Aston Villa 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2

Let's hear it for THE BOYS IN BLUE - what a result !

Do NOT read another word of today's blog until you have SUNG THE BLUES - CLICK HERE. 

Goals scored by Adam Reach and Jordan Rhodes. These guys are repeat goals scorers in Brummie Owls and have again sent money to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham by way of our goal sponsor project.

Check the mail lads, Ronald McDonald House will be popping thank you cards in the post.

No game next week then on Saturday 18th November a group of us will be at Hillsborough to make an OurRebekah presentation to our adopted football club.

There will be six of us there, heading OurRebekah on that day will be Secklow Radio's presenter of AFTERNOON DELIGHT and TONY'S TIME TUNNEL, our good friend TONY.

A bit of a chain of events.....................

One of my former students became a presenter on the radio station.  I checked his show then surfed the stations programme list. I found Tony's Time Tunnel. It was my kind of music so I listened to a complete show via ON DEMAND on-line. Tony played SINGING THE BLUES !  We became friends on Facebook.  I asked Tony to come to our Frog Challenge. He and his wife Susan joined that crazy fun day. Facebook friendship became friendship in the traditional and real sense. I asked Tony and Susan to come to Hillsborough and make the presentation. Last week I went into the studio with Tony to take some photographs to promote Brummie Owls at Hillsborough on 18th November. Tony arranged for me to meet the radio station's managing director, Mike. I shared some thoughts about music, the need for better media coverage in Milton Keynes and how I thought Radio Secklow 105.5 could increase its listener profile.  Next thing I know was I became Audience Development Manager.

Here's Tony at the Frog Challenge, that's Mayor David in the middle - he shares the same love of music that Tony and I have. The silly old man on the left of the picture is Yours Truly.

Managing Director Mike, right, asked me if I would like to present a show. That's an ego trip too far so, for the moment at least, I declined.

Wrigglies Exotic Pets hosted our Frog Challenge. The shop is celebrating its third birthday on Saturday 16th December. Manager Ro asked if Ourrebekah could take part.  You bet we will !

The day after I found myself joining Secklow radio's team I drove to Wriggles, spoke to Ro and arranged that not only would OurRebekah be attending the party but so would Secklow 105.5.

I've got to get the equipment sorted but we will be there playing music and having fun. I've just written to Mayor David to see if he has space in his diary to pop by. I have also written to OurRebekah's friend Iain, our local MP, twisting his arm to join us.

Saturday 16th December at Wrigglies Exotic Pets will be the first of many events where Secklow 105.5 will be in attendance. I see taking the station and its music out into the community as the best way to develop and expand our audience.

Some will be OurRebekah events, many will not.

Yesterday, while shopping, I saw two groups in the community doing their thing. I went home, printed something off about Secklow 105.5 then went back, gave the information to the groups and told hem to get in contact with me at the radio station.

One group was from The Air Training Corp, ten teenagers selling poppies in Morrissons Supermarket. Wonderful to see youngsters honouring those who fought for heir country generations ago. Then there were two lovely ladies sitting outside in the rain and cold promoting a cat adoption charity.  I bought a packet of sweets from their stall to add to Santa's Sack.

Among the equipment I am getting together for taking the radio station to local community events is this tent. Well this is England where rain is never far away.

The Radio Seckow 105.5 tent will get its first outing at Wrigglies exotic pets on Saturday 16th December.

Tiny wants to call these events THE SECKLOW RADIO ROADSHOW. Sounds good doesn't it ?  I guess we'll have to run it by MD Mike.

I think the roadshow should have its own theme tune.  I quite like this ?  What do you think ?

CLICK HERE AND LISTEN

What do you think ? Does it work ?

Yesterday I got in the car, drove round a bit and checked out how far the radio signal reached. Secklow 105.5, after all, is a local radio station even if it can be listened to on-line anywhere in the world. One place where the signal does not reach is Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.

See the guy in this picture, the guy on the right with his back to the camera standing at the players' tunnel - he is the pitch announcer.

It is more than ten years since I wrote my short book Dickie Williams.  Dickie is a famous and successful football player, he is also a pop singer. The world loves him as a footballer but Dickie prefers singing to kicking a ball.

Carefully stage managed after a game where he has scored a hat trick Dickie grabs the microphone from his club's pitch announcer and starts a post game disco. He has the crowd

doing he actions to such songs as 1910 Fruitgum Company's SIMON SAYS.

If you read Dickie Williams you can tell it is a story written a decade ago. The now defunct retail chain Woolworths feature in the narrative and one of the people doing the actions to Simon Says is the then England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.

One song Dickie does not have Sven do the action to is THIS - CLICK HERE

I often play this on the blog.

It is filmed from the music control box at Hillsborough.  Ever since Tony first played Singing The Blues on Radio Seclow 105.5 I have had a secret ambition to be in that box high up above the goal, to play music and whip the crowd up into a frenzy.  I'll play Singing The

Blues and I'll play Simon Says, I will most definitely play THE MUSIC MAN. 

Note I am saying I WILL and not I WOULD.  If I could get enough sponsorship behind me for OurRebekah to support Ronald McDonald Houses I wonder if I could persuade Club Director Trevor to let me take over the microphone.  I wonder if ten grand of sponsorship would be enough ?

Never underestimate an old man with a Jaguar - I will do this !

For now let that remain a dream, the reality is Adam Reach and Jordan Rhodes supported Ronald McDonald House Birmingham as Sheffield Wednesday thrashed Villa yesterday.

In a minute I'll play us out with the now OFFICIAL OurRebekah theme but first to celebrate yesterday's victory here's Sheffield Wednesday's second crowd raiser nicked by Yours Truly for Ronald McDonald House Birmingham.

To play out then we have YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE - CLICK HERE

When a child is sick and needs specialist treatment in a hospital away from home this is an incredibly hard time for the family.  The pressures are so great you can not possibly imagine them if you have not been there yourself.

I have been there.  I have slept on the floor next to Rebekah's bed in Guys Hospital. I slept there before the first Ronald McDonald House in Britain opened.

It is different now. Ronald McDonald Houses are there to place a gentle and loving arm around the family's shoulder then whistper into their ear - WE ARE HERE - You do not have to walk alone.

Kindness beyind kindness

It is two o'clock in the morning. My mind is racing round like crazy. There is no way I can sleep. So here I am at the laptop writing today's blog.

The Wave Of Love, of course, is part of OurRebekah but today I am writing very much on a personal level, I will be stepping outside the frame of supporting Ronald McDonald Houses to tell you about my day yesterday, a day where kindness after kindness after kindness came my way. So much so that I need to go out and buy for myself a much, much bigger surfboard. There is so much kindness and love in my life that the existing board can not cope any longer.

Yesterday was my birthday - my 67th birthday.  All day long I joked that it was really my 17th birthday. 17th birthday + 50 !

There's a picture, tof me on the right, my handsome and youthful self taken in that special year when I turned seventeen.

Beck's husband and my very good friend Gary came round yesterday evening to gave me a birthday gift. He said the tee shirt was perfect for me.

I know that people make fun of me and my Jag, Beck used to say it was an old man's car but like I say LIFE IS A JAGUAR SO DO NOT DRIVE IT LIKE A KNACKERED OLD FORD FOCUS !

I received on my birthday sixty-nine birthday greetings on Facebook.  Some came from friends I knew in my early twenties. Some came from friends I have known for but a few weeks. The majority came from those I call my LEONITES, my former students from when I was Head of Year at Leon School.  It is more than twenty years since I left that role. 

So many, many of the messages mentioned those days. Many brought tears to my eyes with the kindness expressed. I can not include them here, modesty forbids it and many were private but every single one packed with love.

Used properly Facebook is a powerful tool. Each morning when I sit at the laptop I look at the posts my friends have made during the previous day. I just love reading what they have been up to.  I love seeing the pictures that my former students have posted of their families. I love seeing the latest news of friends I have only just come to know. My memory has no difficult in going back to my early twenties when friends from those wonderfuk days post what they hve been up to.

I am proud to read what my former students are achieving in their lives.  THANK YOU to my LEONITES and to all who sent me messages yesterday.  I will set modesty aside, I will allow myself a little boast.  How many ex-teachers do you know who receive on a daily basis messages from their former students ? Students who are now approaching the more senior years in their own lives ? How many would receive the vast number I did on my birthday ?

SUCH KINDNESS.

When Beck's friends organised a team to take part in The Big Fun Run I have to confess I was worried about this old man RUNNING.   I didn't make it at the speed of a Jaguar but then I was not a tortoise either and I do have my medal for completing the course.

There was something extra special about The Big Fun Run. We were there proudly wearing our Ronald McDonald House tee shirts. We raised in excess of £1,500 which was special.

The thing that struck me about The Big Fun Run was beyond OurRebekah, it was just how many people were there from so many different groups and representing their own special reasons within our community.  We OurRebekah runners were there with love, EVERYONE was there with love. This was an incredible community event.

Later this morning will be another birthday for me.

SEVENTY-TWO !

No, not years - hours.  Seventy-two hours since I took on the role of Audience Development Manager for Radio Secklow 105.5.

I know there have been smiles. I know there have been words of What on earth is the silly old man up to now ?

In reply I say NEVER UNDERESTIMATE AN OLD MAN WITH A JAGUAR !  I have already increased the station's listener profile.

I will take listener figures for our local radio station to heights way beyond that the station's managing director, Mike, is expecting.

How will I do this ?

Easy !  I intend to reach into all of the community and say bring what you are doing to the station, tell everyone what you are doing.  Share your passion, share your kindness, share your love.  We live in a society that is packed with love. There are some very special people out there.  People like those who were at The Big Fun Run.

With OurRebekah and now with Radio Secklow 105.5 my diary is full. There were three dates in it for next week and the week after. I was going to visit Ronald McDonald Houses in Bristol, Birmingham and Liverpool. The old man and his Jaguar were going to burn up a lot

of miles.  Yesterday staff from those houses made a plan. a plan of kindness. Kindness beyond kindness. Staff have arranged that we will all meet in Birmingham, some will drive from Alder Hey in Liverpool, some will drive from Bristol. Just one meeting in Birmingham. 

I feel guilty that people are prepared to do this.  KINDNESS.

So on Monday 20th November we are all meeting in BRUM in the House That Love Built.

Birmingham, Bristol, Alder Hey Liverpool - they are all Houses that Love Built.

There are 366 Ronald McDonald Houses round the world. Each and every one of them a house that love built. But more than that, much more than that - THEY ARE MANSIONS OF LOVE.  

When I met with Ronald McDonald House CEO, Jon, I said his team did not do enough to tell people what the houses do.  I kindly told him off for this. However, I have now realised it

is not his job nor is it the job of the houses to do this. It is the job of people like me to share the love.  I must apologise for what I said, I must do more to tell people of the love within each and every Ronald McDonald House.

That is why I have nicked Gerry And The Pacemakers hit record YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE and made it OurRebekah's theme.

CLICK HERE AND LISTEN

I have been there, I speak from experience. When a family has a child sick in hospital, needing specialist treatment in a hospital far away from home it is a hard time, very hard time. At that time Ronald McDonald House puts a loving arm around the shoulders of families and says WALK ON - WE ARE HERE - YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE.

This is ONLY possible because of the love staff working in the houses bring with them every day. It is the enhanced in the houses by the volunteers. Silently, working behind the scenes is Jon's team who make it possible for the houses to be there. Never forget these special people.

Secklow's Managing Director suggested I should present a show on the station. WOW I would love that but I said to wait until I have achieved success in my position of Audience Development Manager. When I do present a show I promise you I will be playing music to celebrate the love to be found in all areas of our community.

So yesterday was the birthday of The Silly Old Man With The Jaguar. Do not underestimate me.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE MY 17th + 50 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

Now I am going t be cheeky -

never underestimate an old man with a Jaguar.

I am going to ask everyone who yesterday sent me a message on Facebook, I am going to ask everyone who is reading this blog to give me a birthday present.

ACTUALLY I WANT YOU ALL TO GIVE ME TWO BIRTHDAY PRESENTS.

I want you to visit Secklow 105.5 and either listen to what is being broadcast or listen to a show ON DEMAND.  CLICK HERE and do that as a birthday present for me will you.

THEN I want you to go to McDonalds, have something to eat and ;pop a few coins into the box.

Here's the silly old man showing you how to do it.

Let me say in advance THANK YOU for your kindness and THANK YOU for my birthday presents.

It is now 3.14am.  I'll just check this blog, remove the typos, publish it and then head back to bed and sleep for a bit.

Can't sleep for long. I have a lot to do today. Top of the list is to buy a new and bigger surfboard. The Wave Of Love is now far too big for my existing board !

TANK YOU

Now to play out the blog, if I do actually get to present a show on Secklow 105.5 this will be my signature tune.

Don't just listen to the music - DANCE to it !

Are you one of my friends on Facebook ?

If you are not then can I reach out my hand in friendship and invite you to join me on Mr Z's little bit of social media.

Please do not follow me - be a friend. Just go to www.patrioticpensioner.com and add me in.

I popped this picture on Facebook yesterday with the title MAUREEN WANTS HER DINING ROOM TABLE BACK.

All these vinyl records which are being delivered every day from my e-bay purchases, the record player I treated myself to, the YouTube tunes I have started to play - IF IT AINT VINYL IT AINT MUSIC are nothing to do with my joining the team at Radio Secklow 105.5 - this is an OurRebekah thing.

By the way I have just added RED RIVER ROCK to YouTube.

A hit for Johnny And The Hurricanes in 1959.

I can remember very clearly buying my original copy from Woolworths on Clapham High Street in London.  Only thing was that 7" single was NOT by Johnny And The Hurricanes, neither is that I am now playing on YouTube.

Listen and find out the truth !

My role at Secklow 105.5 is not to be a DJ, I am not a programme presenter.  I spent an afternoon there earlier this week with my Friend Tony as be broadcast live his show AFTERNOON DELIGHT. 

I am not sure I could cope with the technology.  Give me an old fashioned turntable and my growing collection of singles and, YES, I could do it. Give me all that computer stuff Tony was manipulating and rather than bring in new listeners to the station I would drive them away !

HEY, thanks to my friends on Facebook who have told me they have checked out Radio Secklow 105.5.  You can listen on your radio,  on your PC, tablet and even on your dreaded smart phone.  LISTEN ONCE ANY YOU WILL BECOME ADDICTED.

Go on - give it a try - CLICK HERE

Let's play something else.  Let's test your knowledge of retro pop music.

This will sort those who just listen to music from those who dance to it !

So if these records are not for the radio station what's it all about ?

Do you remember the FROG CHALLENGE OurRebekah had at the end of September ?  When I conquered my childhood fear of The Wretched Reptile ?

I am not in the least bit bothered by frogs these days.

I have a second phobia, one I have had for as long as I had that fear of frogs. This phobia is of tall buildings. In January, February and March next year I am going to scale four tall and 

iconic buildings in Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool. I will be asking people to support Ronald McDonald Houses in each of the cities.

I intend to take my record player with me to the top of each building and play one of the IF IT AINT VINYL THE IT AINT MUSIC songs. Ahead of the ascent you can request a record for me to play.  We will take photographs and publish them on the website and this blog.

For the frog challenge we set a target of £100 then raised more than three times the sum. Let's set the same target for each of the three Ronald McDonald Houses then smash the targets, let's smash the targets ten times.

I went to Wrigglies exotic pets yesterday to speak with Manager Ro. I really, really like and respect Ro. His knowledge and passion for animals is beyond belief. But more than that his

love of life, his love of his fellow man is something we should all strive to achieve.

Without Ro the Frog Challenge could never have done what it did. Ro is the guy on the right, left with the snake is David our Mayor.

Saturday 16th December Ro is holding a party at Wrigglies Exotic Pets, a party to celebrate three years of his shop. OurRebekah will be there, I told Ro that we would provide the birthday cakes. Secklow 105.5 will be there with the music.

Ro asked me if we could play some animal music.

Tossed aside in a box are some singles I thought I would never play. Among the discarded items are these.

ANIMAL SONGS !

Right now the turntable is spinning with REMEMBER YOU'RE A WOMBLE !

Is a WOMBLE and animal ?

Don't just listen to the music - DANCE TO IT.  The same applies to life - don't let it pass you by DANCE you way through it.  Today is my 67th birthday, I intend to dance my way through every minute.

Yesterday I was chatting to Sheffield Wednesday Club Director Trevor. I said to him: Do me a favour will you Trevor - THRASH ASTON VILLA on Saturday.  Trevor's usual calm and considered reply was WE WILL DO OUR BEST. 

I hope Trevor is not reading today's blog, I have not mentioned this to him. YET. When the Acrophobic Challenge is over I am going to set myself another challenge.  I want to DJ the music played at Hillsborough ahead of a game.  I will, of course, play these:

I can promise you that I will NOT allow the crowd at Hillsborough to just listen to the music - every last single one of those in the stadium with DANCE to the music.

Trick or treat

Can I introduce you to someone ?

Here, on The Wave Of Love, I am often talking about Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.  Meet LIBBY, the House Manager.

SCARY LADY ? No not really !

Libby and her team do a wonderful job in The House That Love Built, every day caring for more than sixty families with a child sick in Birmingham's Childrens' Hospital.

On Tuesday the house held a Halloween party, NO, this is not Libby's normal way of looking.

When I first visited Ronald McDonald House Birmingham I was told: We love parties - any excuse we can find to have a party.

The pictures that Libby sent to me yesterday show just how true this is.

While Halloween is not usually my thing these images make me with I had been there !

I am going to Birmingham on Monday 20th November. ahead of that I am going to the Bristol House on Wednesday next week and Alder Hey, Liverpool, on Friday 17th November.  I can not find words to express just how much I am looking forward to those visits.

At each house I am going to chat about the various projects OurRebekah has happening between now and next summer. I need advice from the houses.  I need to make sure these events involve the houses in the 
way they wish to be.

I will be talking about FIRE A ROCKET FOR BECK.  I will be talking about RECYCLE FOR ALDER HEY. I will be talking about BOOKS4BIRMINGHAM.  I will be talking about our THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE. And I will be talking about our ACROPHOBIA CHALLENGE.

The old fashioned record player I treated myself to at the beginning of the week and all of the 7" vinyl singles I have been buying from e-bay are working towards the ACROPHOBIA CHALLENGE.

I have started publishing some new music on YouTube - IF IT AINT VINYL THEN IT AINT MUSIC - are all going to be part of the ACROPHOBIA CHALLENGE.

At the moment there are just three songs but by the time the challenge begins there will be more than fifty.

I plan to take my record player to the top of every tall building I climb and to play one of the songs.

In return for sponsoring the challenge, in return for supporting Ronald McDonald Houses in Birmingham, Bristol and Alder Hey Liverpool friends can send me their request. I will play a record at the top of the building and dedicate it to them.

My love of music is no secret. I love Classical, I love Opera, I love Ballet and I love retro pop

music from the mid 1950's to the mid 1980's.  When Seclow 105.5's presenter Tony became involved with OurRebekah that was rather special.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in the studio with Tony. I took photographs and video to use within OurRebekah, primarily to promote Tony's involvement with BRUMMIE OWLS and his coming to Sheffield with us on the 18th where he will hand over the presentation gift we have prepared for the club.

I met the station's Managing Director, Mike Johnson. I chatted about OurRebekah, how I

would like to invite the station to support our efforts and how I always want to give back to those who help us.   I ran some ideas past Mike, left, and offered ti help the radio station.

I found I really liked the man. He has the same bang-bang-bang-make it happen attitude as I do myself.

Mike was only too pleased to have me support the station. I left the studio with a new job, or perhaps it would be more correct to say ANOTHER job.

Allow me to introduce you to Radio Secklow 105.5's new Audience Development Manager !

Let me explain that Secklow 105.5 is a community radio station broadcasting on FM. Via its website, or now I can say OUR website, all shows can be listened to on demand. http://www.secklow1055.org   Please check it out and help the station's new Audience Development Manager increase our listener profile.

I want to be very, very careful with my new role.  There will be times when the radio station will be involved with OurRebekah events but I want all community groups and businesses serving the community to contact me, let's see how Secklow 105.5 can help what you are doing.  I have NOT joined the team to promote OurRebekah, I have joined the team to take the station to a wider audience.  Last night I secured an invitation for the station to attend an event a group, nothing to do with OurRebekah, is holding in the community.  By the end of today I plan to have one, if not two more invitations issued to the station.

NO - absolutely NO !  I will not be slacking off with OurRebekah and supporting Ronald McDonald Houses. ABSOLUTELY NO WAY.  There are 24 hours in the day and

no more than five are meant for sleeping.   I usually spend between 6 and 8 hours a day working on OurRebekah projects, some days more and on others less.

Life is a disco SO DANCE

Life is also a ballet SO POINT YOUR TOES

Life is a symphony SO TUNE YOU VIOLIN

Life is an opera SO FILL YOUR LUNGS

Tune in to Secklow 105.5 and do all of these things.

Jump up on to The Wave of Love and help OurRebekah support Ronald McDonald Houses care for families with a child sick in hospital.

And with that I'll close by playing the OurRebekah adopted theme.

CLICK HERE