Yesterday's blog had a tiny readership - just 55 people ! Better get back to the usual readership today.
Today's blog is not following my normal style as I use the page to tell people about a special event happening this Saturday. People from three different areas coming together:
- Wrigglies Exotic Pets
- OurRebekah
- Radio Secklow 105.5
The three are joining forces from 9am to 5.30pm this coming Saturday - 16th at Wrigglies Milton Keynes shop which can be found at: Bears Watering, Towcester Rd, Milton Keynes MK19 6BD (As you leave Milton Keynes on the A5 the shop can be found on the left. Look out for the blue sign advertising Hobby Fish Farm - it is next door.) AMPLE CAR PARKING.
Come along and join in the fun. So what is the FUN all about ?
WRIGGLIES is a privately owned chain of pet shops. You have never seen a pet shop quite like Wrigglies before ? It sells crocodiles, snakes, lizards, frogs and spiders.
The shop is managed by Ro who today celebrates his own birthday. I can not even begin to
Ro has organised a birthday party for his shop this Saturday, a party to celebrate three years of it being open.
Ro is seen here being presented with the OurRebekah SMILE OF THE MONTH for September by Milton Keynes Mayor David Hopkins.
Ro hosted OurRebekah.s FROG CHALLENGE in his shop at the end of September. That challenge raised well in excess of £300 to support Ronald McDonald House in Oxford care for families with a child sick in
Mayoress Susan whispered to me. He will never get David to touch that snake. TOUCH IT ! This picture is the number one image for Milton Keynes on Google Reviews.
Susan thinks the way the snake tangled itself into her husband's chain of office was fun. We all think it was fun that nobody told her the skunk she kept cuddling had not had its scent glands removed.
When I told David and Susan about Saturday's party and asked them if they would like to pop by their answer was a resounding YES.
Milton Keynes should be very proud of its Mayor and Mayoress. Come along on Saturday to Wrigglies Birthday Party and meet them.
Now I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Rebekah. Beck died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday 19th May this years.
Within days of Beck leaving us her friends set up OurRebekah to support Ronald McDonald Houses as they care for families with a child sick in hospital.
OurRebekah has raised almost three thousand pounds in the time it has been running. When Ro planned his shop's party he immediately said he wanted OurRebekah to be a part of the day and for the party to raise support for Ronald McDonald Houses.
Saturday will specifically support Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham. I have set a target of £100 for the day but hope we will raise much, much more. What ever people pop into the buckets I will double.
OurRebekah is providing the birthday cakes for the Wrigglies party.
At that now famous Frog Challenge in September I invited Tony Ingeldow from Radio Secklow 105.5 to come and be one of the supervisors . He and I have now become good friends and Tony has involved me in Radio Secklow 105.5 where I am now the Audience Development Manager.
It was Tony who came up with the name of Secklow Radio Roadshow. The Wrigglies
So on Saturday the three come together for an amazing day:
Wrigglies Exotic Pets
OurRebekah
Radio Secklow 105.5
BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON SATURDAY ?
The day for me will start at 7.30am as LEONITE (A Leonite is one of my former students from the days 20+ years ago when I was head of year at Leon School) Andy and his son help me put up the tent accommodating the roadshow.
I must stress that the Roadshow is NOT an outside broadcast. We are playing music, having fun and telling people about Secklow 105.5. We will be making recordings presenters can use within their shows.
Those who know me understand how I plan everything to the last fine detail. AH ! I had not
My oldest son is Managing Lawyer at The Environment Agency. I have told him to get it sorted or else !
Power to the Roadshow is being provided by a small and silent running generator. However, I am arranging with Wrigglies to run a cable into the tent in order to power a heater.
I am very fond of saying IF IT AINT VINYL THEN IT AINT MUSIC !
Red River Rock by the way is the theme tune to Secklow Radio Roadshow.
We have a fantastic piece of kit with this traditional disco twin deck. We also have an extensive collection of vinyl singles and Lp's. Another LEONITE, Paul, who owns the Turney bakery shops in Milton Keynes, donated many, many items to this collection.
Thank you Paul. I know you can not make it on Saturday as you have your shops to run but I promise you we will be spinning some discs as a THANK YOU for your support.
Backing up the vinyl we have a modern digital system with a playlist of several thousand songs.
Don't tell anyone but I actually find, myself, the digital system easier to use than the PROPER vinyl !
We have THREE presenters from Secklow Radio 105.5 coming along on Saturday.
Tony Ingeldow who presents Time Tunnel and Afternoon Delight will be spinning discs and working with our special guest DJ, none other than Mayor David !
Here's something from an event I was involved in last summer.
Just see who is leading the dancing. It will be just the same on Saturday.
Also popping the needle into the grove of the vinyl will be Stuart Moore who presents Mind Your Own Business on Secklow 105.5.
Really looking forward to you being with us on Saturday Stuart.
Tony Ingeldow will tell you that I am well into Retro Pop Music. That is true but my real love of music is from an earlier era. Opera, ballet and classical.
I am so pleased that Catherine Rose who presents Classics From Scratch will be at the Roadshow on Saturday.
Catherine I look forward to chatting with you about my fav pieces and composers. At the moment it is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker that is blasting from my car's CD player.
Last week I went to watch a performance of the Nutcracker by The Royal Ballet and on Sunday I am going to watch it performed by The Bolshoi. OMG what a treat that is going to be.
Trust me Catherine i will be slipping some music from the Nutcracker in to Saturday's playlist !
Back to the vinyl. I found this clock made from a 7" vinyl single in an art shop last week. I just had to buy it ! We will be using it as a gift in a FREE prize draw on Saturday.
There will be another FREE prize draw on Saturday, one for the children. Santa ted and the Pink Elephant will be going home with tow families.
Also for the children and Big Kids like myself we have Christmas Chocolate Coins to give away.
Yesterday I was chatting to Station Manager, Mike, about the show I want to present in the New Year. Mike was all in favour of that but I did not tell him the name I wish to broadcast under - The Gerriatric DJ.
I am not sure what Mike is going to make of that.
The Gerriatric DJ intends to take over the microphone and play THE LAMBETH WALK !
I am a writer, my pen name is Max Robinson. The Lambeth Walk appears in my book The Bridge House. I have a special prize for the person who dances this wartime favourite the best.
When Secklow Presenter Frank Scarito interviewed me recently for his show I spoke a lot about The Bridge House.
You'll have to listen to Frank's show - CLICK HERE to find out more on the subject of The Bridge House.
Frank is a very talented interviewer, I look forward to his next season of My Inspiration.
In the interview he asks me what is my most inspirational piece of music. I have no hesitation in saying BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER by Simon and Garfunkel.
As a thank you gift for David and Susan Hopkins I have obtained both a copy of the original vinyl LP and a modern CD.
Phew ! There's a lot happening on Saturday isn't there ?
I have got hold of a smiling football. My daughter Rebekah was known for her cheeky and infectious smile. We have made this central to OurRebekah. I defy anyone to find a photograph of Beck without her smiling.
On Saturday we will be asking people to autograph the ball. I will then take it to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham on Tuesday next week.
Wrigglies Manager, Ro, has asked me to make sure there is some animal music in the playlist on Saturday.
Here you go RO....................
And.....................
As part of OurRebekah we are currently running a musical Advent Calendar. Here is what you can find behind today's window.
You can find all of the windows by clicking here.
I just happen to know what is Ro's favourite piece of Christmas music. It is also one of my favourites You'll have to wait until Saturday, we will play it - VERY LOUDLY at the roadshow and it will be in the window for Saturday's Advent Calendar.
So it is going to be quite a day on Saturday.
I will now bring this rather long blog to an end by saying SEE YOU ALL THERE ! Or as we used to say - BE THERE OR BE SQUARE.
DAVID aka The Geriatric DJ
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