Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been lots of fun. And very busy to with quite a few things going on. I had a nice chat with one of the producers of a brand new game show. That is currently being developed for a major terrestrial television channel. This could lead to me spending a day or two with them. To help them get the project in to a position where they can present it to the station executives. And hopefully get it made into a whole series. They already have a well known celebrity lined up to host it. If that does come off that will be a lot of fun. I am still currently waiting to hear if the last game show I worked on will make it on to our screens. It all sounded very positive the last time I spoke to them about it. If it does get commissioned you will be the first to know of course. And I will be able to tell you more about it at that point. There is still a possibility that I might be involved with it in some form, if it does get on television.

As I have mentioned before. I do come from a rather large family. Which is great because as there are so many different relations around. We tend to average at least one wedding every year. So the other week I was at a family wedding. It was a lovely occasion and great to catch up with everyone there. We hired a minibus to get to and from the venue. Have you ever been in a situation where you are being driven somewhere by a professional driver. To a place you think you know and they go a route that seems odd or at best a very long way around. But you don’t say anything because you think that they know best. Or you start doubting that you have the right place in your head. Thinking it is you who has confused the location. That is exactly what happened on the way to the wedding. Until we finally realised the minibus driver was lost. And decided it was time to start giving him directions. The important thing is we got there in the end. And that we did still arrive before the bride and groom were introduced the the room.

I have to say I really liked the buffet. It was basically a choice of bacon, sausage or egg rolls with some chips, chicken nuggets and a few crisps thrown in. A simple and yet brilliant and very tasty idea I thought. They also had a photography area where you could have your picture taken while wearing silly props like hats, glasses or wigs. Needless to say these photos got stranger as the night went on. I did have some taken but fortunately I have not seen any of these yet. I was there with my parents. So it did feel a tiny bit like being a kid again at times. Specially when I got a bag of various penny sweets at the end of the night. That they had available there in the form of a miniature sweet shop. Complete with a lady in a white coat to administer the treats. I started eating these sweets on the minibus home and despite not being that hungry. I managed to finish the whole bag. And then felt a bit sick at the end of it. Which led to me feeling like an eight year old. As I got off at my stop with my mum claiming from the back of the bus. That she had told me not to eat them all at once. Will I ever grow up? I think we all possibly know the answer to that question by now.

Last Saturday I was at another family party. This time it was the annual summer barbecue at my Uncle’s. We were lucky with the weather. In that it mostly stayed dry apart from one big shower. Which meant that we all had to pile into the small marquee he had up for half an hour. Although that did give me a nice chance to have a chat with everyone who was there at the same time. A bit of a common theme currently it would seem. But once again I do have to say the food was brilliant. Burgers, sausages, chicken, pasta dishes and great deserts to. I have a very sweet tooth and pretty much have to end every meal with a pudding of some sort. As part of proceedings we had the hugely anticipated Quigley Table Tennis Championships. Think of it as like Wimbledon for table tennis. Only a lot smaller and with hardly anyone watching. I got beaten in the final last year. So I was keen to go one better this time around. Although it would be a tough challenge. As we are a very competitive family. Last year was the first time it had happened. So this time round I knew how good the opposition were. With the exception of a friend of the host who had been invited along to join in the fun for the afternoon. I then managed to draw this mystery man in the second round. And he was unexpectedly good. We were matching each over all the way but in the end he beat me in a tie breaker. Much to my annoyance. I really hate losing. He then went on to lose to my Uncle in the final. The same one who beat me last year. This is not me being bitter at all. But if it was just family involved I would have made the final. And then still lost. As my Uncle owns the table tennis table and therefore he gets to practice when he is at home. And I only play once a year. That said I am still hoping next year it could be my time.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is still very much in full swing. I have been taking a keen interest on what has been going on up there in Scotland. Being a big comedy fan I did manage to see quite a few of the preview shows performed in the lead up to the event. And I have to say it is really good to see lots of the shows I saw and thought were very funny getting good reviews. Particularly nice to see Silky, Matt Forde and Gavin Webster doing well. I thought all three of their shows although hugely different were really entertaining. And it does seem that the crowd and critics up there are agreeing with me. The other thing I am liking is how supportive the comedians are of one another. They are all recommending each other. And trying to see as many of the other comics shows as they can while they are there, which is great. That is one thing I found when I started doing comedy. You imagine it is very cut throat and that everyone is out to try and out do each other. Just wanting themselves to get all the laughs, while everybody else struggles. But that is not the case. Most comedians on the circuit are so encouraging. They want the whole of the line up to get laughs and all to go down well. They are often very happy to offer tips and advice to. That is one of the things that really makes doing stand up fun. The people that you can find yourself working with.

Do you remember last year I made a brief cameo appearance in my mate Ben Langley’s play called Ha Ha Holmes at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. Well Ben is back with a brand new play. Which is set to go on a huge UK wide tour very soon. It is another in the Ha Ha brand.He once again has written it. He will direct it as well as starring in it alongside comedy greats Cannon and Ball, and Su Pollard. It will also feature the very talented Andy Pickering. Who did appear in the previous play as the much picked on musician. According to Ben the rehearsals are going great and it is shaping up very nicely. Plus he also seems to be enjoying hearing some classic old show business stories from the rest of the cast. The play is called Ha Ha Hood. And yes it does have some links to a certain well known tale but tells us the story of Robin some twenty years on, from when we last saw him. So a few things in his life have altered, just a little shall we say. I had two cracking nights watching the previous show. Which was hilariously funny. So I really can’t wait to see this new one. I am still considering asking Ben if he has any cameo roles available for this year’s production that may be I could do. I had such a great time being involved the last time. I urge you to go and see this play. You will not be disappointed if you like silly old fashioned good old proper laughs. It you want to find out more about Ha Ha Hood including when it comes to your nearest theatre check out the link here http://www.hahahood.com/  

The Premier League football season gets under way this weekend. So I am hoping that my team Tottenham Hotspur get off to a good start and have a decent season. I am quite optimistic about our chances. But then again I always am at this stage of the season. After last year’s disappointment. I have not had any bets with any Everton supporting friends. On which of our teams will finish the highest this time around. Although as it turns out Everton play Tottenham at Goodison Park on the last day of the season. So I have already made plans to go to Liverpool for the weekend to catch up with my mate and watch the game. I think it could well be another wide open and interesting season.With a few different clubs in with a chance of claiming the title. Spurs kick off the season with a trip to West Ham. A team who beat us three times last season. So it would be extra nice to get a win today to make up for that. But as it is a marathon and not a sprint. I will remain level headed whatever the result. Good luck to your side this year. Hope they have a good one, except if and when they play my team of course.

Tonight I am going to the New Theatre in Oxford to see the musical Avenue Q with my sister. It is a show that I have not yet seen, but have heard very good things about. So I am really looking forward to it. When it was in London’s West End I actually interviewed one of its then stars Mark Goldthorp. It was while I was working at Ivel fm in Yeovil. Mark was from the Somerset town and was coming home to perform a charity concert. So I spoke to him about that and his musical theatre career. I remember when he was describing the show to me that it sounded like something that I would greatly enjoy. Yet it appears to have taken me over six years to actually get round to seeing it. I have heard it explained as like Sesame Street for adults with some very good and catchy original songs in it. It has got some pedigree as it won a Tony Award when it was on Broadway in America. I will let you know what I thought about it when I speak to you next.

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

Hello again, I hope all is well with you. And that you have had a very good couple of weeks. Mine have been lots of fun. Last time we spoke I was up in Warrington visiting an old school friend of mine and his family. I had not seen them for over two years. During that period him and his wife had started running a pub. So I went and stayed with them at the pub for the weekend. Now I have spent a fair amount of time in pubs over the years but this was actually the first time that I had slept in one. I arrived on the Friday afternoon. I got the train up and my mate met me at the station to drive me to the pub. I have to say that the train journey just flew by. As I had borrowed Harry Redknapp’s autobiography off someone I know. That kept me well and truly entertained for the entire trip, as I headed north. When we arrived we had a nice chat and a good catch up.Then they made me some lovely food. And my friend asked me what I would like to drink? To which I replied what have you got? (Kind of forgetting where we were.) To which my friend said “well imagine you are in a pub”. So rather than make him list all the drinks he served. I just made do with a lemonade for starters.

I had a great weekend. Drinking in his pub, talking to his customers, playing darts and taking part in the Saturday night charity bingo and meat raffle. Neither of which I did particularly well in. I also got thrashed playing FIFA on the X-box by their fourteen year old son. Who then later in the same day went on to beat me very convincingly at darts to. Although I did manage to head outside with him and slightly out shine him with my football skills. So I did regain some pride from the situation. It was a lovely weekend catching up with old friends. Just chatting, laughing, eating and drinking. The simple things in life are always the best. Although I was not overly popular on the Sunday morning. When I ventured downstairs from the living quarters towards the kitchen and the pub, completely forgetting that there was an alarm. Which to be fair my mate had told me about. And he had informed me of the code that was required to turn it off. But sadly for him and the rest of the family I could not remember what it was. So the alarm went off and he had to come down and turn it off. He was very polite and understanding about it.Which proves what a good friend he is.

It only seems like five minutes ago that the World Cup in Brazil ended. When Germany were crowned World Champions. But we are now already well and truly into the pre-season period for the new domestic football season. Last week I went for an interesting meeting with a sports production company in London.To discuss doing some football commentary for them for the upcoming season. I had a wonderful chat with the boss there about what the business already does as well as what it plans to do in the future. Which all sounds very exciting. Currently they supply a lot of the digital and mobile sports content. For a lot of very well known brands and sport providers. As part of the meeting process. So that I could display my skills. I got to commentate on the first half of a big football match, while I was there. I really enjoyed it and thought it went well. I will know in a couple weeks if they shared my opinion. And therefore will use me to commentate on some football matches for this season and possibly some tennis matches to.

I am still doing quite a bit of work at Wembley Stadium at the moment. It is of course the home of English Football and England’s ground but that is by no means the only thing that happens there. Since the new stadium opened in 2007 it has always had a great relationship with the NFL. In fact there has been one NFL American Football match at the stadium every year. Until last year when they had two NFL International Series games. This year they go one better with three NFL matches being played at the venue. The first of which takes place at the end of September between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins. When I was at Wembley last week some of the players were over from those teams to promote the match. When I arrived I had to very politely ask some of them to move so I could get into the lift. They are huge guys who look scary enough in normal clothes. Let alone with all the padding and helmets on. They were doing lots of interviews pitch side. When one of the Dolphins players decided he wanted to take a “selfie” on his phone with a group of people who had gathered near by to watch. I wonder how many retweets that got if indeed he did put it on Twitter. All of these players are huge stars in the States but I have to confess I do not really follow the sport,that closely. So I had no idea who they were. I might well have been rubbing shoulders with players American Fans would see as a once in a lifetime chance to meet. Without having a clue who they were. I guess it would be like someone from America standing and talking to Wayne Rooney. While having no idea who he was.

I arranged to meet up with someone I know for a drink in central London last week. I let them choose the location. After checking with me if I was scared of heights or not. Luckily I am not. They suggested we meet at a place called Sushi Samba.It was not somewhere I was familiar with. So I did the first thing we all do in this situation. I had a look for it on the internet. On doing this I discovered that it was a very nice restaurant and bar on the thirty-ninth floor of the Heron Tower. Which is just along the road from Liverpool Street Station. On arrival you have to queue outside at the roped area until the lift is free. And then you can go inside to catch it.The lift up to the place is like the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In that you have full panoramic views of the capital as you head up. And because it is possibly the fastest lift I have ever been in. It practically catapults you up to the top in a very short space of time. The place itself is amazing it has an outside bar as well as two inside bars and the views from it are spectacular. You are looking down on the city landscape. While towering over the Gherkin. Which is sitting below you. It does have a selection of different drinks but it specializes in Cocktails. So while I was there I thought it would be rude not to try out a couple. Now the menu did not come with any pictures and these were not your standard everyday cocktails. Like you would get on a package holiday, shall we say. So I selected my first one on ingredients alone. It then arrived in the most feminine of glasses. Which meant it did not look very manly of butch. When I was drinking it. That said it did taste nice. I thought I had learnt my lesson. When I ordered my second one. I noticed on the menu it said which one’s were the tall drinks. As they came in bigger glasses I thought that would look more acceptable. And it would have done. If the cocktail I had ordered was not bright pink in colour. Yes it did come in a longer glass but no it did not look any more masculine. Yet once again and most importantly it tasted very good. It’s a really cool place to have a drink and I enjoyed it there. And yes in case you were wondering the lift is as quick on the way down as it was on the way up.

My life does seem like it is one big long party at the minute. And to prove that point last Saturday I went to a family party at my cousin’s house to celebrate the fact. That his daughter who was born with a cleft pallet had successfully had all the required operations. And had made a full recovery. It was a proper outdoor summer gathering, With the older members of the family sat down talking, the young children running around playing and the various dogs that were there periodically racing around the garden for no apparent reason. Then to top it all off perfectly there was a barbecue to. Although my cousin who was hosting the party managed to pass on the cooking duties to a friend of his. I think some might call that the art of delegation. Others may call it laziness. It reminds me of a work colleague’s barbecue that I was once invited to. Where somehow I ended up doing all the cooking. Despite never volunteering to do it. And also never at any point stating that I was a great or even an all right chef. Let’s just say that nobody at that do got food poisoning. Because all of the food was very well cooked. In fact it was advisable to enjoy the meat with a lot of added sauce. Shall we say to enhance the taste. It was great as ever to catch up with the family and have a good laugh. It is a good job I do enjoy it that much as I have another family wedding reception to go to this weekend. It is really great having such a large family because you never have to wait that long for the next big occasion.

The Tringe Comedy Festival is sadly now over for another year. It was a huge success once again. With lots of brilliant comedians performing previews of their upcoming shows for this year’s Edinburgh Festival. The Scottish Festival started in the week and runs until the 25th August. It is very much my plan to one year go there and see as many comedy performances as I can. But that will have to wait till at least next year now. As I am currently to busy at the minute to attend this year’s event. Good luck to all the comedians up there taking part. Have a great run and be successful. It does cost a lot of money to put on your own show there. And I know of many people who have ended up out of pocket from doing a show. But Edinburgh has also given a lot of new comics their big break and propelled them on to bigger things. So being there is certainly a risk worth taking, if you are ambitious. I have entered a stand up comedy competition that takes place in London later this year. My heat is in October. I am really looking forward to being involved with it. And hoping of course that I can do well in it. I am currently working on some new material for that. While also probably still keeping a few of my greatest hits in the set, that I will be performing. But we will see what happens a bit nearer the time I guess.

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

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. I have had a very busy fortnight doing a whole variety of fun and interesting things. So when we last spoke I was right in the middle of working for Regatta Radio at the Henley Royal Regatta. Once again I had a brilliant week being heavily involved with the station. That brings people full race commentary of all the races from day one right through to finals day. I was responsible for the production side of this service and was based mainly in the studio. Making sure the excitement of the races were captured and broadcast. I had a fantastic time working with a very talented and knowledgeable group of commentators. Who have such an enthusiasm and passion for their sport. Which really comes across during their commentary pieces and draws you in to the races. It really was great fun. Well done to the whole team on an exceptional job in bringing the whole event alive on the air waves. Rowing is a such a brilliant and dignified sport requiring scary levels of fitness and dedication. The set up at Henley means you can have Olympic Gold Medal winners mixing with and racing sometimes straight after school children. Who are sometimes just in their first season of rowing competitions. Everyone is so supportive of each other and the elite athletes are so happy to chat and help the newer competitors. Which makes for a great atmosphere around the boat tent area. Which is where all the teams prepare and recover before and after the races. As well as producing the commentary and the lunchtime and teatime radio shows. I also produced a series of daily podcasts all about the Regatta across the five days it was staged. Which were great fun to do. They enabled me to meet and talk to a whole host of fascinating people and really get a flavour and a feel for the event. It was also great to see so many spectators there to support the event and have a great time themselves. Having a few drinks and a nice picnic. It really is a very civilised day out but then if you stay out long enough, it can become slightly more uncivilised as the evening goes on. It was a great week. Thanks to the whole team for their hard work and assistance. Apparently even the great Sir Steve Redgrave was a fan of the coverage we supplied during this year’s Regatta. Here is the link to the Podcast’s that I made. http://www.regattaradio.co.uk/podcasts/

A couple of Saturday’s ago I dug out my headphones and dusted off my CD’s to perform as the DJ at my Uncle and Aunty’s Fortieth Wedding Anniversary Party. It was while I was still in the middle of working at Regatta Radio. So I had my sound and light man set up the equipment in the afternoon. So it was all ready to go for when I got there. I arrived from Henley with only about ten minutes to spare before I was due to start. But my family being the party animals they are, were pretty much all there early waiting for me. It was a good night and everybody seemed to have a good time. I managed to get the dance floor jumping. I mean literally jumping. It was held in an old pub with a wooden floor. And the place was certainly rocking with everybody moving around and throwing some quite interesting shapes at times. The speeches were great. I had lots of fun doing it. And it was nice to catch up, all be it briefly with most of the family. Although when you are the DJ at a do, you do not have much time to socialise. As you do of course have to keep the music coming. Congratulations to John and Lorraine. I am glad you enjoyed the night and had a great time. I have to confess when you are doing a party where you know most of the guests so well. It does make it a little bit easier when you are selecting the right songs to get everybody up. Specially as us “Quigley’s” have a few family anthems. That everyone has to get up and dance to with no exceptions. It was nice to be back behind the decks again and having a bit of fun on the microphone.

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a special and private showing of the new Jersey Boys film at a cinema in London. On entering the auditorium we were given a complimentary bag of sweet popcorn. Which I thought was a very nice start to proceedings. The film is based on the musical of the same name. Which is actually one of the few West End musicals that I have not seen. The musical and therefore the film is based on the story of the Four Seasons. How four guys from Jersey managed to get out and break free of what could have been a very different life. By beating the odds and becoming huge stars in the music business. Like most success stories it is a mixture of hard work, dedication to a dream and a chance meeting. With a sprinkling of luck along the way. It also looks at friendship, honour amongst friends and how even achieving your professional dreams, can destroy your personal life. There is also plenty of heartache and disappointment along the way to. Personally I thought it was a great film. The story, the songs, the subject matter and the actors. Who were all absolutely brilliant in their roles. Including the actual lead singer with the real Four Seasons Frankie Valli. Who plays his own dad in the film. It is directed by Clint Eastwood. Who does a brilliant job on something you would not really associate him with. Although the movie does have some guns in it and a little bit of violence. Which was in the script and not just added in by the director to make him feel at home. It is a great story. Which really draws you in and makes you feel for all the characters. It shows the highs and lows and all the pit falls of show business. And the finale I reckon could actually have a full cinema dancing in the isles. If you are in to music history, like great music or just fancy being thoroughly entertained for over two hours. Then I would recommend you go and see Jersey Boys. I think I will have to go and see the musical before the end of the summer now. I just know that would be a top night out.

Now while I do like watching Cricket from time to time I can’t claim to be a big fan of the sport. But the chance to have a private VIP tour around the home of Cricket Lords was far to good to turn down. When you first walk in to the place it does have a certain aura about it. You do get a little bit excited about being at the place where some great sporting moments from the past have taken place. The tour was taken by the very entertaining Michael. An actual member of the MCC. Who are the elite members of Lords. Who use the name of the original team that used the ground the Marylebone Cricket Club. It started with a very good and hugely amusing explanation all about how the Ashes series started. While we were looking at the actual original Ashes. Which always stay on display at Lords whoever wins. We then got to have a look in the famous long room. Which the players all walk through on their way to the pitch. Before heading in to the away and then the home dressing rooms. The thing that struck me was how much closer the main pavilion was to the edge of the ground. Than I thought it was from watching a game from there on television. In the dressing rooms there are honour boards up. Where players who have scored over one hundreds runs in an innings or taken five or ten wickets in a match, have their name displayed. No need to tell you there are some great players from the past on display up there. But also there are quite a few hugely successful world performers. Who never managed to get their name on those boards during their long careers. I was surprised to find that Cricket is not the only sport played at Lords. They also have a real tennis court there. While I was there I was lucky enough to see a game of it being played. I also got to handle the real tennis racket and the ball. Which are both very different from the more popular form of the game. It looked rock hard to play to with the uneven bounce of the ball and the fact you can bounce it off the overhanging roof. The tour finished with a walk around the ground. With an opportunity to try out the view from a couple of the different stands. And a visit to the space age media centre. Which is kind of like a hanging bubble on the opposite end from the main Pavilion. It is such an unusual design that it was built by ship builders. As they were the only ones who had the know how to supply the structure that was requested. The view from there is sensational. It was lots of fun and very interesting having a good look around the home of Cricket. It has kind of made me want to go there again and actually watch a game.

The football World Cup is over for another four years then. Congratulations to Germany who became the first European team to win the tournament out in the Americas. They were the best team in the competition. So therefore deserved their one nil win after extra time against Argentina in the final. It looked like they had some party back in Germany, to celebrate. Which having been there drinking beer and having fun in the past at Oktoberfest. I know how good they are at enjoying themselves. I enjoyed the whole event despite England’s early exit from it. It now seems weird not having top class football matches to watch every night any more. I think Brazil did a great job as hosts. Someone I know went out there for the group stages of the competition to watch the England games. And despite the results he had a great time. He did quite a bit of sight seeing including a trip up the mountain to see Christ The Redeemer. Which I would suspect is a must if you are there. He also said the atmosphere there was amazing and had a great time socialising with everybody he met from all over the world. I have a feeling the next World Cup in Russia in 2018 could have a little bit of a different feel to it. We now have four years to rebuild the national team before we can start to dream again. That may be just may be we will have the chance in our lifetime to party like the German’s did last weekend to celebrate being champions of the World.

Talking of football this week I had a meeting with a sports production company about some potential football commentary work with them for the upcoming season. It was great meeting the team there. And a fun and interesting afternoon. As I got to demonstrate my reporting skills describing some great matches. This weekend I am up in the Manchester catching up with an old school friend. Who now just happens to run a pub. He has been there for about two years now and I have finally managed to get a free weekend to go up and see him and his family. I can confirm the place is great and he does happen to pour a very nice pint. I will tell you more about this time up in the North in the next instalment.

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

Hello again, I hope all is well with you. And that you have had a very good couple of weeks. My fortnight has flown by helped by the fun and interesting things that I have either attended or been directly involved in. At the moment I am right in the the middle of working with Regatta Radio supplying full race and behind the scenes coverage of this year’s Henley Royal Regatta. It has been a fantastic week so far with lots of excitement and some brilliant races from out on the Thames. Although I am very busy producing the live coverage and overseeing all of the website content including the daily Podcast’s for the event. I am having an absolutely ball. It certainly has a unique atmosphere. It really does attract its fair share of interesting characters both as competitors and as spectators. Tomorrow it is finals day which is always a spectacular occasion. As is the case with the whole of the Regatta week. It is a very colourful affair with a glittering array of bright and elaborate blazers on display from current and former rowers. Who are members of the many different rowing clubs that are represented. I have spent most of the time working away in the portable studios but I have managed to get down to the waterfront a couple of times and catch a little bit of the action. It is the 175th Anniversary of the annual event. During which. in certain areas of the course you can walk pass a ridiculous amount of Olympic Medal winners in the space of just a few seconds. I will tell you more about my time at the Henley Royal Regatta. Working with the great team at Regatta Radio. When I speak to you next in a few weeks time.

It really is an amazing summer of sport once again this year. With it all seemingly happening at the same time. As well as the Henley Regatta. It is also the Wimbledon Tennis Championship finals weekend, the British Grand Prix and we still have the small matter of the World Cup going on in Brazil. So starting with the tennis it was great to see the reaction Andy Murray got from the Centre Court crowd. When he walked out to start the defence of the men’s singles title he won last year. It was a really nice standing ovation he received before his first match, very well deserved for his efforts last year. Shame it did not quite work out for him this year. It would be nice to have a British winner of the Grand Prix this year. Which looking at the form guide so far this season. It would seem that Lewis Hamilton may well be our best hope of achieving this. The World Cup goes on without England of course. Who were out of the running after just two games. The team I got in the Wembley Stadium sweepstake did not fare much better. I had Honduras in the draw who were not good enough to win the whole event and win me the big money. As they were knocked out at the group stages. But annoyingly they were not even bad enough to win me any of the booby prizes that were on offer. For the first team to get knocked out of the competition or for the team who conceded the most goals in the group stage. I actually thought I might have had an outside chance with those two options but they were too good for them in the end. On the plus side the people that drew out Spain, Italy and Portugal all suffered the same fate as me.

Last Sunday it was the Tringe Festival Roving Comedy Night in Tring. This is the comedy event at which I made my stand up comedy debut a couple of years ago on the back of an eight week course with the comedy guru that is Logan Murray. The night always signals the start of the three week Tringe Comedy Festival. Which features performances from lots of excellent comedians. On the Roving Night the new trainee comedians do four different gigs in four different pubs around Tring. Accompanied by a professional comic. Who headlines their little section of the show. So the audience stays in the same pub all night and the comedians travel round to them at about half an hour intervals. It is a fantastic idea which works really well. Each pub is hosted by a comedian who was a trainee comedian themselves in a previous year. So as they have been through it themselves in the past. They are very sympathetic and supportive to all the newbies. As are the audience who know what the idea of the night is in advance. Plus many of them are often there to support someone they know who is performing. When I did it, it was one of the most fun experiences of my life. The buzz you get from getting your first laughs is amazing. And the excitement of travelling around and facing a new test with a new audience every half an hour. Certainly gives you a constant adrenalin rush for the whole of the evening. But it is all worth it for the feeling you get when you all meet up after to have a chat and a drink with the rest of your classmates. Who have all just shared the same amazing experience as you. I was on a high for the next week after I did it.

So for this year’s Roving Comedy Night I was an audience member at the Robin Hood Pub in Tring. The stage was set up at the back of the venue in their beer garden. I managed to get myself a seat right on the front row. It had been quite a nice pleasant and warm day. So I went along just wearing a shirt forgetting that I was going to be sat outside and that England is very much not a tropical country. Which meant by about half way through the evening. When the sun had gone in I was actually freezing. Which I have to admit did take the edge off the comedy a bit. Through no fault of the performers. Just because I was starting to shiver a bit. Luckily the mate who I was with had looked out a load of clothes to take to the charity shop. Which he had put in his car ready to drop off. So before the last group of comedians arrived he nipped out to his car and lent me a jacket. Which did mean I could stay outside and enjoy the whole of the show in more comfort. Well done to all the trainee comedians doing their first gigs. I thought they were all great. It is a really tough thing to do. I remember what I felt like before my first performances. So I could really feel what they were going through. I hope they all enjoyed the experience and would not be put off standing up and trying to make people laugh again. The four professional comics were all brilliant. It was great to see Arthur Smith and Silky perform again. They were both on the bill when I did The Roving Comedy Night. And they were once again both very funny. I also got to see two new performers, who I had not seen before Paul B Edwards and Gavin Webster. Who were both fantastic. It was a really great night and really made me want to get out and do some more stand up comedy. I really enjoyed watching but part of me wanted to just get up and do a little bit last night. A big well done to Ben Moorhouse and the team for organising a top night. And well done to everyone involved including the audiences for making it such a great success.

I mentioned Arthur Smith performing at the Roving Comedy Night. To do that he had travelled straight from the Glastonbury Festival. Where he was also performing. He did literally turn up in just the clothes he had from the Somerset event, including some of the Pilton farm mud still on his trousers.Taking into consideration that he was a man who I would guess had not had much sleep during the previous forty eight hours. He was still brilliant. The mark of a true performer. From what I have seen it does appear this year’s Glastonbury was as fantastic as ever. With some truly great sets played in front of tens of thousands of very content festival goers. Who did not let a couple of pretty big storms dampen their spirits. I have to confess I would have liked to have been there in that field to see Dolly Parton’s performance. I bet that it was pretty amazing and spectacularly odd in equal measure. When I was working down in Somerset I was lucky enough to be able to experience Glastonbury for myself. One year I went for the whole weekend, camping and hanging out in the backstage area. Which I have to say was pretty cool. The year after I managed to get down there for the Sunday only. It has a very unique vibe, atmosphere and energy to it. There is also so much to see and do there that it is impossible to even enjoy a tenth of what is on offer. You will end up missing lots of things you want to see. As they clash with other performances or because you will not have the time to walk round the site. From where you are to where you want to be. Me and my mate I went with must have spent a good three hours walking around the place and in doing so we probably only caught three or four brief appearances on the stages we were passing. The best thing about having backstage passes was that there was a special pathway from the bar to both the Pyramid and Other Stage. So it was easy to move between them quite quickly. So I could see a bit of the set of each of the two bands playing those stages at the same time. Which if you have ever been to the Festival you will know is impossible if you have to walk round between the stages.  As that is about a forty minute walk.

During my two trips to Glastonbury I have seen some great performances including sets from Arcade Fire, Kaiser Chiefs, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers, Lily Allen Amy Winehouse, Artic Monkeys, Killlers. The Who, Reverend and the Makers, Scouting for Girls and Mark Ronson. I am actually quite a fan of the Sunday afternoon slot where they tend to put on an artist you would not expect to appear there. Like this year Dolly Parton. In the two years I went to Glastonbury the two artists who performed in that slot were Shirley Bassey and Neil Diamond. Both were brilliant and the festival crowd really got in to the spirit of things and really embraced their shows. We all sung along with Neil’s big hits. And I remember the huge reception Shirley Bassey got when walking out on stage wearing a ball gown and a diamond covered pair of Wellington Boots. I have to confess I did not really watch much of the coverage of this year’s event. But that is only because if I did it would have just made me wish I was actually there enjoying it first hand for myself. I would love to go to it again at some point in the future. I have some great memories from the place including standing next to Will Young while having a drink, seeing Stephen Merchant, Dara O’Briain and Mark Owen walking around plus seeing Lily Allen walk right past me wearing an amazing Muppet Babies coat while her dad was standing behind her dressed as a mushroom. It is a crazy, wild, fun and brilliant event. It is even just worth staying in a tent for four nights for. Although if I do go back I might be tempted so see if I can get camper van this time. Just for a tiny bit more comfort.

I am dusting off my CD’s later tonight to DJ at my Uncle and Aunty’s Fortieth Wedding Anniversary at a local pub. It should be a fun party night. I have got lots of great tunes lined up and ready to play. My family to be fair do know how to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. Which with the general lack of hair within the family myself included. That is actually quite an achievement.

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

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. I have had a very busy fortnight doing a whole variety of fun and exciting stuff. Most of which have actually just revolved around either comedy or sport. Last week it was Royal Ascot, which although unfortunately I did not actually get to go to this year. I was a very keen observer of it on the television. Being a fan of horse racing, it was a must watch for me. Credit to Clare Balding and the rest of the Channel 4 racing team who do a brilliant job with their coverage of the event. I really do like the fact that the Queen is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her horse racing. Although I am a little bit jealous that she does not have to face the daily scrum at Ascot train station. And instead gets a horse drawn carriage to the racecourse from her house just around the corner. I would love to have a fanfare played just before I arrive anywhere. During this event you can gamble on pretty much everything. Every day of the meeting most book makers were taking bets on what colour outfit the Queen would wear to the races that day. This is just one of the very many reasons why our country is great. Just for the record. As I have no fashion sense and completely no idea what colours are in this season. I stuck to putting my money solely on the horses, with it is fair to say mixed results.

A couple of Sunday’s ago I went to watch the recording of a brand new BBC radio comedy sitcom pilot called Friends on Benefits written by stand up comedian and writer Lloyd Langford. It starred Lloyd alongside his mate and fellow TV comedian Jon Richardson. Now as it was actually a nice, warm and sunny day in London I managed to meet a former boss of mine for a few drinks on the South Bank by the river during the afternoon. As you would expect it was packed and the atmosphere down there was great. As soon as we have a day off and the sun is shinning. We do all like to make an effort to get outside and enjoy it don’t we? Which looking at how the weather has been since. It appears to have been a very good decision by everybody who was out that day. After chilling out by the Thames. I then made my way to the BBC Radio Theatre at New Broadcasting House for the recording. On arrival they always allow you to relax in the BBC Cafe before you are called through to your seats. From the cafe you can actually look down into the newsroom and see all the journalists at their desks working away, preparing the stories for the evening news. I do always find it strangely therapeutic watching people working hard. While I am just sitting down having a drink and relaxing.

Then around thirty minutes before the recording was due to start we were called into the theatre and led to our seats. Which for me happened to be right in the middle of the front row. So to say I had an excellent view of the proceedings is an understatement. I did really enjoy being that close. It really made me feel part of things. Like my laughter and applause were an important part of the show. Lloyd Langford and Jon Richardson played the main two characters in the show but they were joined by a few others to make up the cast including Eastender Nina Wadia and the comedian Tony Law. I enjoyed the whole experience from a nervous Lloyd coming out to the stage to explain a little bit about the show he had written. And then introduce all the cast members in turn. At one point getting one of their biographies a bit wrong claiming they had been in a hit TV show that they hadn’t. All of which added to the fun and the whole atmosphere. I thought the sitcom itself was very funny with some great and very clever jokes in it. So what happens at these recording is this. They do the whole episode straight through in one go. Then the producer comes on to the stage to request any retakes, that are required from the cast. And sometimes a few different variations of certain jokes. Just in case the original ones do not make it past the lawyers. I am not sure as yet when this will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra but I would advise you to keep an eye out for it and give it a listen. It was yet another very enjoyable trip to the BBC Radio Theatre. Who does not like to end the day laughing at brand new comedy.

I mentioned Tony Law a moment ago. It was really good to see him again. He was the headline act I worked with when I made my stand up comedy debut at the Tringe Festival two years ago. We did four gigs together that night in four different venues in Tring. As we were walking between gigs I got to chat to him and ask him about the art of stand up comedy. He was really nice and helpful and gave me lots of very good and useful advice. Plus the chance to get to watch him close up in action four times in a row performing to the same audience I had was an invaluable experience. The way he grabbed hold of the audience from the second he walked on to the stage was a master class in stage presence. He was also very funny and good during the sitcom recording. In situations when he was performing with the script and when he was just messing about in between the recording. Tony Law is back performing at the Tringe Festival again this year headlining the Comedy Marathon on Sunday 13th July. The comedy festival kicks off on Sunday 29th June with the Roving Comedy Night. I am hoping to be able to get along to this event. To see the brand new crop of trainee comedians in action. And to catch up with some familiar faces like Ben Moorhouse and Logan Murray. I am working on a couple of potential comedy projects of my own for later in the year. Which if they come off could be very exciting.

So owing to the fact that Dads can sometimes be difficult to buy for. This year for Father’s Day I decided to organise a tour around Wembley Stadium for my dad, mum and sister. So we could celebrate the special day as a family and so my dad could do something that he had not done before. That I thought he would enjoy. As a child my dad had taken me to the old Wembley a few times to see a couple of England matches and to both of Wycombe Wanderers FA Trophy victories under Martin O’Neill. So as he had not even been to the new stadium. I thought it was time to return the favour and take him along to see it. With me having done a lot of work at Wembley this year. The surroundings were pretty familiar to me. But it was fun to see the families reaction as they got to go in to the Press Conference Room, the England Changing Room and the players tunnel. Before walking up the famous one hundred and seven steps to the Royal Box. There was then a nice family picture taken with the FA Cup. After a few more facts and figures the tour ended. Then we ended up having a look around the stadium store before heading home. My dad enjoyed the experience and now after having a look around the place. He has decided that he would not mind watching an England match there. So at least that gives me an idea of what to get him for Father’s Day next year.

The World Cup in Brazil is well and truly under way then. I have really been enjoying the matches so far. It is great to see so many goals going in at this early stage of the competition. Normally these group stage matches are really tight and cagey but its good to see lots of teams are looking to attack this time around. I think it must be to do with the atmosphere in South America. Which seems to be encouraging the players to get forward and try to score. I thought England played very well in their first game against Italy and were very unlucky to lose. That is the best I have seen the team play in a long time and so I really enjoyed it. I think we really did deserve at least a draw from the match. The second match against Uruguay was slightly more disappointing though. We never really reached the same heights as we did against the Italians and a player like Suarez, only needs two chances to score two great goals and win the game it would seem. Then just when we thought it could not get any worse Costa Rica beat the Italians and qualify first. So even before their final game England are out of the World Cup. For the first time ever without even reaching the second round. For the record I will still be wearing my England shirt and tracksuit top for that last game though. I like to think it helps me feel more part of things and it shows my support for the team and the country. Even in times of adversity like this. Plus they are white and pretty much every t-shirt and shirt I own is either black or white. So they do fit quite nicely with my existing wardrobe. To say I am disappointed with England’s showing at the competition is an understatement. To try and cheer us all up a little below is a picture of me with the World Cup. As close as any Englishman will get to it this year now unfortunately.

Last week I had a very interesting meeting at Global Radio’s head office in Leicester Square about a potential feature work opportunity within the radio group. I have to say that has always been a building I have really liked looking at and then walking past every time I went into Central London. I used to listen to Capital Fm when I was growing up. So I always associated the building as a place where cool people worked and where great radio was made. As well as Capital Radio the same building now houses the Capital Extra, Heart, Smooth, LBC, Classic and XFM studios. The amount of times over the years that I have just gazed up at it. Trying to see if I could spot anyone I recognised. Or even on some occasions purposely gone to coffee shops near by just to sit outside and see who I could see just walking in and out of the place. So as you can imagine to actually be able to set foot inside it. Walk up to the reception desk. Say who I was and who I was there to see. And then to be sat down in the reception area, was a far as I was concerned amazing.

I am really looking forward to starting work with the Regatta Radio team this week. As we prepare and get ready to bring unrivalled coverage of the Henley Royal Regatta to the airwaves. The Regatta itself runs between Wednesday 2nd July to Sunday 6th July. This week we will be putting the final touches to the station’s sound, production and studios. Before it starts broadcasting on Friday 27th June. Starting with coverage of the qualifying races ahead of the main event. I will be producing some of the live shows and the excellent rowing commentary. As the station brings you full commentary, behind the scenes information and gossip from it studios right at the heart of the event.The races are always exciting. And it is fair to say we always do seem to meet some interesting characters in the breaks from the action out on the water. Plus I will be producing the daily Henley Regatta Radio Podcast during race week. It will all be a lot of fun and an honour to be involved with such a prestigious sporting event. It is going to be great sharing the story of the week with all the listeners as it unfolds. http://www.regattaradio.co.uk/

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