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March
2nd - Have the delight of producing Michael Palin who's on to talk about the issue of stammering - recall his role in A Fish Called Wanda? He's as lovely as you'd imagine, and guesting with Government Education sec Ed Balls, who, amazingly for a Gov minister, stammers, but you'd never know. He copes so well in that position to deal with stress and not stutter like Gareth Gates. Michael Palin and I spend time chatting about everything from filming his various acting roles to a love of Johnny Cash...
Jan 2010
More organisations and individuals approach me over the consortium, the Govnt shortlists tenders for pilots in Wales, Scotland and North East England.
First week battling the snow reminds me of 1982.
Happy new year folks - may it be all you hope for!
Dec
31st - Waited all year for the news we get today... it's going to be a great start to 2010...
End of an era at GMTV as Peter McHugh leaves on new yr's eve as expected. More surprising is the shock departure mid month of Martin Frizell after a decade as editor. Unfortunately, Private Eye's description of the manner in which he left is reported accurately, the rest hearsay...
Nov
Fri 27th - Orchard 20th anniversary reunion with over 40 attendees in Wells. A great evening and amazing how little people have changed in that time....it all just goes too quickly but lovely to see friends and colleagues I haven't clapped eyes on in 18 years.
Thurs 26th -
Historic announcement that GMTV has been bought out by ITV - for those who didn't realize it was last bastion of the old ITV franchise system with an independent business structure, back office etc & ITV owned 75% with Disney having 25% because of their kids programming.
As of 12:30 today when the final board meeting took place, GMTV ltd ceased to exist as a separate company.
Since I started there we knew this day would come & it makes sense to be a more cohesive part of the ITV day time...but 27 years of independent breakfast tv history draws to an end.
The planets do work in strange ways - today not only being my career 20th anniversary of launching Orchard but having the GM merger same day, and the announcement from the DCMS that the IFNC pilot would go to the Tyne Tees Border region for consortia to bid for. A disappointment for us in the south west but a breathing space to get our ideas firmed up.
Roll on the roll-out.
Oct
29/30 - Work with young offenders at Portland Y.O. Institute teaching radio skills. Ju and I conduct a two day course and, despite slight initial apprehension, it goes v well with the trainees responding with real enthusiasm.
Meet with Ofcom and DCMS to discuss the uncharted waters of the new world order for ITV news. Meanwhile, produce the PM's q's for his visit to the sofa, Cheggers in Reading about conker season...
Sept
22nd - Television South West News Consortium goes public in the south west and trade press. Well received round of radio and press interviews as we announce our group's partnership with Northcliffe Media. It's four months since I sent the first text and made the first call-to-arms of as many influencial media colleagues and business associates in the west as I can muster. We are the first in the south west to announce our intention to bid for the ITV news contract under the government's proposals for IFNC's. BBC Spotlight news carries the story - most commercial local radio - and the phone starts ringing...it's a great week for all of us involved.
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/bathbusiness/Bath-pair-bid-TV-news/article-1362222-detail/article.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/23/itv-regional-news-consultation-reponses
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/news/090922regional.shtml
http://www.exeter.fm/p/news/local/potential-boost-for-regional-tv-news
Begin evening class in Bristol on crime and punishment in ancient Egypt...
2nd - Commemoration of the outbreak of WWII story for GMTV. Go to underground Cabinet War Rooms, which are amazing, to produce Andrew Castle interview with Dame Vera Lynn. Dignatories at the reception are Mandelson, John Sergeant and Baroness Thatcher...whom I keep bumping into, very bizarely, every time I try to find the toilet. But I get more and more lost before the interview is due to start, wandering accidentally into the big room full of elderly 'establishment' types and people who were around when war broke out on 3/9/1939. As I ease past champagne quaffers in the crowded room - I'm the only one not wearing a tie, I come face to face with....Maggie! She's busy being introduced to people she's supposed to meet...and again, I brush past Lady T to continue my mission for the loo.... only to get lost and find myself in a WWII exhibition with air raid sirens and bombing fx to disorientate me. Finally, getting out I see a small group of men and a little old lady shuffling near a way out to the corridor... latching onto them, I find... it's Maggie again! Aaargh...she's moving slowly down the corridor commenting on how quiet it is compared with the noisy room, and I'm right on her shoulder beginning to burst....The bodyguard, Lady T and chaperone make it to the entrance where...hurrah, the toilets are...Alas, she might not have guided Britain away from boom/bust but Maggie guided me to the WC...er, not Winston Churchill.
On my return, it's time to interview the wonderful Dame Vera Lynn - and the stories she has - for 92 she is nothing short of awe-inspiring. SO bright, sparky and eloquent with a vivid ability to paint pictures with her story-telling. And set for no.1 in the charts...
From left; ITN cameraman Jim Dutton, Dame Vera Lynn, moi in the Cabinet War Rooms at the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of WWII. We feel so lucky to have met her and heard all her stories - Dame Vera graciously spent over half an hour recounting many tales after our cameras stopped rolling.
Here are some of those stories, abridged, as told by Dame Vera:
The 92 yr old wartime legend told us; she was in the Burma jungle and a snr officer came upto her offering a drink, but rather than a canteen of water - produced a bottle of scotch saying for medicinal purposes only....later Vera was in jungle and met up with fleet st war reporter called Dick Swift - had no water, any kind of drink, all had to be dropped in and they were looking for drink - he asked & she produced scotch from her canvas satchel bag. She used to travel for days in a jeep with a tiny old 20's style pa system in tow and a small upright piano - she also just had some lyrics in her bag.
Back home, she drove her Austin A10 alone from Barking all over london to perform in shows. One time, they had a show moved from the Adelphi to the Palladium, to this day Vera doesn' t know why - and she used to stay overnight in theatre often to avoid driving home late - that night the show moved, the Adelphi took a direct hit - so she wouldn't have been here. Amazingly, dodged blitzing of London while zipping around in her car... one night had to jump out of car, dive headfirst for a kerbside spot - then headed for an air raid shelter, so many people were cramped up she couldnt face it, so said she'd rather take chances with the bombs...climbed out, got back in her car and drove home to Barking, using her minimal pin spot headlights while Germans blitzed the capital.
Another time, she was on the south side of river in pouring rain and a man on the roadside flagged her down - she was alone driving again - stopped to offer him lift...never dream of it now - he got in and said he was from Barking - she took him to his door - said he didn't have an inkling who she was....! Laughed at how MPs raised Q's in Commons complaining that her act and songs were too sentimental for soldiers, they might miss home too much and alleged she was havin a bad effect on morale. Debate dismissed the view and she carried on.... Much later for her regular tv show, Vera did a duet with Bing Crosby, poss at Maida Vale - he walked into dressing room with big mug of ice cream in one hand and piece of cake in the other - she said: "I hope you're not eating that before you go on - you won't be able to get the song out...." relayed how her throat gets clogged if eating before performing....she also remembers meeting The Beatles at a recording session...
August
Hit idea with former Orchard FM receptionist at a rainy classical concert for a 20th anniversary reunion. It'll take place on November 27th in Wells, Somerset, for former Orchard FM staff only.
Playing the Field classical fest...
Meet up with DJ Mike Read to discuss ideas ahead of his launch of Radio One Gold - 1395AM. It's going to launch soon and an exciting prospect if the ad market supports it.
Where did summer go? Sidmouth just held out - but planning anything was tricky - one wedding and a couple of firework displays in Plymouth with friends amid ok conditions and only 1 afternoon on a beach - Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea...for the entire year.
Aug 1st - Very sad to learn of the death of Andy Parle, the former drummer with Space, from 1993-98. Andy died 1 August 2009, aged 42, in Liverpool. A great drummer and the band wasn't quite the same after he quit.
July
28th - 3rd consortium meeting, Wells; things hot up as new members come from various orgs - some moments of scepticism for the govnt plans thankfully don't overshadow the positive mood to persue a plan.
- Womad - and Peter Gabriel's only gig in Europe - what a lovely show...
Consortium membership gathers pace...
June
Glastonbury Festival - The Boss, Blur Bunnymen, Emmy The Great, Florence & the Machine, good weather for once..just.
Mon 8th - I chair my first regional itv news consortium meeting of interested parties, at the Swan Hotel, Wells. It goes well and we have some good ideas around the table.
May
30th - Same Shaped Heads play final gig with four remaining members for Julia's 40th bash. Picture link below:
http://www.photobiz.com/slideshowbiz/slideshow.cfm?slideshowID=64364&photographerID=2714
13th - Start sending texts and calling around associates in the south west to try to form regional ITV news consortium.
8th - Our band, Same Shaped Heads, played and invited friends of Phil's to take the stage during the night of 8th May and the night was superb. We decided to make it the last public gig of the band.
April
Geezer Phil's funeral was held on Mon 27th April at Haycombe crematorium and a special musical tribute night was held in the St James Wine vaults on Friday 8th May. The turn out for both was exceptional and they were very emotional days. I was honoured to be asked to do Geezer's eulogy and felt the pressure of appropriately summing someone's varied life up in a few short minutes.
March
30th - Another tragedy. This time learning of the sudden death of Phil Charlton ( Geezer Phil ), our mate and band keyboard player. All are in shock.
27th - In Liverpool for Phil Easton's memorial - around 500 people and an incredible reunion of past and present Radio City folk. The service is rather beautiful in its sentiment and highly emotional as Sense of Sound choir perform along with the likes of China Crisis, and a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone with Chris De Burgh. It's so good to see Molly and David R from Orchard FM days make the journey. A remarkable reunion of 25 years of Radio City staff then takes place as a music event in the Cavern Club forms a suitable send -off for Phil. There are people I'd not seen in over a decade. Sadly, I also learn of the death a couple of years ago of my former Lark Lane house mate, Billy Gordon.
24th - A first happens for me in the world of music. You know how a song pops into your head but you can't place it or find it on itunes. A song that wasn't even a hit from about 1984 pops into my brain, so I search it on google yesterday. Nothing, but I do find the artist. John David, who's Welsh and recorded with Dave Edmunds - his song, On The Mountain was always played on DevonAir back in the 80's. Apparently it was a hit on Europe and there's a one-off single available in Malaysia. Once I've matched him to the song - I track him down and email him asking if he has an mp3. Sure enough, he mails be back with a copy today! What a guy...Who'd have thought years ago you could just contact the artist direct in the future and say, "got that song 'o' yours, mate?" - Now I'd like to see that happen with Elton... and the song still sounded as good as I remember it...
23rd - sad day for radio - and the end of an era for Orchard FM. All commercial radio stations that were GWR / Capital / GCap / now Global all become Heart FM nationwide. What a tragic indictment of the state of what once was local radio in the UK. Not merely because I was part of Orchard and it had almost made 20 years - but all those stations - Plymouth Sound, 2CR, Wyvern, Invicta, 2TEN FM, and for the 100's of presenters booted out of radio over the last couple of years. In my view, one man is chiefly to blame - Charles Allen. As 'fatcats' go, Allen lives upto the moniker to the letter. A man who homogenised ITV and during his tenure there, stripping all the regional identities away. Only this week, Ulster tv's MD said strength remained in regionality and that consolidation was not the only answer - ITV's power had been its regional news and programming -now gone. Global's chairman doesn't care for regional broadcasting but only sees a bunch of transmitters as a means of selling a brand name, a set playlist and ratecard for ads in each area. I don't need local radio for that - we have BBC national radio from region to region..
Allen, a former food industry 'bean-counter', has all the care and creative flair of a tin of baked beans. Having wrecked ITV, leaving its share price decimated for Michael Grade to pick up the mess, Allen turned his attention to UK commercial radio, where localness and plurality was the main reason for listening to its distinctive flavour. Allen has presided over wrecking radio now - stations that in some cases have over 30 years of heritage and local branding, now, to offer up a food analogy, might as well be called McDonalds FM - always the same wherever you are - lowest common denominator, you know what you're gonna get...none of the Heart FM's have any true degree of local programming, doing a local brekky show and networking much of the output UK-wide from....Leicester Square, London. And he went unopposed, undeterred by Govnt or regulator - the Fred Goodwin of the broadcast industry, in effect.
Goodwin's greed and lust for banking consolidation of RBS / Natwest / ABN Amro came grossly unstuck. When the history looks back at commercial broadcasting in the noughties, some may wonder how Charles Allen was allowed to get away with single-handedly wrecking ITV and ILR as strong, proud British institutions. But hey, it's not all bad - the 'City' rates him!
Feb
2-6th. Snow storms hit the country - battle through snow to get home middle of night after shift in London.
More pictures to remember Phil are at my Orchard gallery;
Click here for Orchard FM launch pictures and Phil memorial page
3rd - Given the news about Phil - and so many of us from Orchard and City days are in complete shock.
'Facebook' entry: I think I speak for so many today, a few of which I've had a quick phone chat with, who were friends, colleagues or were just touched by Phil's wonderful broadcasting style.
He was like extended family to me and he always looked out for his 'lads'. I have wonderful party memories of him in Somerset, and his dry wit was second to none... legend is a word applied freely these days to all sorts...but as one who began in ILR almost at its start, launching so many careers - he truly was... At Orchard we couldn't get over the number of famous names he had in his contact book... whenever I asked him to fix me up an interview he'd just get right on the phone there and then and make a call...and when I was 'between contracts' he always looked out for me.... I'm bloody devastated. Thoughts with all of Phil's family and friends...
Keep playin' the Deep Purple up there Phil.
2nd - Phil Easton - broadcaster and man responsible for getting my career going - sadly dies at home from a heart attack in Liverpool after his Citytalk radio show. He was 59.
Jan
Spend a week at Pinewood Studios learning Avid editing with GMTV
Slow start to the year - everyone's skint but our band gets a run of gigs
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2008
Dec
Cowell's hijacked the crimbo charts... Why does the 'X' in Xmas seem to = ' 'X-Factor' every year ?
5th - Meet and Greet PM Gordon Brown as he comes into gmtv to talk about donor cards scheme.
Nov
More gigs and a birthday gig bash. Fabulous trip to Rome - inspiring sights as we explore the city.
Work is completed training at the Bath Chronicle.
Oct
Stranglers play Bristol academy - must be 40 odd times i've seen them...Jet doesn't look well...it's a trusty greatest hits set.
Sept
19th - HTV Reunion at studios - in the clubhouse bar - click here for pix.
CLICK FOR HTV WEST REUNION PICTURES
Go Ape is fun in Devon
August -
Work begins at the Bath Chronicle on training staff to produce tv style reports for online.
Trips to Devon in the worst month of summer weather in living memory.
Visit Avebury and walk around the giant mysterious stones - bump into a 'white witch', get chatting, she tells me about a tree we're standing by with energy which bisects a ley-line...she gets me to close my eyes to try and 'feel' the energy.. I tell her I'm not channeling anything and she looks at me like I'm a complete charlatan...as I walk away, I trip, slipping down the chalk bank by the 'magic' tree, cutting my arm. mmm, mean old witch!
July 25th
Womad Festival - the one stunning weekend of weather - I'm DJ at the backstage bar and as we arrive, Chic are playing a greatest hits set with the likes of Peter Gabriel watching from the wings. After, a musical hero of mine, Nile Rodgers is wandering around saying hi to people. I get this shot with him and we have a chat. He's signing autographs for people and lapping up the atmosphere.
June
Glastonbury 2008 - I've now only missed 2 in nearly 20 years - those were the muddy years of 97/98 - and the last 3 have been pretty miserable - typically the year they let the ground recover, '06, it was awesome, so things start ok this time, tho' no one can agree on the forecast. Pack both wellies and sandals....what will it be? The crew for our John Peel stage are almost the same as the last 8 years, only the stage is twice as big at our John Peel compound, the backstage area is more corporate and segregated than ever but the atmos good. Best thing is meeting up with old mates from work, and Shawn & I have usual jokes amid the cider as we wander around observing police signs warning of 'Covert Capture Tents' - huh? So how will thieves be caught..? Go in tent...rummage, zip closes quickly shut behind you, tent collapses onto you and wraps you up rolling thief down hill like one of the 'rovers' in "The Prisoner" tv series! Odd.
We, Tom, Kelly and I, follow a dozen rumours of Jay Z ( 'Jizzy' ) doing the Noel Gallagher mick take on vid and in song- he does, tho it goes on too long - I feel the rapper gave too much credence to Noel's comments by handing him a fat PRS cheque playing Wonderwall to the 100,000 crowd....opening a show with your critic's work only demonstrates how important they must be to you and what a big nerve it touched. Jay-Z was rumoured to bring on Estelle, ( didn't happen ), Chris Martin, ( didn't happen ), Beyonce-the-wife, ( didn't happen ) - boohoo to that as it got boring after 20 mins - we leave to watch Massive Attack, awesome, and CSS, (bring back Space 1999) and theramins, in the Park!
May
Go to Bath & West show with Ju
Win training contract with Bath Chronicle for digital development
10th - band plays party for mates at Bonghy Bo's
April
30th - my closest shot at making several 1000 quid overnight. Having just moved Julia to Bath fulltime, I've been looking for 'digs' in London and chanced upon a guy with a room in Chalk Farm, through a mate. I phoned him, turned up this morning, only to be greeted by a slightly blearly-eyed potential landlord in a messy flat, sporting boxer shorts and a black eye!
Upon discussion of my room, tidying, dates when I could stay my journalist nature took the better of me about his 'shiner'. " Er...if you don't mind me asking - what happened to get that ?" thinking he might be a bit of a scrapper...
"Oh" he replies, " I was outside this club last week when the doors flew open and Amy Winehouse bowled out, rushed up to me randomly, butted me in the head, and twatted me in the mouth..! Got the police and had her nicked."
Me: "..So YOU'RE the one she got arrested over - want me to arrange a newspaper deal for you? I know some people..!" (HAVING BIG TAB IN MIND) "Too late.." he says, " News of the Screws signed me up for 20 grand exclusively then dropped the story..!
The Aston Martin's on hold...and I've told my 'roomy' to stand outside Pete Doherty's prison cell... or Blake Civil-fielder's for that matter!
2nd - Skiing in Meribel, France, to visit band member Chris. Great snow all week - and during which, I experience my second, 'Marcus Brigstocke walked into my restaurant' moment in as many years. Not content with eating in my parents' remote local country pub in Williton 2 rys ago, where we briefly spoke - he plonks himself down at the next table to us in our remote mountain restaurant...again! For those wondering, he played the radio presenter in Love Actually, does stand up and presents that satirical news show on BBC4. There's a comedy festival starting in the Alps as I'm leaving - so after mentioning as we all leave that he's developing a habit of walking into 'my' restaurants in remote parts of Europe, he suggests next time doing an impromptu gig for me....'er, yer not that funny mate...' Nice enough chap...
March -
Spot a small pile of grain up against a wall under a railway bridge going into work - so even the pigeons are binge drinking now, then throwing up!
26th - Doing the GMTV programme overnight and spend part of the morning standing outside GMTV with Richard Gaisford in the bitter cold with a 9ft robot that will do the London Marathon, while William Hague and James Blunt walk past...at different times, not together you understand - oh what a wacky world.
Inspiral Carpets play Shepherds Bush
Jeep dies after nearly 11 yrs so have to get another one as all the environmentally friendly ones cost way too much. Now the only 2nd hand cars anyone can afford are the gas-guzzlers coz they don't hold their price!
Research NEO's in details for prog idea.
Jan 25th
Spend morning as GM's official 'twitcher' - no not some apparent overnight seizure, but literally bird watching by viewing a single monitor feed of a camera trained on a bleeding bird table all morning...one boring shot & not a single feathered creature lands - it's the RSPB's national bird survey....thus reducing the company's use of my available skills by around 98%- the other 2% being for each eye...
Jan 19th
Our party band, 'Same Shaped Heads', play a 'Beat the January Blues' gig at the stunning Coombe Lodge country house, Blagdon. Gang of 60 friends take the house over and the party goes on until 4am... singing around the piano et al...
Jan 14th-
Another classic morning at GMTV - legendary Beatle Ringo Starr in the studio to sing his new tribute to Liverpool for its city of culture status - "Liverpool 8". Co-collaborator, Eurythmic Dave Stewart's in as well, but he's a bit restless. Turns out, during rehearsal, Ringo's not happy about his voice holding up so early in the morning, and we've only been given a backing track for him to sing live vocals over. Ringo changes his mind and wants to mime - which is no cardinal sin that time of day - most artists do it on our show. ..
Dave is clutching a laptop and asking the floor manager for a wireless connection...? Uh? We're not Starbucks...meanwhile Starr's manager seems uber keen to get his hands on some blank CD's to record on. It transpires that as nobody has the actual radio version for Ringo to mime to, Dave Stewart has to plug in the laptop, download the track and burn it onto a CD so they've got something to play/sing to - then our sound guys play it in...erm, well you'd think one of rock 'n' roll's most legendary figures might have a copy of his own single among the entourage...the atmosphere on the studio floor is great though when Ringo and band get going, with a huge cheer from crew at the end...a snr colleague was later heard saying how much improved Ringo sounded compared with rehearsals!! - mmm.. Ringo kindly stays on a few minutes after for pictures with a few of us and to sign my Beatles anthology...smashin fella...I sensed a certain frailty in his demeanour... A week later the same thing happens on a US tv show and Ringo doesn't perform because of the confusion over doing a shorter version of the song...
The next day it's the turn of The Hoosiers to come in and do their new single - backing track, with live vocal.
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2007
Dec 29th Kevin Greening.
As we say goodbye to '07, we were saddened to learn of the death of former radio colleague Kevin Greening, who passed away in his sleep on Saturday evening. Kev & I worked together at 5 Live and he was one of the most generous, gifted and intelligent broadcasters I've had the pleasure of working alongside. His death comes as a real shock as Kevin was only 44. Every link uttered from his dulcet tones was individually crafted and invariably comprised several jokes. Kev had a great way of looking at life which made you think..then chuckle. Millions loved his dry delivery and DJ's would have to admit to thinking, 'I wish I'd thought of that...' He was the broadcaster's broadcaster and only weeks ago had been to a Radio 4 pitch meeting with my other half...what a shame he won't be heard there or anywhere else...
Nov -
20th - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/11/20/btvgmtv120.xml
Article about the seat of real power being the GMTV sofa.
17th - Band plays last gig of the year for my birthday party in Wine Vaults - Chris to leave band for France.
It's 20 years this month since I was trained by John Pierce on the studio desk at DevonAir, Exeter and went on air with my first show, "Then & Now", Sunday nights - AM / FM...after the Network Chart. I got paid £19 and drove 100 mile round trip..." and you tell that to the youth of today, and they won't believe ya..."
12th - Produce John Barrowman for LK Today in Cardiff on the set of "Torchwood". Despite the satellite truck not working til 5 minutes before the chat, we manage to get the thing working and go live 20 minutes later than planned. John is utterly charming and professional, looking nowhere near his 41 years...git! Do Bath, Cardiff, Bristol and London today...
10th - Band play gig at Bonghy Bo, Bath, in aid of Marie Curie Cancer. Mixed age so worried about our punk / rock-oriented set, but it goes a storm...
My favourite quote of the month comes from President Musharrif of Pakistan over his current woes ; " I currently find myself between a rock and a very hard surface..."
GMTV has Heather Mills McCartney on the sofa ranting about the press. Her press man Phil Hall resigns...she tries to wear a t-shirt condemning The Sun but is stopped. Confusion ensues as the building is swept by security..on the say-so of No. 10 Downing St....er? They've planned to have Gordon Brown on the sofa but forgot to tell us... the PM doesn't bump Lady M and goes on an hour before...just another ordinary day 'at t'mill..'
Oct - Hols in Thailand with Andy P. Rains the entire time and we're Koh Samui bound. Just get to hotel due to floods. Get around the island in hire car but not much more.
Sept
22nd - Inspiral Carpets singer Tom Hingley plays a superb set down at the Bath Wine Vaults for my night and makes a great dinner guest too.
21nd - Perhaps the weirdest day of the year so far... GMTV summer party followed by Prince final night at the dome. A young woman is killed by a lorry on Sydenham high st, & her body is left for hours while it's investigated - see this on way to party. Bump into class mate not seen for decades - plus mate Ange at the O2, then a guy on the train home has his head cut open when the window partition falls onto him and I'm trying to give him first aid...
14th - It may not have existed as an ITV company for 15 years, but I've bought the name Television South West Ltd, TSW , for future use. The company had a close relationship with its audience and some great personalities in the west, if we forget that rabbit! So I've decided it'll be my production company when the time's right.
2nd - Our fun covers band Same Shaped Heads supports The Wurzels at Coombe Lodge Blagdon, weather stays pretty good for our set, then the heavy drizzle sets in for lege's that are Tommy, Pete and an old mate of ours Russ on bass... Crowd is warm and very supportive..it helps that 20 of our mates are there too with picnics! Overcome the nerves to do a 45 minute set. Now plans for more!
August
19th - After continuing awful weather & talk of yet another mudfest - I give up my ticket for V Festival in Staffs. Most of the acts played Glasto bar the Foos, ( which I've seen at V in recent years..) Why have festival organisers got lazy and unimaginative? Not driving all that way just for Editors...
10th -End of Sidmouth Folk Week, at the fireworks I get a text to say legendary Manc Factory records founder and tv presenter Tony Wilson has died aged 57. I'd met and worked with him a few times at Granada in the 90's - often debating issues on the late night regional programme 'Upfront' , which he hosted so ably with Lucy Meacock. On one such occasion when I was asked to go on over the controversial Prodigy video for 'Smack my bitch up', Wilson and I had an argument about his lack of support for Liverpool acts. He claimed there weren't any good Merseyside acts since the La's, I choked and fired back with 15 bands that had been signed that year & how out of touch he was... still we were both passionate about our respective cities... 'Upfront' was also the show that launched Mrs Merton early 90's.
July
30th - Entertainer Mike Reid dies aged 67. I get off train at Paddington from Bath, only to be hurredly sent to interview agent David Hahn who gives a little behind the scenes info on the former Runarounds star - his g/friend, also charming, unnerves me when she says Mike was sitting in the very chair I'm sat in, in the kitchen, only two weeks ago...spine shivers... Mike had been given a clean bill of health, was on the golf course 3 days a week, always had a joke for folk and never ever minded being called Frank or people shouting out 'Runaround..Now!' - total family man but could be moody and grumpy i was told...(can't we all! )esp when touring the country doing mad hours - he worked his a*se off for decades....got depressed with the dour Eastenders storylines (don't we all) and so quit. He'd also had a real life affair with Babs Windsor way back years ago...When 'Enders' wooed him back in '05, he pleaded for a happier more upbeat Frank Butcher storyline, and the Beeb agreed. ON his first day back...? He ran Tiffany over! Later in the am, David Cameron comes into GMTV - sits in corridor where the bacon butties are usually left, like no other politician I've seen - rehearsing his answers to himself over & over...
June
27th - Like Glastonbury all over again - Womad in Wilts is entrenched in gloopy mud, but the weather clears for a beautiful night to see a pretty intimate Peter Gabriel gig - with outstanding band, loads of crowd pleasers voted for by the fans, and a superb set of guest appearances by 'World' acts like Daara J, Guo Yue (chinese flautist & great cook!) among others. Sometimes it's like watching yer dad dance, but he does work the stage as brilliantly as ever...Some moving moments and a rocking show that truly lifted the spirits, esp Solsbury Hill - before PG's world tour, it's a home gig... Sat and the weather's on the turn but we bump into the team we met in Caceres and my old muckers Pete Dolan & daughter Hannah, Neville Farmer, while seeing PG bimbling around in wellies as a punter. Highlights are Seth Lakeman & Asian Dub Foundation who get the crowd jumping in the mud & rain.
25th- GMTV MD Paul Corley announces resignation after the phone-in probs, to the shock of staff - many feel he shouldn't be going.
19th - In the darkest week for the Beeb, it turns out production staff have faked competition winners, used friends, family and other prod staff. This has been going on for years both in the commercial sector as well as 'Auntie' - and in tv production, where it seems, ITV and former Beeb chief Michael Grade was accused of 'getting up to all sorts' by a former LWT head of current affairs. Possibly worse, is the private revelation to me that there's been far worse going on at the Beeb including a historical drama series, where staff have been selling props on ebay! And I paid for those! Believe me, when it's the dead of the night and no one's calling in, presenters / DJ's the length of the land feel pressured into 'creating' content to give the impression the show is popular and busy...right or wrong? Tough one, but it's been an indemic part of programme making, time immemorial. I've both been a competition guest on a pal's show and created winners some years ago when there was no one entering. Genuine listeners got their prizes...There is, & always has been, an element of 'confectionary' in some areas of programme making in order to achieve the end result - 'entertainment.' Otherwise, it's back to Alan Partridge on 'Norfolk Nights!
10th - Bath Chronicle item about Friday's gig and DJ night with Paul Roberts - click on link;
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163061&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163044&contentPK=17787431&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
Mate Tom HIngley from Inspiral Carpets agrees to do one of my club nights at the vaults - Sept 22nd which is gonna be a great night, while I set up press ints for Paul Roberts to do in promotional prep for my first gig night, Fri 13th - acoustic show.
4th - Great news that Alan Johnston is released by captors in Gaza after 4 months - Bath FM does int with me about coping with the aftermath of kidnap.
June
20 - 25th - Glastonbury Festival
Remarkable event this year, not simply from the severe weather warnings but by the sheer polite middle class nature of the people milling about - barely a regional accent detected, very very white, and there's hardly any litter scattered on any of the days - the litter pickers aren't that fast so these must be educated festival-goers.
Shawn Thorner and I work on the John Peel stage from the Wednesday pm then it's off around the site to explore - ground hard and v green - Wed is the best day weather-wise but already the masses are arriving early to make a holiday of it - so busy so early on - we end up buying some fancy dress from Oxfam....we hook up briefly with Debbie and Penny and kids early eve. Thursday - we have a shift and I find Orange mobile network is practically down, nothing's getting through, after 6 hours I get hold of Vic from work and Deb and a gang of 12 of us meet at Lost Vagueness, ending up having a ball in the silent disco. Friday - by now, several inches of rain is falling and the mud is churning up, wellies are out and it's getting tiring to get anywhere too far from my base backstage at the John Peel stage. indie band The View are caught having a row with a girl in our backstage area and are booted out by security...at 6pm we go see Pinstripe, Shawn's son Josh Thorner's band play at Late n Live venue - good gig & great to see them local acts get on - my favourite of the day has to be Reverand and the Makers who storm the Other stage in between storms at lunchtime, and Amy MacDonald on the new Park stage...hook up with friends behind the Pyramid like Mike Walsh and Brian Highley. Spend some time with Guy and George in the BBC sound truck listening to the acts playing the John Peel.
Saturday...some nutter blags John Peel production office that he's with Mark Ronson - after a call to the tour manager, he's booted out only to re-appear blagging the gate crew that he IS Mark Ronson! Some will try anything to get back to our lovely toilet facilities. Bump into two work colleagues randomly in the Guardian tent after watching Electric Soft Parade - standing next to us are the Pipettes, then old mate Matt from Dodgy walks by us, he's been on drums for ESP, and is on the way to Liverpool for the Knowsley Festival, so that's why no scousers have come to Glasto. Sunday -Finish our shift and I get some interviews in a mud lake with potential groupies for a Radio 1 doc Ju's making about groupies....evacuated at 9pm by friends after Shawn can't get vehicle back on site, no one's getting off easily and the rain's due to start again, so miss The Who. Can't wait to get home in all honesty...
Click here for Glasto Pics 07
13/14/15 - Funny week on overnights at GMTV - fun Friday is ' Tiswas' day -preview of the Tiswas Reunited show - legendary Sally James in our studio with all the old phantom flan flinger clips - and a surprise flanning for presenters Kate and Andrew, the crew and guest Sally - I'm the last to get one right over my head! Proper anarchic fun, though one senior unnamed official complains that it's '2 flans too far' - priceless...humourless...
I'm looking after The Apprentice item & we have the controversial contestant Katie Hopkins on the show mounting a full charm offensive, meanwhile I get ' Alan Sugar -ed' as he rants at me down the phone for 5 minutes about not wanting to talk about Katie -a real contest to see how many F words he could get into a minute - a classic moment for me getting 'monstered' by the pugnacious 'squillionaire' - and Katie surprisingly doesn't try to pull me!
Get my live DJ & music nights up and running to the end of the year at Bath's Wine Vaults. Paul Roberts to play acoustic show, Friday 13th July.
May
10-13th Womad - Caceres - Spain.
The final night I was pooped and we waited well over an hour & a half for a key evening act to emerge & ply their wares. My mind wandered to the heat of Wembley Stadium 1987 when my mates & I waited hours for Madonna to step out and perform...the anticipation all worth the dryness in our mouths...but this? Ju needed some actuality on her doc of these artists - so I wilted over the front barrier - what was it we were waiting for? A Korean Cookery demonstration!! Yes, culinary education for punters is all part of the rich cultural mix for Womad - fine - but holding it in a square on a stage like a headline gig? And the 3 Korean ladies hadn't prepared the ingredients, and they were giggling like schoolgirls coz they were blatted...! I left to find beer..... Dinner with the organisers was fab - what lovely utterly professional people with some good tales - Mozz the stage manager with the chicken he took to the vet, despite it's decrepidity, because his horse wanted a companion & wouldn't accept another 'new' chicken as a friend...!
Home to my favourite Rioja, the 25th Womad festival and a hundred thousand drunk, street-pi**ing Spaniards having a great time. Putting the smell of wee from the back streets to one side for a moment, there were hardly any police, no fights or aggro from a largely young drinking populace...wouldn't happen in Reading. We met a fab performer called Sheila Chandra, now living in Wells, Somerset, who had a hit when she was 16 with Monsoon's Ever So Lonely...she uses her voice as a percussive instrument as well as singing songs and has a wonderful take on world music as a tour de force. Ju and I travelled down in a minibus with 4 Palestinian musicians from Nazareth called Trio Joubran - lovely guys selling a political ideology from their lack of a homeland as well as their CD's. Sheema Mukergjee out of Transglobal Underground was also a charming lady and remarkable performer of the sitar - her rapid fingerwork would put Slash to shame.
We're off to Womad, Madrid for a World music extravaganza...Ju's making a doco for Radio 4 about 25 yrs of Womad Fest including ints with Peter Gabriel - a neighbour of ours, handily...!
8th - history made in N Ireland with Assembly - I'm sitting next to longtime work colleague at GMTV who tells me her grandfather was in the official IRA in the 20's - while my family were loyalists who signed a Belfast declaration forming the UVF in the 20's, strange. Depressing at work tho as we do story of missing Madeleine in Portugal...
1st - Liverpool FC beats Chelsea on penalties ( how many times must they put us through this..) to book their place in the Champions League final in Athens on 23rd May.
April -
Spot a bit of filming going on in Laycock as I drive through - turns out it's period drama for the hit BBC series Cranford. Here are pics.
Enjoying my new slightly adapted lifestyle of coming straight back to Bath right after my last shift in London - means I'm now in Bath more than London overall. Luckily, haven't overslept on the 10.30am train after doing a nightshift...yet.
Oz, from Extreme Trifle, and I develop series idea for adventure travel programme and punt it around production comps.
Plans underway to get involved in the trans- India Rickshaw Rampage this August. 100 teams pimp their tuc-tucs and travel 2500 miles from Chennai to Mumbai with challenges along the way - too good to miss as a tv opportunity.
March
Hostile Environment Training course with Royal Marines nr Hook, Hants, - fun bunch on week long intensive training including Five news' Jon Suchet & ITN's Isla Trequair -now Five. Reuters Cairo bureau chief Jonathan, a real character, who'd been kidnapped for 3 weeks in mid 80's - couldn't believe there were other kidnappees there too, outdoing each other with our near-death stories over drinks at the bar. We were given some amazing scenarios...from spotting types of gun, bomb & mortar, getting through a minefield with a prodder, getting through checkpoints, and kidnap. First aid, trauma and shock are intense sessions.
Read John Suchet's blog re our training, it's a great summary of the week;
http://news.five.tv/team_talk.asp?id=128&dd=14&mm=3&year=2007
Extremely interesting morning at GMTV as guests include Coleen McCloughlin & Dragons’ Dens Peter Jones - learn a lot from talking to him.
GMTV
‘item with classic-crunching-gear-change.’ Sad tale of morbidly obese 15 stone seven yr old boy who will only eat junk every day ...followed after the ad break by Britain’s best fish ‘n chip shop!
Feb 13th
Produce Simon Pegg at GMTV as he promotes Hot Fuzz –chatting about seeing his comedy partner Nick Frost in S Africa recently & he mentions that Nick couldn’t go up Table Mountain in Nov as scared of heights! Explains the miserable demeanour that day.
Feb 27th
Produce item overnight on new fines for drivers talking on mobiles - Govt minister Stephen Ladyman agrees to appear, despite the fact that last time he was on someone ‘Aston-ed’ him Stephen ‘Ladyboy’!
GMTV gold moment, while top story is mobile phone/ driver clampdown with minister and car simulator and victim. Cheggers tracks down the £10,000 winner who’s not at home, by phone asking where she is ...she answers; 'driving on the motorway!'
March 8th
Extremely interesting morning at GMTV as guests include Coleen McCloughlin & Dragons’ Dens Peter Jones - learn a lot from talking to him.
2006
Nov / Dec
Do to S. Africa & Namibia for Great Escapes filming incl safari. Stay in the most amazing boutique hotels, tight schedule but not too many mishaps. Bump into actor Nick Frost at base of Table Mountain –doesn’t look happy. We are prevented from entering Namibia by a deeply psychotic looking immigration official who won't accept our paperwork. Have to call consulate in London to get things moving...
The 2 & half week trip is amazing and includes dawn balloon rides over the desert, tracking lions & cheetahs, chartering light aircraft and flying over the Namib desert hanging out of a plane without a door. At the Sossusvlei mountain lodge, the most remote place I've ever been - a stunning place to stay - we're told it's scorpion free, none seen for years, but the little ones are dangerous & have more venom. There are med-evac arrangements should one of us get stung and our nervous system starts to shut down - The larger ones just have big pincers & not so deadly apparently....Day 2 and I'm getting into the shower at 5am only to be confronted by a small brownish scorp scampering under my floor towel and out by the patio door. So barefoot & bleary eyed, I've had the luckiest escape since the summer! The manager assures me it's the first one seen in 6 years...err yea - so lucky me! Produce 5 lovely films of which I'm quite proud.
…
Oct
Produce GMTV’s best adoption week yet with films highlighting children needing a good caring home. It's success is largely due to Madonna's acquisition of a boy from Malawi in the same week.
July 20th
Attacked and kidnapped in Beirut while covering Lebanese conflict for GMTV. Taken afterwards to meet Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora at presidential palace. Still get our story on air next morning about the plight of the displaced people of South Beirut. Evacuated by the FCO on HMS St Albans on the Friday.
July
See new Stranglers mark IV minus Paul R for first time at Guilfest as well as Hugh Cornwell - ( following Beirut attack I'm invited to go to Stranglers' studio /farm to hear new album and sit in on rehearsals for upcoming tour as way of chilling out …)
June
Meet production company re a Sky 1 mysteries show
May 19
Meet Mickey, Noel Clarke, from Dr Who – behind scenes chat…
Paul Roberts leaves the Stranglers as frontman - narrowly missing out on equaling Hugh C's record of 16 years.
May 9th and 11th
Devise more prog ideas and getting serious about development
Had a mad week in celebs homes – filming for a friend’s 50th – Ended up filming in Imelda Staunton’s garden – then knocked on door two houses away and greeted by Emma Thompson and hubby Greg Wise – the whole family singing happy birthday for the vid camera…all surreal…
Do GMTV live OB from Bruce Forsyth’s garden after his daughter has her dogs stolen - stand with Brucey in kitchen drinking tea at 8am ! He tells story about having Uri Geller around to dinner – bending his sliver dinner service…not happy
April
Best meeting in a long while – Nigel Pickard – RDF
Trip to Cuba with Ju - what an amazing place...we do the swimming with dolphins thing. Havana is extraordinary.
Jan
Contact an agent –
2005
Autumn
Henry asks me to cover Snr Producing, Newshour – this is not the direction I want to go in, but it’s a good sign of their confidence in me that I’m asked, since I’ve never showed a hint of wanting middle / senior management stripes.
September 2, 2005
BIG rock credentials loom as I sit calmly in an old knackered rocking chair on my Maida Vale balcony drinking a glass of red in the warm autumn sunshine, when....
My mate Tony Cooke happens to stroll by, heading for the BBC Maida Vale studio front door. I yell out to say hi, and Tony asks what I'm up to that evening. Apparently Iron Maiden are doing some session / int and just off to Hammersmith to do the last show of their Eddie Rips Up the World tour. It has already included the infamous Ozzfest Sharon Osborne mega bust up...Bruce slates Ozzy for autocue on stage and Sharon gets the band 'egged' for their dissent. It's all very juvenile in America but back home it's ROCK...fans and big Eddie. I get a cab with Tony, CJ and a DJ off XFM and we head for Hammersmith...all because I happened to be sat on my balcony opposite the BBC on a day off at the right time... Iron Maiden are not my cuppa normally, but live they are awesome, simple as. Great show - like the Stranglers, everyone in the audience is committed, or should be!
Afterwards, it's off to the Sanctuary studios, Shepherds Bush, which management own for the endless-beer after-show party - it's just a great, friendly, busy rock n roll party. I recall not getting home to Delaware Rd until gone 4.30am at a guess. Catch up with Bruce Dickinson about life at BBC 6 MUSIC. As a music news journalist there for the past few years, we already know each other from him coming into the studios, sitting on the corner of my desk and us chatting about the day's news events..he's very well read and up on current affairs, so we'd already stuck up a rapport. Get him on Sierra Leonne and diamonds and flying jets, and Bruce is your bezzy mate. Never thought I'd see em live though and really glad I did...'ears open'....followed by ears-bleedin...!
V Festival
Chelmsford, KT Tunstall, Kaiser Chiefs et al…
.July
Guilfest – Weller – he’s amazing – could this yet be the gig of the year?
Interview Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch for BFBS radio – kind of on edge as usual and still saying he’s the best thing since ‘sliced-Frank Sinatra’ ( now I know where Liam gets the arrogance and that swagger – it’s Mac ) but we have an honest chat about stuff and then go out to watch modfather…
Live 8 – backstage
worth it just for Floyd and the Who.
Chris Evans his producer Helen , Ju and I are laughing at the truly ridiculous entourage surrounding a rapper, think it’s Snoop Dogg. Ricky Gervais is hanging around on the coat-tails of Live 8 host Wossy. Dave Gilmour walks past – it’s mad.
June
Glastonbury – flooding and so much mud it’s really knackering. GMTV tries in vain to get a camera to me at the site for news.
Paris – Tears are playing a stadium and the Smiths have naturally got a family box on the hottest of summers days – really good show as well – Curt nicks one my gags for the French involving my masterly multi-lingual use of the phrase,’my helicopter is made of cheese..’! It’s on the DVD now... Afterwards – a few drinks backstage when Roland pitches up to me doing bits from Little Britain; “ Dust” is our new catchphrase. 10p photo taken as seen in the gallery page. Sadly, during the show, I take a call from Woody, saying that Martin Brice from Taunton, ( who co-hosted my local band show on Orchard ‘90-’92 ) has been found dead in his flat.
Most amazing year for going to music events & gigs yet, most boring for work.
May (4/5th)
Tears for Fears play acoustic on night of election – see them – chat – slag off their record comp in UK and debate politics – then do night shift where editor Dean & I have to do a highlights vt for the end of the show – I’ve decided to use Sowing the seeds ( well it’s political ) and Muse’s Butterflies and Hurricanes – awesome – after their V Fest performance last year it’s a must. Get round of applause in the GMTV newsroom – that’s a first and a last!
2004
March
Start on GMTV two month special, Hand Over Your House. It’s a nightmare marathon production which costs 100 grand and saps the will to live, though there are some fun moments filming the house in Epsom being ‘made over’ while the poor occupant Sarah, has to live through it… I’m generally in charge of making the vt’s and effectively senior produce the project with Michelle De Leon. There’s often a team of 20 to look after, from Carla presenting to the OB crews.
May bank holiday
Janey, Garry, Max and I travel to Devon, not sure what the fuss is all about over the weekend’s International Worm Charming Festival. We go to support friend called Al from Bath as he defends his World beating title - we field a team with help from local character Colin, and we WIN! It turns out to be the most incredible weekend - funny, poignantly sad, like being in a classic British movie. The events inspire Janey and I to pen a script for a film, called ‘Charming’.
July
Guilfest – Friday—BBC 6 Music, interview Paul just before he goes on with the Stranglers live in the BBC OB studio truck – two-way straight into 6’s Music Week with Julie Cullen – goes great and this stuff is def what I’m strong at – live OB’s and ints.
( this is the truck Peely used for many years at Glasto – I even blagged use of the phone once in ’92 to do a phone-live for Orchard from here, with sponsored tags and all! That left a confused looking engineer, Dave Broomfield.. )
Break two 6 Music stories for the BBC – confirming Live 8 with Midge Ure – everyone wants it…then Julia phones me from Radio 2...
John Peel dies suddenly in the October – such a shroud over BH – part of the reason 6 Music was set up was a vehicle for Peely’s archive sessions – I think back to that day when I wish I’d taken a picture as I stood right behind Peely in Hallam street as he watched the old Radio 1 building get knocked down by demolition cranes – he was musing, no doubt, that if only Simon Bates was in there with Blackburn…!
Top of page2003
November
Shaun Smith and I complete a fabulous driving tour of California. Starting off at Curt & Frances' place we do over 2000 miles driving, after I've had a quick catch up with GMTV colleagues Steve Gee and Jackie Brambles over dinner- Shaun / Curt come too - pic below.
After doing the sights of LA, ( I must say I thought the Lapraya Pits were the most interesting..) We head for Vegas where we catch Cirque Du Soleil, a flight through the Grand Canyon, ( another thing ticked off before I die ), the Mojave Desert, Mammoth lakes and Lake Taho, San Fran for my 35th bthday, (dinner in the Hyatt revolving restaurant over the Bay), Big Sur and the whole pacific coast highway on the 101 through Santa Cruz naturally playing The Thrills CD, San Luis Abispo, ending back staying at Curt's in the Hollywood Hills where we began. It all ends with us going to a Brits ex-pat party for the Rugby World Cup. It's now the end of November... top trip. In LA-X on the way back, we're in that horrid tiny little bar and Gail Porter is there with then hubby Dan Hipgrave and baby daughter. We get chatting as I'd worked with her in Sheffield on The Games a month or so back...
October
Produce Cheggers live in Sheffield’s Don Valley stadium for GMTV re. Channel 4’s The Games. Meet James Hewitt, former Sporty Spice Mel C and Gail Porter– so surreal to be in a reality tv house. Mel’s lovely.
July
Guilfest, feats Stranglers, Madness, Blondie and the annual Radio 2 BBQ, go with Caroline & Andrew and mate Angela.
Go back to my old school Huish Episcopi as guest of honour at the annual prize giving ceremony...nerve-wracking, give speech, hand out prizes and meet old faces. Good to see several of my former teachers still there. Mrs Caddy, Paul McSparron, Mike Sammons. Pupils present me with a piece of art they've done and framed - really nice touch.
June
Glasto is a great hot & sunny year working on the New Bands Stage - Angela Corpe comes along and bands on our stage include Jnr Snr, Mew, - main stages, Inspirals, REM, Athlete, Electric 6 (Gay Bar ), Too many DJ's.
Go to Liverpool to see Macca playing live at the docks -you gotta see a Beatle play live in your lifetime - either before you go or they do! Awesome show for 2 hours.
Lindley and I enjoy sharing a flat in Shirland Road.
Great festival year, Peter Gabriel at Wembley Arena in the ‘round’ in May
2002
GMTV - First stint on special projects. Produce a Crime Week special on UK’s most wanted with drama reconstructions.
Go on a first date with a girl taking her to Gunter von Hagan's 'Bodies' exhibition in Brick lane! It's probably not the best thing to get sparks flying, but I thought 'if she can handle this...'
Eamonn’s Africa - 2 1/2 weeks in Shamwari, SA doing wildlife filming and big cat releases with Born Free. Eamonn makes it clear to the PR woman on his arrival that he hates animals and especially ‘f-ing big cats..’. Goes on to be afraid of giraffes and various animals that we introduce him to...good laugh at mealtimes though and we produce some good work. Born Free’s a waste of people’s money though...good for awareness of big cat crisis in Africa, but pointless repatriating a lion from a European cage to Africa where it will never be able to catch its own food, often at tens of 1000’s of pounds.
Do undercover secret filming at drugs dens in Brixton as police there try softly softly stance towards cannabis. Dangerous moment as we buy drugs in the back of a kebab shop with a long dark corridor and only one exit. Nervous as I’m wearing a bum-pouch with a camera in it. We also go to a dark doorway on a council estate to buy drugs off the street - great shots but not to be done too often. Next morning we have some of the ‘gear’ we bought on the sofa and John Stapleton almost gets arrested by a woman police inspector who shows up after seeing us with the stuff on-air. She doesn’t mind us having it but when the cameras are turned on her standing at the back of the GMTV studio, she finds it less than amusing and threatens to arrest John live on-air.
Top of page2001
Sept 14th
Marian Shephard and I host Stranglers convention at Pontins, Brean Sands, with live Stranglers tv into 900 chalets and plenty of on-stage activity over the weekend too. Marian and I present morning tv from the Pontins studio with our Stranglers backdrop on the Sat/ Sun as double act - good fun. Glen Matlock’s Philistines play on the bill as does Mike ‘The Alarm’ Peters. I get to bring the band on again and do various interviews and activities with members of the band over the weekend. My chalet's quite cute. A tribute is made to those lost in the twin towers...it's been one of the weirdest weeks anyone can remember...
September 11th
Take my lunch coz I’m late into the office and eat at desk – sunny day – no one’s in the newsroom – keep monitoring CNN coz a ‘light aircraft’ has hit the World trade Centre’ – 15 mins later I watch as another one hits the other tower – I know it’s terrorism at that moment even tho the CNN expert is saying something could be wrong with air traffic control…stay all night in newsroom as all hands to deck.
April 9th
Join GMTV-it’s weird and it’s almost 2 weeks before anyone really speaks to me…ends up being most friendly place I’ve worked.
March
Leave BBC. It's a weird feeling as the last year's gone so fast. Hilary Fox and I have joint leaving do - have leaving bash down at the Seen, Wardour St - out of several presenters I've worked with - Five Live's Kev Greening shows up.
Radio 1 exclusive - get Brian Harvey to reveal Daniella Westbrook’s in rehab in USA - front page Daily Mirror.
Get Paul and Jet Black onto 5 Live with Kevin Greening to promote ‘5 live’ - a live Stranglers album. Good round table chat. Ben Elton interview over in Radio 2, he starts to diss the labour Govnt. Decides he’s gone too far and asks me not to put out some of the things he said. I agree, but only if he records my mobile answerphone outgoing message...
Cover BAFTAS for 5 Live and Radio 1 –file reports from OB truck in Leicester Sq. Go live into Nick Ferrari’s Sunday show on 5 Live. First time we’ve spoken since he walked into Live tv and made me redundant. Have laugh with him about that!
Interview Kevin Costner outside American Embassy for 5 Live for his film about teh Cuban missile crisis.
Feb
Interview Johnny Depp at the Savoy for his part in Chocolat with Juliette Binoche. We get on well and he's a Dave Mason fan! The other one!
January
Go to Egypt for a week with mate after we couldn't get a skiing hol. After an interest in its history, it's a life changing trip which spurs more visits, a love of Egypt now and its illustrious ancient history. But here's a spooky tale....
During a moonlight tour of Karnak temple on, again a Wednesday just like in the summer of '99, we hear a shakespearean voice boom out stories of the ancients, even speaking of Egypt's kings watching lunar eclipses from Karnak's temples and pylons.
As we watch and listen to the sound and light show, the first lunar eclipse of the millenium occurs for real. As Andy and I leave the temple, I'm telling him about the solar one we watched out the back of HTV 2 yrs before on the grassy knoll. During this tale, I look over towards some tourists walking...and there is Vanessa Bewley! The colleague with whom I was standing when the solar eclipse occured in 1999 back in Bristol. I tell her I've just been talking about her, after seeing this latest celestial event, and we're all a bit weirded out by the extent of the coincidences. It's Wednesday 10th Jan, the last one being on Wed 11th Aug '99.
The eclipse started at about 8.40pm as the moon entered the Earth's shadow. At first it appeared as if a small "bite" had been taken out of one side of the moon. The Guardian said; "Millions of people in across the globe enjoyed a clear view of the first lunar eclipse of the millennium despite forecasts that clouds would spoil the event."
As we leave Luxor airport I also bump into a BBC colleague who produces Later with Jools...Egypt clearly popular with media folk right now...
2000
Dec
Visiting Yeovil at Christmas time with mate Duncan, when we happen upon my old radio station doing a 'roadshow' thingy in the Quedam shopping centre. Orchard FM has a small crowd gathered around and we watch discreetly from the back as a DJ plays games on stage with punters making farmyard animal noises in time to some music...I felt for them I really did... it was awful - I said to my mate - "did we really sell a really good local station to a giant radio group for this to happen..?" I held my head low and prepared to move off...as I did so, the DJ calls for contestants to come on stage for the next riveting competition. He spots Duncan & I at the back and beckons; "hey you two seem fun lads smiling at the back, come on..." NO. way... I mouth.... this irritatingly persistent DJ then gets the crowd to encourage us up, Duncan pretends to, then ducks out at the last minute, as I'm suddenly ushered forward finding myself on a roadshow stage in front of assembled shoppers. The DJ asks my name, what I do / "journalist" ( don't mention Radio 1 ), he has no idea I used to work at Orchard, and I'm told I'll be taking part in a quiz about Orchard FM (oh god, it's going from bad to worse...). I'm doing that 'get me off here' leaning forward stary thing to Duncan while he just stands there. So the DJ gives me 3 questions about my old workplace; who does breakfast show - 'dunno' / who's the travel reporter - Dunno - and the one remaining classic question - who launched the radio station in 1989..? er, that was me! Shock, embarrassment ensues, I feel silly, he doesn't know where to look, introduces me to the crowd, more embarrassment. Leave stage left and get on with shopping.
Dec 14 - I get assigned to go to Paul McCartney's book signing at Waterstones, Piccadilly. Publicist Geoff Baker lines me up to meet Macca after the press conference where we all just shout out questions. Genuinely star-struck meeting Paul - he's signing a book of his paintings so I do press conf interview, get Geoff Baker to let me join the queue halfway in, meet Paul, shake his hand, get him to sign book to my mum & dad, and he tells me to wish them a happy xmas from him...such a good PR man...my mouth is dry...( I shoulda warned him about mono-ped Geordie women..he hasn't met Ms Mills yet....)
Nov
16th - my birthday - it's slamming with rain - I'm posted go get ints for Radio1 & 5 outside Britney Spears' aftershow party at Planet Hollywood, Piccadilly, so some birthday! When the gits at Freud Communications finally let press inside to dry out, we've no interview with anyone and soaked. I suddenly spot a girl I'd seen on a train from Liverpool 3 weeks previously during the railtrack go-slow, when I got the last sandwich on the whole damn journey - & she gave me a dirty look. My mate & I chat to Abby Roedel and her friend Regan Fletcher. Then begins a long friendship with a delightful pair of fun, bright Americans. Regan & Abby got married...not to each other..we're still friends now..(& look what happened to Britney... who?)
Meet U2 at TOTP, chat to Bono about our mutual friend Bev Sage in Bristol.
Oct
Q Awards - Noel and Liam there along with the wonderful Joe Strummer from the Clash who I interview at length - he's picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award - only for the int to go missing later in the Radio 1 vaults. That's gutting as he died a year later. Do live 2-way into 5 Live and cause studio producer 'white-out' when I call Noel over for a live chat on-air! They don't want Liam or Noel talking live....wonder why !! Many more names & ints than I could mention. Robbie Williams is there - and there's a face-off war of words and some hairy chests between him and Liam.
Interviews include, Sandra Bullock, Johnny Depp, Paul McCartney at book launch Dec., Depeche Mode & Nelly Furtado at TOTP.
Sept
Newsbeat / 5 Live sends me to Liverpool for the press conference interviews with the cast of homegrown Brit flick, The 51st State - part funded from Hollywood. It's a very funny film and filmed all over Liverpool, docks, city centre streets, clubs, warehouses etc. I get really good one on one chats with Samuel L Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Ricky Tomlinson - many of which I use on my 5 Live entertainment slot - The writer / producer Stel Pavlou was a man after my own heart. He blagged himself and a mate into the Cannes Film Festival to punt the script & chat up the right people, using a fake rubber stamp made from a carved potato ! At least that's the story he gave. Several re-writes later and getting the script to Sam Jackson - he got his film made... I do the interviews on the council building rooftop...weird..
One of the jobs at the Ents unit if there's no one available, we all 'muck in', is cutting Steve Wright's showbiz cuts and taking the clips with a script physically over the road from Radio 1 to Radio 2. He gets arsey if the script isn't a certain way for him and if the clips we cut have any background noise...artist int at a a festival, near to a speaker stack. He makes regular jokes about us always doing our ints next to a generator. His show is where I meet, and flirt a bit with his producer, Julia...she's taken...ah well! Give it 4 yrs...!
Disney kids awards, bump into Fiacra from Live tv, Chris Tarrant, Steve Wright asks me to show his son how to work a mini-disc recorder...ugh?! He's working in a digital world...! Interview boyband Five, Westlife, and loads of crap pop acts like Hearsay and bloody Steps..again.
Weird moment happens while I'm doing backstage ints at Top of the Pops - Atomic Kitten are there to perform - and their backing musicians consist of none other than former Kassius (the band I managed in Liverpool) bassist, Pemmo. We're looking at each other going, "what are you doin' here.."? There's definitely a second where we wished we'd been there with all the other guys playing one of their tunes...as a hit.
August 15th
The first day of the rest of my life.
Spiller are in the charts and ‘Lady, hear me tonight’ by Modjo – it’s v sunny and hot in London’s West end and I’m going in the doors of Radio 1 to start work..it seems soo strange..all these years wanting to work here and its happened..people are helpful and friendly enough but very serious about getting the job done – I’ve got to raise my game…Georgina ( who’s an old friend from radio city and put me up last night ) is hugely busy and after helping me to get started on various mind-boggling new computer systems, rightly, lets me get on with it ….it’s up to me to make it work and this week more than ever is sink or swim time…I’m not going back to that dole office in Liverpool next week.
Head feels like it’s going to explode with all the info I’ve got to take in.
First interviews for the network are Alpinestars and a new cool singer called Craig David – he’s really supportive of the fact I’ve just started my 1st week.
July - applying for jobs left, right and centre. Get interview at tv centre for Radio 1 / 5 job – do quite well – week later told I didn’t get the job. Caroline gives me a serious pep talk telling me to call and ask why I didn’t get the job and to ask for some f/lance work anyway! Nice bit of cheek – and possibly the best piece of career advice I’ve ever been given …not taking that ‘no’ for an answer. Call Adrian at Radio 1 and batter his ear with how I could do the job….calls me back the next day with a week’s work at Radio 1….paid! just a week is an amazing start – it can go on the c.v. if nothing else…. Now I just gotta prove myself….
Mark Gorton who invented Mrs Merton offers some tv dev work at MMA in Liverpool – I then set about trying to prove if Adolf Hitler lived in Liverpool in 1911 - his half brother Alois lived on Upper Stanhope St...it's unlikely but he probably visited.
June
Glastonbury 2000 - Nudger, Thorner and I work together on the recently added New Bands Tent at Glastonbury - the fence comes down and at least a quarter of a million people are roaming a dangerously packed site. Weather's amazing, hay fever bad as ever, horrible walking around the site coz so many there. There are record crime, muggings and tent lootings from the gangs that come down to cause trouble from Manchester and Liverpool. The one abiding memory is standing at the top of the hill watching David Bowie on the Pyramid stage, (4th time seeing him in 3yrs ) - amazing but the most people I've seen at a gig ever. Coldplay are still unknown! But we do make friends with a new community of workers including Dave & Iona Barker who we'll do this week with for the rest of the decade. Shawn's van is stolen with a load of scooped up tents inside & found dumped in London...meanwhile my Jeep is in the car park smashed up, all windows broken as some lovely 'hippies' used my car as target practice for throwing rocks. Find this on the last night. Glasto is then cancelled until '02, naturally because of the outrage caused to Michael Eavis over the damage to my Jeep!
In June I apply for Radio 5 Ents job based in Radio 1– long shot, but I kiss the envelope as I post my demo and application from a lonely Lark Lane. Get interview – do quite well – week later told I didn’t get the job. Caroline gives me a serious pep talk telling me to call and ask why I didn’t get the job and to ask for some f/lance work anyway! Nice bit of cheek – and possibly the best piece of career advice I’ve ever been given …not taking that ‘no’ for an answer Call Adrian at Radio 1 and batter his ear with how I could do the job….calls me back the next day with a week’s work at Radio 1….paid! just a week is an amazing start – it can go on the c.v. if nothing else…. Now I just gotta prove myself….
May
Imagine FM offer work in Stockport – better than nothing but tv work is dead. I'm helped to get that by new Juice boss, Giles Squire. They have a mannequin in the corner of the studio dressed as a professional female- that’s who our average listener is…a plastic lifeless dummy! Time to leave commercial radio!
April
Travel to Belgium on tour bus with the Stranglers to update documentary on new guitarist Baz Warne, who will go on to become the lead singer in 2006. Not sure where we are in Belgium, but it’s a field, there’s a lot of hairy beer drinkers, and the Buzzcocks are on the bill, though utterly bladdered on stage, various crew and I stand at side of stage bewildered at how they’re swaying while playing. Not as utterly destroyed as a deathly looking Shane McGowan with his Popes-he has to be carried from the car to the stage and propped up to sing, v sad. JJ and I are watching this debacle from the back of the tour bus...ironically, Kirsty Maccoll, his famous vocal sidekick dies first later this year.
March
Atko me go to Manchester for a showcase, pile out of taxi at Malmaison at same moment as ‘Steps’ are going in - in there is a v drunk John Thomson sitting in the bar. This is only months after I’ve done a piece on Steps in Bristol for HTV walking through HMV. Rather disturbingly, I’m gonna be seeing loads more of them this year at every damn event Radio 1 sends me.
Dec / Jan
New year and millennium night is dismal…the Lark Lane house ain’t what it used to be ( read the novel ‘Powder’ – life was like this and it mentions our Lark Lane ‘scene’! It also makes indirect reference to me on Crash FM as a DJ playing local bands, called ‘ ‘.) The century's kicked off pretty badly, all in all.
Become Crash FM’s supersub from Jan – March. Do last Brekky show before an era ends and it changes to Juice FM – Have to summon up the courage to go and sign-on at the Toxteth dole office, but hide my Jeep around the corner!…weird ..unemployed in the city I’ve had so much from in the last six years.
Ian McCulloch introduces Atko, McNabb and me to Robert Plant at Life café after show in Liverpool—has to be one of my coolest rock moments - Ian Mac says he hated the gig to us then when Robert strolls up, says “ great gig!”
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