Tag Archives: Edinburgh Festival

Buddy Good Time

September 3, 2022 Neil

Recently my girlfriend ended up looking after her niece and nephew for a night. I went round to her place to assist with my plan being just to give her moral support. However when I arrived I found myself straight away playing with some miniature skateboards and a toy skate ramp. I am not saying the child in question was taking things too seriously but his boards had grip tape on them. It reminded me of the full size skateboard I had as a kid and also how bad I was at it. I could not do any tricks, I never went anywhere near a ramp and I could only just about stay on it. To be honest I have no idea why I actually bothered getting one. Other than they were I guess one of the cool things to have when I was a kid.

I then found myself doing some drawing with the girl. She is only seven but a brilliant artist so it put my stick men efforts to shame. Inspired by my art we did play a few games of hangman. Next it was time to get the tablet out to play some Candy Crush, which I possibly enjoyed a lot more than I should have. I did manage to get a break for good behaviour so I could eat my dinner with Lynda. She had done us Greek style chicken kebabs and chips, which tasted amazing.

After the food her niece was asking if she could paint my fingernails, happily we reached a compromise deal where I let her tape bright bits of paper on to my hand instead. When it was time for bed she asked me to read her a bedtime story. I do not need to be asked twice to read out loud and entertain somebody. The book was selected and I put on the performance with different voices for all the characters of course. I must have been very good as she fell asleep almost instantly as soon as I had finished reading. By the end of the book I was about ready to drift off myself to be honest.

We returned the children to their parents the next morning and decided to head to London for the afternoon as it was a nice day. With no real plan in mind we hopped on the train after midday. On arrival we decided to head to Carnaby Street for a look around the shops there. It is of course very thirsty work looking at clothes so we stopped for a drink in the sun outside a pub that just happened to have my favourite gluten free beer.

Then we decided to head across the river and have a stroll along the south bank which again resulted in us having another drink in the sun although this time it was a soft one. While we were there we decided to go and have some food at the Cote round the corner from where we were at Festival Hall. They are coeliac accredited and do nice food so from my point of view there is nothing not to like. We had a very nice and civilised dinner. It was a very relaxing afternoon enjoying the summer in the capital.

I have been to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a couple of times in the past. Unfortunately I did not manage to get there this time around. It is a brilliant event and you never have enough time to see everything you want to. I normally spend a long weekend there which means I get in two and a half days of comedy. On average I watch five shows a day, starting at midday and some days going beyond midnight. Obviously I do have a couple of breaks for food.

It is so tough working out the schedule for the day. I normally book tickets for each show so I know I can get in and so that I can space them out so I can get between the venues in time. There are gigs all over the city so it can on occasions take say forty minutes to get from one place to another. One of the highlights from my last visit was a late night adult’s only show by Basil Brush. That was great fun and on after midnight.

I try to get the balance right between seeing the new shows of comedians I really like and discovering new people who I have not seen perform before. Well done to a mate of mine Olaf Falafel who managed to get two of his gags in the top ten jokes of the Fringe competition run by the television channel Dave. Although he did actually win it last time that the audience poll was run.

I plan to hopefully go along for a few days next year. The atmosphere is ace and it is lots of fun. Many well known established comedians make the journey up there and of course make a bit of money out of their shows but there are plenty more upcoming comics who will struggle to get an audience and will lose money. Therefore if you ever go try to see a wide selection of acts, you never know you might discover someone up and coming before they hit the big time and you can say you were there supporting them from the start.

I hope you had a nice Bank Holiday weekend. Mine was relatively quiet and relaxing. Lynda and I have had some very busy weekends recently and we have some more to come, so we thought we would take it easy for a change. On the Saturday we walked along the canal near where she lives and found a bar with outside space that served my favourite gluten free beer. It was a nice day so we stopped there for a few drinks. Then we went back to hers’ to enjoy a nice bottle of red wine and a delicious meal that she cooked for us.

On the Sunday my mate Adam was playing in a cricket match about fifteen minutes down the road, so we went along to watch him for a bit. I cannot remember the last time I had previously seen any live cricket. It was just a friendly game that he was playing in. He opened the bowling for his side and got a wicket with the last ball of his first over. He is a much better cricketer than me. I have only ever been involved in two proper games in my life, one was at school and the other was a celebrity charity match on Dorset with Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall.

The club where he was playing had a second floor bar with a balcony so we got a soft drink each and watched the action from there. We stayed for a couple of hours and we saw him bowl a few more overs although it is fair to say they were not quite as successful as his first one. We had a quick chat with him during the lunch break before heading off so I could watch the Spurs game on TV. Sadly for him that meant that we missed him bat and top score for his team with 34 runs, although his side did lose in the end.

Then that evening we went for dinner at the local Prezzo. Obviously the main reason we went there is that they are coeliac accredited, but they do actually have a good selection of gluten free meals to choose from. It is not that often I get the chance to have garlic bread so when I saw a gluten free version of it as a starter, I had to have that. That was followed by a pasta dish and the meal was finished off with some cheesecake. Before we ate we both had a cocktail, well they were on a two for one deal so it would have been rude not to. I had a spiced rum punch which was really nice and refreshing.

When we got back we ended up watching Ricky Gervais’s latest Netflix stand up special Super Nature. It was good and I enjoyed it but it did seem to almost include exactly the same topics as his previous one. Plus it did appear to borrow a small section from some old Billy Connolly material, which to be fair to him could have been totally coincidental. It did make me laugh quite a bit, though.

On the Bank Holiday Monday we went for a walk at the Ashridge Estate. It was the first time I had been there. It has lots of routes to take of varying distances. We ended up taking a stroll to Ashridge House which is somewhere Henry VIII and Elizabeth I both owned and used. It is a very impressive building. We stopped for a cup of tea in the courtyard cafe they have there before retracing our steps and returning to the car. It was a chilled out weekend and I felt refreshed and ready to go again after it!

Jerry Allison, whose drumming featured on Buddy Holly’s influential hits, has died at the age of 82. As part of The Crickets, he co-wrote songs like That’ll Be The Day and Peggy Sue, earning him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I must confess I am a big Buddy fan and have seen the musical about his life at least five times. He wrote so many great and catchy songs in such a very short space of time. Inspiring Don McLean to write American Pie about the tragic plane crash that killed Buddy, Ritchie Valens as well as The Big Bopper. If you get chance this weekend listen to a bit of Buddy Holly you will not regret it!

The win at home against Wolves a couple of Saturday’s ago was crucial to our season. If we had lost that match the hard fought for point the previous week at Chelsea would have all been for nothing. We have started the season well. We look mentally and physically stronger and have made a few great additions to the squad. Plus with Conte in charge I do feel that we can achieve something. We managed to win at Nottingham Forest and drew away at West Ham United, which is always a difficult game for us. I am looking forward to going to see us play Fulham this afternoon. It will be another tough one but they all are, hopefully we can get the win we need.

Last Tuesday night I went to a Prom at The Royal Albert Hall that was part of the BBC’s season of concerts. A mate of mine got two very reasonably priced on the day tickets so we went along. It is a venue I really like. The look and feel of the place is magical and the acoustics there are amazing. It was a specially commissioned one hour long soundscape in the form of a concept album. It was both audio and visual and featured a band along with the full orchestra. The idea behind it was one hundred years of the BBC, as it is the corporation’s centenary year. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I thought it was extremely well done and I even found it a little inspiring.

I have now been back at BBC for just over a year as one of the scheduling team for Radio 4 and 4 Extra. It is good fun working closely with the producers and announcers. The whole team are brilliant!

A reminder that you can listen to me every Saturday afternoon between 2pm – 4pm on Radio Ninespringshttps://www.radioninesprings.co.uk/

Today I am going to Pub in the Park in Chiswick. It is a food, drink and music event. I will tell you what it was like next time we speak.
Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.

Edinburgh Fringe 2019

August 31, 2019 Neil

It is no secret that I am a massive fan of comedy in all of its many forms. I have in the past done a little bit of stand up myself. This is something I still hope to do more of at some point in the future. It is great fun to do, if not a little bit terrifying. Having tried it I have huge admiration for anybody who gets up on stage and tells jokes. It is not as easy as many of the world’s comics make it look. But the buzz you get when it goes well is possibly unbeatable.

Last year I made my first ever visit to the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I had such a brilliant time, that I headed up to the Scottish capital for a few days once again this August. The whole thing runs for around three weeks. I went for a long weekend, around the half way point. The city is totally rammed with people. As not only is it a great tourist attraction in its own right. But the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is also on. Not to mention the World’s biggest Arts event that I was in town for.

Therefore it does pay to have a great deal of patience and a decent sense of humour. Which I think is also a useful thing to possess when attending a comedy festival. The plan for my trip was to try to see as many shows as I possibly could. I decided to take the train this time, having flown previously. On the journey up there this did not quite go completely as I intended. I got the train from my home into Kings Cross in London, which went fine.

Somehow when at Kings Cross however I managed to get on the late running 10.30am train. Instead of the 11am departure that I had pre booked my seat on. In my defence there was nothing on the board at the platform but people said the train was going to Edinburgh. I had no idea previous train was late. I thought I was just getting on a little bit early. When I got to the seat printed on my ticket it did not match my journey. I thought at this point the train company had made the mistake, not me. It was not until we pulled away ten minutes before we were due to leave, that I realised I was on the wrong train.

Neil Quigley standing on the train to Edinburgh

The guard kindly let me stay on and complete my journey. But it did mean that I had no guaranteed seat now. I ended up standing by the toilets until we reached Darlington and a place became free. Not the ideal start to my Fringe experience. But in a way it was fitting that as I was going to a comedy festival, my travel plans were turning into a scene from a sitcom. That was the sort of thing that Mr Bean would probably do, as it happened the train I was now on was running late. So I arrived in Edinburgh about an hour later than I was supposed to anyway, despite accidentally catching an earlier train.

On arrival I walked straight to my accommodation. I never went to University so never got the chance to stay in student digs. Edinburgh is a massive place for study now. Therefore is full of such buildings. I figured I only needed somewhere basic to sleep, as I would be at gigs most of the time. I booked a room in some student flats. It was pretty simplistic but did have a bed, shower and a toilet. That was all I really needed. As I checked in at the front desk the member of staff I spoke to was also from Buckinghamshire, small world.

Before I went exploring I quickly nipped out to the local shop to get some emergency supplies for the room, two big bottles of water and a packet of Jaffa Cakes. Which I believe is what Bear Grylls packs in his survival back pack. The Edinburgh Fringe has a great website on which you can book tickets to all the shows. Pay for them on line and then pick them up from various box offices around the city. I had two shows organised for that evening. Which I grabbed the tickets for at a ticket outlet on the Royal Mile.

I just had time to have a quick Lasagne and chips at Pizza Express. Then I made my way to my first gig of the weekend. That was Paul McCaffrey and his current show “Lemon”. I had seen him do some new material at the Old Rope Comedy Club in London and had really enjoyed it. Therefore I was looking forward to seeing his full show. It was excellent. He is a very personable and likeable performer, who is very funny. Hilarious jokes and spot on observations. He was at one of the many Underbelly venues. It was the perfect start to this year’s Fringe fun!

There are lots of very different venues all over Edinburgh. A lot of the bigger ones have several rooms in the same place, different bar areas and food outlets. My favourite one of these is the Pleasance Courtyard. They always have amazing acts on and I like the feel and atmosphere of the place. It is somewhere that I would tend to hang out at if I had some time between the shows that I was seeing.

It was there I headed for my next gig. That was Alun Cochrane with his “Brave New Alun” show in the Cabaret Bar. I have been listening to a lot of the Frank Skinner podcasts recently. Alun is on with Frank, which is one of the reasons that I went and saw him. I was aware of him prior to his new association with Absolute Radio. His show was fantastic. The content was properly funny. And as it happens I agree with the way he views comedy and also the intricacy of the current climate. When you are telling jokes with no other thoughts or angle other than just simply trying to make people laugh.

After a pint and a Crepe filled with Lemon and Sugar I called an end to night one and returned to my student flat to get some sleep. Not sure I missed out not going to University. I was disappointed to see that there were not any parties to attend when I got back to where I was staying. I got a decent night’s sleep. In the morning my first job was to work out what shows I was going to see that day and to book all the tickets for them online.

The intention for my two full days there were to witness five shows a day. Before I left the flat on Friday morning I had all of that day’s gigs sorted. The first one started at midday. I had to grab breakfast on the way there, so I let the golden arches and Ronald the Clown take care of that for me. My first gig of day two was Michael Legge and his new show “The Idiot” on at the Stand Comedy Club. He was drawn to my attention by other comedians mentioning him on Twitter. Reading a few of his observations online convinced me to see him.

He was brilliant. He does have quite an angry and aggressive style of delivery but it’s all carefully constructed and very funny. At first I did not share his radical views on the many silent disco groups around. However as the weekend went on and I kept getting trapped in the middle of them. I quickly came round to his way of thinking. This one is possibly not for the faint hearted with some of the subjects that he mentions but I loved it.

Next it was a bit of a gear change as I headed off to The Pleasance Dome to see “Late Lunch with Biggins” I met and interviewed the legend that is Christopher Biggins, when I was working at Ivel fm in Somerset. Not long after he won I’m A Celebrity. He is such a nice and lovely person. His show at the Fringe this year is a kind of chat show. He is introduced on stage and starts off by telling a few jokes and a few stories from his long and varied career.

Then one by one he brings on his three guests. At the performance I was at these were the super talented impressionist Ronni Ancona, who was ace. Then we had one of the stars of The Tap Pack dance show. And finally a Scottish Chemistry teacher who is also a LGBT activist. Whose school does a lot of great work in that area. It was a really enjoyable and very funny show. Biggins knows and is friends with the whole of show business. He has some great anecdotes. I mean anyone who can name drop Frank Sinatra, gets my vote.

In between shows I was just grabbing quick drinks and some food. If you want to maximise the amount of things you see, it is advisable to stick to a tight schedule. The next comedian I saw was the wonderful Hayley Ellis. The reason I went to see her is that she recently was the support act for Sarah Millican. And I spotted her recommendation. I was really pleased I caught her. She was fantastic. I thought she had a lovely manner and style about her, very likeable. Her show is called “Nobody Puts Hayley in the corner”

I would definitely recommend you go and see it if you can. It is real, honest and expertly put together. She is certainly somebody to keep an eye out for. I suspect and hope that you may hear about her more over the next couple of years. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. I even got to slightly join in at one point, which I like. Plus there was a chance of sustaining an injury at the end. Which I suspect would of been a unique incident even for one of these no blame, no claim sort of places.

Show number four was to see a lovely comedian whose work I have been aware of for many years. We follow each other on Twitter. And have had occasional interaction on there. But up until this point I had not seen him perform live. He is Tony Cowards and his show is called “Stepdad Jokes”. He is a classic one liner comic and possibly the king of the puns. Add to that the fact that he is such a friendly and totally inclusive performer. It was a joyful experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It contains lots of not only very funny but very clever jokes. One of the other comedians mentioned this at a later date but there does seem to be a high number of Doctors in the Fringe Audiences. There were two at this gig for starters. They must love their comedy. I managed to have a very quick chat with him after the show, which was great. He gigs all over the country. If you get the chance do try and catch him.

The final show on day two of my Fringe was one I did not think that I would get to see as her normal daily shows had sold out. Luckily for me she was doing a couple of extra weekend only performances. And I managed to get a ticket for one of those. I had seen this lady host a night at the Old Rope Comedy in London a few years ago. Her show in Edinburgh last year got excellent reviews. And this latest one was possibly going down even better. Maybe helped a bit by her winning appearance on the last series of the Dave TV Show Task Master.

I am taking about the hilarious Lou Sanders. Her latest show is called “Say Hello to Your New Step Mummy”. I got a front row seat to enjoy the action. It was totally brilliant. She is extremely funny and unique in her style and her material. I can guarantee you there are no other comedians doing jokes on some of the topics she covers. Personally I love the way she portrays herself on stage. The jokes and writing are very clever. It all just works. She is on the up and up at the minute. It comes to London at the Soho Theatre in a couple of months. Go and see it and have a bloody good laugh.

I rounded off the night in a bar listening to some live music. I caught the end of a band and then the first couple of songs of a guitar based trio. Both were ace and made a nice accompaniment to the final pint of Peroni that I was enjoying. After which it was then time to head off home to get some sleep. To be ready for another five show day on the Saturday. I was still a man on a mission.

As previously, I booked all my shows online and then collected the tickets when I reached the City Centre. The first thing I was going to see did not start until 12.30pm. Therefore I had slightly more time for brunch. So I found a really nice cafe near the Gilded Balloon area. Where I had scrambled egg on toast with bacon and a big pot of tea. This set me up nicely for the adventures ahead.

I decided to take a brief break from comedy and see a musical show. Being a fan of country music and a huge admirer of this lady. I went to see “The Dolly Parton Story”. It featured a guitarist and a female singer, unsurprisingly. There were pictures and a narration of her life story up on a big screen on the stage with the duo performing Dolly Parton songs, as the narrative progressed. It was nicely put together and very informative. I honestly learnt quite a lot of things that I did not know about her life and career.

The stars of the show were of course the two performers. They did a fantastic job doing those hugely well-known songs. I was a little bit concerned before it started as her songs are tough to sing. But the twenty-one year old singer nailed them brilliantly. I will let you in to a little secret “Coat of Many Colours” always makes me cry, it always has and I suspect it always will, every time I ever hear it. There was a nice feel to the show. It ended with us all up on our feet singing and dancing along to “9 to 5”. A perfectly performed show. It was a very enjoyable start to my final full day in Edinburgh.

I have mentioned this before but I did a Stand Up Comedy course in Tring with Logan Murray, seven years ago now. One year before I did it, the man I went to see next did the same. He was a compere on the night I made my Tringe debut. Plus I have actually gigged with him on a couple of occasions. He always went down a storm. I went and saw him do his show last year. And I was really looking forward to seeing his latest offering this time around.

His name is Olaf Falafel. If you think that sounds familiar that might be because he won the Dave TV Channel Joke of the Fringe with his “I keep randomly shouting out Broccoli and Cauliflower, – I think I might have Florets” Which is from his show “Knitting with Maracas” He has featured in the top ten list for the last three years now, so you have to say he is consistent.

I ended up sitting on the front row for what was a sold out show. It is fair to say his comedy is very surreal and involves a large amount of audience interaction. I got asked a few questions, which I replied to admirably. Then I finished up being one of five people on stage with him near the end. Fame at last!

I am claiming that moment as my Edinburgh Fringe debut. Although it basically just involved me firing a cork gun. If you want to know why, you will just have to go and see the show for yourself. He is of course extremely funny and weirdly amusing. He writes clever and ridiculous jokes in equal measure. Bizarre and unexpected things happen. There is a loose narrative. But none of that really matters just submerge yourself in the madness and have a damn good old laugh. On top of all that he is a really nice bloke. Well done on your award mate, bravo!

I then took a couple of hours break from seeing shows, as I had a very important matter to attend to. I had to find a pub that was showing the Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur game on television. Handily I managed to find one nearby that fulfilled this need. Blimey what a game! City were all over us, we sneaked a few goals to level it up. And thanks to VAR we somehow got a point from that match. I did not have time to analyse it much as I had to go and grab a quick bite to eat before going to see my next gig.

It was back to the Pleasance Dome for this one to see Seann Walsh. If you are not familiar with his comedy you may well know him from his appearance on the last series of Strictly Come Dancing. This does feature heavily in this new show which is called “After This One I am Going Home. It focuses on a weekend last Autumn where a silly and stupid mistake caused his world to pretty much fall apart. Granted it sounds pretty bleak but it is a very funny and honest show. Detailing how things in his life lead him to that moment and more shockingly in many ways what has happened to him since.

It is quite a raw and emotional show featuring some insights into his career and life, his love and clear passion for comedy and also some very good impressions. His time on Strictly does appear to have may be subtly altered some of the usual demographic at his gigs. This act is a work of theatre as much as a straight forward stand up show. As with lots comics he makes very good points about the world and life in a funny and amusing way. It is an extremely entertaining show. That will totally make you laugh, as you would expect from a man of his calibre.

Next it was a brisk ten minute walk back to my favourite venue the Pleasance Courtyard to see someone who has become a bit of a cult figure in Edinburgh. His show this year is celebrating his tenth year at the festival. I had seen him take part in a comedy shorts show the previous year. But this was the first time I was to see one of his full shows in person. He is Marcel Lucont and his show is called “No Dix”

He is a very suave and sophisticated “Frenchman”. Who appears on stage drinking Red Wine and this time backed by a three piece Jazz Band. He sings a few parody songs, does some monologues over the music and talks to the audience quite a bit. Plus at this particular gig he expertly dealt with a latecomer creating a delightfully funny chat with him very much having the upper hand.

As it was an anniversary show at the end he was taking requests for previous routines that he had done in his time appearing here. I very much enjoyed his show. It was not the kind of thing I would normally go and see. But he had me laughing all the way through it. He maybe reminded me of how I act after a few glasses of a decent Red Wine.

The final show of my Edinburgh Fringe for this year took me back to my childhood. From a very early age I had been a big fan of this star. I have fond memories watching them on television as a kid. I am now of course an adult, which is why a show at quarter to midnight called “Basil Brush Unleashed” seemed far to good to miss. It was on at one of the Underbelly Venue’s. I was actually quite excited as I made my way in. I managed to get a seat four rows from the front with a great view of the stage.

Like the Biggin’s show it was set up as a kind of variety chat show. It features some fun and spoof videos. Which were played on the huge screen on stage. Basil appeared to a massive roar at the start. He then introduced his new “Mr”, who happens to be former Britain’s Got Talent finalist Martin Cable -Reid. He appeared on that show as Kevin Cruise. But now is back being a version at least, of himself as Basil’s partner in crime.

Somebody I used to work with is very good friends with him. In fact I believe he is a godparent to her children. He was brilliant and played his role perfectly. As it was the late night show there was lots of silly messing about. And of course some things and words that you would not normally expect Basil to say. That just made them even funnier. The guest was the wonderful musical comedian Vikki Stone. There are a few parts involving audience participation. The last of which predictably does not end well for “Mr Martin”.

I thought it was hilarious and amazing to finally see Basil live. Boom Boom! He gives us his own tribute to a well-known singer for the finale. There is no way that you cannot leave this show in anything other than a good mood. It was then time to head back for my final night as a student. And to finish off those Jaffa Cakes.

The next morning I got up, packed and then headed for a full English breakfast at the cafe I went to the day before. I am very much your if it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of guy. I then had a nice walk around the grounds of Edinburgh Castle followed by a quick visit to a few gift shops. Before it was time to get on the correct train and sit in my reserved seat for the journey back to London.

I had a brilliant time at the Festival. I managed to see twelve shows in total in the three days that I was there. Which I was pretty pleased with. It is a wonderful City. That always has lots of things going on. I am already looking forward to returning once again for next year’s Fringe.

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

Edinburgh Fringe

August 17, 2018 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really good couple of weeks. I spent one week recovering from my epic trip to America. Learning to live in England again. While getting used to working and not spending all day sightseeing. Then once I was in the groove again. I went up to Scotland for the weekend.

I had wanted to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a long time. I managed to find a gap in my schedule. That fitted in with the month long event. Well a few days of it at least. When I was considering the idea. I stumbled across what I thought was some reasonably priced accommodation. So I booked it up online there and then. And the decision to go was made.

I then had to work out how to get there. I was thinking of the train at first. But I only had a few days. And that mode of transport would of have eaten in to my time. In the end I decided to fly from Luton to Edinburgh. I managed to find a suitable return flight with Easy Jet.

I knew a few people who were performing there. Who I had met through the Comedy Night. I did as part of the Tringe Festival, six years ago. That is the point where my interest in going to Edinburgh increased further. But it still took me all this time to make it happen.

I flew out from Luton late on the Thursday afternoon. Thanks to a small delay with the flight. I did not arrive in Scotland until after six. As I wanted to get to the Bed and Breakfast. As quickly and easily as possible. I had ordered a meet and greet Taxi.

He was meant to be there waiting with my name on a board. When I got there. He wasn’t. It took me a good ten minutes to find him. Mind you when I did. He was holding the board with my name on. I will be honest it was not as magical, as I Imagined. I thought it might be a bit like Love Actually. But it very much was not.

Anyway we got through the Edinburgh traffic. He dropped me off at the Bed and Breakfast. That I had blindly booked on price alone. I did think it looked possible to walk to the City Centre from there. Once I did a little bit more research on the place just before I went.

I was met by the owner. Who was brilliant. He checked me in. And then offered to run me in to town in his own car. I cannot see Basil Fawlty doing that. I dumped my bag in the room and off we went. It was possible to walk there in about twenty minutes. But this was my first night. And as time was very tight. I wanted to get things going a soon as possible, so I accepted the lift.

He dropped me just before the Royal Mile. I needed some food. The first place I saw was a Pizza Express. So I was straight in there to get myself a table. A few days before I left I had made a list of a few acts I would like to see, if I possibly could. I wanted to see one show on the first night. I chose to see Gary Delaney from my list.

While I was waiting for my food. I ordered a ticket online for his show. The more well known comedians tend to sell out. So turning up at the venue and hoping for a ticket is risky. It is easier to book it online. There are several places where you can print out and collect your tickets. One of them was near me on the Royal Mile. I finished my Pasta dish. Then went to find it.

My first experience of the Royal Mile during the Festival was crazy. It was packed with people, street performers and littered with small stages with things happening on them. I located the ticket place and went in. A very helpful lady showed me what I needed to do to print out my ticket. She also gave me a handy map featuring all the venues. And she scribbled the route on it. That I needed to get to where Gary Delaney was playing later.

He was at the Pleasance. Which is one of the main venues. Of which there are about four or five. They all have multiple rooms of differing sizes at the same location. They are all surrounded by their own little village’s with bars and food outlets. Plus seats and tables to meet people at. I got there in good time for the gig. So I thought I would try a pint of the Edinburgh Festival Ale. Which was actually pretty nice, to be fair.

The show was in the Pleasance Beyond. The ticket gets you in. Then depending on where you were in the queue. It will determine where you sit. Before the show started. He had some music playing. With jokes from his Twitter feed displayed on a giant screen on the stage. These were already making me laugh. So I knew I was going to be in for a good time.

I had seen him a few times of various television shows. I was also aware of his work from other shows that he has written for. He is married to Sarah Millican. And he wrote for her TV Programme. He is a teller of short, smart and snappy jokes. So reels off a lot of very funny and clever one liners.

He breaks them up a little. By using the screen on stage for a few bits and pieces. He had an actual paper pile of gags. That he had removed from the show for being potentially borderline in taste and decency. Every time a joke got a big ooh from the audience. He selected one of these jokes to read at the end. We were having such a good time. We were just reacting in that way for fun. And to hear some more jokes at the end.

The show was very funny. He admitted himself that he used to be a dead pan comic. But now he is enjoying telling the jokes so much. He even makes himself laugh on occasions. Which I think is great.

It was an excellent start to my first Fringe. I just happened to be outside having another pint of the Fringe Ale. When he left the venue to have a well deserved drink with some friends of his in the courtyard. It is not all rock and roll this comedy.

I saw quite a lot of comedians walking about. While I was there. Most are only doing one or two shows a day. So they have lots of time on their hands. Plus all comics love comedy. So they are also trying to see as many shows as they can. And catch and support all their mates performances.

I saw Marcus Brigstocke, Sarah Pascoe, Nina Conti, Lucy Porter and Hal Cruttenden to mention but a few. I just saw the one gig on the first night. I thought I would ease myself in gently. So after I had finished my beer. It was back to the B & B to grab some sleep.

I was up reasonably early the next day. After enjoying a full Scottish Breakfast. Which appears to be an English fry up. Just in Scotland. I went back to my room to plan my day. I wanted to see Silky’s show called Zuiq. Plus fellow former Tringe Rover Olaf Falafel’s “There is No I in Idiot. And the man behind the Tringe Festival himself Ben Moorhouse. Who is there putting on intimate gigs in his vintage cinema van called Audrey. Under the guise of the Reel Comedy Club. See what he has done there.

I booked tickets for Silky and Reel Comedy via the Edinburgh Fringe website. I also got one for Matt Forde for that evening. I had seen him do a very small warm up gig in Berkhampsted about five years ago. Since then he has got his own television and radio shows. So I thought it was time for me to see him again. Olaf’s show was part of the Free Fringe. No tickets are required. You just arrive at the venue and hope there is room to get in.

I messaged Silky before I left the hotel to tell him I was coming to the gig. He suggested I see Alex Love perform at a venue right next to his. Before his show began. I had the time to do it. So I left for the City Centre. This time taking the lovely walk through the park to get there. I picked up all my pre-ordered tickets for the day. From my now usual box office along the Royal Mile. Then went to where Alex Love was playing.

I managed to get a ticket for his gig there. His show was called “How To Win A Pub Quiz.” The first half was his tips on how to achieve this. With plenty of jokes of course thrown in. The second half. He put us in to teams. And did a little fun Pub Quiz. My team finished fifth. The whole hour was good fun. It was nice to see someone new.

I had about five minutes to get to Silky’s gig. However that was just over the road. So I made it in plenty of time. I have seen him perform quite a few times in Tring over the years. He is always brilliant. I have been lucky enough to have a pint and chat with him to after gigs. He is a top fella. The show he is doing “Zuiq” is a lunchtime reverse Quiz.

He gives the audience Trivial Pursuit Cards. Puts them in to teams. There are then several funny rounds. Where people read out their favourite answer from their cards. While Silky either has to give the correct question or make the audience laugh with his made up one. If he achieves either. He gets a point. Every team can get points. It is in a way the whole room against him. He won!

It is all done in such a fun, inclusive and extremely entertaining way. The atmosphere is so relaxed. He also plays the guitar and sings. So there are some musical interludes.

It is basically just lots of fun. And I must admit it was educational to. I actually learnt a few things. If you are in Edinburgh before the end of the Festival. You must check this out. It is on everyday 1.15pm at The Stand Comedy Club.

Silky is also doing a full stand up show at night. I really wanted to see this to. But annoyingly I simply ran out of time. I really cannot stress how many different and brilliant shows are on up there. You cannot possibly get to see everything you want to. Either because they clash time wise. Or as you cannot get between the venues in time because some of them are so spread out.

Talking of which I only got the chance to have a really quick chat with Silky at the end of his show. Before I had to dash off for the twenty minute walk. To see Olaf Falafel perform at the Pear Tree. I saw him do his previous Edinburgh Show at the Museum of Comedy last year.

So I was looking forward to this new one. It did not disappoint. I have been lucky enough to gig with him a couple of times over the years. He always goes down well with the audience. He has a very good act.

His latest show is funny, amusing, entertaining and surreal. There are some very good and clever actual jokes in it to. He does seem to always manage to get one of his jokes. In the best jokes lists of the Festival.

He is such a confident and assured performer. Which is great to see. I really enjoyed it and would recommend seeing it. If you fancy some silly and joyful fun. I managed to grab a quick word with him after. It was really nice to catch up, albeit very briefly.

Next there was just time to grab a bite to eat in Bella Pasta. Before strolling across Edinburgh to The Assembly Rooms. Where Audrey the Vintage Cinema Bus was parked. I arrived there and grabbed a quick drink. Before seeing its proprietor and curator of comedy Ben Moorhouse. It is a lovely little cosy venue. Their were four comics and a MC on the bill. For the comedy gig that I had booked.

It was basically comedians doing about ten minute set’s. As a bit of a teaser for their full solo comedy shows. They are doing elsewhere. Like everywhere at the Fringe. The atmosphere was fun and friendly. Apart from one bit of good natured heckling from a gentlemen in the audience towards the end. Heckling is actually quite rare at gigs.

I had a catch up with Ben. He was looking very dapper in a stylish waist coast. He was really enjoying the Fringe. And having a great time. Seeing so many comedians come and play in his lovely little mobile venue.

Finally for my fifth and final gig of the day. It was back again to The Pleasance. To see Matt Forde’s “Brexit Through The Gift Shop”. It was a hilariously brilliant show. He is an excellent comedian. And a really good impressionist of Politicians and World Leaders.

His take on Donald Trump. Is truly a thing of wonder. I was even more impressed. As everyday now there is a new political scandal seemingly. So to keep a show like this topical and up to date. He must have to re-write bits of it every other day.

I am not the worlds biggest political expert. But I understood everything he was talking about. And most importantly found it very funny. It was a top hour of entertainment. I am glad that I made the decision to see it. As it is fair to say that there was quite a bit of competition in that time slot. Great fun!

At this point I decided I had probably had enough comedy for one day. Therefore I went to find a couple of bars with some live music. I had a drink in a pub on the Royal Mile. That had a guy playing guitar and singing in. Then I stopped off at the Grey Friars Bobby Pub for one. To see another singer in there on my way “home”.

I am a big fan of Frank Skinner and he used to do a very funny routine. Questioning the loyalty of Grey Friars Bobby. When I was in the pub having my drink. That is the first thing that sprung to mind. After a full day of enjoying live performances. I decided it was time to call it a night.

My first mission on the Saturday was to find a Sports Bar. That I could watch Newcastle against Tottenham Hotspur in. I managed to find one. Which was no easy feat bearing in mind that Hearts were playing Celtic at the same time. Luckily I found a place. That had at least two of their televisions showing the English game. I was very happy with the three points away. We rode our luck but a win is a win. It was a great start my day.

After my Sporting interlude. It was back to the comedy. Before I went to Edinburgh, as I said. I had picked out a few shows. That I would like to see, if I got the chance to. One of these was from a comedian and impressionist. Who also does parody songs called Naomi McDonald. I spotted her gig somewhere. It seemed a bit different. Therefore I tracked down the venue she was playing at and caught her performance.

I thought she was brilliant. Her impressions were spot on. She does a fantastic Fearne Cotton and Katie Price. Plus she does talking and singing Adele impressions. Both of which are amazing, It was a fun and entertaining show. I will definitely keep an eye out for her in the future.

I had about an hour before my next show. So I popped in to a London favourite of mine. And went to Bryon Burger. The service in there is normally very quick. But as they were so busy. It was a bit slower than I was expecting. Which meant I was tight on time getting to my next location.

To make it on time. I had to jog there. It was on the way there. That I decided to get into the spirit of the Fringe. With some Performance Art of my own. As I was running I tripped on the pavement. Shouted “penalty”, for a moment it looked like I would recover and stay on my feet. But then I went crashing to the ground. Somehow I managed to break my fall. And get away with a slight bruise on my hand. All those years watching The Fall Guy, as a kid must have paid off.

I jumped straight back up and continued on my way to see a show. I had been wanting to see for ages. It did a long run in the West End of London. But I never managed to see it there. It won an Olivier Award to. However in Edinburgh. I finally got a ticket. And made it there for the start of the performance.

It was Show Stopper – “The Improvised Musical”. And it was brilliant. It does exactly what it says on the tin. They take the title suggestions from the audience. The audience also get to say where it is set. And they can give four different musical styles that the songs the show contains have to be performed in.

Then it is over to the amazing cast. Who have to improvise a whole sixty minute musical. Making up dialogue and song lyrics on the spot. The one I saw was based around an Australian Hen do. It was ace. I have watched less entertaining musicals. That have been written and produced. The actors are top quality. Super talented people. It is another one well worth seeing. If you do ever get the chance.

Next it was Pete Firman with his latest comedy and magic show. That was brilliant. He is a really funny and likeable performer. And a top quality magician. Prior to this I had not been to a magic show for years. And with this one there was the added bonus of the laughs along the way to.

I grew up seeing Paul Daniels on television. This is possibly the closest I have seen to that. I hope that Pete Firman takes that as the compliment. It is meant to be. It is a feel good show. He is taking it on tour later this year. And it is one you should try to catch. The tricks are great and you will have a good laugh.

Finally I went to The Gilded Balloon. To see the late night Set List Show. This is where four comedians come on to perform a brand new act. But they have no idea what it will include. Until they walk on stage. The subject of each routine. They must do. Is flashed up on the screen behind them on stage. They see it at the same time as the audience do. Then they must try to come up with jokes about it.

It is obviously a little hit and miss. But that is the whole point of the game. It is a challenge for them. And fun for the people watching. The best two on the night were Carl Donnelly. Who opened the show. And Marcel Lucont who closed it. I am not sure if it is something I would like to try. It looked pretty stressful for all of them. But it was a good giggle. And a fitting way to end my first Edinburgh Fringe experience.

There were so many shows that I wanted to see. That either clashed with each other. Or the venues were so far part. That I could not get between them on time. But you cannot go wrong. The chances are anything you see will be entertaining. Plus there is something nice and rewarding in taking a punt on something or someone new and enjoying it. There is so much talent in that City for the month.

After a final night in the Bed and Breakfast. It was time to head to the airport and fly home. I chose to take the Tram there. Which was only six pounds. And actually quite a fun and relaxing way to get to my plane. I had a brilliant time at The Edinburgh Fringe and would love to go back there again. If the opportunity ever arises.

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

Bat Out of Hell

August 19, 2017 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really nice couple of weeks. Mine have been fun and interesting. In a world where we all just seem to be getting busier and busier it is important to make the most of your free time. Therefore the other Monday I did just that, as I enjoyed another evening at the Horse Racing at Windsor. I am a huge fan of the sport and it is always a good fun way of spending a few hours. I like the whole experience from the dressing up, the arriving and getting a race card to try to find the winning horses, to the looking for the best odds in the betting ring before each race.

I generally have mixed results on selecting the horse that is going to shine and be successful in each race. But let me tell you when your horse is in contention coming in to the final furlong that certainly gets the adrenaline pumping and raises the excitement level. It also gives you a nice rush when your horse does win. Sadly for me on this last visit I was not troubling the bookies at all. I did not pick any winners. But it was a great evening of racing with some exciting contests. Which included one race which was won by a horse whose odds were eighty to one. Trust me we all wished we had put ten pounds on that one afterwards but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The atmosphere was good as ever. As Windsor is quite a small course it is very easy to move between the parade ring, the grandstand and the winners enclosure. So you can really follow the story of each race and feel very involved. Plus they do tend to theme each of their events and often put on live music after the racing has ended. This time it was a sausage festival, which I did have to get involved with and sample a few of the flavours on offer. Well it would have been rude not to.

The first football team I joined after begging my dad to get me in, as he knew the manager was Risborough Rangers, my home town team. I was seven years old. I played for them pretty much from the Under ten age group through to the Under sixteen’s. Then I played for the Aylesbury United Youth Team for a couple of years before returning to play for the reserves at Rangers and then going on to make a few appearances for the first team. Before I found radio and swapped football pitches for studios. Now the reason I bring this up is the other week I actually got to watch the first ever club I played for, play in the FA Cup.

They were at home in a FA Cup Extra Preliminary replay against Cockfosters. Who they had drawn with at their place the previous Saturday. It was a Tuesday night and I was free, so I thought I would go down and cheer them on. They play at a ground called Windsors. A pitch that I have played on and scored on many times over the years. It is a really nice set up down there and is a very friendly club. They have two small seated stands for fans and the playing surface is in excellent condition. Plus they serve tea at the tea bar in proper actual cups, which is a huge plus point for me.

Before the game it was great to bump in to so many people I knew. I saw my first ever football manager who would have picked me for my first ever match when I was a kid. He was also the manager of the reserves when I played for them. I also caught up with my manager at the Aylesbury United Youth Team, who then went on to manage the Risborough Rangers first team for many years. He is now the stadium announcer there. While his son has replaced him as manager. I ended up watching the game with my Uncle and another former player, who we had both played with. It was great reminiscing about the old days and talking about how things had changed since our time.

Needless to say none of the players I knew are still playing, so I did not know any of the current side. And it was the first time that I had ventured down to watch them for years. The game itself was very entertaining. It was a competitive and close fought encounter until the away side grabbed two late goals at the end of the first half to lead two – nil going in to the break. Bearing in mind Cockfosters were a league above Rangers, it looked like a big ask for the home side to get back in to the game.

However Risborough pulled a goal back about twenty seconds after the restart. This gave them the momentum and hope to keep going and they were creating some decent chances but were unable to take them. Until they were awarded a penalty with about twenty minutes to go. Which was emphatically converted much to the delight of the home fans. And but for one exceptional save from the home keeper Risborough had the better chances but just could not get the ball in the net. So it went to extra time and penalties. Risbourough lost four-two in the shoot out. But it was a good performance and the town can be proud of the team and players for the effort they put in. I had a nice night, so I might even try to get down and see a few more games there this season.

The Premier League football season is now also underway. It was an interesting and exciting opening weekend with a few surprising results and plenty of goals. It was good to see Tottenham start the season with a win. We have been very slow starters the last couple of seasons, which may have cost us a little at the business end of things. Plus Newcastle’s last game in the Premier League before they were relegated was a big home win against us, which led to Arsenal over taking us in the league on the final day. So I felt we owed them one. Although it does still seem that Harry Kane is unable to score in August. Hopefully he can change that this weekend against Chelsea.

With Spurs playing at Wembley Stadium this season I am hoping to get to as many games as I possibly can. Annoyingly I am unable to attend our first two Premier League matches but I will definitely be at the Swansea game. I am trying to organise a weekend in Liverpool for the Everton away trip to. Whatever happens I am sure it will be a fun and exciting season. I am looking forward to it. Plus who does not like a season that also ends with a World Cup to enjoy. It really has never been such a good time to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan.

Last week I went and saw Bat Out of Hell The Musical at the London Coliseum. It features the music of course of Jim Steinman and many songs that were made famous and originally performed by Meatloaf. It was initially written as a musical before it was then turned in to the classic album that we all know and love. Which this October will celebrate its fortieth birthday. Packed full of big rock anthems, all performed in Meatloaf’s unique and distinctive style. It was huge.

The musical is very futuristic and American in setting and story line. It did remind me a little bit of We Will Rock You in places. But it is very high energy with exceptional staging with great use of props and video imaginary. You can really tell it is a Steinman production. Featuring moments created on stage with occasional nods to Meatloaf videos or his classic performances or even his famous ribbon on his microphone. It is basically a very complicated love story set in a post-apocalyptic world.

The cast are brilliant and each get their chance to shine performing one of the big songs from the show. All the songs fit in nicely with the story and the narrative. And if you were in any doubt as to exactly what some of the songs were about the way they perform them and act them out. They make it pretty clear.

They have kept the arrangement of the songs as close to the original versions as possible in most cases. So it is basically just a rocking good night out. A top show that got a deserved standing ovation, as the cast and audience joined together for a version of its title song to end proceedings. So Rock and Roll dreams can come true.

Up in Scotland currently it is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This is an event that somehow I have never been to but would absolutely love to. I really must get up there one year to experience it or may be even get the chance to perform up there.

There are so many great comedy shows and comedians there currently it is ridiculous. I know a few people who are up there doing shows. These include Silky and Olaf Falafel, who I gigged with at the Roving Comedy Night in Tring last month. They are both brilliant, so if you are at the Fringe you should definitely go and see them.

It seems such an inclusive, wide and varied festival. As you have so many high profile and established comics performing their brand new shows for the first time. Normally before they take them out on a nationwide tour. But you also get so many acts trying to make their mark on the comedy circuit. They hire small venues and put on daily free shows, in the hope they can build an audience or that one of the many industry people there spot them and want to make them the next big thing.

So many comedians have said that Edinburgh really launched their careers and opened lots of doors for them. I would ideally like to spend a week up there and see how many different comedians I could watch a day. I like to laugh as much as possible every day, so I think it would be an amazing experience and most importantly lots of fun. I would imagine you would also meet a lot of fun and interesting people. I will get round to it one day I am sure. I am a great believer of trying to do as many different new things as possible every year and going to this would tick a big box for me, personally.

Did you see any of the World Athletics from the London Stadium? There were some great performances and magic moments. It was lovely to see the place full of people enjoying the athletics. It was a little disappointing to see Usain Bolt and Mo Farrah both bow out of track running with defeats. But you know what, that just shows you how tough it is to achieve what they have and to maintain the level of performance that they have through their careers.

Sport is unpredictable and there are no guarantees. Two legends moving on to other things. Nothing lasts for ever. Enjoy your successes, live in the moment. And if you have given your all except the times when it is just not quite your day. So many good lessons in life can be learnt from sport. I have always thought this.

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

More TV Times

August 22, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy with lots going on. I have been spending a lot of my time recently at Wembley Stadium, showing lots of wonderful people around the place. Which has been fantastic fun. A lot of them have taken on the zip wire challenge and flown across the famous Wembley pitch. I still haven’t and have no intention of doing so. Even though I have been up to the top of it, where it all starts from a few times now to escort people up there.

While at the home of English football there is always a good chance that you might bump in to a few familiar faces. The other day the England Under 21 Manager Gareth Southgate strolled past me on his way to a meeting. For the record he is still an ex-player, who it would seem still keeps himself in shape. Unlike some of them you see. I have previously be lucky enough to come in to contact with the England Manager Roy Hodgson a few times to. He is a top man, polite, happy and friendly. Plus he is always happy to say hello. He is doing a brilliant job with the team securing us qualification to the 2016 European Championships currently.

At Wembley the other week I ended up escorting a film crew from ITV around. They were there to do some filming for a new secret project. Which I believe will be revealed and then shown on television sometime in September. The presenter they were working with was the lovely Andrea Mclean from the TV show Loose Women. She and the whole crew were very nice, friendly and professional in what they were doing. I can’t tell you any more about what took place and what they were up to at the Stadium but keep an eye on ITV during September and you will be able to see for yourself then.

I was lucky enough to catch the final moments, when the England Cricket Team won the Ashes live on television. It has been an amazing series for the home side. Who few thought had a chance of being successful this time round. It is a fantastic achievement. The fact that it was wrapped up with one test still to play makes it even better. The way they played throughout it and the spirit within the side should be totally admired. It was great to watch the players and the fans celebrating together at Trent Bridge. After the victory had been secured. And as someone who is proud of where he was born. It was great to see a man ,who has links with my county Buckinghamshire lifting the Urn for the second time as England Captain. Congratulations to Alistair Cook and the rest of the squad. Nice one gentlemen!

The English Premier League football season is under way. I have joined three separate Fantasy Football League’s. I imagine I will do the same as I do every year. For the next four weeks I will be working hard on them all and concentrating on picking the right team for each match. Trying to score as many points as I can. Then by the end of September. I will forget all about them only to remember again around the end of March. When it will be too late to make any changes and improve things.

My actual team Tottenham have not started brilliantly so far with a defeat and a draw at home. But it is a long season and things will get better. I hope so at least. I am certainly planning on getting to White Hart Lane a few times to see them in action this year. Hopefully in one of the many cup competitions we are in. I fancy a good run in at least one of them. Hopefully with it ending in a Wembley final.

I spent an interesting morning at BBC Broadcasting House in London the other week. I was there to discuss a future work opportunity across a few of the network’s radio stations. This included me getting the chance to demonstrate my skills in one of their space age like and fully digital studios. This was brilliant fun working with some truly talented people. Then followed a meeting to talk about the stations requirements and how I could fulfil these needs operationally across some of the BBC’s most well- known brands. If I can manage to become involved in these ongoing productions. That will be so satisfying to be involved with creating such memorable and sometimes such poignant radio.

On the way to BBC New Broadcasting House

I went to my second cousin’s twenty-first birthday party over in Milton Keynes last Saturday. It was a fun night out. As most of my family live on the other side of Buckinghamshire. One of my Aunties organised a coach for us all. Which I think did slightly catch out the bar staff there, when thirty of us arrived at the place at exactly the same time.

It reminded me of my twenty-first party, which was at our local village hall. I had my mates from my hospital radio station at Stoke Mandeville do the disco for me. Although somehow I remember that I ended up setting up the equipment for my own do, in the afternoon My Uncle also very kindly organised for a singer friend of his to come along and perform for an hour or so. Which was brilliant and really added to the occasion.

It also set the standard that now means at each of my party’s I try to have some sort of act there to entertain everyone. So for example for my thirtieth birthday party I booked a stand up comedian. Who was excellent and went down a storm. I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of years, so I am already thinking about who I could hire to play at that. Going back to last Saturday, it was great to see the whole family enjoying themselves. And we had a fun coach journey home at the end of the evening, with everyone in very good spirits, shall we say.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is currently taking place up in Scotland. It is still an event that I really want to go to one year. Because as a big fan of comedy. The chance to watch so many different comedians in such a short space of time definitely appeals to me. Already so far during my brief stand up career. I have got to meet and work with many different acts. Many of whom take their show’s to the festival every year. And every year it will be a brand new performance with all new material. So they work very hard on them to get them right totally ready for Edinburgh.

One such performer is the hilarious Silky. Who I have seen in action a few times over the last few years at the Tringe Festival. In fact after my first ever gig I gave him a lift back to his hotel. He is a great comic and knows everyone in the business pretty much. He also runs his own comedy clubs to. Keep an eye out for any Kill For A Seat comedy nights in your area. He is storming it up there this year, with his show’s selling out and getting great reviews. Which is brilliant and so deserved. He is a really nice bloke and most importantly very funny. Oh and he can play the guitar to as well you know.

Someone else who is having a great Festival is Maddy Anholt with her show Diary Of A Dating Addict. She worked so hard getting the funding just to be able to put it on there in the first place. So it is great to see her doing so well. She has now had over ten sell out shows in a row and the reviews have been fantastic for it. Four stars from Chortle, no less. Well done to all the performers and audiences at the Festival his year. One year I will definitely get up there probably as just an audience member but may be, just may be as one of the acts. Stranger things have happened.

I am once again looking forward to going to see the annual It’ll Be Alright on the Night programme being recorded at the ITV London Studios in a few weeks. I have always enjoyed the out takes show, since as long as I can remember. I can’t explain why but things are just very very funny when they go wrong on the television. What I like about it, is how many big name stars are perfectly happy to share their bloopers with the world. Showing that they are human and also that they have a sense of humour.

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

The thing I like about actually being there in the studio is that I get to see these mistakes before they are broadcast across the nation. It is now hosted by the brilliant Griff Rhys Jones. Who links it all together in his own unique and entertaining style. It will be as ever a fun few hours just sitting down and having a good old laugh at other peoples expense. I expect it will be shown on the TV either sometime in the late autumn or possibly around the Christmas period. Sorry for mentioning the C word, so early in the year. In fact please forget I mentioned it.

I am also heading off to the Elstree Studios next month to see another episode of Celebrity Juice being filmed. I suspect Fearne Cotton will be missing from this series. As she is currently pregnant with her second child. Last time she was not on the show she was replaced by Kelly Brook. I would not be against this happening again. And her being there while I am. Just saying. Considering what a wild and crazy show it is, the guest list for panellist’s is usually very impressive and often contains some big names from the world of television. So I am hoping for a top line up for it, when I am there.

Still one of my biggest disappointments from working in radio I think. Is the time when I had an interview with Leigh Francis lined up. And then at the last minute due to circumstances beyond both of our control it did not happen. I am a big fan and would have loved to have a chat with him. I do think the way he totally becomes his character creation’s is both brilliant and terrifying in equal measure. Specially bearing in mind what a quiet and totally normal family guy he is in every day life. Or so I have been told anyway.

I am still waiting to hear if I will be involved in the new series of 1000 Heartbeats. I should know by the end of this month if I will get the chance to go toe to toe with Vernon Kay. While trying to keep my cool and my heart rate down. As I am playing the games and answering the questions. To try and win myself some big money. Fingers crossed that I do get the chance to do it. I have actually been stood next to Vernon Kay a couple of times before in the past.

Once backstage many years ago now at T4 on the Beach at Weston-Super-Mare. When he was still the skinniest man in the world. Then the last time was at Wembley Stadium a couple of years ago at one of the NFL American Football games there. This time he had really bulked up as he was playing the game himself for the London Warriors. And taking it very seriously.

I am not sure I have ever seen such a big transformation in body shape. So fair play to him for that. If I do get on the show I think I am going to have to mention that to him. Might also see if he remembers speaking to June Brown in Somerset back on that Summer’s day. As I had a very interesting chat to her that day. One that still haunts me now on the very rare occasions that I watch EastEnders.

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

Neil Quigley Presenter