Archives for April 2011

It was a morning with everything on offer that's unique and fantastic about English village life. I spent my breakfast time on The Green at Chapel Row in Berkshire just yards from where Kate Middleton grew up.

I was surrounded by bunting, marquees, hog roasts and maypole dancing, but suddenly was overcome when one Very Special Person walked onto the green and made a beeline for me and my microphone. This has to be the picture of my career?

Well perhaps. Actually, she's Pat from Tamworth. But she makes a wonderful Queen. And she made the day for a lot of villagers here today!!!

Seriously, though, it's going to be a lovely morning as long as it doesn't rain. I just cannot help thinking of Diana, and how proud she would be. And how utterly dazzling.

Cross fingers it's a truly happy day. And that Bucklebury is brimming with mirth!

Andrew's book was a best seller. He went onto Hollywood, to write sensational biographies of other world figures. But now he's back - writing a book about Kate and William. Will it be sensational. Will it offend sensibilities? Who knows? Surely he can never be as lucky again to have such inside information. But this time, he's more sure this is a happy story.

And what of the future?

Andrew reckons helicopter pilots usually have baby girls - so he's predicting a baby girl for the couple, within the year. And, since they are already talking about changing the constitutional rules about title and succession, perhaps this daughter would one day become Queen. And her name? Andrew reckons it would have to be Diana, wouldn't it?

He says the young couple are definitely in love (something we need to hear, bearing in mind our long memories of the doomed Diana-Charles match) and that the whole family is going to have a great day next Friday just enjoying the wedding.

Made me think of the sort of advice that young couples get when they consider tying the knot. King Constantine's to William is to enjoy the day, and not to think of Catherine when he's flying a helicopter!

Many young bridegrooms are told to "just remember she's always right". Other couples are warned never to go to bed on a quarrel - stay up and fight! One of my guests on the radio today works with young people by introducing them to older couples who have (or in some cases, have not) made a success of marriage. Can lessons be learned from an older generation? And what are the questions most youngsters want to ask about relationships? Well, they're all staggered that anyone over fifty has a sex life at all! The scheme is called Explore, a charity that aims to get young people talking about relationships in the hope that this will help them in the future, when they're contemplating tying the knot themselves.

He's Mark Gregory, who has built more gardens at Chelsea than anyone else alive. What's more he's now a regular Gold award winner.

It'll be great to see how he does, because we're coming live from the Chelsea Flower Show on May 23rd, here on BBC Radio Berkshire. I am SO looking forward to that! For any gardener, even a fair weather amateur like me, Chelsea is an absolute delight and a HUGE inspiration.

My guest this morning was the legendary Joe Brown, who's performing at The Hexagon, in Reading, tomorrow night. But what was he more interested in doing today? Going back off down the garden to his workshop and working on the latest rocking horse. He's already made two, but this one is to keep at his own home, for when his eight grandchildren come around.

Great one, Joe!

My guest, Craig Bulman from Maidenhead was just a little boy when he first saw The Red Devils parachute display team when they came to his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne. He wrote straightaway to Jimmy Savile, but got no response. So he wrote to Captain Mickey Munn, who led the Devils, who replied immediately and invited the young Craig along to see them, and they even took him up in the plane to do a quick circuit.

Inspired, young Craig joined up at the age of 17, and joined the Paras. Within a couple of years, he was selected for the Devils and spent two years with them, jumping all over the world. It just goes to prove that determination pays off. How many of us really ever get to fulfill a childhood ambition like that?

Blake are four very astute young men; Jules, Stephen, Dominic and Ollie, four former choristers who found each other on the online networking site Facebook, and swiftly became a singing phenomenon. They've only been in the music business for a few years, yet they've already netted a host of huge celebrity fans, and are in with the Royal family, thanks to two of them going to university with Kate and William. However, they're not just kids born with a silver spoon in the mouth. We were talking throughout today's programme about social mobility, and the problem of kids born without the sort of advantages they've had. But life hasn't always been so easy for some of them, as you'll hear if you listen again to this morning's show...

The lads are also headlining at the Henley Festival on July 7.

Watch out for George in a few years' time because I would take a bet on him becoming somebody BIG. He has won the Pride of Reading award, the News Of The World Children's Champion award, and he's even been to 10 Downing Street to meet the PM. What's even more impressive, Gary Lineker came to his house, and he's got Rio Ferdinand's autograph!

George has been rightly so honoured because, despite having leukaemia himself, he has devoted his time to raising money for other children, which has bought games and improved facilities for kids and their parents at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

But best of all, George has one autograph he won't show you "all" of. It's Simon Cowell's. And on the top, Simon has written his personal mobile phone number. George won't show it to anyone "except mum". Quite right, too. But you never know when it might come in handy!