’t wait to see them live for the first time, well on stage at least. I did see Ant McPartlin in a nightclub in Oxford many years ago. It will be interesting what I think of seeing the acts do their thing in a random order and it does mean I will see all that is on offer not just the stuff deemed good or in some cases bad enough to make it into the edit and on to our screens. I will tell you what the experience was like next time we speak.

Neil Quigley TV Radio & Live — Neil Quigley TV, Radio & Live

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

Neil Quigley Presenter