Lover Hearts - where are yours ?

It's just coming up to 4am and here I am sitting in  the studio of CRMK writing today's blog page ahead of presenting my show Pick Of The Pops at 6am.

Having covered a show earlier in the week when I go off air that will be show number six this week and a total of twelve hours broadcasting. I am tired, yes I am tired but the most important show of the week, for me, is yet to come.

Does the name Jimmy Owens mean anything to you ?

This picture on the right shows Jimmy's home. The headline published in Milton Keynes Citizen on 2nd November 2016 is complete and utter rubbish ! Milton Keynes Council HAS NOT been spurred into action RUBBISH the plight of our homeless and rough sleeping friends is as tragic as ever.

I knew him as JAMES rather than Jimmy. He was one of my LEONITE students. A bright, happy teenager with a great life ahead of him. He came on one of my school exchange visits to Sacramento, California. But he never had that life, he died homeless and unloved in Tent City Milton Keynes.

Within my vinyl record collection I have a copy of Cliff Richard singing Wired For Sound.

I am going to play the video for this now.  It was filmed in Central Milton Keynes.  Enjoy the music, look for where Cliff is skating through an underpass.

I joke that the production company could not film in Central Milton Keynes today as it could not afford Milton Keynes

Council's obscene rip off parking charges. More seriously Cliff could not skate through the underpass as it is now occupied by the tents of homeless, rough-sleeping men and women !

When I learned of Jimmy's death I was so upset, tears are pricking my eyes now as I write this page.

I began writing a blog in December 2016, a few weeks after Jimmy's death. This page is edition number 803. At the same time I began my YouTube channel to play music and incorporate that music in my blog page.

Today's show on CRMK will be my 139th - I joine the station at the end of August 2018.  Show 140 is the important one !

I wonder if it is becoming a bit of a cliche but I play music to make people smile, be happy and to inspire LOVE for good causes.

Former mayoress of Milton Keynes, Susan Hopkins, said to me It does not matter which good cause you support providing you support one. Those words have never left my mind and are central to every track of music I play.

There are four particular good causes which are close to my heart: Families with a child sick in hospital, Piggie Alfie at Curly Tails, The Food Bank and the plight of our homeless and rough sleeping friends.

On my way to the studio this morning I had to drop off a letter to Milton Keynes Council. Outside the offices there was a homeless and rough-sleeping man.

In the studio for the duration of today's broadcast I have put up a series of posters telling of the work of The Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

CRMK launched the YouTube song Jingle Girls from The Mini Libs. Have a watch and have a listen.

Here they are singing live on CRMK.

All proceeds from sales of the video on-line were given to Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

The Mini-Libs are the children of my former student and LEONITE Joe.

Here's another picture from the front page of Milton Keynes Citizen.

You are still reading this page aren't you ? Don't stop as I will be asking you to use music to show LOVE for our homeless and rough-sleeping friends.

People who know The Geriatric DJ will know of my friends Josh and Jelena who I rescued from rough-sleeping in January 2018. I support them and another former rough-sleeper on a daily basis.

Here's Josh and Jelena in the studio on
Christmas Day. I played the music while they dedicated tracks and broadcast wishes of love to families with a child sick in hospital.

And here they are delivering gifts of love donated by presenters at CRMK to children in Milton Keynes Hospital.

Here's Smiling Darren, another of my LEONITES and for a short time homeless and rough-sleeping, with me as my guest in the studio.

And here's Sara Millington from the team running Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter,

We are with the Barclays Premier League trophy. The picture was taken at the end of a 24 hour charity football match which raised more than £12,400 for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

I look a bit tired don't I !  I had been at the game for the 24 hours. I then came into the studio and broadcast an overnight Radio Disco to celebrate the game and the work of Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

So why am I telling you all this ?

Why have I got these posters from Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter in the studio today ?

Here's the broadcast desk ahead of today's show.

I am proud of what the music has achieved for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter and I am honoured to have been a part of this BUT nothing could have been achieved without YOU - the people who listen to the music, be it on the radio or on YouTube.

The music and my playing it are worthless without people to listen - YOU !

Playing music to make people smile be happy and to inspire LOVE for good causes is worthless without YOU  listening. Without YOU I would be speaking into an empty microphone.

I hope you enjoy my show today, show number 139 on CRMK. Tune in 6am to 8am www.crmk.co.uk the PODCAST will be available round about 9.30am but it is show number 140 I want you to support. PLEASE,

Starting at 11pm on Sunday and finishing at 9am on Monday I am broadcasting ROLL OUT THE BARREL supporting good causes, one of which is Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

Please CLICK HERE - go on DO IT CLICK HERE.

You will see there are 174 tracks on the playlist. YOU DID CLICK THE LINK DIDN'T YOU !!!!!!!!

You can listen to every track. You can also sponsor every track for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

The last overnight disco party I broadcast on CRMK recruited

a volunteer for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter. When we took music to Bletchley Bandstand last Saturday we recruited another volunteer.

So are you going to listen ?  Will the music I play make you smile, be happy and inspire love within you for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter ?

Please watch this video. I was proud to help promote it when launched on YouTube.

Many people are three pay packets away from being homeless. That's scary but for a man owning his home with no mortgage and a bank balance of six figures it is impossible to comprehend.

Being homeless and rough-sleeping is NOT the illness, it is a symptom of an illness as that video shows.

What are you doing on Sunday 19th May ?

Come to SMILE DISCO which is part of Sunshine Smile Day.

The SMILE is for the music.

The TIN is for Milton Keynes Food Bank.

The COIN is for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter as it gears up for the 2020 season.

Almost time for me to end today's blog page and get ready to broadcast today's show.

I have tried to show LOVE for our homeless and rough-

sleeping friends since the death of Jimmy in November 2018, can I inspire you to show LOVE.

I am going to end today's blog with the greatest piece of music ever written, I have played this so many times on CRMK - more than any

other track.  I was a young uni student when I first heard it, ever since I have tried to live my life like a Bridge Over Troubles Water. Can I inspire you to put down a bridge for our homeless and rough-sleeping friends ?

Join me on Sunday 11pm to Monday 9am www.crmk.co.uk - Sponsor a track for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter - click here to do this - come to SMILE DISCO