Tag Archives: Neil Sands

Festival of Fun

April 13, 2019 Neil

Hello again, hope life is good and you are feeling fine. Last weekend was an annual event in my diary. Which I look forward to every year. It is something I first went to more than ten years ago now. I always enjoy any trip to Liverpool. But being there for Ladies Day at Aintree is brilliant fun. We have been doing it for such a long time now. That we have got the whole operation down to a tee.

I travelled up to Liverpool on the Thursday afternoon by train. On the journey I was catching up on the Gary Lineker and Danny Baker Podcast “Behind Closed Doors.” Which they launched at the start of this year. If you are a fan of football stories and banter. Then take a listen. I enjoyed it and it passed the time nicely. As I went through Birmingham on my way to Lime Street Station. On arrival there I walked past and tipped my head to the Ken Dodd statue by the exit. As I always do.

Then it was the short walk to Central Station to get the Mersey Rail to meet my mate at his local station. I feel very at home there. I put that down to my Granddad having grown up in that area. As always my pal meets me from the station. And we head to his local pub. To have a few beers and a catch up. I drink in London often, so there is something almost exciting about being able to buy two pints for less than four pounds.

It is then back to his place. Where thankfully he always lets me stay. As hotel prices in the city rocket in price unsurprisingly during the Grand National Race Meeting. Food and some tea. Accompanied of course by some music. And this time a little bit of Alan Partridge. We do tend to get to bed at a reasonable time ready for Ladies Day itself. The next day.

I do not always, but this year I did treat myself to a new suit. We all dress up. Buying a suit is always an odd experience. As normally the men in those places can take one look at you. Then bring things out in exactly the right size. Something I can never manage. When I am shopping alone. Any way we are all suited and booted. And in a pub just down the road from the famous old course by midday.

Next we head down to the entrance. It is always spectacular when you walk in and see those familiar huge stands. Not to mention the amount of people milling around. As you enter you pass the parade ring. Race horses are such beautiful and amazing animals. We were in the big marquee. It has several bars, some bookies and some huge televisions showing all the races. They also have a live band, who go on in between races. So there is just a big party atmosphere in there all day.

I had three winners, while we were there. Including the first race of the day. Which is always a good start to proceedings. The place is rammed with people having a good time. We leave before the last race. To get ahead of the crowd and get into Liverpool City Centre. If you leave it to late. The queues for the trains are horrendous. We as ever timed it perfectly.

We normally start off in The Jacaranda. Which is yet another place where The Beatles used to play a lot. They have a jukebox and great music in there. So it is always a good laugh. From there we continued the fun in several different bars. As more people we knew, who had been at the races earlier, joined us. We then ended up in an eighties bar finishing the night dancing in there. Once again it was another fantastic day. It is brilliant fun! With good company and venues. Plus a nice vibe to the whole thing.

The next day is of course The Grand National. We also have a bit of a tradition for this momentous event to. We always spend it with my mate’s parents and sister in a lovely pub, near to where they live. It is such a relaxing and fun afternoon. We have a few drinks, a laugh and watch all of the races including of course the big one.

Well done to Tiger Roll on winning it for the second year running, Which is some achievement. I was at Cheltenham when he won so convincing there this year. I must admit after that performance. I knew that he would be the best horse at Aintree. But that is not a guarantee. That you will win it. It was a great race . When he got in front. There was no way that anyone was going to get past him. I am pleased to say that I did have some money on him. Fair play to you if you picked him out to.

I came home on the Sunday afternoon. After yet another amazing weekend. I have already booked to stay with my mate again next year. We did have a drive around the course before I had to head to the station. As you can normally, when there is not a race on, drive down the Melling Road. We did just that and looked back down the course at all those daunting fences. A big thanks to everyone who joined in and made it such a fun and memorable few days. To quote The Beautiful South “You can’t have too many good times.”

I went and saw a brand new show recently. It is starting in the West End before it goes on tour all over the United Kingdom. It stars four Strictly Come Dancing contestants. Three of who won the show and one who really should have done that as well. Or at the very least got a lot further in the competition than he actually did. They are Harry Judd, Louis Smith, Jay McGuinness and Aston Merrigold. The show is called Rip It Up.

It is basically a tribute to the nineteen sixties. It is set up like the American music television programmes. That were on during that decade. Complete with over the top US host. There is a band on stage throughout. A company of brilliant dancers. And the four stars who mostly perform the dances. Either in groups or with a partner. They do also all do a bit of singing. Including Louis Smith. Who then demonstrates what a great gymnast he is in one section. Harry Judd does some drumming. Aston Merrigold throws in some back flips.

It is a nicely put together show. Which features some quality songs and some great dancing. It is good fun. And the audience were up on their feet singing and dancing along by the end. Some bits do feel like they are shoe horned in a little. But it is a brilliant night out. It does not take itself too seriously. It pays homage to a great time in world music. Plus they do have some huge musical stars to help with the narrative. I enjoyed it.

During my time working in radio. I have met a lot of very talented and lovely people. One of these is the wonderful Neil Sands. He toured the country as a professional Wrestler. He was one of the people behind “The Church”. If you ever went to that place on a Sunday afternoon in Kings Cross. As I did on a few occasions. And for many years now, he has been producing and starring in several different touring shows across the country.

His latest show. Brand new for this year is Sentimental Journey. Which I went and saw at the Wycombe Swan a few weeks ago. It is simply a celebration of great music from the forties through to the seventies. It stars Neil himself alongside some other great singers and performers Chelsea Turnbull, Sophie Presley and Szara King. He works with a brilliant backing band called The Golden Times Duo.

He has been a professional entertainer for many years. He has such a nice way with the audience. It is just all so very inclusive and good humoured. Right from the start the audience are encouraged to join in. I took my mum to see it. And we had a very enjoyable afternoon clapping and singing along to all these fantastic songs. Plus any show that features a section on Buddy Holly, Connie Francis and a little bit of Country and Western is always going to be a big hit with me.

It is a show full of memories and nostalgia delivered with love and grace by the cast. It also has a fitting tribute to our armed forces. Which is equally poignant and joyful. I really enjoyed it. As I have all the Neil Sands productions that I have seen. He was sadly feeling a little under the weather. But I did manage to have a very quick chat with him afterwards. It was great to see him. He is such a nice person and extremely talented. Keep an eye out for him and his shows. They are always worth seeing.

I went to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second test event there. Which was a Spurs Legends side against Inter Milan. It was great to see so many former players back in the famous white shirts and on the pitch. It was a quality line up. Some of them had not played for a very long time. While others were a lot fitter. And dare I say still pretty athletic. I was very impressed with Jurgen Klinsman. He was still strutting around the pitch and looking sharp. Also David Howells deserves a special mention for treating it like a cup final. He was taking no prisoners out there.

It was great to see Robbie Keane score and do his famous cart wheel celebration. Always a joy to see Dimitar Berbartov play. Nayim was a bit bigger than I remember. But still very skilful. Great to see David Ginola out there after his recent health problems. But there was one player I was looking forward to seeing the most. It was the man who I remember running our whole midfield and scoring that ridiculous free kick against Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi-final back in 1991 Paul Gascoigne.

He was on the bench to begin with. And sadly in true Gazza style, he had managed to damage his Achilles Tendon in the warm up. But fair play to him. He still came on to a brilliant reception from all the fans. The whole place was singing his name. It was clear that he was not moving very easily, so he only lasted about ten minutes. Before he was then replaced. Still great to see him. What a Spurs and England legend. I wish him all the best in his recovery. The game was a good laugh, even though we lost in the end. It gave me another chance to get settled in to the new home.

Talking of which I was of course there for the official opening and our first league game at the currently named Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The ground opened early. So I took advantage of this by having a pint and a pie there before kick off.

There was a bit of an opening show. We had a local youth choir. Who were ace. They were then joined by the Opera Singer Wynne Evans for a different version of Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur.

At the end of which there was a big fireworks display on the roof. Something I had completely missed until I saw the footage after. I was looking straight at the pitch only, I never thought to look up. So I missed it. Then I could not work out where this smoke was coming from. Before the match had even kicked off. A tweet I posted earlier appeared on the four big screens inside the ground. I was very happy that my name had already been displayed at the stadium. I managed to get a really bad picture of it.

The game itself was a must win. We had to get the three points. To keep in the hunt for a Champions League place. Thankfully after a bit of dogged resistance from Crystal Palace and a slight deflected shot. We managed to score our first senior goal at the stadium. And go on to win the game two – nil. Which felt great. It is a brilliant stadium. I can tell I am going to have a lot of fun going there over the years.

I was at the Champions League Quarter Final First Leg against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The atmosphere in the place was so electric. We won one-nil thanks to another strike from Son. All of the players were immense.

But it is only half time, really. We still have it all to do in the second leg this Wednesday. The only disappointment on what was a very memorable night was Harry Kane going off with an ankle injury. The mood in the ground at full time was delightful.

Huge congratulations to the amazing Charlotte Milchard. Who won Best Supporting Actress at the recent National Film Awards. For her role in Best British Film Scott and Sid. I first met her back in Yeovil in 2004. She was playing the villain in that year’s panto. And although on stage she was terrifying. Off it she was one of the loveliest people you could meet. I saw her a few times over the years performing in Somerset. She always popped in to have a chat on the radio. Which was fantastic.

Since then of course I have been following her career on stage and on screen. It is great spending time in her company. Such a talented and yet humble person. She richly deserves any success that comes her way. I was so happy for her when I discovered she had won this big accolade. A great achievement. It seems she had a wonderful night collecting her award. Which also makes me very happy. Well done Charlotte! A pleasure to know you.

Tonight I am off to see another performer I know compete for an award. I am attending the final of The Musical Comedy Awards in London. To see the excellent Silky perform for the title.

The evening will also feature The Brett Domino Trio. If you not aware of them. They are always good fun. I am looking forward to it. A Saturday night spent laughing at top quality acts. It always a bonus.

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

That’s Entertainment

November 28, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy and very entertaining. A fortnight ago I went along to the last ever Laughing Badger Comedy Night at the Rose and Crown in Hemel Hempstead. It was the final event run by Lee Bryant after three years of putting on shows in the Hertfordshire area.

As I said previously I actually performed at the very first one. Which was headlined by James Redmond at the Hemel Stags Rugby Club. So basically I was the third ever act to appear as part of the brand. It was a fun night and a lot of the audience had stayed loyal with them from the start right to the end. So it was a nice celebration of lots of good fun times.

The final Laughing Badger Comedy Night was hosted by Matt Hake. Who has been performing that role for the last couple of years. Like me he is also from the Tringe Festival Roving Comedy Night production line. Having been taught by the comedy guru that is Logan Murray as well. The line up for the evening included the pretty unique President Obonjo, local comedian Tom Mayhew, the Rev Henry King, the brilliantly funny Filthy Phil and the man of the moment Lee Bryant.

It was then headlined by Stu Turner, who combines comedy with some brilliant magic to very good effect. All the acts I have to say were totally brilliant. The place was packed with happy people up for a good time. It was a fun night. And a very fitting send off to an old friend, I thought.

In the bar next door afterwards there was some Karaoke going on. Now Filthy Phil sings his own very rude parody versions of some pretty well known songs. Which are both hilarious and in parts disgusting. One of the best bits of the night for me was after the gig when Filthy Phil took over the main pub karaoke. To sing one of his versions of a song. The looks on people’s faces were priceless. As you could see them thinking I am sure these are not the right words for this but not properly registering what he was actually singing. Making it a very very different song. Congratulations to Lee Bryant for putting on such a good night. And all the best with your future projects.

A few Sunday’s ago I was at the wonderful BBC Radio Theatre at New Broadcasting House in London to see two episodes of a brand new comedy show called Live at the BBC being filmed for BBC Three. It focuses on mainly upcoming acts who have done well and been spotted at the Edinburgh Festival mixed in with a few more well known comedians. On the afternoon I was there.

I got to see a cracking five minute set from Adam Hess. The whole of Felicity Ward’s last Edinburgh Show. A totally madcap five minutes from Spencer Jones. And finally the whole of James Acaster’s current show. It was a lovely way to spend a weekend afternoon. Inside a great venue and having a good old fashioned laugh at some great new comedy. It will be shown on TV, some time early next year. So do keep an eye out for it.

I attended the England versus France Friendly Football International match at Wembley Stadium. I had my ticket before the tragic events that took place in Paris on the Friday before the game. Once the game was given the go head. I was always going to be there to show my support and respect.

It was I have to admit quite a surreal and at times eerie atmosphere outside the ground and even inside before kick off. But after the two teams walked out of the tunnel. And once the important, poignant reflection and unity was shown. The game kicked off and everything felt right and more normal again.

It was a decent game I thought with England playing some very good football at times. You could of course forgive the visitors, if their minds were not completely on it. But they did well and it made for an entertaining spectacle. The occasion and reflections were of course much more important than the sport being played.

It was nice however as a Spurs fan to see Deli Alli score his first goal for his country. Although it was a bit weird seeing it fly past Hugo Lloris. Good to see Wayne Rooney add to his tally to. A nice night spent watching the game with my Dad. Thinking about family and friends and how important they are in our lives.

I had an excellent afternoon last Friday at the Elgiva Theatre in Chesham seeing Neil Sand’s Christmas Memories. It is a brilliant two and an half hour show. That features so many classic Christmas Songs and carols. That if you do not leave at the end of it feeling very festive you have no soul or festive spirit at all.

It features a very talented cast including the sensational singers Gemma Turner and Chelsea Turnbull plus of course the man himself the great singer and all round entertainer that is Neil Sands. It is a really fast moving show. With something for everyone including a fair bit of comedy as Christmas Memories are shared with an audience very happy to reminisce about this most wonderful time of the year.

It was great to catch up with the legend that is Neil Sands after the performance. He is one of the nicest people you could meet in show business. And he really does put his heart and soul in to his productions. They always do have great singers, great songs and great costumes to. He does tour several different shows around the country every year. So do keep a look out for them at your local theatre. If one is on trust me go and see it. You will have a great time.

It was also lovely to see Gemma Turner again. I met her previously several years ago when she was on tour with Neil in Yeovil. She has an absolutely beautiful voice and is such a top performer. And it was nice to meet Chelsea Turnbull, albeit very very briefly. She is another class vocalist. Who can certainly belt out a tune. I left the venue with a nice warm glow after seeing the show and chatting to the cast.

So this is quite big. Last Wednesday I got to fulfil one of my childhood dreams and play football on the pitch at Wembley Stadium. I was invited to be part of a Football Association Charity Day raising money for Breast Cancer Care. There were several matches running through out the day. Each game lasted twenty-two minutes. I was lucky enough to play in game eight. So wearing my Tottenham Hotspur 1991 FA Cup Final replica shirt. I got to play at the biggest and best sporting ground in the country, if not the world.

It was such an amazing feeling to run out there and then get to perform or at least play a bit at the home of the England National Football Team. I was secretly hoping Roy Hodgson might be there on a scouting mission looking for new players for next summers European Championships but he wasn’t. To think of all the truly great footballers, who have appeared there over the years. And to have now done so myself it is mind blowing. It was a brilliant day and an unforgettable experience.

I do not think I have stopped smiling since. We raised over two-thousand pounds for the the charity. Which is of course the important thing. Although the team I was playing in won three-nil. Which does mean I have an one hundred percent win rate at Wembley Stadium. Which is better than a lot of professional footballers. It was a fantastic honour to do it and I am so thankful for the opportunity to take part. I still have not cleaned my boots yet so they still have some Wembley turf on them.

I have of course still been watching and enjoying the excellent Strictly Come Dancing. It is such a good entertainment programme with a generally positive feel to it. Filled with people trying hard to learn a brand new skill with varying degrees of success. And with extremely close relationships and bonds being formed between the dancers and their celebrity partners. Then there is the genius of those professional dancers. In the way they teach the contestants each different dance so well. And create the choreography and overall spectacle for each performance.

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Last weekend the couple I was supporting Jamelia and Tristan left the competition. I have always really liked her and think she is very interesting and entertaining. If I am honest I chose her before the series started. And being a pop star I thought she might already be quite a natural mover. However this did not necessarily prove to be the case. But you can’t fault her for effort and commitment to the whole thing. I do not want this to sound like sour grapes because my girl has gone. But personally in the dance off last Sunday. I thought her and Tristan’s one off dance was better than Peter Andre’s and Janette’s.

Don’t get me wrong. I really like him. He is a top bloke. A better all round dancer than Jamelia and the two of them do make a great couple. But just looking solely at both dance off performances only. I really did think Jamelia and Tristan should have stayed. The only slight consolation was that the head judge Len Goodman did at least agree with me. I will still be watching the show. It is brilliant fun and all the celebrity’s still in, are fantastic. The competition is so tough this year. I am not going to pick a new favourite pairing. I am just going to support them all equally, that way I can’t lose. Keep Dancing.

I am again loving I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of here. It is my favourite television show. Ant and Dec are as ever on top form conducting the madness and having a good laugh at everyone’s expense including their own. I have met two of this year’s camp mates. Firstly Susannah Constantine who I met at a radio station in Somerset. While she and her fashion colleague Trinny Woodall were being interviewed by a colleague of mine.

The other person is the brilliant Tony Hadley. I first met him when he was promoting his autobiography and he came on my radio show in Yeovil. I have since bumped in to him at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury and at my local fish and chip shop. The last two meetings occurred because he now lives near to where I do. He is such a nice fun, friendly and positive man.Which I personally think is coming across in the jungle in quite trying circumstances on occasions.

It is a really good and interesting cast this year. Full of very interesting characters. I am still very much supporting Tony Hadley and I hope that he can win it. I have to confess that I have never watched Geordie Shore. So I had no idea who Vicky Pattison was when she went in with the other reality TV stars. But I have to confess I really like her. She is smart, funny and a little bit feisty. Plus I can’t explain it but I have always found the accent in a lady shall we say intriguing . So I wouldn’t mind her staying till right at the end. She is not a drama queen and seems to have a great sense of humour.

So I guess what I am saying is that I want Tony and Vicky to be the final two left in there. The other thing I really love about this show is being on Twitter, while it is on. So I get to interact with people all over the country about the show. Which really adds to my enjoyment of it. Specially as hardly any of my friends seem to see it.

Next Sunday I am heading along to the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane to see Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show being filmed. I am pretty sure the guest list for this will be good. So I am looking forward to a great evening spent in the West End in the company of a top comedian. I will let you know what it was like, next time we speak.

My Birthday is approaching so I am making plans and looking forward to celebrating that. It is on Thursday 10th December this year. Just in case you want to send me any cards or presents. I am not sure what I am doing just yet but I will say now that next year’s plans will definitely be much bigger as it is a landmark age then.

I have had some wonderful birthdays over the years. I try not to work on them but occasionally this can not be helped. One year I found myself working with the Drifters on the night of my special day. They were singing as the cabaret and I was djing at a Christmas Dinner and Dance. Which was absolutely the right way round of doing things. Happily I love them and their songs. So it was a great evening.

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

The Sky Bars The Limit

November 14, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy with lots going on. I mentioned previously that a member of the Wembley Stadium management team was leaving. Well on his last day there, they arranged a few drinks in the evening at the Sky Bar at the Wembley Hilton. The hotel is used by a lot of the teams, who play at Wembley. And also by artists who are performing at the Arena next door. It was though the first time that I had been in there.

It is a very cool bar. Which would have wonderful views right across London. If it wasn’t for the great big stadium in front of it. You do get a brilliant view of the stadium. And from that vantage point you can see what a spectacular building it is. It did provide a lovely backdrop for the occasion.

They also had potentially the most addictive bar snacks ever in there. They were like miniature chilli flavoured rice cakes. It was impossible to just have one and walk away. You could not stop helping yourself to at least three or four every time you walked past them. Trust me they seemed to disappear very quickly. Personally I thought they complimented the drinks very nicely but then you would expect that kind of class from a hotel of that calibre.

I was once again working behind the scenes at the final NFL American Football Game of the year at Wembley Stadium between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. It was a fun weekend working with both the teams, VIP guests and the officials from America. Also at the game were the Spurs forward Harry Kane and the singer and actress Alexandra Burke. So I was in very good company. It was great to see the Military Wives performing the National Anthem. They did a brilliant job and looked to be having a good time.

The pre-game show saw Madness perform three of their biggest hits. I was lucky enough to be one of the few people inside the ground when they were sound checking. So it did feel like Suggs and the gang were giving me a bit of a private concert. They were sounding fantastic and as you would expect went down an absolute storm before the start of the game. It was great seeing over eighty thousand folks all doing their best Madness style dancing in the stands.

It was another successful NFL International Series at the home of English Football. There will be at least two matches played at Wembley Stadium next year to. If you ever get the chance go along and give it a try the atmosphere is always electric. The Americans really do know how to put on a great show.

I hope you enjoyed a safe and fun Fireworks Night. For the first time in as long as I can remember I did not actually go to a display this year. As much as I do like them. It was nice to take a break. Owing to working in Radio for over a decade. I have been to and hosted a lot of these big events over the years. I have also sometimes organised the entertainment element of them. So I have booked acts to perform, hired staging plus Sound and Lighting. I have even stage managed a few of them.

Making sure everything goes to time. This normally included having the Fireworks set to music. So as you can imagine the timing on something like that is very critical, to say the least. I have loved every minute of doing them. I had great fun being involved and standing up on the stage, seeing the people really enjoying themselves. But it was certainly a nice and refreshing change to have a slightly less stressful Bonfire Night. This year I just kicked back and relaxed with a nice cup of tea. While watching others’ displays from my window.

I do like live comedy. And I do like to see as many different comedians as I can perform in person. Last week I managed to tick another person off my must see list. When I went and saw Sean Lock do a Work in Progress gig at the Leicester Square Theatre in central London. The last time I was there was about twelve months ago. When I was taking part in a Stand Up Comedy competition myself. It is fair to say that there were slightly more people there to see Sean.

I have seen quite a lot of these warm up kind of shows from many different comics and most bring on bits of paper and books to remind them of their new material. He had a big white board flip chart on stage with him. Mind you it seemed to work a treat as the new stuff he was doing seemed to flow expertly and effortlessly. And most importantly it was very funny.

All of the top comedians do tend to have their own brand and style. So nobody else could do the jokes and material that he does. As it would not really work without his personality and seemingly slightly grumpy outlook on life. They talk about finding your own voice in comedy. That is something all the top performers have. It is not just about telling the jokes. It is about making it sound conversational and natural. It was a top night out. If you have tickets for his tour, you are in for a treat.

Something else that I would recommend seeing is the latest Derren Brown Show called Miracle. It is on at the Palace Theatre in London until the 16th January next year. I was lucky enough to go along and see its opening night in the Capital. It has been on tour around the country earlier this year but will now be based in the West End for a couple of months.

I am massive fan of what he does and I have seen him live before at The Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. This latest show has got all the magical ingredients that you would expect from one of his appearances. All of it just leaves you thinking. How on earth did he do that?

There is plenty of audience interaction with lots of different people involved in the elements of the evening. There is also a lot of humour and jokes in the show. Which all just adds to the entertainment. I like the way he makes no secret of the fact that he will be able to slightly manipulate people to do what he wants. Yet there is nothing at all you can do about it. It does touch on one of his earlier Channel 4 televisions shows (which I also love), for a bit.

It is a positive and feel good production. Which will leave you feeling upbeat and with a big smile on your face. The stuff he does on that stage is amazing. You can clearly see the dedication and hours that have gone into honing his almost super humans skills. Not to mention the way that he and the production team have put it all together, in to such a great piece of theatre. With his breath taking mind skills. He is the nearest thing that I have ever seen to a real life “Jedi”.

Later tonight I am going to the last ever Laughing Badger Comedy Night. It is a comedy club that was set up by Hertfordshire impresario Lee Bryant around three years ago in Hemel Hempstead. I was honoured to be one of the acts who performed at the very first one. It was my fourth gig after the Roving Comedy Night at the Tringe Festival. Night one was headlined by the former Hollyoaks and Casualty actor turned comedian James Redmond. Who is a top bloke and really funny. It also featured the brilliant Flange Krammer. He is well worth seeing by the way, if you get the chance to.

I did about four or five of the Laughing Badger Nights and really enjoyed them. It is a shame that they are ending. But I am assured by the main man that they are going to go out with a bang. It will be a memorable end to what has been a fun venture. I am really looking forward to it.

It will be lovely to catch up with some friends and have a good old giggle. No one knows the list of comedians who are performing yet. But I have a funny feeling that Lee has some good things up his sleeve and lined up for us all. Congratulations to him for running them for the past few years and I wish him all the best with his future projects and plans.

This weekend is packed full of comedy for me. Tomorrow I am going to the BBC Radio Theatre in London to see two separate stand up comedy shows recorded for a new BBC Three show called Live at the BBC. They are keeping the acts a surprise at the moment. So at this point I do not know who I will actually be seeing. I am also not sure when it will be shown on television either. But I am really looking forward to spending Sunday afternoon in a lovely venue. Enjoying some top quality comedy. I will let you know who the comedians were next time we speak. But I am confident it will be a great line up.

Many years ago when I was working in Yeovil I met a great gentlemen called Neil Sands. Who came on to my radio show to talk about his Country and Western show that was playing at the Octagon Theatre in the town. He is a very interesting man who has done a lot of cool stuff. He was a professional wrestler for a while for starters.

And if anybody of a certain age remembers going to Bagley’s Warehouse near Kings Cross on a Sunday to enjoy the crazy party that was “The Church”. He was actually one of the main people and promoters behind that. Next Friday I am looking forward to catching up with him in Chesham. Where he is performing in his latest show called “Christmas Memories” at the Elgiva Theatre at 2pm.

And finally my favourite television programme of the year also starts tomorrow night. I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here returns with Ant & Dec at the helm expertly steering the ship. I have met two of the camp mates on this year’s show. But you will have to wait until my next update to find out which two that is. In fact I have met one of them on more than one occasion.

And if I am honest they are such a top person I already want them to win the whole thing. Even before the competition has started. This series I fear will pretty much take over my life for the next few weeks. Well certainly my evenings at least.

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

Neil Quigley Presenter