So follow me follow

Well here we are again and thanks to young Elton for sitting in for me. A great selection of songs too-he's welcome back anytime (bank holidays and weekends preferably). If you had one, I hope your bank holiday was a good one. I was at the Greenbelt festival on the Cheltenham Racecourse which was graced by the likes of The Proclaimers, Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Frank Skinner and Robin Ince. And mud. Mainly mud. Spectacular lakes of the stuff which spread as far as the eye could see. If you didn't have wellies or staff to carry you on your sedan chair, you had no chance. This was all due to a spectacular few hours of torrential and at times horizontal rain and hail. There I was innocently signing books in a large marquee when the heavens opened and a river ran under my table in an instant. Elsewhere a friend reported the rain was so fierce as it hit the side of the tent that it vaporised and turned to spray. This was a storm alright.

Anyway we now have enough washing to last a lifetime and half a Cheltenham field caked into its folds and creases. I need to tart myself up bigtime for today's show or I'll not meet the R2 code of style and cleanliness introduced by Ken Bruce a few years back. We have standards you know. I fancy some crisp linen but might have to settle for an old Nashville t-shirt instead.

Today we talk poetry with Roger McGough 'the patron saint of poetry' according to Carol Ann Duffy. Roger has been in our lives since The Scaffold and Lily The Pink days but it has been with his poems that he has been making a name for himself for decades and his latest collection is 'As Far As I Know'. Roger from 6 and your songs please on the subject of WILD ANIMALS ON THE LOOSE EVEN IF THERE AREN'T ANY AFTER ALL. You can do LIONS if you wish of course but I thought I's spread the net wider.

Have an encouraging and efficient Tuesday, see you at 5.