PART TWO Friday 20th April 2018

Sitting right now is a vast shopping centre which apparently is London Heathrow Terminal Three's departure lounge.

I did invest £3.99 in a sandwich meal deal which I kind of think wasn't bad value.

If you are looking for PART ONE of today's blog SCROLL DOWN.

Here's a quick video we shot on the M25 heading to the airport.

Cool yeh ?

The traffic was light. We found the car park where the robot said WELCOME DAVID ASHFORD.  Cost £47 to park for the duration of the trip.

Not bad. Parking at Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre for the same duration of time would be £280 !  BUT parking at Sheffield's Meadowhall would be FREE !

Talking of Sheffield, here I am with my Wednesday scarf which tomorrow will be on The Golden Gate Bridge.

Wifi in this vast Heathrow Terminal Three shopping mall is a bit slow. Hope the aircraft goes a bit quicker.

Prices not bad mind you...AH no VAT, of course.  Here's Gary and David with some BRITISH gifts for Ronald McDonald House San Francisco.

Virgin Atlantic staff at check in were brilliant. Sam tell your boss.

Nearly caused a stir at security. I had to remove my belt from my trousers. I must have lost weight THEY NEARLY FELL DOWN.

OMG this wifi is slow. I want to eat my sandwich !  Munched my way through the bag of Quavers and dipped into the Diet Coke. Tummy rumbling for my cheese and ham sandwich. Hurry up wifi.

Next update will be onboard the aircraft somewhere up above the North Atlantic.  Scroll down for the earlier edition of the blog.

Here's something for the pilot and crew on the aircraft.

Normally I write the daily music blog, collecting thoughts, words and ideas from team members then editing it all together. I try to publish the blog round about five in the morning. We all then sit back and wait to see how many people will listen to the music.

Today will be different. It is me, David writing and reporting. I am making this entry shortly after midnight. I plan to add

updates throughout the day right up to midnight tonight, a blog covering 24 hours.

So here we go.

I am not going to pretend that yesterday was an easy day for me, far from it. However, it was a

SPECIAL DAY..... it was a day of SMILES AND LOVE. I am going to send an email to the CEO of our local council as I now share what for me was the biggest smile all day.

I spent muchof yesterday sitting in the reception area of our local council. I was there at one point with Josh and Mrs Josh when this man walked by, SMILED and said hello.

Who's that, I asked Jelina.

Malcolm.

NO WAY !

It was.

Radio Love International has an international audience, of course we do, but if you are local to our studio and base you may know of a rough sleeper who has lived outside Aldi in Westcroft for two years. That is Malcolm.

Last week Jelina went to see him. She gave him a hug and said: Get your backside down to the council and sort yourself out !  If you don't I will drag you there !

How much influence Jelena had I can not say, others have to have been involved. Staff at the council and most certainly, SMILES AND LOVE played a big part.

Are you sorted ?  Jelena asked Malcolm.

Getting there, he smiled in return.

That smile made my day, made my day BIG TIME.

Malcom you are a great guy. Go for it !

In sending an email to the council's CEO I want her to share that smile and the delight it brought to my day with all council staff working to support our homeless friends in our city.

I am playing that song for listener and friend Sam. Looking forward to being on one of your aircraft in a few hours time Sam.

Thanks Sam.  Thanks for your SMILE and LOVE

Let's be silly and play a song for Sam's Boss. I don't think that he actually listens to Radio Love Love International but then he never did have good tastes in music did he !

Hey Richard you forgot to dye your hair in that picture !

I DO  NOT have to dye my hair !

My hair will be onboard the aircraft later as I take it to San Francisco for tomorrow's hippie party. For those who do not know it will then be cut off in a sponsored haircut at SUNSHINE SMILE DAY to support Jo's Hope's Homeless Project.   Have you checked out SUNSHINE SMILE DAY yet ? DO IT NOW.

I came home yesterday having not been at the laptop for ten hours. There were SEVENTY FIVE emails. Honesty SEVENTY FIVE ! All day I was receiving text messages. At 1am today there were two more from Radio Love International team members, one from Joah and one from Rachel

There was an email from Sky News and another from BBC Look East, both saying they had put SUNSHINE SMILE DAY in their diaries. 

There was a lovely email from Christian Horner's PA .... Christian Horner Team Principal of Red Bull F1.

His PA, Nicole, is a lovely lady. She was thanking us for including Wings For Life in SUNSHINE SMILE DAY. 

Bit of a stretch of the imagination but Christian, Nicole this next song is for you.

Two of the good causes we are featuring on SUNSHINE SMILE DAY are Willen Hospice Family Fun Day.

And Emilia's Helmet Appeal.

Both are organised by Gary Marling.  Thanks Gary for your kind message.

Here's the Radio Love International team at Hillsborough a couple of weeks ago. Four of us from that picture will be on the aircraft later. We are all taking Sheffield Wednesday scarfs with us as part of SUNSHINE SMILE DAY where we will be supporting Sheffield Wednesday FC's Community Programme.

One of those emails was from club director Trevor Braithwait.

Trevor you are a great friend, THANK YOU.  Good luck to the boys tomorrow. As we wave those four scarfs on The Golden Gate Bridge our thoughts will be at Hillsborough.

Time to play something for Radio Love International's sponsor HESLOP'S REMOVALS.....

When I get back from San Francisco on Wednesday top of the doins list is to find another TEN smiling and loving friends like Heslops. If you like to smile and spread love CLICK HERE.

The other day Josh asked me, he was filming me at the time for a future video blog, what was my favourite genre of music. I did not hesitate in answering GLAM ROCK. Rock does not come much more glam than Roy Wood and Wizzard.

Another email was from Libby, Manager of Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

Hey Libby what's all this HOLIDAY stuff ?  I am going to San Francisco to work.

Josh and I had a great evening when we played music in Ronald McDonald House and are delighted to include our friends there in SUNSHINE SMILE DAY.

So many events over the past three months, so many smiles and so much love. The very first event was a sausage sizzle with Jo's Hope.

I have so many amazing friends. Amazing beyond amazing is Jo. How on earth can so many smiles and so much love be packed into one person ?

OK, it is now 2.03am. I had better go and pack my bag. No, I have not done that yet.  We will be heading off to Heathrow at six. ALL BEING WELL I will bring you a blog update from the departure lounge.

I am going to end with the text message from Josh and Jelena....

Love you David mate. Have a good rest and sleep. We will both miss you while you are gone. I hope to hear from you as often as possible and make sure you get lots of photos and video.  Much love Josh and Jelena

Final song for now.... 

You should hear Josh singing this and trying to fit JELENA into Jolene.................

SMILES AND LOVE