Eddie The Eagle Eat Your Heart Out

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Eddie The Eagle, eat your heart out ! You should have seen The Geriatric DJ ski his way to the studio this morning !

I aint no wimp !  A dusting of snow aint going to stop me

driving the 12 miles from my home to the studio ready to broadcast my show. www.crmk.co.uk  3.54am - the studio is set up and ready, I'll be live at 6am. PODCAST will be available as soon as I have managed to ski back home again.

The snow never properly melted from the car as I drove across the city. First thing I did when I came into the studio

was to turn on the heater.  Time to switch it off now, it's a little too hot inside the building now.

Here's a picture from a music event we staged just under a year ago.

That photograph was taken on 3rd February 2018 when we played music in Asda Supermarket to support its Green Token Charities.

As I drove to the studio I passed Willen Lake and wondered if there was ice on the water. It does not matter how cold it gets

the water flowing in the waterfall of love can never freeze. Can never freeze unless you let it !

As I drove to the studio my mind was constantly on our homeless, rough-sleeping friends in the city where I live. How many ?  Many more than 100, nobody honestly knows the real number.

11pm Sunday 10th March I will be playing that track at the start of an over night Radio Disco I will be broadcasting in support of Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter. Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter cares for our friends with no home beyond a blanket on the cold pavement. Only the lucky ones have a tent !

This is the second track on the playlist.

NO !  Don't click the picture - CLICK HERE......

I am just starting to launch the project, next week I will be meeting with the night shelter after which I will be reaching out to find people who will dip into their pockets and sponsor the radio disco.

Track three on the playlist.

Ahead of the broadcast I will be at a 24 hour football match Damon is organising in support of The Winter Night Shelter, all money raised from the Radio Disco will be added to the sponsorship collected with in the football match.

24 hours football, I am not playing, but I will be there. A quick nap at home then I'll be here in the studio with our disco party.

And the next track in the playlist.

That's me on the left, aged sixteen and wishing away the days before I could leave school to take on the world. The picture on the right was taken on Wednesday this week.

It's 52 years since I left school. A couple of days ago I stumbled across a Facebook group for former pupils of my old school. I joined. 

And the next track....

Roy Wood and Wizzard are BRUMMIES - from Birmingham. I lived in and went to school in the Royal Borough of Sutton Coldfield which has long since been swallowed up into Birmingham.  In that facebook group I met up with a former teenager TONY who is doing his bit to help the homeless in the area where I used to live. He is collecting blankets, have you any he can have ? Tell me and I will pass them on.

4.35am - I have got to turn the studio heater off. It's far too hot in here.

In the early 1980's I wrote a book about the adolescent New City of Milton Keynes.  I am leaving this copy in the studio for fellow presenter Bob to check out.

When The Milton Keynes Development Corporation made the plans for our city those plans very carefully worked towards a bright future and did all possible to eliminate any problems which may arise in turning fields into housing estates.

One problem the planners did not consider, they had no idea - not a hint, that it was coming.  That Milton Keynes would face a homeless problem.

Someone recently shared this photograph from Leon School - look at Lord Muck in the middle. Also somewhere in that picture is JIMMY.

Here's another picture but Jimmy is missing from it - missing because he was dead !

Jimmy, one of my former students died while rough sleeping and homeless in our city.

Problem with that picture is the newspaper headline DID NOT spur our council into action.

As a kid, as a teenager, Jimmy would attend the Leon Disco's I ran. When Sir pushed his way onto the music deck those teenagers used to sigh - I never allowed anyone to stand around the side of the hall - EVERYONE had to dance.  That track was something I used to play and something Jimmy would dance to.

 

I've just opened the studio door and taken this picture.  It's snowing. The tyre tracks made as I drove into the car park are gone. Inside the studio the heater is off and I am sitting in a tee shirt.

What about our homeless friends ?

I may need Eddie the Eagle to give me a push to get out of the car park !

Can you do that for me Eddie - please ?

Seriously Eddie, you can do something for me ?

I'll send you the link for today's blog.

If I rattle the laptop keys and buy a DVD from Amazon will you kindly autograph it ?  I will then use it as a prize for the best dancer at my RADIO DISCO.

All money will go to The Winter Night Shelter.

5.07am - I've been here since 3am, been writing this blog since 3.54 am !

In less than an hour I'll be live 6am to 8am on the world's HOTTEST RADIO STATION.  Weather - snow - Eddie The Eagle permitting, the PODCAST will be on-line round about 9am.

One last track then I had better click the mouse and publish the page. That will be the 15th sample track from the Radio Disco.

You will join me 11pm on Sunday 10th March here on CRMK - The World's Hottest Radio Station.

Stunning

4.37am...

The studio is set up for the day and for my show to go live at 6am.

6am to 8am WAKE UP WITH THE CLASSICS.... www.crmk.co.uk

I've had about three and a half hours sleep but am wide awake.

Last night I went to watch The Royal Opera Company perform La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.  I have seen many

different performances of this opera but by a long, long way this was the most spectacular. Ermonella Jaho in the role of Violetta was stunning, no other word for it.

I am early looking forward to sharing my experience with the world as soon as I go live at 6am - do listen www.crmk.co.uk -  The PODCAST will be available from around 9am

Stunning is the right word to describe my entire day.

Everything began with Graham, who invited me to one of his care home disco's last week, sharing the studio with me while while we played music from that disco.

It was a great show. Graham tells me this is the most played track in his repertoire. 

Graham has invited me to a disco he will be running in a brain injury unit. He will then come on a future show to share the music with you all.

I am so much looking forward to that happening.

Yesterday's show had listeners in: UK, France, Australia, USA, Thailand, Kazakhstan, India, Algeria, Taiwan, Spain and Hungary.

I received an e-mail asking if I would invite a gentleman who was a medical consultant to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

I have to answer the e-mail this morning but I am sure you can guess what my answer is going to be !

Y  E S !

WOW what an honour.

I then had a chat with The Eternal Teenager. Those who

know me know I talk too much !  

But.......I could not get a word in edge ways as my friend exploded with enthusiasm he has for something he wants to do with me and our music.

Another e-mail popped into my inbox while I was at the opera. Another e-mail which will receive the answer:

Y E S !

University Hospital Milton Keyens has asked me if I would help out with a small project. WOW what an honour !

I have two spots booked in my diary this afternoon for BT.

STUNNING kindness from the Cheif Executive's office.

Is it any wonder my face is smiling ?

Is it any wonder my heart feels so warm  incredibly warm ?

STUNNING !

Graham's most played song on his disco may be Rivers Of Babylon. This is my most played track on the radio.

Isn't it FANTASTIC to be alive ?  Isn't live absolutely STUNNING ?

The Geriatric Teenager

This is how my LEONITES remember me.

What's a LEONITE ?

A Leonite is one of my former students from the days when I was Head of Year at Leon School. I am honoured and proud to be in contact with so very many of my former students. Even those who know me now as The Geriatric DJ think of me the way I was in the mid 1970's through to the late 1990's even if I do look like this now !

Yep, that's me in Hippie Park, San Francisco last year. Do you know what ?  I was the ONLY flipping hippie there !

Yesterday I found a Facebook site for the secondary school I attended as a teenager. Yes, Sir was once a pupil himself !

I played that track on the show yesterday. It was a big hit when I left school.

What was the best thing about school for you ?  For me it was LEAVING.

As I broadcast yesterday's show, playing all those Beatles tracks, I found myself drifting back to my teenage years and Boldmere High School For Boys.

Let's have another track. Something from today's show. How about this.

I think the guy in the video looks a bit like me.

That's me as a teenager.

On the right of course.

Left is me broadcasting Christmas week.

Leonites, remember I said we should have a reunion in the radio station, live on air playing tracks from school. We will do it some time - I promise.

But I am going to ask those who were at school with me to send me their fav tracks and I'll compile them into one of my Monday shows.

Here's The Geriatric DJ dancing The Lambeth Walk a week ago at FLOWERS SHELTERED HOUSING.

Graham, who ran the disco, will be joining me in the studio tomorrow and YES we will play The Lambeth Walk but I promise to keep my bum firmly on the chair !

Not like this show.

At Flowers last week one of the residents was Dr Garwood's secretary from when I was at teacher training college. One of the care assistants was a LEONITE !  I will be playing this track for her tomorrow 

Don't remember playing that at Leon Disco Clare. Did we ?

I know you Leonites hated it when Sir got on the deck. I never played slow music !

Life is a DISCO so DANCE.

Disco's had not been invented when I was a teenager and if they had been Boldmere High School would never have had one. 

Could have been a bit difficult given ours was an all boys school.

Who remembers me playing this at Leon Disco ?

Do listen to my show this morning 6am to 8am www.crmk.co.uk. Yesterday's show had listeners in: UK, France, Thailand, USA, Kazakhstan, India, Algeria, Taiwan, Spain, Hungary. 

I wonder what today will bring.  Here's something else from the days at Leon Disco which Sir used to play a lot.

My musical partner in crime, Josh aka The Eternal Teenager played that when we took music into the community last year. He was horrified when I told him what the words were ! (Prude !)

Sir never objected to your singing the words at Leon Disco.

Now I don't want any of you Leonites going on the the Boldmere High School page and asking those who knew me

as a teenager just how horrible I was.

You can pick me out from last's year's Leonite reunion - the hair and the hippie shirt give me away.

Just a little LOL.

Leonites get everywhere !  Thanks Cabin Services Manager Sam at Virgin Atlantic - the champagne on the flight was lovely. (And I don't drink)

Let's have some REAL FUN.

Leonites - you send me your favourite tracks from when you were stuck with me with me as your head of year.

Boldmere Boys send me your favourite tracks and I'll wrap everything into a special dedication show - say Monday 11th February. Songs for the best two schools in England.  Boldmere High School For Boys and Leon School.

HELP

4.38am...

The studio is all set up for the day.

At 6am I will be going live with my show MUSIC FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION.  Do join me: www.crmk.co.uk 

Today's featured album in THE BEATLES TWENTY GOLDEN HITS.

Trust me we are in for some fantastic music.

If you miss the show the PODCAST will be available from about 9.30am.

The FAB Four - John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Friday will see the start of a new month - FEBRUARY - to quote Gilbert & Sullivan - THE BEASTLY MONTH OF FEBRUARY

What does Neil Sedaka say about February in his song ?      What does he say about May ?.  Check it out ?

When I came into the studio this morning at the crack of dawn I put up a poster for all DJ's within Radio CRMK to look

at and find all about SUNSHINE SMILE DAY happening on Sunday 19th May 2019.

Lisa is working so hard organising the event.

She has booked stalls, a bouncy castle, catering vans, a fire engine, pony rides, face painting, teddy bear picnic and a lot more.

Personally I am hoping we will have one hundred stalls.

Paul and I, together we make up the management team for THE SUNSHINE SMILE CREW, are helping but we need more HELP.

We need HELP now with planning. We need your help and contacts to make what is going to be a big event into a MEGA event.

We need help on the day SUNSHINE SMILE DAY - SUNDAY 19th MAY 2019.  help running some stalls, help looking after guests, help with just about everything.

Don't click the picture but CLICK HERE.

The Sunday ahead of SUNSHINE SMILE DAY I am doing an overnight sponsored DISCO radio show to support Ronald McDonald House Birmingham which is the lead charity for the day.

Guess what will be the opening track of the broadcast ?

What will be the last track ?

I don't know.  I'm only half way through writing the playlist but I promise I will not be playing a single slow track during the entire broadcast so it will be something like this.

Or this...................

My Rdaio Disco will be 11 hours long.

I took this picture before I started writing today's blog.

It celebrates a 100 hour broadcast made by Mike Barry, CRMK's Programme Controller, between 5th and 9th December 1986.

WOW !

What was the number one record when Mike did that broadcast ?

How appropriate - it was this.

My radio broadcast will not break any records but WITH YOUR HELP Sunshine Smile Day WILL break all records.

To get involved drop me an e-mail: dashford566@gmail.com

5.25am - I'd better publish today's blog and get ready to broadcast.  Do listen www.crmk.co.uk PODCAST after 9.30am HERE

Not from The Beatles but I will be playing this in the show.