Time to change the record

I began this blog a year ago under the title of THE DIARY OF A SILLY OLD MAN. The intention was to publish it as a book on Amazon. In the early Spring I was wondering if I could make an initial publication with just one hundred entries. Then with the loss of Rebekah the blog became The Wave Of Love and all thoughts of Amazon publication disappeared.

Today Frank Scarito's interview with myself is broadcast on Secklow 105.5. It has already attracted a significant audience ahead of this with Secklow's ON DEMAND feature.  Yesterday Maureen and I listened to it together. OMG - how many times in that interview did  I use the word ABSOLUTELY ? Embarrassing !

I said ABSOLUTELY so many times as Frank and I were in agreement over so many things.

Off microphone we talked about Destiny and how the world we live in is both shaped and run. I call it Destiny, some people call it God - there is something out there.

Destiny involved me in Radio Secklow 105.5.  In an e-mail earlier this week Station Director Mike said I was a senior manager.  I think when he said senior he was actually referring to my age ! Yesterda's blog THE GERIATRIC LEONITE pulled 200 readers.

Destiny took me to Secklow Radio and Destiny is changing the direction of projects within OurRebekah.  

I have within my e-mail inbox this morning something which is going to take me into something else. Destiny took an idea of mine, something which actually involves Secklow 105.5 and OurRebekah, added in two other groups then sent it into orbit. On Monday I have a meeting at Bletchley Youth Centre, I am involved in the centre's 50th birthday celebrations. 

The blog was developing into OurRebekah with Secklow 105.5 tagged on. That was not right. Today I am taking the blog back to a personal diary, a bit like the way it started out a year ago.  I will share what I am up to on a day to day basis. Separate from both OurRebekah and my working with Secklow I will share things which Destiny crosses my path with and use the blog to support friends and groups beyond OurRebekah and Secklow.

The last question Frank asked me in his interview was for a quote. I gave him one I had

made up myself - LIFE IS A DISCO SO DANCE.

As well as changing the blog title and direction I have changed the colours. YES, they are Sheffield Wednesday colours but that is coincidental.  The background for most writing is white and blue has always been my favourite colour.

Sheffield Wednesday - AH !

First of all the score from last night's match at Portman Road..............

Ipswich Town 2  Sheffield Wednesday 2

Goals from Gary Hooper (AGAIN)  and Atdhe Nuhiu - that's a new name on the list of goal scorers.  WELL DONE.

Later today Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham will send the two lads thank you and congratulations cards.

I know that Club Director Trevor dips in to read the blog. Yesterday morning I had a terrible feeling of guilt. I had forgotten to write the text for something to appear with the photograph from last Saturday in a match-day programme.

Apologies Trevor. This what I came up with:

There is more to a football team than two goal posts and a piece of grass between them.  Wednesday fans will understand this. In recognition of being a happy, friendly club The Brummie Owls presented Sheffield Wednesday with two vinyl singles of the adopted anthems we all sing at Hillsborough.  Sing them with pride at every game.

I wear my Wednesday scarf with pride. At Saturday's match I wore a silly hat. Trevor said I looked like a seasoned supporter.

Whenever I get the chance I wear with pride the tie Mayor David Hopkins gave to me. A tie featuring a map of Milton Keynes.

David will be spinning some records on the new disco twin deck I have purchased, spinning them at a number of events.  David has good tastes in music, they are the same as my own so of course they are good.

That twin deck is actually playing music now as I write the blog. Give you three guesses what it is playing !  Nah, you only need one guess. That's something else Frank and I spoke about in the interview.

Here you go.

David's wife and our city's Mayoress said something to me a while back. It has stuck in my mind. She said: It does not matter which charity or good cause you support providing you do support one.

David's chosen charity and Milton Keynes's Charity Of The Year is RIDE HIGH.  This is far, far more than a stable.  I would invite you to visit the website. I think it is a very special organisation and as the Mayor's Charity I think it is something those of us who live in the city need to get behind.

David and Susan, Can I play this for you. 

It isn't really disco music but I like it.  I hope you do.

I have heard that Rudolph has taken out a gym membership.  So many gifts for Secret Santa are coming in he feels he needs to be in perfect condition to pull the sleigh.

It is becoming a cliche when I keep saying yesterday was a bumper day but Wednesday truly was. 

These are the gifts that are waiting for me to wrap and pop into Santa's Sack.

Hang on a minute............

The needle has got to the end of Bridge Over Troubled Water - let me go back and start it playing again.

That's better.

Just look at those gifts, look at the love packed within them.

Every time a gift for Secret Santa comes in I am so moved. THANK YOU to every lovely person who has supported this OurRebekah project.

When Frank asked me in the interview for an inspiring quote the last words I said were LIFE IS A DISCO - SO DANCE.  Yes it is but before that I shared the ending from the poem Desiderata.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

It is indeed a beautiful world with some very beautiful people within it.

David - The Geriatric Leonite

I am going claim the credit for introducing a new word to the English Language.

That word is LEONITE.

If you are a Leonite you will know exactly what I am talking about. If you are not then you will be wondering what is the silly old man talking about !

I have three hundred and twenty-two friends on Facebook, the vast majority are LEONITES.

Last week a LEONITE interviewed me for his show MY INSPIRATION on Radio Secklow 105.5. You can check this out by CLICKING HERE.  Go on have a listen.

The picture above shows this particular Leonite at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. The picture Frank took for his show shows the geriatric version.

Yesterday did not start well for me. After some very busy days I was feeling burned out. One of those days had included a meeting which had not gone well. Others at the meeting may well have felt it was a success but I was left disillusioned and low.

My motto on life, indeed the last words I said in Frank's interview is..............

LIFE IS A DISCO - SO DANCE

I tried very hard to dance yesterday, I had music playing on my laptop as I tried to work out the geeky technology on some equipment I plan to use within my role as Audience Development Manager at Secklow Radio 105.5.  The music did not lift my spirits and the geeky contraption just made me more and more frustrated.

In the end I put the deck into the car, drove to Maplin Electronics and shouted HELP.

The staff were very kind to the silly old man, explained what should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain. I took the deck home and tried again. It worked perfectly.

Returning home from Maplin Electronics, as I pulled the car  into the drive my neighbour appeared and handed me a parcel the postman had left with him for me while I was out.

What on earth was it ?  I have lots of things on their way from Amazon and e-bay but this clearly was not from either.

When I opened it tears pricked the back of my eyes, honestly they did and they are pricking again now as I type this blog entry.

It had come from a LEONITE.  It was packed with gifts of love for OurRebekah's Secret Santa. But more than that there was a wonderful, beautiful little note to Maureen and myself.

The moment I read it I stopped feeling low. My spirits were lifted.  I was dancing like crazy again in the disco of life.

Normally I flood Facebook with posts during the day.  There were not that many yesterday but no fewer than TWENTY-FOUR Leonites liked or made comments on the few posts I made. TWENTY-FOUR !

I had two messages from LEONITES, Facebook messages about music and about Secklow 105.5.

Within OurRebekah LEONITES have been the largest single source of support.  Now as I embark upon working within Secklow 105.5 LEONITES are lining up to help and support.

LEONITES you may like to listen to Frank Scarito's interview with me.  You will learn something about your geriatric member.

LIFE IS A DISCO - SO DANCE

Feeling good, feeling happy and dancing like crazy in the disco of life I jumped into the car to begin what I knew was going to be a long and not easy drive.  I was about to make a five hour round trip, actually it ended up a five and a half hour trip, to collect a disco twin deck. A proper disco twin deck that plays vinyl.

I had purchased this from e-bay, again something I plan to use to promote Secklow 105.5. I had seen pictures and watched a video of it on-line but seeing for real my jaw dropped.

It is forty years old yet looks brand new. I paid £220 for it but I believe it has a value far greater than that.  LEONITES I wish we had this piece of kit in the days of our disco.

Let me pop a pic or two from those days into the narrative.

Here we go.

Before I left home to begin that long drive I set out a series of CDs on the passenger seat.

Music boomed out from the four speakers in the car. I only once turned it off, other than being at the house to collect the deck of course, and that was at the McDonald's drive through. I pulled off the road at Witney near Oxford to visit The Golden Arches. Those arches were busy.  I placed my order, I am awkward with the food I eat - I do not want all the muck McDonalds spread over their burgers. Usually I have to be very careful and specific about my order. Not yesterday, efficiency and great customer service were the watchword.

When it came to pay for the food I handed over a twenty pound note. "Give me the tenner and pop the rest in the box."

"Are you sure Sir ?  That's three pounds sixty-three pence ."

"Fine - pop it in."

"Thank you so much."

You know what ?  I am feeling a bit guilty this morning, I wish I had told him to pop the tenner in as well. The "box" was, of course, Ronald McDonald House's collecting box.

Hang on a minute. BRB.

There you go. I've put that tenner into the box by way of JustGiving.

Later today Amazon will be delivering the speakers to go with that twin deck.

What do you think will be the first record I will play ?  LEONITES I bet you can guess. If you are not sure then listen to Frank Scarito's interview with the Geriatric Leonite.  CLICK HERE.  

So what is a LEONITE ?

Stowe School calls its old boys STOICS. Eton School calls its former students Old Etonians. The best school there has ever been calls its former students LEONITES.  Well the school does not but that's what we call ourselves.  I am so proud to be a LEONITE, so proud to be The Geriatric Leonite.

And with that let me play that piece of vinyl I will soon pop on the turntable of my new twin deck. The greatest piece of music ever written played here for some of the greatest people any school anywhere has ever turned out. MY LEONITE FRIENDS. All of you remember - LIFE IS A DISCO SO DANCE !

I have a creepy feeling !

No blog yesterday !

Yes, I am still here. I was not abducted by aliens.  2.41am and I am writing today's edition.  

The reason for not writing anything yesterday, the first time in six months there has been no blog, is because I was sitting in Weatherspoons Birmingham eating a particularly nice breakfast when I would normally be clicking to publish my thoughts.

As I write now I have a creepy feeling coming over me.

Secklow 105.5 and Frank Scarito's interview with myself is available on-line, on-demand.

CLICK HERE and listen. 

Within the  interview I talk about Destiny. Frank and I chatted on microphone for an hour then off microphone for another two hours. In that time, the bit which was not recorded, Frank took my thinking on Destiny and amplified it. Destiny was working overtime yesterday.

The reason for there not being a blog was my being on the motorway driving to Birmingham at the time I would normally be publishing writing page then eating sausage, bacon and all the trimmings when I should have been clicking to publish.

I had a meeting at eleven in Ronald McDonald House right in the city centre of Birmingham. Fearing the traffic I left home early, indeed I was parking the car at six o'clock. I then headed off in search of breakfast.

In the dark I could see the golden arches of McDonald's beckoning so went inside for some hasbrowns. Nobody makes hashbrowns like McDonald's.

OR DO THEY ?

This particular branch had only the cash cow machine, it was impossible to speak to a real person to order food.  I detest these machines so walked out in disgust and feeling hungry.

Then I found Weatherspoons. It was located on the ground floor of the old Lewis's Department Store where I was a management trainee between July 1967 and September 1969.  

"Are you serving food  or is it too early ?" I asked.

They were serving breakfast. If I had gone to McDonald's I would have paid a little short of four pounds for a drink and three hasbrowns. Why on earth would anyone go to McDonald's and pay that to a cash cow robot when for just over five pounds a meal like this is cooked to

order and served to your table in Weatherspoons ?

Destiny had steered me to that table in that particular branch of Weatherspoons.

Most of my short career with Lewis's was spent in the soft furnishing department on the third floor but I began my training on the ground floor. A shivver ran down my spine when I realised the table I was sitting at was right where my initial,sales counter had beenback in the late summer and autumn of 1967.

The service at Weatherspoons was everything McDonald's was not. REAL people, you know like McDonald's used to have before the introduction of their hideous cash cow robots. Real people who had a smile even at that early hour of the morning.

Destiny you are cunning aren't you ?

OurRebekah has a project BOOKS FOR BIRMINGHAM. The plan is to take three of my books, to republish them and give all of the income to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

In the New Year Broughton Manor Prep School will be illustrating The Wild Adventures of Di Central Eating. We will also be making a CD of the music contained in Di's adventures. Work has yet to start but everything is ready.

I am working on The Bridge House and bringing the story to what I hope will be an

unexpected conclusion. 

There is, however, a problem with the third book, my teenage autobiography covering the two years I worked in Lewis's Department Store.

The word IS has now been moved by Destiny to the past tense to become WAS. Destiny told me exactly what she wanted, as I was sitting in Weatherspoons she made her plan very clear to me.

Later today I will be taking Destiny's hand and allowing her to guide me down the path to make the republication of The Story Of A Teenage Entrepreneur (Failed) happen.

I popped this picture on Facebook when I was back home from Birmingham. 

It shows Ronald McDonald Birmingham's house manager Libby with Yours Truly.

Very quickly it was "Liked" by seven friends. In addition someone wrote. What a lovely bright space........

The whole house which takes care of sixty-six families with a child sick in Birmingham Childrens' Hospital is like this.

I call it The Mansion of Love.

Take a look at this little video I made after my first visit to the hose.

My meeting was at eleven o'clock. After breakfast I went to the house and asked if I could sit out of the way somewhere to work on my laptop. I was made so welcome, so many staff members came by with big smiles and words of welcome. I can not tell you what a wonderful place Ronald McDonald House Birmingham is.

It is now 3.45am and Destiny is clearly speaking to me about OurRebekah's support for Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

While I was sitting at my laptop in Ronald McDonald House - 9.34am in pops an e-mail.

Morning David

That’s a lovely blog and sums up what we are all about as a family club…..it’s not all about the goals!

Two big away games this week and hopefully we can pick up some points.

Thank you again for coming on Saturday and for the gifts – most appreciated.

I will send you the photos of the presentation shortly.

We all look forward to welcoming you to Hillsborough again soon and in the meantime take care.

All the best as always,

Trevor

Trevor Braithwait

Director of Communications

Sheffield Wednesday

That's Trevor, a special man. You would think, would you not, that a man in his position would have one hundred and one things to do first thing at the start of the week yet he can send such a kind message as that. Destiny is telling me very clearly that I need to do more with our Brummie Owls project.

I got home from Birmingham and switched on Secklow 105.5. Tony's Time Tunnel was being broadcast. I missed the first twenty minutes but tuned in just in time to hear Tony talking about his visit to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

Tony then played back to back Singing the Blues and Ho Ho Silver Lining.

That picture of Libby and myself was posted to Facebook while Tony was broadcasting, as indeed was the picture of Weatherspoons in Brum. Tony has Facebook on in the studio so he can pick up anything listeners post about the show. He was the first person to "Like" both picture.

Gary came round yesterday evening. He wanted to chat about the next time we can get up to Hillsborough.  He smiled and said perhaps I should become a season ticket holder.  The cost of a Wednesday season ticket is very good value. 

Trevor joked on Saturday about my hat, I joked back telling the club's Director of Communications where he could  buy one !  He said I looked like a season supporter.  You know what - next season I may just buy a season ticket. 

Is that what you want Destiny ?

I have this creepy feeling, is creepy the right word, that Destiny is telling me to forget some of the projects within the OurRebekah diary and focus more effort on Books4Birmingham and Brummie Owls  

This afternoon I will be driving to Gloucester to pick up the disco twin deck to use within The Sekclow Radio Roadshow. I will be alone in the car for four hours. I am going to take this creepy feeling with me and run it round in my head.

Frank Scarito's interview, Tony's Time Tunnel, Weatherspoons, Hillsborough - all too much of a coincidence.

I am thinking that Destiny wants me to develop The Brummie Owls by actually taking people to Hillsborough to watch games instead of keeping it all in cyber.

I am thinking Destiny wants me to set aside some of the OurRebekah projects in order to make far more with Books4Birmingham.

Sheffield Wednesday is playing away this evening at Portman Road. Kick off is not until seven forty-five which means I will be home in plenty of time to follow the game on-line.

Goals the boys score will be sponsored for Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham. Tomorrow families in the house will send cards of thanks and congratulations to the players who score.

4.30am. I think I will go back up to bed for an hour. I'll come back later, read through what I have written, take out the typo's and publish the blog.

6.11am. Time to click the mouse and publish this creepy blog.

Support is not always measured in money

It is possible to have come away from Hillsborough yesterday feeling disappointed.

Sheffield Wednesday 0

Bristol City 0

No goals !  No sponsorship !  No money for Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham !

Oh dear !

However, I am NOT disappointed and as you read today's blog I hope you will share my view and think the same.

Support does not always mean money .

We were there to present Sheffield Wednesday Football Club with a gift, the two club anthems, in vinyl form of course - SINGING THE BLUES and HO HO SILVER LINING.

We arrived at the car park opposite Hillsborough before it had opened. The staff opened the gate so we could drive in. The man who was in charge knew who we were and made us welcome. "Back again," he said.

The fact is that OurRebekah and what we are all about was travelling up the M1 ahead of us.

A warm welcome was there waiting for us in the club reception. Club Director Trevor had everything ready. He led us down on to the pitch where Club Mascot Ozzie was standing waiting for us.

Tony from Secklow Radio, presenter of Time Tunnel, handed over the two 7" vinyl singles with Gary  giving the club a special card OurRebekah had made up. That card has more than one hundred signatures.

The photograph taken by the club's official photographer will appear in a future match-day programme. I have been asked to write something to go with that image.

You can see here the club photographer organising the pictures. This is not the first time OurRebekah friends have been on the pitch at Sheffield Wednesday to have our photograph taken

I tried to explain to Club Director Trevor how much I enjoy not just watching the game but being part of the crowd and soaking up the atmosphere.

I hear so many people complaining about the way the clubs they support are run.  Nobody could rightly complain about the club I support.

Sheffield Wednesday is a brilliantly organised friendly club.

There were young children from both fan bases, Sheffield Wednesday and visiting club Bristol City on the pitch ahead of kick off kicking balls around.

The owner of the club was wandering around, talking to and shaking hands with people. I was particularly impressed with the time he spent chatting to one fan close to where we were sitting.

At a previous game Gary and I had a conversation with one of the stewards. That was at a capacity match a few weeks ago. Can you believe he steward recognised me, remembered what I had said ? He came across and spoke to me.

There was a photo journalist from Sheffield paper, he knew why I was at the game. He stopped to talk to me then took my photograph. He knew what OurRebekah is trying to do.

The result - a goalless draw. Disappointing ? Actually NO.  Both teams, I thought played well. It was a fun game to watch. Fortunately Bristol failed to connect and put the ball in the net. Unfortunately Sheffield did the same. Sitting in Burger King after the game Gary pulled out his phone and checked the fans' comments on social media. Many were scathing and critical.  I wonder if they had been at the same game as I had. I could not be critcal.

Later today I will call up JustGiving and make a personal donation of £100 to each of the three Ronald McDonald Houses OurRebekah supports - Bristol, Birmingham and Alder Hey, Liverpool.  But SUPPORT does not only mean money does it ?  Our being at Hillsborough yesterday raised the profile of Ronald McDonald Houses and the loving work they do to a new level.  Of course, as a Wednesday fan I wanted the goals.  Tomorrow I have a meeting with staff from Ronald McDonald Houses from Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.  I will bounce into that meeting in my usual way, I have gifts of scarfs and programmes from the game. These will be passed to families in the houses. I may even give someone the hat I am wearing !

Yesterday was a BRILLIANT day.  Thank You - Trevor.  Thank You Sheffield Wednesday. You raised the profile of what we are trying to do in supporting Ronald McDonald Houses to a great and new high level.

THANK YOU.

The BIG Day is here !

The BIG day has arrived.

In just a few hours a group of us will be heading to Sheffield where we will join a crowd of more than twenty-thousand people to SING THE BLUES for OurRebekah and Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

The boot of the car is packed with bottles of Champagne for the boys, cakes for the visiting team from BristolI City, Lindor Chocolates for the referee and his team together with something special for club director Trevor who has made the day possible.

At half past seven, in four hours time, I will pick up Tony from Radio Secklow 105.5 and his wife Susan. Tony is making the presentation to the club from OurRebekah.  We will then drive to Northampton to collect Gary, meet up with my brother Richard and his son Jonathan before joining twenty thousand

people at Hillsborough Stadium to SING THE BLUES.

Yesterday Sheffield Wednesday Club Director, Trevor, sent us not one but two e-mails wishing OurRebekah well for the day.

I will proudly be wearing my Milton Keynes tie Mayor David Hopkins gave me last week so there will be a part of Milton Keynes, Bristol and Birmingham at Hillsborough this afternoon.

Let's play something for all who will be a part of this BIG day, a song I really like and at half past three in the morning a gentle beginning to the day. Morning Has Broken from Cat Stevens.

Wasn't that lovely ?

Since we started OurRebekah in the summer one of the many friends we have made is National Trust Operations Manager Scott. Yesterday I took  presenters Frank Scarito and Tony Ingeldow from Radio Secklow 105.5 to Stowe to meet Scott.  Frank is interested in

Stowe as a possible location for one of his theatre productions, Tony and I were looking at ways we could feature this amazing location on the radio. 

If you have never been to Stowe you must, you really must. It is the jewel in the crown of The National Trust.

Scott, Tony and Frank were coming up with ideas faster than I could record them in my brain.

I have no idea how many times I have been to Stowe, it has to be more than one hundred times, yesterday Scott showed us a place there I have never seen before. Pictured left are Tony, Frank and Scott in The Grotto.

When Frank interviewed me for his show MY INSPIRATION last week he asked me what was my most inspiring place. I did not hesitate in saying Stowe. A technical issue at Secklow stopped that interview being broadcast last week, it will go out next Thursday at 11am.

Let's play a piece of music for Scott and Stowe National Trust. How about this.

Designed by Lancelot - Capability - Brown, Stowe is gardening on the very grandest scale.

Tony and I left Stowe to go to Maplin Electronics in Milton Keyens.  I wanted Tony's advice to buy sound equipment we need to take Radio Secklow 105.5 into the community.

I had made a previous and preliminary visit to Maplin where a super young man, Nicholas, had been so helpful. Yesterday Nicholas was not in the store. Tony and I were totally blown away by his colleague Oliver. How could one company, in just one of its branches have the two finest customer service people in the entire country.

The Managing Director of Maplin is Oliver Meakin.  I will be writing to him to praise and thank these two young men. Incredible guys, both of them.

Currently I am bidding on e-bay for a traditional disco vinyl twin deck. I will win the bid, I can assure you.  To back up the deck, with Oliver's advice yesterday, we came away with some modern technology.

Here it is.

Familiar to Tony who has worked in radio all his life but scary technology to me. Scary big time !

I wonder if I could persuade Oliver from Maplin to become the Secklow Radio Roadshow's Road Manager !

Let's play something for Oliver and his colleague Nicholas. Forgive me lads, I am going to be a bit silly but the way Oliver bounced round the store yesterday would make Black Lace sound like an out of tune tearoom quartet.

So here we go with THE MUSIC MAN.

I can assure you I will be playing that song a lot on the roadshow. I think it may well have to be on Oliver's modern technology rather than the twin deck. Yes, that's the piece of kit I

am bidding on. I WILL win the bid, trust me.

In the song Black Lace play the Match Of The Day theme. I have made up a CD to listen to in the car as we drive to Sheffield, I have made copies for the club. On the CD is Match Of The Day so let's play it for everyone who will be at Hillsborough this afternoon.

Every day, yesterday was no exception, Secret Santa gifts come in for the Sleigh. I was a bad boy yesterday. I was feeling tired so failed to pack the FIFTY currently waiting to be

sorted and put ready for Santa to take to Ronald McDonald Houses in Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

Here you go Santa.  Here's your piece of music from OurRebekah's Secret Santa

I know when I get back from Sheffield this evening I will find more loving gifts waiting for me to pack up for Santa.

Secret Santa is not just about the gifts, there is more to it than that. Starting on Friday 1st December we will begin our Advent Calendar for all Ronald McDonald Houses. We will have behind each window a piece of Christmas Music.

I think that is the most beautiful rendition of the most beautiful Christmas Carol of all.

Unlike Tony and Frank, I am NOT a radio presenter, I am just the Audience Manager for

Secklow 105.5.  I do, however, know that you can not suddenly change the tempo and style of what you are broadcasting. You have to lead your listeners through a number of songs as you change the style.

Well I am going to break all the rules. I am going to SING THE BLUES.

I am going to turn up the volume to ELEVEN.  Nicholas from Maplin Electronics warned me about volume levels and not to rip the cones in the speakers. WARNING - I may well blast the speakers of your phone, tablet or even laptop as you listen to the next three songs.

Firstly here is Guy Mitchell with the version of Singing The Blues we all know and love. The one Tony has now played many times on his radio show.

Phil Walsh, Secklow 105.5's country presenter played a different version for OurRebekah and Sheffield Wednesday.   It would not work inHillsborough this afternoon but I like it. I really do.

Of course there is only one version of Singing The Blues !  However, in just a few hours time the Hillsborough crowd will sing a new version and will be turning the volume not to eleven but one hundred and eleven as OurRebekah arrives in the Steel City with The Brummie Owls.