Don Woods

.We have had some bad storms here but nowhere near as bad as the States.....I was once in Florida during one of the annual hurricanes and they were appealing for the public to donate money to help those in the south who had lost their homes etc.....I brought this up the next day by the swimming pool and enquired as to why they are asking the public for donations when they are spending millions 100 miles up the coast sending rockets into space....some of which don't leave the ground....could the Kennedy Space Centre not solve the problem instantly?....well...I nearly cause an international incident.....they didn't see i that way....as they told me with a John Wayne stance....which to me summed up the USA mentality. 2.This Brexit nonsense just goes to prove what a nation of followers we are....we have voted out and now we are getting cold feet because we'll have to go it alone....SO WHAT!!....the majority of us obviously need someone to tell us what we can and can't do....get with it folks....if you accept plonkers like Ambrose Mogg and Jeremy Corbyn etc telling us what we can do there is no hope whatsoever.....they should teach kids in school the art of independence and belief in yourself.....personally I have never automatically accepted newspaper headlines or ANYTHING politicians say.....and all we get is "Oh it was different in your day"....no it wasn't...like the rest of us I got £4 a week and turfed up half of that at home but I went for it from the start....and if I can do it anyone can. 3.What a lot of folk seem to lack is imagination....take the music business for example....like a lot of guys my age I left school and formed a beat group....but there were so many at the time that it wasn't easy getting decent gigs so I looked for a gap in the market and that was strict tempo....no-one except the old dance bands were doing it and they were past their sellby date....so I learnt all the standard quicksteps and waltzes etc and combined it with sixties ..thus we could entertain across the board and as a 4 piece we were cheaper than a dance band 7 piece...and as we played anything that was required...we were in demand....and when the sixties era came to an end we just carried on........................the point being we were not BETTER than everyone else we were different because we filled a gap.............that is what you have to do to survive....it's called imagination. 4.There have been many band anecdotes over the years ... most of which are unrepeatable...but one which stands out and explains the mentality of the audience you are playing to happened at a Masonic function we were doing....some bloke came up to me in the break and asked if we played Hotel California....to which I explained wasn't part of our repertoire....so then comes the "Can't you have a go?".....so realising his limited knowledge of music I changed the subject and informed him that I had seen The Eagles live in Huddersfield.....then he comes out with "I was there.........bit suspect though aren't the?".....I had to know so I said "Why's that?"....wait for it....."Because they had a row of different guitars on the stage...which means they can't play in different keys"....I said to my bass player "NOW I have heard everything"..........The Eagles are up there playing the finest top of the range instruments to get the required sounds assuming the audience will be well impressed.....but what they are ACTUALLY thinking is they can't play in different keys......priceless. 5.And talking about finding the gap in the market....I used to write songs for my Welsh mate Paul Damian who was a professional cabaret artist......we used to meet up on a Monday and discuss our weekend gigs over a cup of coffee.....he asked me if I could write a novelty song for him.....I casually said we could teach the world to say that long village name in Anglesey....I then stopped sipping my coffee and realised what I had said.....I made him recite the word over and over again....kissed him on top of his head and said "THAT'S IT!!!....GENIUS"...within a week I had written and recorded the song with Paul teaching the world....sent a copy to Lady Di at the Palace to help her with her Welsh which made headlines in The Daily Star....got it on local radio which led it to be played on the World Service....it even got a Radio 1 play....I then organised an outlet in the village to sell it to the tourists which took off....it is now on YouTube approaching 2 million hits.....like I say ... it's all about imagination...and here it is.

In the last few years packaging has got ridiculous....even small items like batteries require a Swiss army knife to get through the packaging....even food like biscuits are another example....the plastic packaging is only thin but unless you are Arnold Swartzenager you cannot open it without scissors.....even buying stuff online leaves you with a mountain of cardboard....aren't we supposed to be saving the environment?....speaking of which I am about to tax my car...£315 for a year !!!!!!....a friend of mine has a Mini Cooper and she pays £20 a year....apparently it's all about the emissions....what the hell that's got to do with ROAD tax is beyond me...another way to rip us off. 2.Us oldies go on about modern songs not being "as good as the ones from our generation"....I recently heard "Rosetta are you better" by Alan Price and Georgie Fame which has to be one of the worst songs of all time....I was unfortunate enough to see them both live in Liverpool....all they did was fool around on stage with total disrespect for the audience....this reminded me of some other bad hits....The Jarrow Lads was as bad as it gets.....others that spring to mind are Tell Laura I Love Her by Ricky Valance......I won't even mention Love Me Do.........and I notice the BBC are playing Cliff Richard's latest record....I wonder if that was part of the settlement deal?........and it was nice to see The Fonz get a long deserved Emmy Award...I was a big fan of Henry Winkler back in the day and was really jealous when one of my mates was mistaken for him on holiday....he even signed an autograph....I never forgave him. 3.I have to announce I have now completely lost interest in Brexit and have no idea what it is all about....it has lost me....all I see when it constantly comes up on the news is a load of politicians arguing over whether we should stay or go when all they are ACTUALLY doing is worrying about their overpaid jobs....I now couldn't care less one way or another....all the political parties should join together and form one big one called "The I'm Alright Jack Party"....the problem I have with politics is the total lack of charisma amongst the characters.....some politician will come on and go on about one thing or another....totally biassed...and bore us all to death.....what is required is someone like John Cleese to get the point over....then people would listen. 4.Talking of which I thought the Monty Python lot were so far ahead of their time.....when you watch The Life of Brian and look beneath the comedy the messages put across are sheer genius....the film shows the gullibility and stupidity of the human race with scenes like "what have the Romans done for us?"......and everyone following the wrong messiah.....and what is classic so many people missed the point....especially the Yanks who saw it as anti religious which it wasn't.....it is definitely my favourite film of all time.....nothing can be more original than three kings following the star and going to the wrong house......priceless. 5.The song this week is one I co-wrote with a very talented lady friend of mine called Patricia Knapton who writes wonderful poetry ....the song is called "The Colour of Time" and observes a painter seeing the world as a perfect place via his painting....and says if only we could see the world through his eyes......the answer is in the last line of the song

Strictly Come Dancing is back...we had the launch last Saturday night which apparently blew The X Factor out of the water....now there's a surprise.....I must say I do enjoy the spectacle of wonderfully sculpted young ladies gliding around the dance floor and I don't care how sexist that sounds....and do not intend to apologise to the pathetic P.C.Brigade....talking of which there has been a suggestion regarding same sex dancing on the show......if that happens count me out....two blokes doing a slow fox is not for me.....and I think they could wave goodbye to 90% of their viewers. 2.And on the equality front.....there was a programme on the BBC discussing politics with a panel consisting of just women....with invited guests...also women....and there have naturally been complaints from those who obviously don't understand that sexism and equality only goes one way.....the complaints were read out on BBC Newswatch...and as usual on comes some big cheese...a bloke...and off he goes saying that they feel they have picked the best panel....and they are trying to attract younger viewers etc etc.....I must say he looked a bit nervous....probably because his wife was probably standing behind him with a rolling pin.......Newswatch is like a comedy show....and it would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. 3.Talking of comedy I have never been a fan of Josh Widdicombe...but I watched his stand up show on The Apollo and found him very funny....his observations were very good and I warmed to him....I was however watching it late at night and had the subtitles on...I thought I would watch it again on catch up which sadly let him down as he used the F word far too much (which wasn't on the subtitles) ....and definitely spoilt the act.....I'm no prude but if swear words are used it should be in a humorous way....not for the sake of using them.....otherwise he did well......and locally we have the latest comedy partnership appearing....Des O'Connor and Jimmy Tarbuck.....I'm assuming it will be an early finish so they can get back to the old folks home. 4.Katy Hopkins has been upsetting everyone with her outspoken opinions on immigrants and feminism etc....she appears on Facebook and really kicks off....and she upset everyone on "Loose Women"....I believe....not that I watch it....I try and avoid rubbish....but apparently she is a big hit in America with those who complain about illegal immigrants....which is a joke in itself....ask the original American Indians who are illegal immigrants.....the thing is with Katy she is trying to make a name for herself by being controversial which she will do if people get upset and rise to the bait....she should simply be ignored and she will eventually self destruct and give us all a rest. 5.The song this week is one from one of my Wirral DVDs and points out the changes which take place around us without us even noticing....but we have an island off the west coast of Wirral called Hilbre Island which is spectacular and the song says no matter what changes around us we will always have the seagulls over Hilbre....I think you will appreciate the lyrics as you are one of the lucky ones who come from here.

.The BBC have dropped their intention to appeal against the Cliff Richard saga....one of the boffins was interviewed on "Newswatch" and asked if anyone had been disciplined or resigned...and guess what he could see no real wrong in what they did....in any other business heads would have rolled...."Newswatch" is a joke really...it is there for viewers to criticise the BBC....but it's ON the BBC...it should be on ITV with Piers Morgan...that would be far more interesting....Cliff ended up with a settlement of 200 grand....a tenth of Gary Linacre's salary....'nuff said. 2.The news has been showing clips of Teresa May "dancing" to music on one of her political travels...she was merely joining in and being friendly...so why try to ridicule her?....then it goes on Facebook which gives all the sheep a chance to try and be funny with stupid comments.....it seems you can't do anything these days without everyone jumping on the critics bandwagon....and in this country we always have to search for someone to BLAME for unfortunate tragedies which most of the time doesn't help the situation..............and before you can get on the Queen's honours list you have to have your tax situation in order....hence no SIR David Beckham etc......giving knighthoods to pop stars and sports personalities is a joke.....give them to REAL knights of the realm like soldiers who actually make a difference. 3.Out of interest I watched 10 minutes of the X Factor....or should i say The Simon Cowell Show....I haven't seen it for a long time basically because it makes me want to throw up....I thought perhaps they might have changed the format...but no...Granny and all the family are still in the wings drying their eyes as their young offspring hopes to be rich and famous...IT IS AWFUL!!!....what these youngsters don't realise is it is show BUSINESS.....10% show and 90% business if you want to survive....which in reality doesn't involve being judged by a panel of self obsessed plonkers....if you're any good get out there a prove it.....what these hopefuls don't seem to know is you really have to be different to separate you from the rest... so listeners know who you are straight away.....it's not about who can shout the loudest and who can ball out the highest notes....if you are copying the present trend you are one step behind the market. 4.Something that has upset the music biz is the upsurge of musicians playing for nothing in their bands which doesn't help those who do it for a living.....some actually pay to play so there is no hope.....I retired from gigging a few years ago but keep my hand in by jamming each week with a local fundraising organisation where all money raised goes to children's charities....which are the ONLY one's to benefit....we have the venue free of charge and the crowd have a good night ....which is different to lugging gear into a pub which gives you the honour of playing there free and who make a nice profit out of it..........then again I suppose it's a young world....and they are the ones trying to "make it".....but playing for nothing aint the answer....feeding your ego can be an expensive pastime. 5.The song this week is from one of my DVDs and one of my albums featuring my favourite river....the wonderful River Mersey...and as I was born on its shores it is a part of me so writing songs about it is a pleasure.....just like you it's "My Mersey Friend"

.The BBC have dropped their intention to appeal against the Cliff Richard saga....one of the boffins was interviewed on "Newswatch" and asked if anyone had been disciplined or resigned...and guess what he could see no real wrong in what they did....in any other business heads would have rolled...."Newswatch" is a joke really...it is there for viewers to criticise the BBC....but it's ON the BBC...it should be on ITV with Piers Morgan...that would be far more interesting....Cliff ended up with a settlement of 200 grand....a tenth of Gary Linacre's salary....'nuff said. 2.The news has been showing clips of Teresa May "dancing" to music on one of her political travels...she was merely joining in and being friendly...so why try to ridicule her?....then it goes on Facebook which gives all the sheep a chance to try and be funny with stupid comments.....it seems you can't do anything these days without everyone jumping on the critics bandwagon....and in this country we always have to search for someone to BLAME for unfortunate tragedies which most of the time doesn't help the situation..............and before you can get on the Queen's honours list you have to have your tax situation in order....hence no SIR David Beckham etc......giving knighthoods to pop stars and sports personalities is a joke.....give them to REAL knights of the realm like soldiers who actually make a difference. 3.Out of interest I watched 10 minutes of the X Factor....or should i say The Simon Cowell Show....I haven't seen it for a long time basically because it makes me want to throw up....I thought perhaps they might have changed the format...but no...Granny and all the family are still in the wings drying their eyes as their young offspring hopes to be rich and famous...IT IS AWFUL!!!....what these youngsters don't realise is it is show BUSINESS.....10% show and 90% business if you want to survive....which in reality doesn't involve being judged by a panel of self obsessed plonkers....if you're any good get out there a prove it.....what these hopefuls don't seem to know is you really have to be different to separate you from the rest... so listeners know who you are straight away.....it's not about who can shout the loudest and who can ball out the highest notes....if you are copying the present trend you are one step behind the market. 4.Something that has upset the music biz is the upsurge of musicians playing for nothing in their bands which doesn't help those who do it for a living.....some actually pay to play so there is no hope.....I retired from gigging a few years ago but keep my hand in by jamming each week with a local fundraising organisation where all money raised goes to children's charities....which are the ONLY one's to benefit....we have the venue free of charge and the crowd have a good night ....which is different to lugging gear into a pub which gives you the honour of playing there free and who make a nice profit out of it..........then again I suppose it's a young world....and they are the ones trying to "make it".....but playing for nothing aint the answer....feeding your ego can be an expensive pastime. 5.The song this week is from one of my DVDs and one of my albums featuring my favourite river....the wonderful River Mersey...and as I was born on its shores it is a part of me so writing songs about it is a pleasure.....just like you it's "My Mersey Friend"

.Eveyone is up in arms about the cost of Princess Eugenie's wedding....somewhere in the region of £2 million....with comments pointing out that she does nothing and doesn't even have job....she is the daughter of Prince Andrew who I don't have a lot of time for and Sarah Ferguson who I actually like very much....however when will these "critics" get it into their heads that we mortals don't count...it's always been us and them and always will be so rather than spend their time moaning and criticising just get on with their own lives....if they actually have one......................it would help if we were told what some of the aristocracy actually do...if anything...I do wonder what the next generation will make of the Royals as they are beginning to make their presence felt with the likes of TV which few of them seem to watch and music where they now seem to rule the roost. 2.Speaking of television there seems to be a bit of a panic on about loss of viewers (not just the young ones)....they don't seem to see the obvious problem....there is very little worth watching....and yet they are paying out ridiculous salaries to the likes of Chris Evans and Gary Linacre....around £2 million each.....and the news is becoming a joke....they have TWO presenters...why?....and ITV in the morning have THREE....who bring on guests and all yap at once...and if you don't watch soaps or stupid reality shows you haven't got a clue what's going on as they constitute most of the guests.....I can't help getting the feeling that TV could go the way of video machines and cassette players and film cameras.....some bright spark will come up with an alternative and wipe it off the map....because they are certainly not moving with the times......if anything they are going backwards. 3.Robbie Williams will be a judge on the X Factor...he must be short of cash...personally i feel the programme is well past its sell by date ...the young hopefuls who are cheered on by there grandmas in the wings should be given a reality check before they go in for this....it certainly AINT a dream come true Simon.....and as for Robbie he is about as phoney as a 9 pound note....he is a good entertainer but I remember how obnoxious he was back in the day......but if our population buy into this and make Mr.Cowell even richer good luck to him........................another programme puzzles me - I fail to see what interest a celebrity's past ancestors are to me.....and do I care if some contestant from an audience wins a fortune.....I'm happy for them but do I care? 4.Finally I think the transgender celebrations in Manchester are somewhat over the top...I have absolutely nothing against gay people...in fact I have several friends who are gay....but why do they have to "celebrate" it in such loud fashion?...it's as if they are trying to prove a point which no longer needs proving....you are what you are and I appreciate that in the past gays were treated badly but maybe it's time to move on?.....or am I over simplifying it all? 5.Last week you played my song Beatle City which I produced for the Merseyside Council back in the 80's ...the song this week is the B side of that disc which pays a tribute to some of the bands who gave Merseybeat to the world......so here are some "Merseybeat Memories".

Sad to hear about the passing of Aretha Franklin....she was world class and such a massive talent...her range and phrasing were as good as it gets....but she will live on through the music she has given us all....I have always admired anyone who can get up on stage and entertain unrehearsed...which she can do and back herself on the piano...brilliant....there are some amazing female voices who I admire....Dionne Warwick singing Heartbreaker is a masterpiece and couldn't be sung any better....also Celine Dion's voice is so pure it makes me quite emotional......also we have some great home grown female voices such as Leona Lewis....all she needs is the right song.....not forgetting other great singers e.g. Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. 2.Talking of masterpieces (or not) the Tate Gallery in Liverpool has had a makeover.....now when I look at some of the modern art on display I'm afraid I just don't get it....for example a black square on a green background entitled "black on green" is NOT art and anyone over the age of 2 could produce this.....but no doubt some "experts" will see so much in this nonsense.....we have discussed this before but I think Tracy Emin deserves a mention with her "unmade bed"....she should have got in it and stayed there.....what do these people think when they look at a Constable....or a DaVinci?....they probably think they are in the same league. 3.Because it has become impossible to find anything on television I have found a series on Netflix called "Designated Survivor" starring and produced by Kiefer Sutherland who should have been a ventriloquist.....I had to instantly reach for the subtitle button.....you can't understand a word he says....not to mention his acting which is pretty bad....and why do modern films all have to be in the dark with everyone mumbling?....the problem is there are so many films to choose from and finding a decent one is a lottery...and usually it's not until you get halfway through that you realise it's rubbish but you have gone so far you may as well see it out and waste another couple of hours out of your life. 4.The hot weather here has created some interesting new fashions....especially in the shorts area....what I fail to see is the point of blokes wearing big baggy shorts which leave about 12 inches of bandy leg vanishing into huge trainers....this coupled with the shaved head with sunglasses perched on the top....the earring...and of course tattoos.....this is all very well if you are 18 ... but when you are 60+ it just doesn't work.....to me it looks hideous....and not forgetting the walk... letting onlookers know that they are still as fit and hard as they ever were....which sadly they are not.....only my opinion that's all. 5.The song this week has a story behind it....when I first met you when you were working for Radio Merseyside I had written a song about the area which you played on your programme....I eventually released the song on vinyl with a girl singer performing it...I placed them in the tourist shops in Liverpool and it was picked up by a chap called Ron Jones who was the boss of Merseyside Council Tourism....he got in touch and asked me if I would write a song about Liverpool and The Beatles....I didn't want to capitalise on the fab four as everyone else was doing so....so I composed "Beatle City" utilising the titles of their songs....I supplied the council with a large amount and they sold the lot...and here it is....my tribute to Scouseland.

The high streets are losing customers....shops are closing down....profits are down....all blaming it on online shopping........it's a sad situation but it's called progress and you have to work out a way of moving with the times...whatever that might be.....where the general public are concerned you can forget loyalty.....I was in Wetherspoons in Caernarfon last week....a pint of beer was £1.79....the same pint in a high street pub is £2.50 - £3....so where am I going to go?.....I appreciate small businesses have expenses and rates etc but that is the problem they need to solve....no point complaining as that's the way it is..........it's like the music business... reel to reel...cassettes etc vanished overnight along with film for cameras and square TVs etc....like it or not that is the way of the world and you have to move with the times. 2.Boris Johnson's comment on women in burkhas looking like post boxes is STILL under discussion....it was a joke....which most people get but OH NO the media have to keep it all going......we all know that humour died a long time ago but some nationalities need to get over themselves....it was a JOKE....and they do look like post boxes....but it is no longer news. and is hardly likely to cause a war..............we have many nationalities in this country....which on my opinion enhances us....but there always seems to be the same few who moan about everything....which do themselves no good whatsoever......if you don't like our laws the answer is simple. 3.Our national parks have been on the news regarding the bringing in of parking charges to help pay for their maintenance. due to government cutbacks.......which is fair enough but it seems our government and our local councils seem to be able to find money for other things so why target country parks which are enjoyed by so many people?....we are told we MUST get out and exercise because we are all obese...then they charge us for it....the Wirral Country Park has been featured on the national news with business saying they are losing money because of the parking restrictions....I don't really know what the answer is....however I don't think it is filling the meter with expanding foam which someone did.....AND IT WASN'T ME before you say anything..... 4.I have a kayak and like to take it to Chester occasionally and have a peaceful paddle up the River Dee....utilising the free car park and slipway....and as only motorised craft require a licence there is no cost there...however last time I was there a notice had been put up regarding "changes in parking restrictions" which were soon coming into force.....and another which seemed to mention hourly charges....as I was somewhat confused I made a note of the website mentioned on the notice.....on perusing said website I was even more confused....it told me nothing...SO I decided to phone the Chester council....after a long wait with terrible music playing in my ear I got through to a pleasant young lady to whom I explained my problem....she didn't know about the parking but told me I need a £70 licence as it is a boat....and this applies to all boats.... and as she didn't know about the parking but put me through to the highways department....who old me a boat licence is £170....but only applies to motorised craft....so I didn't need a licence....I asked him about parking charges...which he said he knew nothing about that and put me on to the parking fines department....who told me the first 4 hours are free....so I said after that where do you put your money as there are no machines....she didn't know...so there you go......local government at its best....next time I go kayaking I guarantee I will get a ticket which will involve anther plethora of phone calls. 5.As you know I love where I live and feel privileged to be able to enjoy what it has to offer....the Wirral Peninsula has it all and the song this week is one I wrote a while back for one of my DVDs of the area.....it extolls the virtues and is entitle "How Lucky Am I?"...which is how I have always felt about this little corner of the world.

.While sifting through the rubbish we are subjected to on television I actually found a program I enjoyed....it was the story of Jimmy Perry and David Croft who created Dad's Army....it was about the struggle they had to get it off the ground...and the two actors who played them were really good and the chap who played Captain Mainwaring was spot on....it was a brilliant insight into problems of trying to convince TV boffins of the credibility of good comedy...boffins who can't see further than the end of their noses......the pair went on to write Hi-de-Hi which is also classic comedy........................and another interesting documentary was the story of Fawlty Towers...another classic...it was interesting to see how John Cleese stopped after the second series as he felt it had run its course...a wise decision....unlike "Benidorm" which started well but has now reached rock bottom....definitely well past its sell-by date.....sadly great comedy is a thing of the past. 2.I thought after his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing Ed Balls would vanish off the scene....how wrong I was....he features in a new documentary called Travels in Trumpland with Ed Balls....where he travels around the southern states of the U.S.A. meeting Donald Trump supporters......and is he a dark horse or what....he got involved in wrestling...gun handling and even trained with the police and volunteered to be tazered....very impressive stuff which will be the making of him...I now see him in a totally different light....Go Ed !!! 3.Rick Astley was on the Zoe Ball show on Saturday morning....he is going back on tour to promote his latest album....which he made in his garage.....he is a really good personality and is quite modest....he talked about the occasional problems of doing concerts which I can relate to...because of the success of his album he intends to go back into his garage and make another one...a man after my own heart....I built a recording studio in my attic back in the day as I failed to see what difference Abbey Road would make to my records....nowadays with modern technology you can make a record on a computer in your bedroom....so I'm afraid it's goodbye to the greedy major labels....who needs 'em. 4.It is nice to see my pales The Krankies on the Marigold Hotel programme....they really are a lovely couple whom I have known for around 20 years and have written many songs for them which they have used in their many pantomimes over the years............also Donald Campbell's Bluebird has been restored and put back on the water....I actually have a connection to this....back in 1958 I saw a skiffle group called The Atlantics on our local cinema which was the first time I heard an electric guitar on stage....the leader of the group was called John Lomax and he went on to make a cine film of Cambell's last tragic attempt at the world water speed record in the Lake District....the film won several awards and his story was featured in a programme called "Days That Changed The World" a while back...with an actor playing John.....in the mid nineties I met John and we became very good friends....we even formed a skiffle group in 2001 and played at the International Skiffle Convention in Finland.....he was a great guy and a good friend but is sadly no longer with us...as a small tribute I wrote a song for him called "The Story of Skiffle" which we recorded and got quite a bit of airplay. 5.Skiffle was the beginning of it all in tis country so the song this week is in memory of my pal ......."The Story of Skiffle" by Skiffle John Lomax.....a great friend who I still miss.

.Wrestling is back on our TVs on Saturday afternoons....having been involved in it all (NOT the actual fighting) I do enjoy it....when I went over to the States to work on my wrestling album for my mate Adrian Street he got me involved as his "barrister" from London...Sir Cedric Everhard Hathaway...and I had to accompany him into the ring and make "legal" decisions on various wrestling matches....which of course were totally biassed...which used tp get the crowd very upset....however I lived to tell the tale....I met a lot of wrestlers over there and they were great guys....although it's all stage managed make no mistake these fellas are fit athletes and gymnasts.... 2,Paul McCartney has made a special appearance at The Cavern to promote his latest album....the press stating this was "where it all began"....well I suppose it was close to where it all began....they were interviewing those who were lucky enough to get a ticket....all very excited about standing inside the famous Cavern.....I notice no-one mentioned the wonderful decision of the council at the time to knock the original place down and build a car park.....still why burst the bubble...................and on the music scene I received an Email telling me I was the star of some chaps stag night and he sent me a video of his mates singing a song I wrote about a place called Bidston Hill on Wirral......it was really funny and interesting to hear one of my compositions performed by a bunch of young fellas....beer assisted of course. 3.We are awaiting a hosepipe ban which will supposedly take place on 5th of August....this is only in the north west despite 25% of our water being lost due to leakage....the company responsible for all this is United Utilities who no doubt will have excuses ready for their incompetence.....anyone using a hosepipe after this date will face a fine of up to £1000.....I would be very interested to know how a public company can issue fines?....under what legislation is the offence?....could be wrong but I would like to see someone challenge this nonsense......oh that's right...I forgot...they have to take care of their shareholders first....silly me. 4.We have discussed fake news in the past.....it has been a big news item of late.....it is a perfect way to manipulate our gullible public who believe everything they are told....which is why we have billionaires wandering around.....I am sick and tired of unfunny jokes about the likes of Donald Trump etc.....he WASN'T "walking in front of the Queen".....and he didn't "snub a young black kid"....if people take the trouble to watch the video they will see Trump walk away from the kid and bring him back a present....we have always been a nation of sheep but modern technology multiplies the problem....and it's not the perpetrators who need sorting out it's the idiots who believe the tripe they are told.....wake up and smell the coffee !!.......and the news channels need to get sorted...they say they are trying to attract younger viewers so we are subjected to interviews with plastic celebs off the soaps and Love Island etc....who I neither know or want to know....there's one good thing about being 75 (which I am not...yet)....you don't have to pay a licence fee for the garbage presented to us. 5.As wrestling appears to be making a comeback the song this week is a gentle classic from an album I composed and produced for Exotic Adrian Street.....this was one of several he entered the ring to......we started out as "Adrian Street and The Boston Crabs"....but when he went to the states they didn't know what a Boston Crab was so we became The Piledrivers.....I wrote and produced two albums for him ... tracks from which made MTV and got into a film.....one of the albums has been re-released in the States....I knew it would come back to haunt me.

The boat tragedy in Missouri has been on the news....it was terrible....and I have always said that lifejackets should be compulsory when on water...like crash helmets and safety belts on roads...had this been the case all those lives would possibly have been saved...you see people in Chester on the river in peddloes and rowing boats with no lifejackets....it only needs 3 feet of water to drown in....water has to be respected....and those who hire boats out etc should be more responsible for their customer's safety....or face legal consequences. 2.On the subject of the law strikes which effect hundreds of innocent members of the community should be made illegal....such as train strikes and airport strikes....I appreciate they want better conditions and/ or pay etc but to make the general public suffer is virtual blackmail....they are quick enough to pass stupid laws regarding racism and sexism but laws that involve the wellbeing of the general public seem to go under the radar......strike by all means but why should it be allowed to ruin peoples lives?....having said that I was forgetting about the human rights brigade who would come out from under their stones. 3.Sir Cliff has been interviewed regarding his case against the BBC...and still seemed very upset...he overplayed it a bit but I am totally on his side...the BBC seem to think they have the right to ruin lives with no justification and just walk away...Cliff has received an initial amount of 210 grand in damages....which is probably less than the BBC paid out for the helicopter that intruded into the searching of Cliff's flat...and of course we then have a BBC representative complaining that this takes away the "freedom of the press"...naming people without any evidence of a crime?...freedom of the press?....don't make me laugh...what happened to "Innocent until found guilty"?......forget the law let's just sell papers and sensationalise our biased news bulletins.....I would celebrate if Cliff bankrupted the BBC...I for one wouldn't miss it. 4.I was browsing through Facebook and saw a photo of Donald Trump walking in front of the Queen...alongside a photo of Obama standing alongside her....with all the usual stupid misguided comments from idiots who obviously haven't seen the full video of the event where the Queen actually shows Trump where to stand....but oh no....they all jump on the bandwagon saying how rude he is etc....it makes one despair......................I have a bit of knowledge about the local history of the area I was born in so I put a posting on Facebook which included a block of flats which replaced a popular cinema....which I continued to tell the history of.....this caused a barrage of comments stating that buildings HAD to be knocked down if we are to progress....totally missing the point I was making....then there was a plethora of comments all arguing with each other......and on another occasion I nearly caused a riot with a comment I made about The Beatles at our local golf course.....some chap was saying what a wonderful song Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles was....to which I replied it wasn't the Beatles...it was Paul and a string quartet arranged by George Martin....John wasn't on the cello.....this caused an uproar with me being told how they wrote fabulous songs....despite my mentioning Yellow Submarine....Obla Di...Give Peace A Chance....Oh Yoko...When I'm 64 etc.....so I had to stand down and leave the ageing Beatles fans grumbling about me. And finally...the P.C.Brigade have struck again....Punch and Judy shows are too violent for our little cherubs....how long have these been going?...300 years?....personally it is something I feel should be stopped...not because it is not P.C......because it's rubbish....like circuses...never saw the point. The song this week is one I wrote as a tribute to a guy I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with...Bobby Vee....I opened two shows for him back in 2005 and got to know him....he was the nicest fellow you could wish to meet...he was a delight....and I have always been a fan....sadly no longer with us ...the song tells the story of how he stole the hearts of our girlfriends back in the day.....I give you "The Bobby Vee Song"

.Here we go again.....a winter of solid rain and floods....a few weeks of sunshine and guess what....an upcoming possible hosepipe ban....the excuse is they can't treat the water fast enough to supply our needs....what a load of codswallop....they manage to get the water bills out O.K......how many staff do they have in the water industry...6?.....strange how they managed to direct water all over the country via a canal system a few hundred years ago yet they can't get it to our taps in the 21st century....wonderful. 2.I've given up on Brexit.....I lost the plot a while ago....now nobody knows what the hell is going on....we voted OUT by a majority didn't we?....but we forgot the fat cats might lose some of their obscene fortunes so those who LOST the vote are fighting back...which begs the question why bother voting in the first place....democracy? don't make me laugh....I voted out simply because I want to live in a country which makes its own laws instead of being told what we can and can't do by some distant bunch of so called politicians who gave us the wonderful human rights and all that rubbish....as usual we are told what they want us to hear...I dread to think what we don't know.....then we have Boris Johnson and that Rees Mogg in the mix...say no more. 3.On the music scene....I have been listening to The Beach Boys old hits which have been remastered with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra added which sounds great....I do like great orchestral arrangements and I was a huge Beach Boys fan in the 60s before they lost their way with Pet Sounds....I liked the surfing stuff which they should have stuck to....I saw them in Manchester in 1966 ... they were O.K. ... not the best musicians which is why there are session muses on the records....Roy Orbison's hits got the same treatment which was also brilliant....good pop songs never die. Last week we had a special guest at out weekly jam session....The Cheshire Cats...who raise money for children's charities...Chan Romero who was the guy who WROTE Hippy Hippy Shake....and what a delightful fella....he is now 77 and I was chatting with him about those early days...he has worked with Jerry Lee lewis...Chuch Berry..Elvis etc etc and Hippy Shake was featured in several films and was performed by virtually every rock and roll band including The Beatles and of course was a number one in many countries by The Swinging Blue Jeans.....he went on stage with his backing band and was wonderful....a true legend who has actually DONE it....not who thinks he has....love him. 4.I do enjoy watching the Jane McDonald cruising programmes...she is very natural and the shows are very well put together....however what we are not told is how much these luxury cruises cost....it's O.K. for Janey as she not only gets it free she also gets paid....nice work if you can get it.....apparently the programme has increased her record sales and she is now outselling Beyonce......at least she deserves her success as she has taken the tough route to get there...she can therefore handle it all...unlike the modern instant famers who vanish after a few weeks and are left in the gutter wondering what happened.....fame requires a lot more than performing...you need to get a grip of the business side if you want to survive.....it definitely aint "a dream come true Simon" 5.The song this week is called "Mersey Man" and is a tribute tour wonderful river.....I never tire of walking along the promenade on the Wirral side and enjoying it's many moods.....it always has been a part of me.

It's all World Cup at the moment and with England actually winning couple of games... and scoring 6 goals in one of them....everyone is getting very excited....coming out with things like "we could win it !!"....how many ties have we been here before....which is why I put a bet on Germany....which I did on Friday afternoon....so you can imagine what I went through during their match that night....but as always they scored in the last second and won the game....it's all good value this time because we not only get football we also get wrestling in the penalty area....and comedy when a player gets tapped on the shoulder and falls down rolling in agony holding his leg.....but not MY boys....they just get on with the job and look after my bet.....and we also seem to be doing well in rugby and cricket...and even cycling....hard to take in. 2.I watched Cher on the Graham Norton Show which was a good show as they were not all talking at once for a change....she is in the new version of Mamma Mia which I hope is as good as the first one (sequels rarely are) ... she is 72 and looks good but doesn't it make you feel old...she is a great survivor whom I applaud...there was also a programme on the story of ABBA which was worth watching...it is impossible to not like their songs....they had it all and yet some of them were not happy....the songs are timeless and what was interesting they write the melody first then come up with the lyrics....I tried it once but it didn't work for me. 3.There has been a bit of controversy regarding a woman commentating on the World Cup....needless to say the feminists are up in arms....the problem is women's football is a none starter....mainly because men aren't interested in it or indeed are most women....hence the empty stadiums....if you aint got the support you're going nowhere....ladies hockey for example is extremely popular with female supporters because they can relate to it as they all played it in school along with netball etc....but football?....don't think so.....and also it has taken decades for MEN to build the world cup into what it is today and it seems to me the ladies want to muscle in with no input whatsoever....I don't feel I'm being sexist it's just how it is.....what next ....mixed football???...or even mixed rugby with a sexual harassment case after ever tackle? 4.There is a move afoot to ban mobile phones in the classroom.....imagine us lot in class with a phone...we'd have thick ear for a week...to me there is only one way to solve school behaviour and that is to have a solid contract with clearly laid out rules and regulations as to what is and is not expected from pupils attending that particular school and laying out the consequence of misbehaviour....and to make the parents totally responsible for their children.....which the parents SIGN and agree to.....thus any breaking of the rules would constitute breach of contract......problem solved.....nowadays the teachers have their hands tied and some kids think they can get away with murder. 5.It was 8 years ago I played my first concert with m guitar hero James Burton who has backed many big stars including Elvis...and he was lead guitar on Ricky Nelson's records in the 50s and 60s....the song this week is a tribute to Ricky which I wrote from the heart and included titles from his hits.

1.(a)The BBC news goes steadily worse....we have an American President meeting up with a Korean leader to try to stop a world war...and doing a good job...but that's not good enough for the BBC...they have to find every possible negative point....questioning the whole thing and over dramatising an important event. ...speaking of which we have blanket reporting on the anniversary of the Grenfell fire...which was a terrible disaster last year and I can't imagine what the residents are going through...but why display their grief all over the news....what good is that doing?...then it's on to the stabbings and muggings in various parts of the country....why do we need to see this on national news...what is the point?...is there nothing POSITIVE going on in the world???....they should try featuring those who can do something about the mayhem instead of glorifying it all. (b)Then we have the World Cup.....90 minutes of football spread over the whole night...with pundits boring us to death...either side of which we have baking competitions and soaps which simply provide employment for washed up actors and pop stars plus other unwatchable trivia. The BBC have several channels which they could easily use for those who want to watch tripe ... but the I suppose they would have to find decent stuff to put on the main channel...which they are obviously incapable of doing....AND CHARGE ME A LICENCE FEE !!!!! 2.And the other channels are no better...with their "reality" programmes like Love Island and Made in Wherever...which is the lowest form of entertainment....not to mention Over 50's Dating...or Blind Date with Paul O'Grady which is as bad as it gets....I am now reduced to watching drama series on Netflix....John Logi Bird must be turning in his grave. 3.It's pretty obvious the ladies are taking over the world....bikinis are now banned in the Miss America contest....and we have to be very careful how we look at a woman...especially if she is wearing a revealing low cut dress with 75% of her boobs on display WHICH SHE IS ENTITLED TO WEAR (before the feminists start shouting)...and we have to be careful holding a door open for them in case we are being sexist....and now "upskirting" was going to be a criminal offence....like it is in Scotland (unless I suppose it's up a BLOKES kilt...which would probably be O.K.).....however this has been thrown out by our wonderful government....I wonder what percentage of blokes want a photo of a pair of knickers....I would guess 0.000001%.....it's a sad situation for the none feminist ladies who get tarred with the same brush....they are even talking about same sex dancing on "Strictly Come Dancing".....definitely time to switch off. 4.Last week we discussed tattoos ... and we failed to see the point...I feel the same about beards....some lads can get away with a five o'clock shadow but the full beard looks ridiculous....and it is the craze at the moment....so if you want to be trendy you have to sport a container of curry and dried beer attached to your chin...I know I'm old but get real fellas....then we have those who take the character route with the wide brimmed hat and handlebar moustache and long scarf around their necks...adding about 20 years to themselves...do they need to be noticed that much?....strange. ...and finally.... Prince Charlie has been a bit upstaged lately by his lad and his bird....so he has announced he wants an electric car to save the environment from global warming....yes your majesty...whatever. 5.The song this week is called "On Behalf Of The Lads" and is a light hearted look at a brave stance on men's behalf....it was written for local comedian Tom Pepper who recorded it and used to sing it to Pauline Daniels when they appeared together....needless to say Pauline had the answer which she sang back to him....this was in the days when comedy was funny and enjoyed by an audience with a sense of humour.

1.I watched Tommy Steele on The One Show...he is 81 and looks fantastic...in fact he has hardly changed...and is still performing in big shows....he is starring in The Glenn Miller Story in the west end.....and performed a live excerpt at the end of The One Show...talk about sensational!!....the guy is a legend...and if anyone deserves a knighthood it's this fella....he was this country's FIRST pop star and wasn't an Elvis clone like the rest of them...and is still going strong.......we have Sir Cliff...Sir Ringo (not sure why)....and SIR Van Morrison (which is beyond me)....not to mention SIR Jimmy and SIR Rolph...yet Tommy only has an O.B.E......if we MUST give knighthoods to entertainers I say "ARISE SIR TOMMY" 2.There is a lovely young lady called Joann Randles who is making a documentary on the life of wrestler Adrian Street and asked me if I would be interviewed on camera to talk about his music which I composed and produced....we met up in Liverpool and did the interview with her boyfriend Chris doing the filming....they really were a delightful couple.....and it was nice to reminisce about the making of the two albums I did for him....and how they were made which left Joann wide eyed....one of the albums has been re-released on vinyl,CD and cassette....I knew it would come back to haunt me......next stop The Oscars. 3.Went up to The Lake District for a few days....and the weather was wonderful....I normally go in the Winter so I'm not used to blue skies....we stay near the village of Carnforth...famous for it's railway station which was the setting for the film "Brief Encounter"....the film was made in 1945 and starred Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson and was recently voted the 12th best British film of all time....I've seen the film and it is probably the worst film I have ever seen....it is about a married woman meeting a married man at a railway station....shock horror...and they have a coffee together before sadly having to part....this was regarded as extremely risqué at the time...it is so bad it's funny. 4.There is a rumour regarding David Beckham getting divorced....whether it's true or not I couldn't care less....he really is a complete buffoon.....his tattoos are now all over his stupid head,,,,and he doesn't half fancy himself....I had to laugh at a comment on a quiz show which explained that when he met Nelson Mandela he gave him a copy of his biography...which no doubt someone would have written for him as I doubt whether he can spell....and someone said "The Long Walk To Freedom...and a short walk to the bin"....classic. 5.The song this week is the B side of the first single I produced on my record label....it is by Pauline Daniels and is entitled "The Other Woman"....and looks at love through the eyes of a blokes bit on the side....which didn't seem so none PC back then in 1980....you played the A side last week.....Pauline used to sing this in her act.....so I give you BIG DEE RECORDS BD001 (b