How Many days to Christmas ?

So how many days are there before Christmas ?

Publishing this blog page on Thursday 29th August there are 118 days until Christmas Day.

I want to ask you if you will support me if I declare Christmas to start on Thursday 31st October.

Christmas 2017 we ran SECRET SANTA taking gifts to families with a child sick in Birmingham Childrens Hospital. Poorly children from all over the country, indeed many are airlifted there from Europe.

Attached to Birmingham Childrens' Hospital is Ronald McDonald House which puts an arm of love around families keeping everyone together. There are eighty rooms in Ronald McDonald House.

Running Secret Santa in 2018 we took gifts to Ronald McDonald again and also gifts to children in University Hospital Milton Keynes.

What about 2019 ?  Are we going to run Secret Santa again ? If we are we need to launch on Thursday 31st October.

Rebekah spent most of her childhood in and out of hospital, our family was one of the first to enjoy the love of the very first Ronald McDonald House in the country.

Beck was never in hospital over Christmas but in my book NOT THE CONCRETE COWS I tell of going one night a week before Christmas in a special ambulance to meet a flight coming into Heathrow from Dublin. On board the aircraft was a little boy being rushed to Guys Hospital for a kidney transplant.

Rebekah put in her will that we should support her favourite charity, Ronald McDonald House.

Are we going to support Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham with Secret Santa 2019 ?

Voting for election to the board of University Hospital Milton Keynes closes today.  I so hope that I win. Win or lose if we run Secret Santa 2019 we have to include Milton Keynes Hospital.

Secret Santa needs to find a minimum of 150 gifts for families and children sick in hospital.

Last Christmas I was so proud and honoured to feature the amazing Mini Libs on my radio shows. Such talented, lovely who produced JINGLE GIRLS to support Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

If we are going to run SECRET SANTA 2019 we have to decide NOW.

CLICK HERE and check out the podcast for the radio show where I launched Secret Santa 2018.

If we run Secret Santa 2019 it will launch on Thursday 31st October.

Do you think we can find 150 friends who will make gifts of love to put on Santa's sleigh ?

We are looking for gifts costing around £5 but far, far

more important than the value of the gift is the love in which it is wrapped. When it opened on Christmas Day that love must flow out.

We need people who will share Secret Santa on social media and keep updating people on the progress to fill Santa's Sleigh.

I always have so many ideas for things we could do to spread love to people who need a smile. Most ideas never happen because I just can not generate the support, I can not find people to catch the vision.

We have had two very successful Secret Santa projects. How many people will be willing to make 2019 a third success ?

Beautiful Music For Beautiful Paople !

Beautiful music for beautiful people......

Tomorrow's show on Radio CRMK starts my second year broadcasting with the station and will be my 164th show. I had so much fun playing music to listeners in: The Philippines, Germany, Russia, UK, India, USA, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, Columbia - Thank you all for joining me.

Let's have something from yesterday's playlist...

Did you miss the show ?  Check out the PODCAST. 

The alarm went off at 4.30am yesterday, I was semi-awake so getting up was not too much of an issue. On the way to the studio I dropped a letter off at the civic offices inviting former mayor and music lover, David Hopkins, to join me on a show within the next few weeks. David, I know you love this piece of music so let me play it for you.

David, you know I could not resist including this picture taken during your year of office at my Frog Challenge. It remains the most viewed ever Milton Keynes picture on Google. FAME !

Have a look at my blog entry BRING BACK THE HIPPIES....

In the studio the air conditioning was running, nice and cool ready for me to play some HOT music. This was the opening track.

The Geriatric DJ then rocked his was through the next two hours.

The hardest part of any show for me is coming to the end, I want to keep playing the music.

Earlier in the year I attended a 24 hour football marathon which raised over £12,000 for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter. I then missed a second night's sleep as I broadcast an overnight radio disco as a post-game special.  Missing

the sleep was not a problem, I could have kept playing the music for many hours longer but when I clicked the computer to come off air I was dead !

On yesterday's show I kept playing music for three beautiful people who raised £6,000+ for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter by jumping out of an aircraft. I think they had parachutes.

I am not an Elton John fan, he is not my kind of  

person, but he does have some great songs. This is one of them which I played yesterday for the brave trio with or without their parachutes - they did have them I think ! 

Beautiful music for beautiful people......

But what about tomorrow's music ? My 165th show and the start of my second year as The Geriatric DJ ?

The show kicks off with this.

That's a beautiful piece of music isn't it ? It's part of

the repertoire used by my music teacher at school to teach me how to score read.  I can assure you I will be conducting the broadcast computer as it hits the airwaves tomorrow.

A week on Friday I will be bringing back my show Pick Of The Pops. Here's something on tomorrow's playlist which was pick of the pops during the Hanoverian period.

I wish I had hair like that. BRING BACK POWDERED WIGS !

Former Mayor David I did think this picture with current Mayor Sam could put your record breaking picture at risk but no. It was taken at my 2019 sponsored hair cut.

I hope I get a lot of American listeners tomorrow as I play a bit of John Phillip Sousa.

How many babies have gone off to sleep to this ?

You won't go to sleep when I play that tomorrow will you ?  The show is WAKE UP With The Classics NOT GO TO SLEEP WITH THE CLASSICS.

When I have fun with WHERE CLASSICAL MUSIC MEETS ROCK AND ROLL I will certainly be waking you up !

Did you know that famed explorer Captain Cook always had a piper on board and each day made his crew members dance The Hornpipe to keep them fit ?

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - WHERE CLASSICAL MUSIC MEETS ROCK AND ROLL....

I walked into Central Milton Keynes Police Station where I was met with: Hello Dave you look summery. Via the work they do all the cops know me, I could never turn criminal LOL.  Summery - is that a word - is it spelt correctly ?  YEH - I had rocked and rolled my way through two hours of fabulous music which set me up for the entire day.

Here's a piece of classical music from the twentieth century. Classical music is NOT confined to the reign of King George I and King George II. Isn't this beautiful ?

Are you a Queen fan ?  Most people are and let's face it Queen is undeniably the greatest rock band there has ever been. Surely this is classical music !

Freddie gets a bit angry when I do not play his music in a show. Freddie Mercury - Tourette syndrome on speed !

Guitarist Brian May - DOCTOR Brian May astro physicist - do you know what he does in retirement ? He rescues hedgehogs. He does honestly. I will be ending tomorrow's show with Brian and this classical performance.

Brian is your hair genuine or is it a Georgian powdered wig ?  Would you like to join me for my 2020 sponsored haircut ?

Well that's not until May, tomorrow everyone join me on Radio CRMK for Wake Up With The Classics. 6am to 8am. Post a comment on today's blog page when I feature it on Facebook and I will dedicate a track for you on tomorrow's show.

Beautiful music for beautiful people......

Ley Lines

Ley lines are apparent alignments of landmarks, religious sites, and man-made structures. The pseudoscientific belief that these apparent lines are not accidental speculates that they are straight navigable paths and have spiritual significance. So says Wikipedia the fount of all knowledge.

It can be considered a little sad that those living in Milton Keynes are not always aware of why certain locations are located quite where they are !  Why is Central Milton Keynes located where it is ?  What is the significance of Saxon ? 

Avebury Boulevard ?  Avebury Stones near Marlborough.  Marlborough Street was the first new road to be built connecting North and South Milton Keynes. 

Silbury Boulevard ?  As in Silbury Hill not far from the Avebury Stones ?

Midsummer Boulevard ?  Better today to be referred to as DEAD END STREET !

Three major roads set down on the Milton Keynes Development Corporation's Strategic Plan as ley lines within the new city. Three parallel lines of roads crossing Central Milton Keynes, the location of the original Saxons.

Midsummer Boulevard aka Dead End Street is now in twenty-four hour darkness since the short-sighted planners in Milton Keynes Council gave permission for a totally unnecessary shopping building - The intu. What does intu mean ? Intruder ? It has intruded and destroyed the Midsummer Boulevard ley line !

Located on Dead End Street is The Point, a decaying example of Milton Keynes Council's planning policy. Opening in 1985 it was the first multiplex cinema in the country. In 1991 it hosted a royal première of Harrison Ford's Presumed Innocent and was attended by Sarah, Duchess of York.

When Milton Keynes Council first decided that the policy of Milton Keynes Development Corporation that no building shall be taller than the surrounding trees was of no consequence and gave planning permission for the Xscape it dealt a death blow to the iconic Point. Even English Heritage refused to recognise it.

Today the Point is derelict and awaiting demolition while the Xscape works tirelessly throughout every night to help destroy our planet.

Let's take an Ordnance Survey map and trace a line from The Xscape and its infamy in modern day Milton Keynes to the location on Watling Street where criminals were hanged at Two Mile Ash Turnpike.

Take the map again and trace a line from Newport Pagnell Services, the first service station on the motorway network, to Denbigh Hall/Leon Bridge. Trace another from midway between The Cock Inn and The Bull Inn in Stony Stratford to Fenny Lock. Where do these two ley lines cross ?

To be continued................

An English Country Grden

It is billed as GARDENING ON A GRAND SCALE !

The first project of Lancelot Capability Brown, The Gardens at Stowe now lovingly maintained by The National Trust.

Here's something I have not played on the radio for a little while.

Mummy and babies swimming on the lake at Stowe yesterday.

This is something I have never played on the radio, about time I put it into a playlist.

Have you visited The National Trust Gardens   at  Stowe ?  You must. I promise you, you will never go just once. We tend to visit most weeks. It is Doggie Jake's favourite place.

Now here's something I do play quite often on the radio.

El Condor Passa, translated into English it 
means...when the condor passes people stand and watch.

A while back White Kites found their way to fly over Milton Keynes, white kites which originated at Stowe - When the White Kite passes people stand and watch. THEY DO.

Have you read my book The Bridge House ?  It is a love story spanning more than eighty years. The love story comes to a beautiful end in Stowe.

Of all my writing I enjoyed composing The Bridge House more than any other work and without setting modesty aside too much I believe it is my best work.  HAVE A READ.

Stowe was the home of the former Duke of Buckingham. He actually appears factually in my project We Are The Concrete Cows. He was behind the building of the canal and was present at its Fenny Lock Opening.

Here's something we recorded at Fenny Lock a couple of weeks ago.

I have had an idea for a long while for another book set in Stowe - The Lonely Ghost. Perhaps one day I will write it.

A beautiful, relaxing day at Stowe National Trust yesterday. Here's a beautiful piece of music I have written into a play list for a few weeks time.

Right now it is getting close to the time where I push

the fade up and broadcast the first show of the week here on Radio CRMK - Start The Week. This will be my 163rd show on this fabulous radio station, 163 shows and marking today my first anniversary on CRMK as The Geriatric DJ.

On Wednesday I will broadcast my 164th show - WAKE UP WITH THE CLASSICS when this is in the playlist.

Well, enjoy today's show and let it start you off to a wonderful day. To close here's another beautiful piece of music I will play in a few weeks time.

Tomorrow is my birthday

Tomorrow is my birthday - I will be ONE year old. Here I am with my Nan.

ONE year old - I WISH ! Honestly that is me !

But tomorrow IS my birthday and I will be celebrating my first year.

At 6am tomorrow when I push the fader up on the broadcast desk at RADIO CRMK on my 163rd show it will mark one year as The Geriatric DJ. This will be the opening track.

6am to 8am www.crmk.co.uk do join me to Start The Week.

Two hours of lovely music and some special features.

MONDAY MORNING MEDICAL MOMENT will be saying thank you to the reception ladies in A & E, the ladies I spoke with last week. I also want to say THANK YOU to a kind person who sent me an e-mail yesterday saying they had voted for me in the current Hospital Governors election.

I will be applauding something very special that happened yesterday. Sara Millington, with whom I work supporting Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter, jumped out of an aircraft yesterday ! (Presumably she had a parachute.)

Sara and two friends jumped out of an aircraft to raise £6,200 to help fund the coming season of Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.  YOU THREE ARE AMAZING and I will celebrate your courage big time tomorrow on the show. 

This is in tomorrow's playlist.

Queens Park Rangers 2  Sheffield Wednesday 1

Well done Steven Fletcher for the Wednesday goal. I have a little project where I sponsor the goals the boys score for good causes close to my heart. Yesterday's goal sponsorship goes to Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

I see that losing yesterday took us off the top of the table but I will be at Hillsborough next Saturday to cheer England's number one football team to victory. Next week's sponsorship will be going to Milton Keynes Food Bank.

I have a bit of a problem with tomorrow's show. I have a feature which I tend to drop most weeks - MONDAY MORNING MEGA MOAN. As of 4.15am on

Sunday I can not think of anything to moan about so it looks like I will be dropping this feature again tomorrow.

My proper birthday isn't until November. Planning ahead, my wife Maureen asked me what I would like for my birthday. I did not hesitate in my response saying A HAIR BRUSH !

Each May I have a sponsored haircut. May 2020 will be for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter. After last May's skinhead it is growing back but The Geriatric DJ is not quite The Geriatric Hippie again - not yet.

Here's something from last year's event.

And ahead of the 2018 event here I am on Hippie Mount in San Francisco.

I am not planning to go to San Francisco again this year, when I was last there I was the ONLY hippie in Hippie Park.

San Francisco - USA West Coast, let's go to Woodstock on the other side of the country.

Did you read my blog page - BRING BACK THE HIPPIES ? Click the title and check it out.

The one subject I failed at school was ART and in terms of website development I am entirely self-taught using technology from 2005 but I am rebuilding my website THE GERIATRIC DJ.  Yesterday I

worked on a page of love inviting people to make others smile. CLICK HERE AND CHECK IT OUT.

LOVE - that's why that amazing trio jumped out of the aircraft yesterday, that's what The Sunshine Smile Crew is all about, that's why Steven Fletcher's goal was so important and it's why I want a hairbrush for my birthday - DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE.

That's in tomorrow's playlist.

Here's a picture of me taken in Monte Carlo more than forty years ago. Wish I looked like that now !  Do you know I still have that shirt. I think I will wear it in the studio tomorrow morning !

So join me to celebrate my birthday, one year broadcasting on RADIO CRMK, join me for Monday Morning Medical Moment, join me as we celebrate Steven Fletcher's goal, join me as we applaud that brave trio and their efforts for Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter.

Please share this blog and help me achieve a big audience to celebrate my birthday tomorrow.

The PODCAST will be available round about 9am so you can listen again. And again and again and again !

One more track from tomorrow's play list then I'll sign off.