The BIG Day is here !

The BIG day has arrived.

In just a few hours a group of us will be heading to Sheffield where we will join a crowd of more than twenty-thousand people to SING THE BLUES for OurRebekah and Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

The boot of the car is packed with bottles of Champagne for the boys, cakes for the visiting team from BristolI City, Lindor Chocolates for the referee and his team together with something special for club director Trevor who has made the day possible.

At half past seven, in four hours time, I will pick up Tony from Radio Secklow 105.5 and his wife Susan. Tony is making the presentation to the club from OurRebekah.  We will then drive to Northampton to collect Gary, meet up with my brother Richard and his son Jonathan before joining twenty thousand

people at Hillsborough Stadium to SING THE BLUES.

Yesterday Sheffield Wednesday Club Director, Trevor, sent us not one but two e-mails wishing OurRebekah well for the day.

I will proudly be wearing my Milton Keynes tie Mayor David Hopkins gave me last week so there will be a part of Milton Keynes, Bristol and Birmingham at Hillsborough this afternoon.

Let's play something for all who will be a part of this BIG day, a song I really like and at half past three in the morning a gentle beginning to the day. Morning Has Broken from Cat Stevens.

Wasn't that lovely ?

Since we started OurRebekah in the summer one of the many friends we have made is National Trust Operations Manager Scott. Yesterday I took  presenters Frank Scarito and Tony Ingeldow from Radio Secklow 105.5 to Stowe to meet Scott.  Frank is interested in

Stowe as a possible location for one of his theatre productions, Tony and I were looking at ways we could feature this amazing location on the radio. 

If you have never been to Stowe you must, you really must. It is the jewel in the crown of The National Trust.

Scott, Tony and Frank were coming up with ideas faster than I could record them in my brain.

I have no idea how many times I have been to Stowe, it has to be more than one hundred times, yesterday Scott showed us a place there I have never seen before. Pictured left are Tony, Frank and Scott in The Grotto.

When Frank interviewed me for his show MY INSPIRATION last week he asked me what was my most inspiring place. I did not hesitate in saying Stowe. A technical issue at Secklow stopped that interview being broadcast last week, it will go out next Thursday at 11am.

Let's play a piece of music for Scott and Stowe National Trust. How about this.

Designed by Lancelot - Capability - Brown, Stowe is gardening on the very grandest scale.

Tony and I left Stowe to go to Maplin Electronics in Milton Keyens.  I wanted Tony's advice to buy sound equipment we need to take Radio Secklow 105.5 into the community.

I had made a previous and preliminary visit to Maplin where a super young man, Nicholas, had been so helpful. Yesterday Nicholas was not in the store. Tony and I were totally blown away by his colleague Oliver. How could one company, in just one of its branches have the two finest customer service people in the entire country.

The Managing Director of Maplin is Oliver Meakin.  I will be writing to him to praise and thank these two young men. Incredible guys, both of them.

Currently I am bidding on e-bay for a traditional disco vinyl twin deck. I will win the bid, I can assure you.  To back up the deck, with Oliver's advice yesterday, we came away with some modern technology.

Here it is.

Familiar to Tony who has worked in radio all his life but scary technology to me. Scary big time !

I wonder if I could persuade Oliver from Maplin to become the Secklow Radio Roadshow's Road Manager !

Let's play something for Oliver and his colleague Nicholas. Forgive me lads, I am going to be a bit silly but the way Oliver bounced round the store yesterday would make Black Lace sound like an out of tune tearoom quartet.

So here we go with THE MUSIC MAN.

I can assure you I will be playing that song a lot on the roadshow. I think it may well have to be on Oliver's modern technology rather than the twin deck. Yes, that's the piece of kit I

am bidding on. I WILL win the bid, trust me.

In the song Black Lace play the Match Of The Day theme. I have made up a CD to listen to in the car as we drive to Sheffield, I have made copies for the club. On the CD is Match Of The Day so let's play it for everyone who will be at Hillsborough this afternoon.

Every day, yesterday was no exception, Secret Santa gifts come in for the Sleigh. I was a bad boy yesterday. I was feeling tired so failed to pack the FIFTY currently waiting to be

sorted and put ready for Santa to take to Ronald McDonald Houses in Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

Here you go Santa.  Here's your piece of music from OurRebekah's Secret Santa

I know when I get back from Sheffield this evening I will find more loving gifts waiting for me to pack up for Santa.

Secret Santa is not just about the gifts, there is more to it than that. Starting on Friday 1st December we will begin our Advent Calendar for all Ronald McDonald Houses. We will have behind each window a piece of Christmas Music.

I think that is the most beautiful rendition of the most beautiful Christmas Carol of all.

Unlike Tony and Frank, I am NOT a radio presenter, I am just the Audience Manager for

Secklow 105.5.  I do, however, know that you can not suddenly change the tempo and style of what you are broadcasting. You have to lead your listeners through a number of songs as you change the style.

Well I am going to break all the rules. I am going to SING THE BLUES.

I am going to turn up the volume to ELEVEN.  Nicholas from Maplin Electronics warned me about volume levels and not to rip the cones in the speakers. WARNING - I may well blast the speakers of your phone, tablet or even laptop as you listen to the next three songs.

Firstly here is Guy Mitchell with the version of Singing The Blues we all know and love. The one Tony has now played many times on his radio show.

Phil Walsh, Secklow 105.5's country presenter played a different version for OurRebekah and Sheffield Wednesday.   It would not work inHillsborough this afternoon but I like it. I really do.

Of course there is only one version of Singing The Blues !  However, in just a few hours time the Hillsborough crowd will sing a new version and will be turning the volume not to eleven but one hundred and eleven as OurRebekah arrives in the Steel City with The Brummie Owls.