National Lemon Meringue Day

One of the many alleged "Perks of the Job" working in radio, is one I shouldn't really share with you.

Almost every day, some poor listener will find themselves being enlightened, entertained or sometimes learning something they never knew before from a very knowledgeable Radio Superstar.

I learnt very early in my radio career that interesting and fascinating things don’t necessarily happen every day, or to be very honest, every week. It is therefore at times (purely for entertainment value or occasionally personal gain) obligatory to tell the odd little white lie.

One of my favourites is to announce fictitious National Days like national Kit Kat Day or National Lemon Meringue Day my favourite.

After Six years at the same station, my listeners have twigged, and what a pleasant surprise today when Stuart ( A Master Baker) of Grayson’s of Ainsdale rang to tell me it was National Lemon Meringue Day and made one especially for me with my initials on it. He even brought my Mum a massive Cream Cake to cheer her up.

How cool is that.!!!!!

It Never Ends

Again with one thing or another. I have had very little time for my Blog.

For the past few months my Mum has not been in very good health. And to cut a long story short she has been taking more tablets than were good for her and ended up collapsed in a heap with some very nasty bruising.

To get her back on her feet (literally) she was sent for a little restbite while all her drugs were re-assesed.

She was taken to a lovely place that reminded me of a travel lodge (apart from the stink of p*ss)which seemed to disapear within ten minutes or if you stop breathing.

Today I get a call from my Brother. My mum has been robbed, she had all her money taken from her bedside table whilst she slept.

A male member of staff was busy looking in on her every half hour on the night the money dissapeared, asking if she was still having trouble getting to sleep and if she wanted a cup of tea (she never got one)

The last check mum remembers was at five in the morning. A girlie member of staff did bring a cup of tea at Seven O'Clock.

If only the the Male would have spotted who was sneaking around between Five and Seven.

What a shame... Bas**rds

First Day Back

It was my first day back in work after a Christmas and New Year break (aren't I lucky)

I don't know whether it was over excitement at the thought of going back to work or just first day nerves (I bet I have forget what all the buttons and faders do). But I found it really hard to get to sleep on Sunday night.

For the last few years "Big Brother" has kept me up till late (not this year.... its s**t)Plus my bed always feels like its got lumps in (until my alarm clock goes off then its the best bed in the world)

Being woke up at about 5AM with a bad case of wind (outside) made me want to roll over and stay put.

However I made the effort and set off to work with my packed lunch and all my show prep (pre done just in case)

As it turned out, I loved it... plus for the first time in all my time at Dune FM The staff had a whip-round and got me a few Birthday Presents (NO CARD)They said I would have nothing to moan about if they got that too.


Pictured with me is our latest competition winner Sue, she is about to start "The Inch-loss Challenge" with gymophobics (A Girly only Gym)

With a bit of luck i will be going there on Wednesday (for research) honest. Good Luck Sue

At It Again

It would seem that every single time I have a break from work, I get drawn in to a little bit of DIY. (I cant help it... It may be a bad influence from the TV).

During the summer we started on the mammoth task of putting up a new fence in the back garden. After a lot of hard work and a lot of money, the job had to stop. The plan was to wait until This Summer and Finnish it all off then.

This week, for some strange reason we found ourselves counting up how many fence panels it would take to finish off around the back garden. And before we knew it we were on the road to get the stuff in CHEAP in the sales.

(We soon found out that you cant actually buy stuff in the sales that you need or actually want)

To add to this we even had trouble buying the fence panels anyway.

The first thing we tried was to go on-line and buy them (we could have them delivered) BUT NO "not available to order online"

The next day, armed with our List, off we went to B&Q. We made our way to the customer service desk to place our order (we knew exactly what we wanted so knew it Wouldn't take long)

SHOCK HORROR... The customer service desk had been removed (as a cost cutting measure) However, all was not lost because they had installed a button on the wall to press for assistance.

Only trouble being didn't get any assistance. We went to see the Three members of staff who were busy rearranging things in the garden department (well having a meeting about it)but no luck

After a whole hour of button pressing and having "Assistance calls put on the Tanoy" we decided to leave B&Q unable to buy stock they had on display because they had cut staff to save money.

Thanks to the guys at Jewsons for sorting us out.

This Year has flow by

Have you felt the same as me this year ?. Every week, I seem to have made reference to one person or another, that this week has flown by.Now its not just a week its the whole year gone.

Looking back on 2007, I must say it has been an eventful and busy one.

My mum has been in and out of hospital. There are many tales to tell about that, and every tale seems to involve Neglect, red tape and penny pinching,so maybe less said the better.

Ive not been in the best of health either. My Cholesterol was quite high this year, I was put on a great drug to fix it called Statins. It didn't do the trick, and it may have damaged my Liver. (thought I would share this with you)

I've not even had time to get to the dentist to have a filling sorted (because work say you have to go in your own time, and I didn't have any)

I did however, manage at long last to get my wall built at home, and of course the Garage roof repaired (still got a leak somehow)

As for work, well lets just say it has been very busy.

I have had some great opportunities too.
Hosting The Advertiser Sports Awards at Edge Hill University, Me and Carol getting on the Tele with The Merebrow Giant Pumpkins and Gigging in London.

Doesn't sound a lot when you say it like this. (maybe I am just a lazy B***ard)

As for New Years resolutions..... I have nothing left to give up other than moaning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Typical Bank Holiday Weekend

Being a Bank Holiday, forward planing is a must. One of the perks of working at a Radio Station, is that you can get the weather forecast in advance for the whole weekend.

The forecast I managed to get, informed me of a super weekend until Monday. Armed with this privileged information, it was off to the shops to stock up on Bank Holiday Beer and BBQ stuff.

The Plan was BBQ on Sunday. and a nice Sunday lunch on Monday. (cool eh)
As we have come to expect, the weather forecast turned out to be a complete load of cack.

Saturday was spent picking the most expensive bricks on the planet for our garden wall. We were assured that they were top quality, and even suitable for building a nuclear fall out shelter. (we only wanted them cos the colour matched our remaining gate post)

Even as the temperature reached above 95 degrees, the other job of digging out the footings for the wall had to go ahead, to make lots of eating and drinking time.

Come Sunday, within seconds of digging the BBQ out of the garage, the sky turned a strange shade of ..... lets say ..... errrrrrmmmmmm BLACK.

If you have bought any meat from a supermarket recently, you will know that it has to be consumed within hours of purchase, otherwise that too changes colour, to a shade of genetic Green. So The BBQ had to go ahead, regardless of the rain, which, by this time was dancing six inches back up from the ground.

Lighting the BBQ inside the garage, isn't ideal, but at least I got the job done. My eyes got so much smoke in them, its took me till today to find my laptop, so I could complain about it.

I would have posted a picture showing me and the BBQ but all you can see on the photo was smoke.

Saturday Night TV

TV show "Any Dream Will Do" on Saturday night was a complete farce.
Chris Barton was ousted from the show after a phone vote by the general public.

Surley the phone vote should be reserved to save contestants after the judges have done there job and weeded out the bad singers and poor performers.

This week was the second time Chris has been unfairly put into the sing off. Neither Chris nor the other bloke should have been in the sing off anyway, but out of the two, Chris was by far the best.

Loved the version of Close every Door at the end of the show.

Lets hope Chris gets a shot at the big time soon.

No thanks to the shower of bast***s who supported the cr*p contestants.

Chris Barton Visits Dune FM

Monday afternoon at Dune FM was one of those days. On a flying visit home from London, "Any Dream Will Do" contestant Chris Barton, took time out to call in and say hello to us.

Chris who is a really nice bloke had our sales girlie's in a daze (CHECK OUT THE PICTURE ABOVE WITH HEATHER") he also had my mate Dan's studio phone red hot. But he did his bit and answered listeners questions and read the traffic and travel news.

It was a close shave for Chris last week as he had to take part in the sing off but was saved by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This week Chris had a better ride.

At the end of the competition we all hope Chris will win and star as Joseph in the West End. In the musical about a bloke that loses his coat.

Joking aside Chris is even more proof of the incredible talent that can be found in the Northwest. And I would love to be there on his opening night.

As a treat for all the boys at Dune Chris brought some of his family in to see us (total babes) Mum Jane, Cousin Lucy and Lyn (cool).

Chris has a great gift, but can only get through with our help. I know Graham Norton is on it, but please watch "Any Dream Will Do" this Saturday, and VOTE CHRIS BARTON.

for more info click on the link below.

I Think I've Caught The Sun

Today was the first birthday of The New Fleetwood Inn in Banks. DuneFm were invited to provide the entertainment for the day.

We did everything from a pop quiz to an egg and spoon race and the ABC quiz.



With a Bouncy Castle BBQ and face painting there was something for everybody.

The BBQ was a huge success, keeping everybody well fed throughout the day

Apart from lots of regular listeners, it was great to have Heather from our sales team, Dan from Drive time Dune an Andy from Sunday Afternoon (and Nightfreaks) plus our Boss Anna. Not to forget Carol and Charlotte from Turley Towers.



Oh look its a DuneFM listener nearly burning her Bits

joking aside it was a joy to be out and about meeting our loyal listeners and making new friends.

Ten Pin Bowling

Wednesday evening saw the first Ten Pin Bowling Challenge as part of Southport’s Charity Fun Fest.

Nineteen teams gathered at Premier Bowl at Ocean Plaza in Southport for a night of fun and to raise money for local charities.

Entrants included the local newspaper The Southport Visiter, Dune FM,and lots of local busineses.

Our Radio station managed to get enough volunteers to make up three teams. In honour of my daily quiz on the Radio, rather than have silly names, we just called ours team A, B and C ( like my ABC quiz, ...good eh )



This is our Team... TEAM B. Me, Dan Roach, Neil Jackson and Katie Collins (she's a girl )

After the first game, our team was winning our inter Dune competition. It was at this stage John Storey (our PC and Brekie jock)from TEAM A bought us all a pint, and possibly tampered with our balls.

Not only did we lose our inter station game. But out of the Ninteen teams playing, we came Nineteenth..... oops

That said it was a great night that raised over six hundred pounds for charity.

SOUTHPORT’S Charity Fun Fest takes place at Princes Park, Southport, noon-5pm on Saturday, June 2.


For more details phone Andrew Brown on 01704 398271 or e-mail: visiternews@southportvisiter.co.uk

See you there.

Happy Easter Holiday

Its been five years since our last holiday. This year I am determined to break the cycle.

To ease ourselves back into getting away, a short break to Wales seemed like a good start. A few people including my Mum and Producer Paul from Dune FM had recommended a hotel called The Grand in Llandudno ( its big. )

So we packed up the car, and, to speed things up a touch I took my extra Ladies with us. The ladies being My Sat Nav and My Cars Traffic Master. The pair of them never shut up, all the way there,every two seconds, it was ( turn left turn right Que ahead Turn Bl**dy left)

On arrival, both Carol and myself felt like we were in that film Cocoon. I was about the youngest there...... Honest. We got stuck in though, we bought dabbers and played Bingo, and even went to the Ballroom to watch a stream of nightly entertainers reminding the audience how old they actually were and singing along to endless medleys, all of which seemed to include such classics as, "Pack up your troubles","If you were the only girl in the world" and "The Ovaltinies".

I have to admit some of the elderly guests did seem to lap it up, but I have to wonder if they were just being polite.

Just as we were at meal times.( Carol wouldn't let me kick off ) Things had changed since my mum had been there, Cold soup, veg cooked in milk, Rubber eggs for breakfast and rock hard cold toast. (YUK)

I must have really needed a break because at the end of it all, I feel like i've had a great time, I even managed to get Carol up the Great Orm (on a tram) What a view.

What a shame I didnt manage to win Producer Paul a Crazy Frog.

If my mates can do it !!!

I bet you didn't know it, but I have got some seriously famous mates.

Radio Presenter and all round good egg (That reminds me ,,, It's nearly Easter) Mark Blackman and his mate Gary are set to grace our TV screens with Dale Winton's Supermarket Sweep very soon.

My Other mate Derek (That doesn't mean I've only got two)Has been on TV for ages. Derek used to work with me at Dune FM and is also a great bloke. Well Derek has mastered the art of Presenting on a shopping Channel.

If I lost about three stone had my teeth whitened and re grew my hair..... I could do that. I would be really good with Power tools and Gadgets,,,, Oh I would need to regrow my finger nails too.

I may leave it for a while.

Charity Fun Day with 107.9 DuneFM

Saturday morning was spent out and about. My mate Andy Hilbert was doing his very first outside broadcast. He was presenting a show "Live!" from the Charity Fun Day at the Somerfield Store on Fylde Road in Southport.
The event was to raise money for the Antony Nolan Bone Marrow Foundation, The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and most of all to help two little people who are desperate for a bone marrow transplant, Little Ella & Sam Wright from Birkdale.

Here is Andy Hard at work.

As you will see, rather than broadcast from a little table or flashy "Roadshow trailer" We enlisted the Help of Jack and Kim and their MONSTER TRUCK (they even held an auction to win a ride in it) Pictured is Me, Andy Hilbert, Neil Jackson and Jack.

Lucky winners on the day. (A Signed Steven Gerrard Picture)

Dan Roach wasn't so lucky, we paid for him to take a little ride. He got himself a sore A*se.

The Day was a huge success, plus it was great to meet so many of our listners.


well done Andy

A Day out at Last

Well not quite a day out. Saturdays weather turned out a little better than everybody thought, so the opportunity was siezed to load up the car, in readyness for a trip to the tip. One thing led to another and the trip never happened.

Sunday, and with the car pre loaded a quick trip shouldnt take long, and you always get lots of help. On arrival at the tip, I was amazed to see so many people working on a sunday (They cant all be on double time,can they ?.

All of the staff were wearing council jackets saying "Recycling Asistant). I thought my luck was in, because I had a car full of bricks and stones.

The only help I got was directions to which skip to use. No help lifting... well I am telling a little lie.

I took Carol with me and she helped. (what a shower of lazy ba*tards)

Lunar Eclipse

Saturday night at Turley Towers turned a little chilly tonight. On the early evening news the very efficient news team informed us of a Lunar Eclipse.

Quick !! Lets our telescope out, its tonight, and luckily the weather man got it well wrong, a clear night. But alas no telescope...... in the loft because we had a new carpet... (Don’t ask...Ok, it was carols orders.)

So armed with my little digi camera I went to investigate. And wow can’t believe the Picture I got. And for good measure one of my favorite star constellations, Orion.



Well chuffed with myself.

Look its Twins

My Niece Debbie has been on my case for ages. She has been asking me to put a picture of her beautiful twins (Alicia and Samantha) on my Blog. Well here they are, and what a pair of stunners. Alicia is on the left Samantha is on the right. They were 4 months and 1 week old when the picture was taken on New Years Eve in Portugal. With Debbie was hubby ste, My Sister Ann (Debbies mum)her hubby brian, Sister Sharon, chris, callum, and ste's other two daughters kady and lois.
It has took me this long to put the picture on because I have been so jealous, (New Year in Portugal eh)
Debbie made me laugh, she says they would have looked more lady like if they closed their legs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, especially in a dress!!

Being a bloke, I forgot to ask how much they weighed when the were born, so I cant give you all the gossip. (why do people need to know the weight, its not as if your going to cook them)

well Done Deb

I've Had Bird Flu..... Honest

As you will have noticed, I've been missing for ages.

Two reasons. Firstly I blew up my PC and secondly I have been ded sick... Honest

I have in fact been off work ill for ages. (five weeks)been back for two weeks and things are just about back to normal. So my appologies if you have been logging on looking for a little bit of gossip.

Radio is one of those industries where a week is a long time off. so five weeks is pushing it. But wow the support I've had has been fantastic.

My Listeners have been great, they have been ringing texting and generally driving people mad asking where I am.

I cant tell you what I've had cos a Chest Infection,Tonslitis and a dodgy liver doesnt seem that bad. But it was Honest.

Glad to be back.

I will have to get my finger out and do some typing.

X Rated Studio Visit

Sometimes going into work can be a bit of a treat. Well today was one of those days. My mate Dan Roach from the Hits and Headlines Drive programme had arranged for the X-Factor finalists Eton Road to come into our Radio Station for a little chat.

The Liverpool lads, Anthony, James, Danny and David, were very relaxed and very open and honest about the whole X-Factor experience, and game for a laugh. (They even took a phone call from DuneFM regulars Randy Rene from Rufford and Mavis) And I may add, Even did our Traffic and Travel News. Pictured is Anthony (on the job)


which seemed to tickle James

We think the lads would have stayed for ages but they began to show me and Dan up. So much talent in one room.
We didn't have time to ask the guys if a closer mag article was true as listed on the Eton Road Online website saying
"Coleen McLoughlin has revealed that she used to babysit Anthony Hannah from X Factor Finalist Eton Road. Coleen, 20, lived in the same area of Liverpool as Anthony, 17, and she told Closer: “He was tiny and his nan would say to me ‘Look after our Anthony now!’.” Now engaged to Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney,"

We wish the lads all the luck in the world for the future and look forward to the X-Factor tour.

For more info check out The Southport Visitor Our Local Newspaper http://icseftonandwestlancs.icnetwork.co.uk/icsouthport/

It was a Happy New Year

With all the talk of bad weather, the thought of going out and doing the rounds with the neighbours wasn't the number one plan.

First thought was to try and seize the opportunity to let a few more of our fireworks off. These are the ones left over from Bonfire night. It was a bit windy so it wasnt long before we gave up, plus the sticks from the rockets started to land in our own garden. We should have waited till Big Ben too.

As the midnight Hour approached Carol and I donned our big coats, and headed out to await midnight, and the chance to let in the New Year armed with our trusty piece of coal.

Once outside, the adventurous side of us, set us on a mission to find a man in a Kilt armed with some bagpipes. We found him with no trouble what so ever, he still lives around the corner, and is the Grandad of Charlotte's friend Jessica (who played Claire Sweeney's daughter Kylie in Brookside.)

We all paraded around the block until Grandad and his pipes ran out of wind. It was at this stage we got ourselves invited into the house of our new neighbours, Jim and Val and some relatives from Formby. Managed to get, and pass on, lots of gossip but got far too drunk to remember what.

I wonder if they will have us back, or as always, is that the last we see of our neighbours (till next year)

Interviewed Claire a while back. She was a joy see link to her site

Resolution

New Years Eve, eve, and my thoughts are turning to 2007, and the possibility of a New Year resolution.

Two years ago, for both financial and health reasons, the decision was made to stop smoking. However whilst preparing for my Radio show, I came across some statistics which led me to believe that my attempt was doomed to failure within a matter of days.

Holding back just a few weeks gave me the edge. A good two years have now passed and I remain a non smoker. I feel No better off financially nor health wise but that leaves me a couple of options for this year.

So my advice to you is to try your best to be realistic with your resolutions.

If you wish, follow my example and don't tell anybody what your plans are. This way, should you fail, so what, nobody knows, and you can try again later.

This year however I am going to spill the beans. I have two resolutions.1, Bearing in mind I am not allowed to use a gym, so getting into shape will be a hard one, but I am going to give it a go. I may even post my weight on my web site and let you help me.

2,My career will be another thing to get some attention this year. There may even be a total change in direction, but lets see. One step at a time maybe.