The SADiE Strugglers

My fourth day at Folded Wing was once again very
enjoyable and inspring to a point with the highlight
being a SADiE training session for the staff. (Or in my case
a refresher)

They've only brought the advanced software in mind, and
a fair number of fellow staff are uncertain about switching
to that software from Pro Tools.

Five years on, I've sort of come to agree that Matthew Linfoot
was right discouraging me from using the Apple based software
on the University course.

Especially as they dumped all the Pro Tools machines soon after.

As I brought my own laptop with me, it allowed me to do some
editing of my own, by going through various mixtapes for a
forthcoming documentary, and selecting stuff that would
sound good within the documentary.

That's something I will certainly be doing more of tomorrow
on my final day, and it's only now when typing this that I've
realised the week has shot by.

On a lower note, Dad has been delayed in travelling back
meaning he won't be back until probably Sunday.

Whether it's before or after I go to see Al Jarreau in London,
I'm not too sure.

Halfway Through And Still Slightly Humid

My third day at Folded Wing was more calm in terms of work
I got given, although that's partly because one of them was
an Excel document that's doesn't need to be done within
too much of a given time so I can come back to in if at a loose end.

With two more days there, plus the Al Jarreau gig on Sunday
I may have a long proper lie down on Saturday.

Dad should be back in Canterbury pretty soon although Mum
isn't sure if it's either tomorrow or Friday that he's definitely
home from his long visit in Cuba.

I doubt he will notice the difference over here regarding
the temperatures we're currently having.

Bluesfest At The Bridge

The old adage that "I've never even been inside Stamford Bridge" was
put to one side last night.



Well sort of as I was actually under the Bridge.

I'll go onto that in more detail later on.

The first two days I have spent at Folded Wing so far have been
really good, where I have done various things from tracklisting
Jamie Cullum's Radio 2 show, to writing artist biogs for the Red
Bull Music Academy website.

The latter I have been particularly enjoying as it allows you
to be creative and given me a chance to find out what works
and what doesn't.

I have also been researching information for a forthcoming 1Xtra
documentary about clubs creating sub-genres and hope to be
having a hand in editing at some point, I'll see what happens.

Overall the people there are lovely and very talented, and
Karen in particular who founded the company is absolutely
charming.

The next three days are going to whizz right past.

OK then, Incognito at Bluesfest.

Save for a few technical glitches involving the speakers, the gig
was absolutely fantastic with a venue to match.

Bluey said at the end of the gig that he loved the intimacy of such
places, compared to the bigger venues the Cog have played at
and despite it being a Monday night, the place was almost packed out.

I met up with a few familiar faces from past gigs including Dave and
Jules and met two women both named Francesca.

I got a photo with them within very apt lighting;



The gig was also unique as it's probably the first Cog gig
I've attended where Tony Momrelle wasn't one of the vocalists.

In his place was a welcome return for Chris Ballin who once again
nailed it on "Labour Of Love" (not a cover) and alongside
female vocalists Vanessa Haynes and Lorraine Cato-Price.
A few photos of them in action alongside the rest of
the band;



Vanessa hits the highs.



The ever attractive Lorraine Cato.



Chris Ballin looking cool within the intensity of the gig.



The keyboard king that is Matt Cooper.



Francis Hylton as ever on bass.



The impressive drum solo that covered for the screechy mics.



Sax appeal on "Parissiene Girl"



Energetic brass on "Expresso Madueira".



The all important setlist. Of which there were a few
minor changes on the night.



And of course the main man himself, who just for tonight
put his allegiances to Spurs to one side.

Overall, a fantastic gig and the best indoor venue
the Cog have performed at in a long time.

Hostels Schmostels

After last night's outing, I can definitely say that I have had it with youth hostels.

I won't go into great detail on what happened, but I can safely say that if I book

any future gigs in London, I will take into account where I will be staying over

if needs be.

That said, it hasn't in any way ruined my determination to get to my second

day at Folded Wing, so much so I have actually arrived an hour earlier than

most of the other staff.

And it's been really good so far, although I'll post more detail about that

and last night's Incognito gig (with photos) later on tonight.

All I can say for overnight options regarding future visits are now down to

either hotels, or Holly.

When she gets back from America of course...

Struggling For Shut Eye

Getting some shut eye last night was almost impossible as
there were too many thoughts and ideas going through my head
to allow me in doing so.

Not negative thoughts mind, but there was too much going on inside
to allow me into the land of nod.
If only there was a switch to prevent such thoughts arranging themselves
together at times when I least want them to.

Overall it's looking really good outside and I'm sure the first day at
Folded Wing will be superb, and with the Incognito gig later on tonight
there's a better chance of me being completely knackered by the end
of the night.

Speaking of live music, I must have been on of about 10 people
watching Kool And The Gang performing at Glastonbury
but they turned out to be even better than expected.

As well as the most expected tunes IE. "Cherish" and "Get Down On It"
we also got gems such as "Funky Stuff", "Hollywood Swinging", and
a personal highlight "Summer Madness".

Definitely the highlight of the whole festival, but I would say that
wouldn't I?

The Obligatory Brief Heatwave

I've done my best to make the best of what is predicted to be
a brief spell of really warm weather this summer, partly by walking
to and from the CSR studios on the UKC campus.

As it gets closer, I'm feeling rather shaky now about my week
at Folded Wing starting tomorrow but as soon as I settle in
and am given my first job it shouldn't be too bad.

As for tonight, I plan to have the windows wide open
with Kool and The Gang's Glasto set on the television, although
taking into account what happened today, I'm wondering
whether the next event will take place far beyond 2013.

I've made sure my alarm's set for around 5:30am, despite
having to leave three hours later as I'll need to work myself
back into a routine of waking up at a set time.

Even if it is just for five days.

Accustomed To Attic Glasto

Mum's away on her outing and I have just finished that pork and pasta
concoction that I mentioned yesterday, topped off with apple pie and
ice cream, meaning that I really am fucking full up.

There's still half of both courses left to finish tomorrow and I've
no idea how I'm going to do so, with Mum making a roast
earlier on in the day.

I'll have to do so mind, because on Monday I'm going straight
from my first day at Folded Wing to see Incognito performing live
at the new club new Stamford Bridge, the name of which escapes me
but the event is part of London's Bluesfest.

I'm guessing Incognito only got put on the bill, purely
on the name of bandleader and guitarist "Bluey".

Still watching the Glastonbury coverage where in the last
hour there's been sets from Tinie Tempah and Paolo Nutini.

With regards to the latter he doesn't half "half-inch" his
tunes does he?

Towards the end of one of them I found myself singing
Eleanor Rigby.

But then again "10 Out Of 10" is essentially "Monkey Man"
and "Pencil Full Of Lead" is any uptempo song from The Jungle Book.

As I type, Friendly Fires are on with their tunes matching the
sunset spot on.

Whether I'll ever get round to attending the festival myself,
well getting hold of a ticket is more of a struggle than getting
to a bleeding stage on the grounds.

Easy Zizzi's

We hadn't booked in advance for our visit to Prezzo's tonight
and the inevitable situation of it being full up proved true.

Not to worry though, as we headed over to the nearby Zizzis
which provided us with the goods.

The situation echoes one which Mum had with her mum when
she came to visit which involved both chains of restaurants
only in Whitstable.

I guess we've gathered that in East Kent, Prezzo's is more
popular than assumed as it was never a problem getting
a table for two in the many London restaurants.

Glasto provided playlisting accompaniment after getting back
with Morrissey and Jimmy Cliff providing entertainment
although I switched off by the time it cut to U2.

If there's a better example of an overexposed act then
I've yet to discover them, although many do come pretty close.

Mum's out tomorrow evening so I plan to treat myself again
with a concoction involving what has become quite an obsession
over the last month or so, pork belly slices with the usual
additions of stock cubes and pasta.

I've never heated them in the oven and always stewed them
so sometime I may experiment possibly with a few spices and so on.

Mum and Dad's fortnight off in Ireland around August maybe ideal
as I'll have far too much time on my hands.

Their holiday will be well earned as Dad's away quite a lot before then
with the WOMAD festival on Mum's birthday and the continuing Belize visit
as of now, and they won't have to put up with my presence.

And that's what all readers of the blog (bar my parents) should be
thankful for whenever they're not feeling too good.

Disintegrating Panels

It hasn't been too eventful today, but tonight should be better
as myself and Mum are going to Prezzo in Canterbury.

I've never been to the Canterbury one before but it will make
a change, even if it's not too special when you take into
account the many Italian places there seem to be in Canterbury.

My rushed thinking getting the better of me again.

The rest of the weekend will be spent sorting out more
M3U playlists with the coverage of Glastonbury playing in
the background, most likely from BBC Four tonight considering
they're showing the Morrissey performance.

Getting more excited about Folded Wing next week, and
particularly Incognito later on, on the Monday, although the
disadvantage is that I'll miss what will be the first in the new
series of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue hosted once again by Jack Dee.

As Just A Minute, The Now Show etc are seemingly never away
from the Radio 4 schedule, it's always a blessing when the antidote
to panel games makes a return as the gap between series is spaced out.

That said I seem to be catching up with others, who suggest
Mock The Week is starting to become stale as last night's wasn't
too great.

And then there's Never Mind The Buzzcocks...

Spreading My "Folded" Wings On The Airwaves

Any fear of being static after my week in London next week has been
diminished as in a couple of weeks time, I will be starting a two hour
slot on Thursday afternoons between 1 and 3pm on Canterbury's CSR.

It will just be a normal show and nothing like what I do there on
Sundays, but I'm up for the challenge and after being at CSR for
18 months it will be good to have a go at doing a normal show.

Well "normal" as in playlisted anyway.

The challenge now is to come up with some content, but more
importantly listen to all the other shows so I don't end up stealing
any of their items because lets face it, radio's a bit of a drought
when it comes to ideas.

Or maybe it's because we're too busy getting boozed to even think
up ideas for what to do on the wireless.

All the same I'm excited about it and it will be good for me to
help hold the fort at the station until all the students get back
from holiday or are starting for the first time.

A Brighter Shot Of Canterbury

It's finally made it online, my first television appearance (sort of)
from yesterday's Meridian Tonight.

The photo and caption can be seen here at around 21:47.

Unlike the material I edited together on my work placement
last November, this went out across the whole region
even going as far as Aylesbury and Dorset.

Nothing else is really planned this Wednesday, apart
from listening to a a bit more audio from Folded Wing
who I am doing a work placement with next week.

In such circumstances you have no idea where you're going to
get thrown in so it's best to get an idea of a wider range of material
they provide.

Really looking forward to joining them.

From The Flashcard To Many A Flat Screen

Those who have been listening to my radio show (not many people then)
will have noticed that that the only thing I have really been talking
about not music-related, is how rubbish and changeable the weather
has been.

It just so happens that former Broom Cupboard occupant now
weather forecaster for ITV Meridian Simon Parkin has joined Twitter
and was asking users from the region to send in their own photos.

After Tweeting about the tendency for the weather to change
every minute in Canterbury, I decided to give in and send in
my own photo and sure enough Perky Parkin was more than
just a little impressed and said it would be shown on tonight's
main bulletin.

I've got it all recorded onto VHS, although I'm still waiting
for it to be uploaded online to the website, but in the meantime
here's the said snapshot.



It's made me realise that maybe I'm taking for granted that
I live in a room with a really good view of Canterbury, and the room
itself is an amazing place to escape to at times.

As It No Longer Occurs

Here it is, after much anticipation the final episode (for the time being)
of AITOM (aiotm).

I make an appearance albeit rather silent at about halfway through
during the audience Q&A, the second to last person to do so in fact,
although what I actually said I'd prefer to keep away from my own blog.

The Comedy Comedown Begins

Well, last night was eventful.

I arrived at the Leicester Square just before 7 and the place
was already starting to pack out before Richard Herring hit the stage.

I was sat on the second row this time, on the far left hand side
which was different gave you the perspective of someone eavesdropping
from the gig, or what looked like one of the camera angles at the beginning
of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle.

I'm rather annoyed that I didn't book that seat for when I
go to see the man himself in December, but you live and learn.

I can't really remember what happened in the pre-podcast
stand-up at the beginning although the last 10 or so minutes involved
a revival of an anecdote from Herring's 2006 stand-up "Menage A Un",
one of the very few that I haven't seen before.

Then after a short interval, the rest of the AIOTM (aiotm) cast
took to the stage for the final time, them being Dan Tetsell,
TV's Emma Kennedy, and Christian Reilly on gee-tar.

I won't give too much away as the podcast should be uploaded
later today, but any regular listeners who weren't present last night
at the Leicester Square Theatre will not be disappointed.

In fact they should be relieved at not having to witness the finale
involving a real cumpkin, as captured by Andy McHaffie.

And to think that could have all been avoided if Herring hadn't
mis-pronounced "pumpkin" in the Halloween episode of AIOTM (aitom)
back in the first series.

Straight after the show I got a couple of photos as is normally
the case;



Yet another shot with TV's Emma Kennedy.



And a photo with two cast members I've never met
before (in person) Danny Wallace lookalike Dan Tetsell,
and musician Christian Reilly.

On meeting Christian in particular I basically went into an
anecdote in my usual manner of how I really liked his
parody of the Record Breakers theme tune from series 3
of That Was Then This Is Now (TWTTIN) broadcast on
BBC Radio 2 back in late 2007.

And here is the said parody;



I didn't get any with Richard himself this time, quite possibly
because he was drying himself off from the cumpkin that got tipped
over him.

As for AIOTM (aiotm), it has come to a hilarious, natural, and
what many present last night will agree, a very messy end.

One Last Outing Of Cumpkins, Dumpkins And Clackalackadac-dacs

Rather excited about tonight, as it's quite a monumental day as
far as podcasts go.

No it's not.

What will be taking place at the Leicester Square Theatre tonight
will be what looks set to be the final As It Occurs To Me starring
Richard Herring, and with a sold out audience (and a few standing)
I'm certain it will be more than a little chaotic.

Joining Mr Rich will be usual cast members Dan Tetsell,
TV's Emma Kennedy, and Christian Reilly on gee-tar and
although I've mentioned this many times, I'm hoping
Tiny Andrew Collings makes a final appearance.

(Aside, I know it's just Dan Tetsell putting on a stupid
Yorkshire accent that sounds nothing like the real Andrew Collins).

It's good that AIOTM (aitom) is going out whilst it's still on form
although Herring's foray into podcasts is far from finished,
as there's a special one in Edinburgh being recorded this summer
and the Collings and Herrin podcasts with the real Andrew Collins
carry on as normal.

Overall tonight's going to be an experience, for the right and
wrong reasons, and if you're a regular listener to AITOM (aiotm)
you'll know exactly why.

Reg Returns To Canters

Tonight's radio show was a rush job due to me having to be at
the Gulbenkian at 7:45 for the Reginald D Hunter gig.

It didn't help that the Myriad computer playout was being a twat,
and I had forgotten to burn any CDs as backup but I got through
and thankfully, next week's show will be the last before yet
another two week break.

The gig itself wasn't too bad although it went rather quickly.

First on stage was Australian stand up Steve Hughes who
supported Reg last time he was here in Canters and provided
a shocking set as expected.

Only this time, no one walked out in a huff.

Reginald himself was on fair form although I wasn't really
laughing as much as I'd hoped I'd be.

It maybe because the routine of trying to defend his use
of the word "nigger" has long become stale.

Although prejudice and differing cross-continent approaches
to it have always been part of Reg's act.

The final part involved an anecdote about Reg and his support
act sharing a room and watching the DVD of Sex And The City 2
and a well-observed ridiculing of the flaws within the plot i.e.
blokes cheating and so on.

Hopefully the performance will be released on DVD.

Getting back from the Gulbenkian wasn't a problem as it
finished at around 9:30 and it was still light outside.

I still couldn't avoid the beggars on Canterbury High Street
however.

Quite a busy day tomorrow with a job centre visit and
then back over to London for what will be the recording of
the final AIOTM (aiotm) podcast.

Near Empty House

Dad has been away in America over the last couple of days and
I'm starting to worry that I'm not speaking to Mum enough as Olly's
in America and Kate's back in London.

The least I could do would be to offer to go out for a meal somewhere
in Canterbury, although it's not the sort of thing I would normally
do, and I can be really picky regarding where we go.

We're having Sunday lunch at home tomorrow at least which should be OK
although on Monday evening I am in London and I am worried that
I am being neglectful as a whole.

We don't normally do things together anyway, but it's only started to hit me
now because everyone else is away.

Because I hardly know how to have a proper conversation
with people, it's difficult to identify what they are thinking
themselves.

Let's face it however, not many people my age even live
with their parents.

Waddling Winkleman

Still really grey in Canterbury with part of tonight spent watching Claudia
Winkleman's new Channel 4 series King Of of which fellow Westminster
alumni Bracey is working on as a production secretary.

It's a sort of Room 101 style show where two guests have to
state their cases for a certain topic and what the "king" of it is,
one of this week's for example being "King of Jobs".

This lead to probably the highlight of the programme where a penguin
trainer was up for nomination, who brought said bird into the studio
only to chase the pregnant Claud right round the studio.

It's a pretty solid show, although minor tweaks could be made,
namely the fact that the second guest is introduced after the break
to join the first, as opposed to having the two of them throughout
the whole show.

It's not too bad as on Monday I will be seeing Richard Herring
for the last in the series of a comedy show that knows when
it's a good time to call it a day.

Yes, the As It Occurs To Me team will be making their final performance
to a sold out crowd at the Leicester Square Theatre and I'm
hoping that "Tiny Andrew Collings" will be there in some form or other.

Then again it's quite possible that the real Andrew Collins will be there
as well, but it will be an enjoyable evening for certain.

Burning And Backing

My plans for today as outlined in yesterday's blog post went right
out of the window, as all I have been doing is constantly backing
up all the downloads from my external hard drives onto DVD-R.

I must be the only male individual on the planet who doesn't
own anything sleazy or have it stored digitally.

No it's mainly music and television related downloads, and I'm
pretty certain there will be more of the same tomorrow as I've
got about 10 DVD-Rs left.

Just a shame the self-built Linux desktop PC in the cellar
is rather rubbish, but it does the job most of the time.

And before you ask, I didn't build it.

It's probably just as well I didn't set foot out of the house today as
it's been a mixed bag outside, with many speculating that the
warm British summer of 2011 just went like that.

I've hardly got anything planned up to September so I'm
not too fussed either way.

A Life Filled With Rain (Well This Summer At Least)

I seem to have become obsessed with planning my radio shows
recently, to the point I have playlists for next month lined up.

Although part of that is because in July and August I'm ditching
all the usual features and planning to play a lot of summer related
tunes and not just those that have "summer" or "sunshine"
in the title.

Having thought about that, I am planning a slot where each
week I play a different version of "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb although
there's a better chance of me intentionally stamping on a nail
than playing Boney M's version.

No time like the present, and I'm trying to find a few rarities
to play by Patrice Rushen for this week's Double Jam.

I've played "Forget Me Nots" and "Haven't You Heard" enough
times as it is but I'll come to some sort of decision, only to
mess it up live on air this Sunday.

As for tomorrow, I plan to kill time by visiting the nearest Coinstar
machine, which I imagine will be the Sainsbury's in Canterbury.

There's a heavy amount of copper that can be converted into
worthy cash so I'm hoping it will make my credit card clearing
easier, even if miniscule.

Audio Absences From Lounge

Slightly disappointed this afternoon as I have found out that due to
budgeting issues, CSR will not be broadcasting from Lounge On The
Farm this year.

It doesn't mean I won't be attending altogether as I still have the
tickets for the festival booked, but being given something to do
there added to the buzz of the event.

However the main reasoning is to oversee the refurbishment
of CSR's Christ Church University studio which really needs
to get back in working order as in my case, it would make the
journey to present the show on Sundays a lot more bearable.

Having been in there before, it's a lot better than the poorly
built pit on the University of Kent campus.

More importantly, the Christ Church studio is nearer to the
city centre of Canterbury so it will be more effective in encouraging
more students from CCU and community members to join from the
Autumn onwards.

You could describe it as the BBC's move to branch outside London
in reverse.

The Mass West London Doughnut Sale

Only one story has dominated the broadcast related news this Monday,
that being the announcement that BBC Television Centre is to be
sold off.

The news comes as no surprise, as the corporation has been doing all it
can to cut back but many are worried as to what the eventual buyer
or buyers will do with "the concrete doughnut".

To be fair I should be pleased about the news, as after visiting the
building myself back in 1994, it left me with a feeling of "what now?".

Not in a negative way, but all I had really wanted to do from an
early age was to visit the big building in West London and thanks
to a friend of a friend who worked on Blue Peter, I got to do so
and meet Anthea Turner amongst other things which added to
the crossed off list of achieved ambitions.

I don't think I've fully recovered since, in terms of a clear
career achievement.

As for the building itself, from what I saw on television,
it looked like a bloody labyrinth of places but it was always exciting
to see the presenter go through the corridors during a programme,
Noel Edmonds being the one who must have done it the most,
as recently as the Xmas 2006 Swap Shop reunion.

I'd best get over the BBC ticket website to make sure I get
to make one more visit before it's all bought out.

Why I Became An Anorak

This afternoon saw a visit from Laura and Josh for Sunday lunch in what
could quite possibly be the only time until Christmas that all of us
including Kate and Olly will be in the same house together.

Mum got a few photos of us before Laura and Josh went home
and Kate went back to London, although I'll save the sight
from this blog as I doubt I was actually smiling.

The radio show tonight went pretty well, although the weather was
appalling and the journey back especially, wasn't too good.

On a more positive radio related note I am featured on the latest
instalment of "Jingles: A Collector's Tale" where fans of the short
song explain what got them into the arguably fascinating hobby.

I'm the first one on there and it does sound rather pacy, but then
again it's two months since I put it together and listened to it.

I hope you enjoy listening yourself however and it's a bit of fun overall.



No idea what's planned for tomorrow, or next week for that matter
until next Sunday of course as I'm going to see Reginald D Hunter
at the Gulbenkian.

This means an early finish for my radio show although hopefully
I'll see if I can get some really long tracks to fill the 30 minutes
after 7:30pm.

It should all gradually come to place.

Artsfest Antics

I was one of the first to arrive at the university campus this morning
an hour before Artsfest on-air proceedings started.

Luckily it turned out to be just as well, as presenter James Waters
needed someone to have a go as the roamer for his part of the
broadcast, the roamer being an individual who goes round
the site with a microphone reporting back to the studio.

It took a bit of getting used to handling both the radio mic
and the walkie talkie for talkback but it was good fun and
I managed to get an interview with a few of the stalls
namely the on-site barbecue.

The rest of the broadcast was a bit more relaxed from 2pm onwards
although the rain did get very heavy at one point as shown
in the photos below.

I made myself useful wherever possible however by helping
out with other on-site reports and bringing bands who had just
performed back into the studio to be interviewed.

Here's just a selection of things that took place;



Presenter James Waters set to talk back.


All set with my roaming gear.



The main stage.



On our way to get the passes.



Rihannon and her half pint.



Dewy Sinatra perform live.



The rain starts pouring.



A sidestage shot of Disruptive Business.



Some punters love getting stamped a bit too much.

As I type, the festivities are still going on, climaxing with a set
from DJ Lefty where there's been a lot of encouragement for CSR
listeners and Artsfest visitors to vote for the final song.

Darryl the head of speech has been trying to persuade
punters to vote for "Always" by Erasure although I doubt that will
end up winning.

On returning home I realised that tonight is also the gig at
the Maiden's Head where "Oi!" punk ban The Go-Nads will be
playing.

As hilarious as their songs are, I've decided to give it a miss
as it's been a long day, and the last thing I want is to end up
in a mock pub brawl.

The Sounds Of Smallfilms

Tonight's performance at the King's Place in London celebrating the
music used in Oliver Postgate's series was definitely a night out well spent.

Jonny Trunk was an affable host and the North Sea Radio Orchestra
provided excellent renditions of the work of composer Vernon Elliott.

Not only did they play music from The Clangers and Ivor The Engine,
but there was also music from Pogles Wood, and the lesser known
but really amusiing and adorable Pingwings, which involved
woollen penguins getting into mischievous antics.

There was also a female singer who sang a selection of songs
from Bagpuss orginally performed by John Faulkner and Sandra Kerr
but the overall higlight was the orchestra playing along and trying
to match in time a full episode of Bagpuss, compete with two
people operating the slide whistles.

There was no narrator to fill the gap left by Postgate, but
that made it more fun.

Overall it was a different sort of concert to the ones I'd normally
go to in London, but it was very entertaining and warming.

As for tomorrow, I won't lie. I'm bricking it.

I've no idea what sort of things I'll be asked to do at Artsfest
but I really hope I don't get walked over.

There's too much of them laughing and me being left out which
I certainly felt at this afternoon's meeting, but thankfully Lucy
who is overseeing the coverage seems rather firm about
tomorrow's running to make sure no one mucks about.

Then again, I once got too boozed before a radio show myself
so I probably should be a bit more understanding.

"We Will Mend It!"

Two meetings took place at the University Campus for CSR, them
being submissions for the Student Radio Awards, and a heads-up
about Artsfest tomorrow.

Regarding the Student Radio Awards, I'm staying out of it because
1: Community members can't submit entries, and 2: It's best to stay
out of something that will be a big waste of time and money for want
of me having a good time and inevitably feeling depressed.

As for Artsfest, it looks set to be pretty busy where I have been
given a behind the scenes role alongside a few other people
which may involve roaming with O/B mics.

We've been told not to slag off the bands either openly or subtlely
so there's no room for any wannabe Simon Amstells or Matt Edmondsons
in these circumstances.

And we've also been told to avoid any reference to the "Alternative Artsfest"
taking place nearby in protest over the cull on non-University members
from attending.

Although that said if things get too much to bear with tomorrow, I
may head over there myself.

Tonight I'm heading into London for the Oliver Postgate/Vernon Elliott
tribute concert at the Kings Place which looks set to be entertaining.

Just to give an idea of what I'll be hearing tonight, The North Sea
Radio Orchestra and their arrangements of two tunes from Postgate's gems.

North Sea Radio Orchestra - Bagpuss Medley (live) by Arctic Circle Radio

North Sea Radio Orchestra with Laura Rossi perform The Clangers (Music Tree Episode) live by Arctic Circle Radio

I don't know anyone who is going personally, but it should be
entertaining, and I'll make sure I get the right train home this time round.

"The Next Topic Is...."

Not a great deal to report back as of today.

Hopefully things should lighten up by 10pm my end, as Mock The Week
returns for it's 10th series, with Milton Jones as one of the guests.

Many have suggested that the show should be put to bed,
what with the departures of Frankie Boyle and more recently
Russell Howard, but even if an episode plods on, it's normally
lifted up at the end with the ever hilarious "Scenes We'd Like To See".

Tomorrow looks set to be more productive as at around lunchtime
there's a meeting at the University of Kent campus about
the Artsfest broadcast that CSR are holding on Saturday.

With what looks like a potentially good team behind it,
I'm hoping that it will be good preparation for Lounge
in almost exactly a month's time.

Vulnerable Video Recording

I lent Dad a hand this afternoon by assisting with the filming of
an SEN seminar at Christ Church University, which actually wasn't
as dull as I expected.

The main topics covered were dealing with vulnerable children,
and it made me realise further that the reason I had to deal
with such idiots at school (especially in secondary) was that
quite a lot of them may have had their own problems at home.

Whether they were domestic, involved low income, single parents,
or even had the police involved, it wasn't pleasant and if I had
a better understanding of how far it spread, then maybe I wouldn't
have been such a prick myself.

Actually I would have, just to get them back.

I've just returned from Dad's birthday meal, once again at
Cafe Mauresque where as usual I enjoyed a chicken tagine.

The prices aren't half expensive, but they're worth it for
an enjoyable night out in Canterbury.

Elsewhere in broadcasting it's been a rather sad day as two
people from behind the camera have passed away.

The first being Roy Skelton, the man responsible for arguably
the most recognised character voices on television.

I believe it was Skelton himself who came up with the script
for the now infamous "Twangers" episode of Rainbow which has
now circulated way beyond the Thames Television cutting room.

The other being Ed Forsdick, Chief of the Ant & Dec founded production
company Gallowgate, and former editor of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast.

Ed was editor of the morning entertainment show during the
years when Johnny Vaughan was the host, and it was more
than obvious that the signs of a good producer/editor
progressed further with Ant & Dec on Saturday Night Takeaway
as the producer of the show.

The Guardian article doesn't state the age of Forsdick,
but judging by the occasional cutaways to "The Leader"
on The Big Breakfast, the news itself is more than unexpected.

They'll be really good stuff on the box up in the clouds for certain.

Strolling Results In Less Stress

It's a rather humdrum state until Friday, and it's resulted in me
me being a rather spiteful and moody bastard for no good reason.

Thankfully a stroll through Canterbury to get a few things to
stir later tonight made things better and easier to deal with.

Dad's turning 53 tomorrow so I've also managed to get him a
present which isn't too much, but then again parents get less
demanding for presents as they get older.

Although I'm hoping I haven't bought the same present
as Olly has.

It will pick up, I know it will.

"Listen, Watch, Cher"

Rather angry with myself, for waking up later than I thought I would as
there's a lot to get done today, namely getting Dad a birthday present
as there's only two days now.

I've managed to have a listen to the new Radio 1 news themes via iPlayer
and they're not too bad actually, they've got a 4 note hook
just different to the last one.

As for Chris Moyles, as expected the audience seem to have reacted
positively to them....

They don't give a bollocks about such things in general, but when
changes take place they come out like angry dogs.

I've always wondered what it was like in January 1990 when Radio 1
finally replaced their sung news intro that had been used in many
forms for 15 years with an instrumental one.

Sung News Intro



Instrumental News Intro 1990



I can imagine the reaction from the enthusiasts must have been
strong, but as the internet was barely in its infancy back then,
I doubt people would even go to great lengths to write a letter
over such issues back then.

Or maybe that was just me.

No time like the present however, and I'm hoping I find something
worthwhile to be doing after I get the job appointments and birthday
buying out of the way.

The rest of the week looks pretty bare, apart from the Oliver Postgate
related concert on Friday but hopefully up to then I will sort out
a few loose ends.

Backing Down On Blue Booze

This afternoon I headed over to the house of former CSR station manager
Andrew Venning for what was a rather lukewarm leaving do in terms
of attendance but it was enjoyable enough.

Joining in proceedings were housemate and head of programming
Lucy, her boyfriend Adam, and Peter, former head of music who
happened to have a show straight after mine tonight which involved
looking into computers and technology.

My own show went a lot better than last week, although I'm hoping
that drinking four bottles of WKD Red had nothing to do with it.

I enjoyed it however as the pre-produced bits played out well
and in terms of tunes it was pretty solid.

I headed back over to the house straight after only to have the
door answered by Lucy in her dressing gown.

It was probably best that I called it a night and I'll probably be
saving the big bottle of WKD Blue that I bought from Londis,
for a rainy day.

Oh, hang on...

Well, an occasion when there's a better excuse to get bladdered
as I'm not really up for boozing at this moment.

Not a great deal to be doing tomorrow apart from two job search
related visits, although on a wireless and "anorak" point of view
it's rather exciting as BBC Radio 1 will be unveiling the brand new
themes for Newsbeat after four years of the "#DUUH-DU-DU-DUH!"
melody, which for me personally is a mistake to remove,
considering it's so memorable.

But let's not be quick to judge.

The average listener doesn't want to be distracted from finding
out what is going on in the world do they?

A Crowded Dial Of Compliance

With BGT over and done with, and Simon Cowell not giving a bollocks
the whole way through for that matter, my focus is currently set on
tomorrow's radio show, where I'm exciting about spinning a cover of
Stevie Wonder's "As" by Monday Michiru.

And this isn't anything like the George Michael and Mary J cover,
as the American/Japanese vocalist has given it a reworking that
can't really be justified in writing, except that it nearly made me
break down when first listening to it.

To put it in short, it's anything but a direct clone of the original.

I've also got one or two things lined up which borders on the
"creative route" or the "messing about with sound fx" route,
but I'll give them a go.

That said I've stumbled across this interesting article about comments
made by Chris Evans earlier this week at the Hay Festival in Wales
about how compliance issues discourage presenters and producers
from coming up with exciting ideas.

BBC News Article

To be honest, I don't think this is an issue that applies just to
the BBC as my experience in both student radio and even to this day
in community radio has shown an increasing "can't be arsed attitude".

Where when it comes to content in between the music, the highlight
of a show is a clip of a bad singer in an X Factor audition
ripped from Youtube.

I want radio to give me something that newspapers
and the internet can't.
(Yes radio does stream on the internet, but you get the idea.)

Although Chris Evans is the protagonist bemoaning the lack
of creativity, it's safe to say that his breakfast show stand out
amongst the crowd in being one that believes that there's more
to content than tabloid trash.

"Oh, Hi Canterbury..."

Last night's screening of The Room turned out to be more raucous
than it was last time, possibly because it took place slightly later
in the day.

Even before the film had started, the punters outside were getting
into the swing of things with an American football in sight;



I met with Lucy shortly before the screening got underway and she
had brought her boyfriend along with her.

Really good to see her again, and still an absolute gem.



Currently she's waiting for the next job opportunity to arrive
but has spent the last year moonlighting on Terry Wogan's Ireland
documentary, and ITV's Daybreak where Adrian Chiles really is as
moody a bugger as he is on television apparently.

Onto the film itself, and I found myself crouching to a certain
point whenever the spoons were thrown and there were literally
showerfulls of plastic spoons.

Just to give an idea of what was next to my seat;



Although it now seems those attending will bring in any plastic cutlery
with them, as a knife ended up landing near me.



Getting home was a bit of a joke as when getting on the train to Ashford,
the announcer said that the train on platform 11 would be travelling to
Ramsgate.

Only that I thought it would be going via Canterbury which wasn't the case
meaning I had to fork out 30 quid and paying exactly that to get at taxi
from Faversham to Canterbury.

I'm London bound again next Friday, this time not too far
from St Pancras Station as Jonny Trunk will be compering a concert
celebrating the music of Vernon Elliot at the Kings Place.

Vernon Elliot being the man who composed the music for quite
a few of Oliver Postgate's series with The Clangers,
and Ivor The Engine being two well known examples.

I've never seen Jonny Trunk in person before, so this could
be interesting.

An Evening Spent At "The Room"

In just about three hours or so I shall be making my way to London for
what should be a hilarious screening of The Room.

It turns out I'm not the only one going with regards to Westminster
alumni as TV student Lucie who I don't think I've seen for at least
three years will also be attending, so hopefully we'll be able to
catch up at some point.

Lucie's currently working at ITV Studios on the South Bank
so I would love to find out what sort of things she has been
doing there.

One thing's for certain however.

I can never visit Leicester Square without indulging in pizza
so I'll probably enjoy a slice of ham and mushroom before setting
foot in the cinema.

Even if it means missing tonight's Britain's Got Talent this will
be a visit to London that unlike a couple of weeks ago, should
be just swell.

"Tearing Me Apart"

Again it's been humdrum, but hopefully tomorrow will be better for
two reasons.

One being that I'm spending tomorrow evening in the big city,
and the other is because of me doing so I get to sort out my own
meal beforehand.

Actually we do need to stock up as we're down on soft fizzy drinks
and desserts.

Well I say desserts, the fridge is devoid of any cheescake.

The reason for my visit tomorrow evening thankfully doesn't
involve anything heavily social.

More a case of antisocial actually as I'm attending another
screening of The Room at the Prince Of Wales cinema
just off Leicester Square.

Although I know roughly where to participate, I'm going to bring the
PDF guide printed off just to be on the safe side.

And to provide some reading on the train journey.

I doubt I'll be bringing any plastic spoons with me however.

Firing The Lamb

Olly has arrived back in Canterbury, but thankfully his dreadlocks
haven't gone with him.

No, he's managed to get haircut back to how it was about this time
two years ago, although I made some sort of joke that he looked a
bit like Britain's Got Talent finalist Ronan Parke.

Although it's safe to say he doesn't sound anything like him at all.

From what I've gathered on Twitter, our local hopeful taking part
in The Apprentice has been booted as part of a double firing,
that being George Lamb lookalike Vincent who hails from
nearby Whitstable.

Lord Sugar happened to be on Chris Evans' breakfast show earlier
today and according to Mum who was listening, he told what
he thought was a joke, but was really just a strung out load of
cobblers.

I.E long set ups and misplaced punchlines etc

Tomorrow will probably be more of the same, although I may dig
out another DVD for old times sake, as I've rather enjoyed digging
out random Simpsons episodes from seasons 2-3 etc

"The Otto Show" may be next on my viewing list, featuring
cast member Harry Shearer's band Spinal Tap.