So here we go with the last blog for a while as the big old summer holiday looms onto the horizon. I have to say I'm a teeny bit tempted to blog when no one is looking but we'll see. First today to the dentist who tells me I need a filling. This hasn't happened since I was at University so I'm hoping the technology has changed and it will be a pain free experience and I'll barely notice a thing. I fear that wont happen and it'll be Marathon Man all over again.
Assuming I can speak, two shows to do with 5Live movies at 2 and then the promise of an All Request Friday choc-full of holidaying, yachting, decking, parties, graduation do's, hen and stag weekends and a host of people to make your plans sound rather hum-drum. But we need that signature tune to kick things off and that'll be your job.
Assuming I make it through the numbness, see you at 5/2 at 2/5.
Saying ahhhhhhh.
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Here's hoping this blog makes it through the BBC system unscathed-apologies again for yesterday's farago. So here we go with a holiday themed show as all schools are now pretty much packed up for the summer. Scotland and Northern Ireland broke up ages ago of course but for a few short weeks, all schools are resting together. I'm off from Monday too though obviously that had nothing to do with my thinking. No sir. So the greatest holiday songs ever would be....? In the suggestions box below please.
Today's blog music is the brilliant new album from Thea Gilmore 'Murphys Heart'. Really top songs and Bob Harris agrees! So it must be true!
And a taste of foreign with Nigel's Tiramisu after 6. Tiramisu literally means "pick me up" or "pull me up" because of the espresso coffee in this most popular of Italian puddings (no Silvio not you, sit down). There seems to be some dispute amongst confectioners as to where and when it started but the finished product will be exhibited on todays programme.
Have a lovely Thursday, see you at 5!
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Wrote a blog nice and early and it all disappeared into a BBC hole somewhere. They were doing maintenance or something. Anyway apologies, here we are.
Looking at the moon for oldies today. Its the 41st anniversary of Neil Armstrong's moon walk today and new footage has been released of the moon landing with sound put on for the first time. So the moon it is!
And we have one of the BBCs best loved correspondents Jonathan Agnew with us at 6. He has been covering cricket for the BBC since 1991 and he graces any show. Go Aggers as they say at the MCC.
Just a short one today so leave your moon tunes in the space below. I thank you.
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But it's ok because it is maths with Carol Vorderman MA (Cantab) MBE. In fact it is specifically a book about helping your kids with maths. Which is fine as long as you know what you are talking about in the first place. Which is presumably where Carol comes in. Just after 6 then.
Matt still looks like a budding Morris Man to me. Loved talking Morris yesterday and that music we played is from the "Morris On" album which Ashley Hutchings put together in 1972.If I play it enough Matt will realise his true calling.
So many 3 word Mondays yesterday referred to bugs of some description. We had hornets, midges, ants and flying ants all having their big swarming day. So we'll do more on that today, whatever your pest is let us know. We'll also do bug related oldies please. Let the infestation commence!
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Good morning to all bloggers and I hope your weekend was everything you hoped it would be. I had a weekend of grown up festival going at the Latitude festival in Suffolk. In the main I was there to interview film director Paul Greengrass (last two Bourne films, "United 93", "GreenZone") about his work, but then managed to see Mumford and Sons and a bit of Midlake. In general the music was aimed younger this year so found my attention constantly wandering in the direction of the pub.
Today features the extraordinary talents of Professor Robert Winston. You can call him Lord Winston. He has written a book on the brain and it is, of course, mind-blowing. Which is precisely the point. It is written for older children really so a challenge to the rest of us to keep up. How your brain works explained after 6.
And the music is inspired by the return of "Who Do You Think You Are" tonight. Let's do family trees, ancestors and the like.
Now the A12 beckons, I may be sometime...
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Before 8, child 1&2 to be equipped with camping gear (who put the tent away wet?) sleeping roll (you expect me to sleep on that?) and exhortations about eating healthily (at a festival? Are you mad?). Then the taxi service trundles back into service. Wearily feel it's time for a relaxing day but no sir! The caffeine will kick in shortly and all will be well in
spite of running out of peanut butter.
A double show day with movies at 5Live but at 2pm because of the golf and then a gentle amble over the Westway that connects Television Centre and Radio 2. That's not it's purpose, it just does it. The All Request Friday looms with it's mix of hen nights, stag do's, weddings, school shows and coffee mornings. Choose that opening song now! You know what you like...
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Lovely. 4 hours sleep and time for peanut butter and marmite on toast. This is my comfort food of choice. Ever since breakfast show days,in the mornings when sleep deprivation is at its worst, it is the old PB&M routine to get me back on track. A good healthy snack don't you think? Nigel B might have something healthier to suggest but I suspect it's fat and calories that I need and need now!
A late night (ish) was provided by going to see Tired Pony last night (a running theme developing here). Shambolic and terrific all at once, eleven people on stage at least I think and then Jacknife Lee's two kids sang some mean backing vocals. You can see the video of their two songs on this site. And it is Scot from REM who is the Jeff Lynne/Chas Hodges lookalike. Some lovely guitar close ups for the weary.
Watch Tired Pony in session here
More food now. My paper this morning carries a full page ad for a Delia Smith summer pudding. It'll be lovely of course but hold your horses till after today's show as Nigel is going to do you one. And all the details and photos will be here later.
Just need to keep the toast going till then.
And the Open has started so its golf please on the oldies. In the hole below, thanks.
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Firstly the equine side of things. We have live music today from new band Tired Pony and it's all very exciting. Well I'm very excited anyway. These guys know what they are doing being Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, Troy Stewart and Iain Archer who are long time Snow patrol collaborators, Peter Buck from REM, Scott McCaughey who has been part of the REM set up since 1994 and Richard Colburn from Belle and Sebastian. Is that everyone? Good grief where are they all going to go? Once we've added our engineers and cameramen, that's a busy studio. The album is called 'The Place We Ran From' and is described in the Independent as the kind of album that sounds as though it could have been released by Asylum records in the 70's. 'Mandolin-driven folk rock' is how they see it which I'm not sure is right as its a lot darker than that. But it's a start. Find out for yourselves today.
And the dragons are back tonight on TV humiliating hapless wanna-be entrepreneurs. The new series of Dragons' Den (is that apostrophe always there? Don't think so) starts tonight so lets do dragons for the oldies today. Both real, as it were, and tv versions. And I'm not sure we'll play much Peter Paul and Mary to be honest.
Five past five then.
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Last night, in the company of son1, I went to see the new Christopher Nolan film Inception starring Leonardo Di Caprio at one of those IMAX cinemas. Largest screen in Europe-it's a real monster. To say the film is mind-blowing is an understatement. You have to work quite hard at times to remember what's happening but boy is it worth it. Di Caprio plays a man who invades your dreams and steals or plants ideas. As a consequence I was expecting, maybe hoping, to have a night full of the most extraordinary dreams but had precisely zilch. 4 hours of oblivion and that was it. Need to go again anyway, this time with cheese.
Musical accompaniment for this blog is '100 Miles From Memphis' the new album from Sheryl Crow who is in today after 6. Enjoyed Sheryl's music since "Tuesday Night Music Club" and you'll have heard a preview of what's to come with the single "Summer Day". Lots of good tunes to choose from here and it's also Radio 2's album of the week this week.
And let's do sports day on the music today. Some schools aren't allowed to call it that any more in case it's too well, sporty. But let's hear it for the tug of war, the egg and spoon race, the sack race and the devil's own parents race. Oh, and while we're at it, overly anxious and competitive parents as well. Enough to be going on with I hope.
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See you for the relay at 5.05.
Hope your weekend was a fine one and the week starts with you on top of the world. Or as close as appears achievable.
We had a double birthday family do with bbq-ing, trampolining, and moan-at-the-Dutching. As you know Matt, Pauline, Sally and I all were gunning for Holland last night. But in this house it lasted until the fouls started coming in. I am now officially over my love of Dutch football. That is SO 1974. They were brutal and I'm glad the Spanish have their win. Ultimately the best team in the world won it, so that has to be right doesn't it?
Tonight we welcome the great Michael Palin to Drivetime. His diaries 1980-88 are out in paperback and he is always a pleasure to interview. When I interviewed him last he was responsible for me starting to write a diary myself. This lasted all of 2 weeks I'm afraid so is unlikely ever to be published. A single size of A4 anyone?
Anyway I think we should be doing diary oldies today. Not just for Mr Palin but also Lord Mandelson's diaries are being serialised by the Times. Scandal! Secrecy! Revelations! Dental appointments! Leave ideas below if anything occurs. Thanks.
Have a great Monday, see you at 5.05....
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Musical accompaniment today via Graham Norton on Breakfast-very funny. When he takes over from Jonathan on Saturdays it'll be a treat. We are sort of used to that Irish feeling at breakfast. His TV show is the funniest thing on tv too so more please!
Started the day with a top father moment. Woke up child 3 by saying 'Welcome to your last day in Year 6'. To which he opens his eyes and replies 'I'm in Year 5 Dad'. He must be so proud.
Back to 2 shows today with Mark Kermode on 5 LIve at 2. Talking movies with Cillian Murphy and (because you can't have too much) Jason Isaacs. He is now in LA I believe but his commitment to the cause is such that he will happily get up at 3am to do his duty.
Then to the motorbike of power to Radio 2 and another sun-drenched all request Friday. Those blistering opening songs may be left below.
Have a great Friday and let's carry this on at 2/5 or both.
Loving hearing Kinky Boots on Breakfast this morning. It was one of those songs we started to play on the Radio 1 breakfast show and it just flew. We had started to play Donald Where's Your Troosers by Andy Stewart the year before and we were looking for something else to pick on and foist success on. As I recall it was Sybil Ruscoe who picked it, we played it to death, got Patrick MacNee on the show and a monster was born. Hearing it again now it sounds even more pervy than ever but everyone seemed to love it.
Other blog music today from the new Sheryl Crow album and Dave Rotheray's The Life of Birds. He was the half of The Beautiful South that wasn't Paul Heaton and it's a lovely selection of songs with guest vocals from the likes of Eliza Carthy and Jim Causley. Thoughtful well crafted stuff.
Was going to try to go for Octopus oldies today in honour of Paul the psychic octopus but don't think we could made it stretch! So (somewhat more conventionally) let's go for the British Grand Prix at Siverstone this weekend and where Matt will be on Friday. Your suggestions welcome.
Nige has promised a Dutch/Spanish dish tonight! Tapas and extra Mayo anyone?
Vive la Oranje! To mix one's languages! It turns out that part-time Pauline, Matt, Sally and I are all rooting for the Dutch at the World Cup. So Drivetime endorses the Netherlands while showing appropriate levels of respect for the Spanish and Germans. So let's look for Dutch-themed songs tonight please-canals, tulips, dykes, Van Gogh, windmills and clogs. In fact any stereotype will do really. And orange of course.
And we get a chance to say hello to Jason Isaacs after 6. The Harry Potter star is in a new British film called "Skeletons". Always enjoy speaking to Jason as he is such a fine actor and a delightful bloke. He's always engaged and up for it. Hear him after 6. And while on the subject of actors, a word in praise of Cillian Murphy. Recorded a chat with him yesterday for the film show on 5 Live and he was terrific. He's one of the stars of "Inception" and has been described by director Christopher Nolan as the finest actor of his generation. Good man.
So it's Drive from 5 with your Holland hits please...
A ridiculously early start here. Somehow sitting at a computer before 7 o'clock seems overly keen but here I am anyway. Today Kristin Scott Thomas is here after 6-she stars in a new movie "Leaving". Or "Partir" to give it its French title and it is a French movie in which she plays an Englishwoman speaking French. And actually singing "Frere Jacque" at least once. Not that it is family fare really as she is also a bored middle-aged woman who decides it would be a good idea to take up with a workman just out of prison. Anyway you might guess the course of this affair does not run smooth. So it is KST (as you would be ill-advised to call her) after 6.
And songs today for Henry VIII. Yes that is correct. Big old do at his old place Hampton Court today. It is the start of the flower show but as we have had just had Chelsea, let's do Henry VIII-divorces, beheadings, dissolution of the monasteries that kind of thing. You know what to do...
Back to bed now I think.
Good morning to you all and good afternoon to late arrivals. Good evening to listeners from abroad and students. Welcome to another week on Drive. This morning's musical accompaniment is Josh Ritter's new CD "So Runs The World Away". I've loved Josh's stuff since" Hello Starling" and this sounds full of terrific songs. However the song that made me stop in my tracks was when Graham Norton played Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" this morning. I played that on the breakfast show on Radio 1 when my son Ben was born in 1991. As we talk of Ugandan Waragi, gap years and student business, I am feeling ever so slightly middle-aged and very nostalgic.
Snap out of it Mayo you're rambling again. Patrick Kielty today after 6. He is fronting a brand new series on Channel 4 "Stand Up For The Week". It is a Friday night thing with stand-ups such as Rich Hall, Jack Whitehall and Kevin Bridges. You may have caught it last Friday. He is also filling that gap between the end of J Ross and the start of G Norton on Saturday mornings on Radio 2. Paddy is a good turn and you can hear him tonight!
And let's do Tour de France oldies today please. It started last week and has reached Brussels where there was an almighty pile up yesterday. It is a quite extraordinary event and we will mark it with your fine tune selections. If only I could think where to start...
This blog is late! What have you been doing Mayo? Is it that Ugandan Waragi again? Come on, bring it here. You can have it back at the end of class. Now get on with it.
Right then. Here we are at another all request Friday and Andy Murray on at the same time (I'm guessing). Matt will be at Wimbledon for us to keep us up to date and shout too loudly to provoke the wrath of the 5Live team on Centre Court. For commentary you need 5Live, for the greatest driving home music and occasional shouts from Matt, keep it on 2!
And just the one show today as the movie reviews are still in their temporary birth on Saturday mornings on 5Live at 11. We are doing a Twilight/Eclipse special with the director and a top vampire chap.
I am trying to write this in the garden but have decided that it is impossible. People who say they are working in the garden are lying. Unless they are gardening obviously.
So the weekend looms! Cut the grass. Smile at the kids. Look forward to a takeaway. It's what Fridays are for.
See you at 5!
Surprisingly no waragi-style hangovers here. It wasn't the fluid but the fumes that I thought might get me in the end. Back of the cupboard time I think, only to reappear when we move house. And then get chucked. More on this today I think. Beware drinks where the ice sinks!
Listening to Chris doing his show from his house, I am reflecting on how it would have sounded from mine. Basically ok I think but interrupted by school run, packed lunch making, a discussion on paleontology and teenager compulsory TV hour (or 3). And now the travel...
Nige getting in BBQ mode tonight with 'Bloody Mary Chicken' which sounds decidedly tempting. And hopefully not just drumsticks dipped in tomato juice vodka and Worcestershire sauce cos I could have thought of that. Nige cooks up a storm after 6.
And let's go for vampires and werewolves on our oldies today as the latest Twilight movie has its premiere in London. Eclipse is the third in the Stephenie Meyer trilogy and the screaming is due to start anytime now. Thoughts below please.
Have a lovely Thursday and see you at 5.05. Or 5.06 if the newsreader so demands.
