Apparently, it’s Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year. It’s dark, it’s miserable, it’s cold. And if all that is getting to you, try this duet to see if it picks you up. If it doesn’t, blame Wynne Evans!
It’s the time of the year when virtually every planning conversation is dominated by the Six Nations. What are we going to do? Where are we going to broadcast from? Have we booked the right people on the right flights? More on those plans in the coming weeks. But as much as it dominates our planning, spare a thought for Warren Gatland who is currently finalising the Wales squad for this year’s tournament. We’ll find out who has made the cut on Tuesday morning. First news on Jason Mohammad’s programme.
For the players, there’s another weekend of European rugby to come. You can hear coverage of all four of the regions in action, along with Swansea and Cardiff in the 4th Round of the FA Cup on Saturday. We’ve got a bumper eight games available between 12.30 and 7.30 on both Radio Wales Sport and the BBC Sport Wales website.
Good Morning Wales has been interviewing the UK party leaders over the last two weeks. Tomorrow, it’s the turn of Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood. And on Thursday, Jason Mohammad begins another round of Welsh party leader interviews, starting with Andrew RT Davies of the Welsh Conservatives.
Dolgellau’s Swnami are the Radio Wales Artist of the Week for a second time. The band – one of BBC Wales and the Arts Council of Wales' Horizons 12 acts – will be with Eleri Sion on Wednesday talking about Magnet, their new song and their first to be released in English. Swnami are also just back from the Eurosonic music conference in the Netherlands. Bethan Elfyn has been with them. You can hear more about it in her show on Saturday night at 7.
Swnami
From Sunday, we’re going to spend a week looking at the NHS with Health Check Wales, and the pressures it’s under here this winter. Last Friday’s slump in meeting accident and emergency targets brought the scale of that pressure into perspective. Mai Davies’ compelling interview with Doctor Aruni Sen - a consultant at Wales’ worst performing A&E, Wrexham Maelor Hospital really is quite sobering:
‘Under siege’? Doctor Aruni Sen on working in A&E
Health Check Wales kicks off with Country Focus (Sunday, 7am) going behind the scenes at a rural GP surgery. And at 12.30, a special health debate in the first of a new series of Eye on Wales; the first for new presenter, Kayley Thomas. More on the rest of the season – including a day long outside broadcast at Cardiff’s University Hospital - in next week’s blog.
Finally, and staying on Sunday, two afternoon treats for you – another chance to hear Aled Jones with Libby Purves at 1, and Lynn Bowles with the one and only Mike Doyle at 2.
Have a great week.
Steve
