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August 22, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy with lots going on. I have been spending a lot of my time recently at Wembley Stadium, showing lots of wonderful people around the place. Which has been fantastic fun. A lot of them have taken on the zip wire challenge and flown across the famous Wembley pitch. I still haven’t and have no intention of doing so. Even though I have been up to the top of it, where it all starts from a few times now to escort people up there.

While at the home of English football there is always a good chance that you might bump in to a few familiar faces. The other day the England Under 21 Manager Gareth Southgate strolled past me on his way to a meeting. For the record he is still an ex-player, who it would seem still keeps himself in shape. Unlike some of them you see. I have previously be lucky enough to come in to contact with the England Manager Roy Hodgson a few times to. He is a top man, polite, happy and friendly. Plus he is always happy to say hello. He is doing a brilliant job with the team securing us qualification to the 2016 European Championships currently.

At Wembley the other week I ended up escorting a film crew from ITV around. They were there to do some filming for a new secret project. Which I believe will be revealed and then shown on television sometime in September. The presenter they were working with was the lovely Andrea Mclean from the TV show Loose Women. She and the whole crew were very nice, friendly and professional in what they were doing. I can’t tell you any more about what took place and what they were up to at the Stadium but keep an eye on ITV during September and you will be able to see for yourself then.

I was lucky enough to catch the final moments, when the England Cricket Team won the Ashes live on television. It has been an amazing series for the home side. Who few thought had a chance of being successful this time round. It is a fantastic achievement. The fact that it was wrapped up with one test still to play makes it even better. The way they played throughout it and the spirit within the side should be totally admired. It was great to watch the players and the fans celebrating together at Trent Bridge. After the victory had been secured. And as someone who is proud of where he was born. It was great to see a man ,who has links with my county Buckinghamshire lifting the Urn for the second time as England Captain. Congratulations to Alistair Cook and the rest of the squad. Nice one gentlemen!

The English Premier League football season is under way. I have joined three separate Fantasy Football League’s. I imagine I will do the same as I do every year. For the next four weeks I will be working hard on them all and concentrating on picking the right team for each match. Trying to score as many points as I can. Then by the end of September. I will forget all about them only to remember again around the end of March. When it will be too late to make any changes and improve things.

My actual team Tottenham have not started brilliantly so far with a defeat and a draw at home. But it is a long season and things will get better. I hope so at least. I am certainly planning on getting to White Hart Lane a few times to see them in action this year. Hopefully in one of the many cup competitions we are in. I fancy a good run in at least one of them. Hopefully with it ending in a Wembley final.

I spent an interesting morning at BBC Broadcasting House in London the other week. I was there to discuss a future work opportunity across a few of the network’s radio stations. This included me getting the chance to demonstrate my skills in one of their space age like and fully digital studios. This was brilliant fun working with some truly talented people. Then followed a meeting to talk about the stations requirements and how I could fulfil these needs operationally across some of the BBC’s most well- known brands. If I can manage to become involved in these ongoing productions. That will be so satisfying to be involved with creating such memorable and sometimes such poignant radio.

On the way to BBC New Broadcasting House

I went to my second cousin’s twenty-first birthday party over in Milton Keynes last Saturday. It was a fun night out. As most of my family live on the other side of Buckinghamshire. One of my Aunties organised a coach for us all. Which I think did slightly catch out the bar staff there, when thirty of us arrived at the place at exactly the same time.

It reminded me of my twenty-first party, which was at our local village hall. I had my mates from my hospital radio station at Stoke Mandeville do the disco for me. Although somehow I remember that I ended up setting up the equipment for my own do, in the afternoon My Uncle also very kindly organised for a singer friend of his to come along and perform for an hour or so. Which was brilliant and really added to the occasion.

It also set the standard that now means at each of my party’s I try to have some sort of act there to entertain everyone. So for example for my thirtieth birthday party I booked a stand up comedian. Who was excellent and went down a storm. I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of years, so I am already thinking about who I could hire to play at that. Going back to last Saturday, it was great to see the whole family enjoying themselves. And we had a fun coach journey home at the end of the evening, with everyone in very good spirits, shall we say.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is currently taking place up in Scotland. It is still an event that I really want to go to one year. Because as a big fan of comedy. The chance to watch so many different comedians in such a short space of time definitely appeals to me. Already so far during my brief stand up career. I have got to meet and work with many different acts. Many of whom take their show’s to the festival every year. And every year it will be a brand new performance with all new material. So they work very hard on them to get them right totally ready for Edinburgh.

One such performer is the hilarious Silky. Who I have seen in action a few times over the last few years at the Tringe Festival. In fact after my first ever gig I gave him a lift back to his hotel. He is a great comic and knows everyone in the business pretty much. He also runs his own comedy clubs to. Keep an eye out for any Kill For A Seat comedy nights in your area. He is storming it up there this year, with his show’s selling out and getting great reviews. Which is brilliant and so deserved. He is a really nice bloke and most importantly very funny. Oh and he can play the guitar to as well you know.

Someone else who is having a great Festival is Maddy Anholt with her show Diary Of A Dating Addict. She worked so hard getting the funding just to be able to put it on there in the first place. So it is great to see her doing so well. She has now had over ten sell out shows in a row and the reviews have been fantastic for it. Four stars from Chortle, no less. Well done to all the performers and audiences at the Festival his year. One year I will definitely get up there probably as just an audience member but may be, just may be as one of the acts. Stranger things have happened.

I am once again looking forward to going to see the annual It’ll Be Alright on the Night programme being recorded at the ITV London Studios in a few weeks. I have always enjoyed the out takes show, since as long as I can remember. I can’t explain why but things are just very very funny when they go wrong on the television. What I like about it, is how many big name stars are perfectly happy to share their bloopers with the world. Showing that they are human and also that they have a sense of humour.

Neil Quigley TV Radio & Live — Neil Quigley TV, Radio & Live

The thing I like about actually being there in the studio is that I get to see these mistakes before they are broadcast across the nation. It is now hosted by the brilliant Griff Rhys Jones. Who links it all together in his own unique and entertaining style. It will be as ever a fun few hours just sitting down and having a good old laugh at other peoples expense. I expect it will be shown on the TV either sometime in the late autumn or possibly around the Christmas period. Sorry for mentioning the C word, so early in the year. In fact please forget I mentioned it.

I am also heading off to the Elstree Studios next month to see another episode of Celebrity Juice being filmed. I suspect Fearne Cotton will be missing from this series. As she is currently pregnant with her second child. Last time she was not on the show she was replaced by Kelly Brook. I would not be against this happening again. And her being there while I am. Just saying. Considering what a wild and crazy show it is, the guest list for panellist’s is usually very impressive and often contains some big names from the world of television. So I am hoping for a top line up for it, when I am there.

Still one of my biggest disappointments from working in radio I think. Is the time when I had an interview with Leigh Francis lined up. And then at the last minute due to circumstances beyond both of our control it did not happen. I am a big fan and would have loved to have a chat with him. I do think the way he totally becomes his character creation’s is both brilliant and terrifying in equal measure. Specially bearing in mind what a quiet and totally normal family guy he is in every day life. Or so I have been told anyway.

I am still waiting to hear if I will be involved in the new series of 1000 Heartbeats. I should know by the end of this month if I will get the chance to go toe to toe with Vernon Kay. While trying to keep my cool and my heart rate down. As I am playing the games and answering the questions. To try and win myself some big money. Fingers crossed that I do get the chance to do it. I have actually been stood next to Vernon Kay a couple of times before in the past.

Once backstage many years ago now at T4 on the Beach at Weston-Super-Mare. When he was still the skinniest man in the world. Then the last time was at Wembley Stadium a couple of years ago at one of the NFL American Football games there. This time he had really bulked up as he was playing the game himself for the London Warriors. And taking it very seriously.

I am not sure I have ever seen such a big transformation in body shape. So fair play to him for that. If I do get on the show I think I am going to have to mention that to him. Might also see if he remembers speaking to June Brown in Somerset back on that Summer’s day. As I had a very interesting chat to her that day. One that still haunts me now on the very rare occasions that I watch EastEnders.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

The 100th Edition

August 8, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been great with lots of fun things going on. Firstly a very warm welcome to the 100th edition of this fortnightly update. Thanks for reading and in some cases being involved with them. I hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. The very first one was published back on the 24th September 2011. So as you can imagine a lot has happened during this time.

I feel that we have shared some exciting and fun moments together. Including my stand up comedy debut, some brilliant nights out at the theatre plus I think I have been lucky enough to meet some interesting people along the way. And I have been able to do some pretty cool things to. It was back in September 2011 when I got to meet and interview the lovely Victoria Pendleton.

So here’s to the next one hundred updates with hopefully plenty more fun times on the way. As ever I am working on a few different and interesting projects at the moment. So I am hoping that the rest of this year will be just as entertaining.

I had a wonderful time at the Irish Race Night with my parents at Windsor Races the other Monday. They have a meeting there every Monday during the summer. And they tend to have lots of different themed nights. Which normally end with a live performance of some kind. Firstly let us start with the nights racing. Which went very well for me.

I had two decent winners including the aptly named Shakerattleandroll, who I had a couple of pounds on at odds of 14-1. So it is fair to say that put a big smile on my face and led to me treating myself to a nice pint of Guinness to celebrate my victory and of course get into the spirit of the evening.

Once the racing was fully over and after all the horses had been safely put away the entertainment then started. It was the Irish Race Night, so live on the stage, on the green area near the parade ring were the Dublin Legends. They feature two of the original members of The Dubliners. The band kind of formed, when the iconic group decided to stop touring after two of its members sadly passed away. So they got a couple of new members and called themselves The Dublin Legends. They were just fantastic, effortlessly playing classic Irish song after classic Irish song. Every one sounded perfect. The band were totally brilliant. And created a great party atmosphere.

Each one of them a master musician with an exceptional voice and clearly a love of the music they were performing. It was impossible not to join in and sing along and have a good time. They were taking audience requests and pretty much just deciding what to play next, only after they had finished the previous number. While still making it a very slick and professional all round performance. If you are a fan of your Irish music I would definitely recommend that you catch The Dublin Legends live. So basically, it was a great night. With horse racing and music the big winners.

I enjoyed an overnight stay in London recently due to a couple of long days, that I was doing in the capital. In the evening I went out for a nice meal at a well known restaurant chain. That has an Italian/American theme. And that is named after two men. There are two things that I like most about that place. Firstly the menu is quite varied, so you do have a nice selection of dishes on offer. And secondly it is the music they play. Anywhere that you can hear Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, while you eat, definitely gets it my vote as a great place to dine.

Neil Quigley and Elvis Presley hanging out in the 70's #crazydays — Neil Quigley and Elvis Presley hanging out in the 70’s #crazydays

The food was lovely but most importantly the waitress and the service was top quality. She was happy, funny, helpful and efficient. So we had a laugh, and were fed and watered in a timely manor. Leaving the place full and content. And of course then in turn leaving the member of staff in question a sign of our appreciation. It is great to see good customer service, I think it makes a huge difference to your night out.

I am pretty sure most employers and some customers do not always reward this. But without your front of house staff, you have no business. To be fair though my opinion may have been slightly skewed, as I was drinking bottles of Coors Light. That was my drink when I was in Las Vegas and whenever I have it, it brings back great memories of my week there.

The following morning I needed to grab a quick breakfast on the way to my meeting. And as I try to have a reasonably healthy breakfast I declined the hotel’s full English offering and popped in to a shop that’s French to English translation is “ready to eat”. Which as I was in a hurry seemed the perfect place to grab something from. I thought I would try their porridge in a pot with some added honey. I have to say there was deceptively more than I thought in the container, it had very much a Dr Who’s Tardis feel to it. It was actually very tasty, which surprised me a little. It was also quite nice to have creamy and soft porridge. Normally when I make it myself at home in the microwave. It comes out basically just like a big bowl of flapjack.

Last Saturday I was at Wembley Stadium for the Women’s FA Cup Final. It was the very first time that the final of that competition had been played at the home of English Football. I took a group of guests around the venue first. Before settling down to watch the match myself. It was great fun as ever to be pitch side before the game. Just as the players were having a walk around prior to the match. Being that close you can really feel the excitement and atmosphere building from that area.

I was cheering on Notts County for two reasons. Because as a Spurs fan I hate to see Chelsea win anything and also because I have met and sort of know the England striker Ellen White. Who plays for the Nottingham based club. We were actually both born in the same town. Although one of us was born quite a few years before the other.

It was an entertaining game with some nice football played by both sides. But despite a very good and positive start from the Midland’s team you did always feel like Chelsea had slightly the upper hand. They got their winner towards the end of the first half through their lively number ten Ji So-Yun.

Player of the match was the Chelsea and England star Eni Aluko, who did look dangerous and a real threat every time she received the ball. It was not the result I was hoping for but it was a fun afternoon. Which saw a new record attendance of over thirty thousand for the big show piece cup final of the Women’s game. Well done to all involved.

Wembley Stadium are actually giving people the chance presently to take a Zip Wire ride above and across the pitch. So you can have a tour around the venue. Which then ends with you whizzing across it for a once in a life time view of the home of English football. It is only on offer for a few weeks. I have been offered the chance to do it, but I have declined the opportunity.

I am not really a fan of thrill seeking experiences or any roller coasters. So there is no way you would get me up there to do it. Although all the people I have seen do it looked like they were enjoying themselves and having fun. Good for them but I am still not doing it. Even though part of me thinks it would be a fairly cool thing to say you have done. But not a big enough part to make me want to do it.

Last week I had an audition to be a contestant on the second series of a game show hosted by Vernon Kay called 1000 Heartbeats. Now I rate myself as quite a relaxed and laid back person, so I thought I would be good at it. So I applied to be on it and then got invited in to meet the producers. This involved a fun afternoon at an arts studio in central London. I had to pose for some photos, take part in a general knowledge quiz and then I actually got the chance to pretend to play the game itself with one of the producers.

I was pretty impressed with how well I did. I also thought that I remained fairly cool, calm and collective. So therefore kept the heart rate down to give myself more time to answer the teasers. And hopefully ultimately if I do get on the show, win the jackpot. Lastly I just had to answer a few questions about myself on their camera. They are filming the new series next month. I will know by the end of August if I am going to be on it and going face to face with Vernon Kay or not. Either way, it was a fun afternoon just doing the audition itself.

This weekend see’s the start of the new football season. I am hoping as ever that my team Tottenham Hotspur can have a decent year. We have quite a young team. So it is going to be exciting to see them develop and hopefully improve together. A few weeks ago now the club announced the plans for its new stadium. Which look amazing. I am really looking forward to getting the chance to see a game in there, when it opens. As hopefully it will give me more chance of actually getting a ticket, as it will hold more fans than White Hart Lane does.

I am not convinced we can win the league but I would like to think that we might have a chance of winning a cup competition or two. As ever I am sure there will be plenty of twists and turns and ups and downs as ever. Which is one of the beautiful things about being a Spurs fan. Good luck to Mauricio Pochettino and the rest of the squad. Just give your all in every game. And we will support you all the way. That is all you can do. It would be great to get the chance to watch Spurs at Wembley again this season. And this time may be see them win.

I am a huge fan of the social networking site Twitter. There are a couple of things that I have enjoyed getting some behind the scenes information from via this medium recently. I follow Ant & Dec and also a lot of the Geordie’s Duo’s friends. So therefore I got to see some great photos and comments about Declan Donnelly’s Wedding. Which by the way looked amazing. Plus I thought it was a really nice touch that his brother, who is a fully qualified priest was the vicar that conducted the ceremony.

I also follow a few of the professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing. And last week they met up to start rehearsing their show dances for the up coming series of the BBC One Show. They were posting some behind the scenes pictures of their training room. Which were already getting me excited about this year’s offering. It will start filming at the end of September. When we will find out the full list of the celebrities that will be on it this term. I went and saw the opening show recorded a couple of years ago now. It was a fantastic evening out. It was great seeing the dancers all doing their thing and also seeing both Jessie J and Rod Steward perform live at such close quarters.

At the moment there are a few interesting and exciting possible radio based opportunities that I am currently looking in to. It would be brilliant if may be one or more of them came off. Fingers crossed, something will happen in this area. So watch this space is all I can say. One of these is with the BBC. I have a meeting with them next week, which I am really looking forward to. It would be nice if I can share some news on this with you in the not too distant future.

One thing I can confirm though is that I have not made the short list for this years BBC New Comedy Award. The standard as ever was very high again this year. Best of luck to all those who have made it through to the live heats. Go out there and make them laugh. At some point soon, when I do get the chance to I do plan on putting myself back out there and doing some more stand up gigs, as I do really enjoy doing them. Best of luck to all comics up in Edinburgh for the festival at the minute.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Neil Quigley

Monthly Archives: August 2015

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