Don Woods

The Nanny State strikes again...now drinks have to let you know how dangerous they are for your health via labelling....like cigarettes...I'm sick and tired of being told what is and isn't good for me by so called experts who are probably part of the manipulation process of big greedy companies....there is also talk of bringing down the drink drive limit...which I'm actually all for. Sinead O'Connor was recently on (plus hideous tattoos) talking about her latest album...the concept being that SHE'S the boss....she quite rightly stated that artists who sign up to record companies are doing them the favour...not the other way round...which is right but hopeful artists are 10 a penny these days...so if you don't want to be a puppet go it alone....which you can only do if you are good enough. I don't know how the BBC have the nerve to charge us for a licence......here's an example...Monday 11th August...3.00 Escape to the Country (repeat)...3.30 The Hairy Bikers (repeat)....7.30 Fake Britain (repeat)...8.30 Miranda (repeat)....9.00 Death In Paradise (repeat)....10.35 Have I Got News For You (repeat)...11.20 who do they think they are (repeat)....it's only the news programmes which aren't repeated...and they are tripe!!....are they havin' a laugh?...they should pay US to watch. Sad news about Robin Williams...I wasn't a fan but very sad....I always found him uncomfortable to watch and he always seemed troubled...his best film was "Dead Poets Society"...great film....depression is a terrible thing which no-one can really help you with....tragic. On the subject of great films I decided to watch "Back To The Future"...although I saw it first time round I forgot how good it is...great story wonderfully written and acted....why can't they make this sort of film these days...instead of the dragged out computerised trash we are subjected to.

Edwin Starr said it all in his song WAR. What is it good for...absolutely nothing and such a waste of human life with all its attendant misery. However, we are celebrating the centenary of WW1. The latest news from the UK Govt is that we will be fined if we leave our motors running in traffic queues. Oh Yeah! That's an easy one to police. Don went to see Eric Faulkner (ex Bay City Rollers) and was disappointed. Find out why in the podcast. There's a new show on TV and the winner, a singer, Takes it All. Yet more dross this time presented by Alan Carr and full of today's technology.Count me out! ....and finally, these are the Doo Wop Days and Don tells us about the title track and how it links with a radio station in America.

I watched Terry Christian on a chat show recently…I LOVE this fella…he says it like it is…he said the public should be allowed into Parliament to ask questions and the MPs should be put on lie detectors. He totally shares my views about the lying,thieving,selfish shower of public schoolboys who supposedly run the country…and have you seen Miliband lately?...he’s had a major make-over…hair,teeth,the lot…he looks even more slimy and slithery than he was before….and Cameron with his botoxed forehead and Eric Pickles looking like he needs a fork sticking in him to see if he’s cooked…it’s a freak show. I also watched an interview with Tony Blackburn who has been around for 50 years…what a great bloke…he’s on 7 radio stations he was saying and deservedly so…should be knighted. Here we go again…it those “scientists” again….these “experts” have come up with a brilliant discovery….last year we had to eat 7 portions of fruit a day….but that’s all wrong!!!...these experts have decided that any more the 5 portions a day does NOT increase your life expectancy…AND what’s more…if you drink heavily in mid life it could affect your memory in later life…hmm….I wonder how much these people get paid for this drivel….oh yes and you only need 5 minutes exercise a day….I assume that includes steering clear of the pies. I was very very upset to hear that British Gas had suffered a drop in profits because of the hot weather…and one of the other energy companies are also whining that their profits have also dropped to just OVER A BILLION!!!....I’ll be losing sleep over this….all this together with the banks ripping everyone off it’s all good stuff…the latest garbage is that the ridiculous bonuses they paid out to their top men for losing all that money will have to be returned…OH SURE…I can see THAT happening…it’s a joke. The problem with the inhabitants of this country is most of them need to get a life….they love to grovel and courtesy to those “above” them….personally if His Royal Highness Prince Philip asked me to get him a glass of champagne I’d tell him to get it himself…it’s that word “Highness” that gets me…for goodness sake….my band used to play for a local member of the royalty (mentioning no names) and I was chatting to his gardner/butler who was so proud to have served his lordship for nigh on 30 years…and his father before him…I thought wow two generations of doormats. And THAT my friend is the problem. Track 9 on my CD takes those of a certain age right back to their youth….I tried to make it in a “street corner” style…so it should bring back a few memories.

.......and to track 8 on my CD “What Happened To Julie?”…which begs the simple question as to whereabouts of one of your young schoolboy crushes…it would be nice to know what happened to those lost loves and what they are doing now…….or not? Still lots of sport on the tele….the Open was a huge success…it was £75 to get in on the Saturday and Sunday…£11 for fish and chips…and a fiver a pint…and it is much better on the TV…but there you are…The Commonwealth Games are now upon us…I saw the highlights of the opening ceremony which looked the same as every other opening ceremony where we watch hoards of athletes jogging past waving at the camera…I’m sure those involved have a great time but I find it all a bit boring…the swimming is a good cure for insomnia….along with Rod Stewart who should have called it a day years ago. The news is still covering the terrible tragedy of the Malaysian airliner…it’s heartbreaking and unbelievable but what you don’t need is the gutter press showing a photograph of a lorry carrying something which is covered over with the headline “IS THIS THE WEAPON WHICH BROUGHT DOWN THE PLANE?”…nobody knows so why speculate with this stupidity…all it does is aggravate the situation…and the Dutch guy who made a speech coming out with stuff like “Were they looking into each others eyes when they knew they were going to die…were they linking arms…we will never know?”…This doesn’t help…the poor people who are grieving their loss don’t need this sort of unnecessary banter IT DOESN’T HELP!!! I was watching Mathew Wright one morning last week and they had Jim Davidson as a guest…I never used to like him but he won me over when he successfully defended the case against him regarding sexual abuse …he was describing the hell he went through being hung drawn and quartered by the press…and how his accusers (who he had no knowledge of) get away scott free. He is an example of a media witch hunt….people who falsely accuse should be thrown straight into jail….I’m now a fan of Jim..and anyone else who tells it like it is. The Giants are back in Liverpool…those wonderful giant puppets from France who walk the streets and tell a story….they are worked by many puppeteers who swing on ropes etc and bring these marvels to life…last time it was the story of the Titanic…this time it’s World War One as seen through the eyes of a gigantic Granny who has been on display sleeping in a monster bed in St Georges Hall before rising and strolling the streets in front of thousands of onlookers…a wonderful occasion and great for the City….AND the weather has helped…great stuff.

..and to the 7th track on my album…”Tribute to Ricky Nelson”….I’ve always been a huge fan of the guy..preferred him to Elvis in the 50’s…so I thought he deserved a place on my CD….it tells of how his love songs brought us all through the dark times after just being chucked by the love of your life…sit in a dark room with your Dansette and put on “Lonesome Town”…problem solved. the weather here has been very hot…great for sailing and all outdoor activities…EXCEPT for the poor pensioners….this country has to be top of the charts for moaners…a few weeks back it was too cold and the poor pensioners needed looking after (The one’s who aren’t cruising round the Medi that is)…now they are too HOT and need looking after…in case they de-hydrate…next thing will be the droughts…what does it take to make some people happy…beats me. ..The Open Golf Tournament is upon us…..and Hoylake is buzzing…I decided to go out in my kayak on Thursday and row on the Dee alongside the Royal Liverpool in the hope of getting on the tele….but to no avail…it’s the only way I’ll ever appear at the Open….I don’t quite get the attraction of watching live golf when it is so much better on the tele…anyway it looks like being a big success. Have you been watching?...some great shots of Hoylake from the air….but I wish they would stop calling it THE Wirral…..it’s WIRRAL!! .We went over to Liverpool in the week to buy some electrical stuff from Maplins…the service was superb and the guy who served us was a scream…amongst the stuff we bought an extending window scraper for a fiver…as it was so long they offered to deliver it FREE…it arrived NEXT DAY…I have written to Maplins and thanked them for great service which I didn’t think existed anymore. .On a similar subject we went to Wetherspoons in Caernarvon and had two delicious mixed grills…AND a bottle of quality wine…all for 15 quid….it’s hard to believe the value of the place…and it’s less than two quid a pint!!!....I’m a fussy eater but I can’t fault Wetherspoons…this is the reason they are always full and all the other places are empty….wonderful.

..track 6 on my CD (Doowop Pioneers)was an idea to educate the world as to what is actually Doowop...it originally began on street corners in the U.S.A. whereby a group of guys would congregate and harmonise...similar to our barbershop...and it developed into those great 50's classics such as Blue Moon...Teenager In Love...Why Do Fools Fall In Love...etc...this song is a tribute to them. ......O.K. Brazil took a hammering in the World Cup...but if you went by the headlines you'd think it was the end of the world......the country was "HUMILIATED...SHAMED....DISGRACED...." and people in the street crying....it's a FOOTBALL MATCH!!...that's all...surely there are other things to think about?...mind you to stand alongside thousands of people overnight to see a bunch of cyclists fly past for 11 seconds....I begin to wonder whether some people actually have a life. ......The news is full of the "missing" documents regarding child sexual abuse....when you watch the media's re-action you would think that the country is run by a load of perverts...what is it with these people? Mind you I would think there will be a few quaking in their boots. ....The Open Golf is at Hoylake a again next week....already the road signs are up and there is talk of a big hotel complex being built...amazing how they find the money for these big events and yet the public sector gets told there will have to be cuts....and they will have to work until 68...so they go on strike - which will have no effect. .....Obviously there is so little news the BBC have to let us know AGAIN that we are the most obese nation in the Universe...."scientists" have studied this and that and have come up with this amazing conclusion which helps fill 20 minutes of BORING BBC news...I personally don't care...I keep myself fit which is easy to do if you are prepared to put in a bit of EFFORT...something these blobs don't seem to be able to do...their problem - not mine...and I don't want to hear about it on the news every day.

Rolph Harris has been all over the news this week….WOW…what a fall from grace…MBE OBE CBE and portrait painter to the Queen…oh dear. What I still don’t get about all this is someone MUST have known back in the day?...why take so long to come forward…anyway he’s got 5 and a half years….I went to his exhibition in Liverpool a few years back and his drawings and paintings were on sale…at a ridiculous price….they wont be worth much now, Our roads are getting more and more dangerous for cyclists…according to those in the know….I must say I steer clear of main roads these days when I’m on my bike…but we are very lucky on wonderful Wirral as we have a coastal cycle path right round the peninsula…so you can do a thirty mile stint without going on the main road and risking your life…..they have cycle lanes along a lot of roads which are O.K. providing idiots don’t park on them. There has been a very informative survey by “scientists” at one of our universities and have come up with the staggering information regarding “headbangers” at rock concerts…..their activities could cause brain damage….now there’s a surprise…..you would think some halfwit wrenching his head up and down 6 inches away from a PA speaker hammering out 1000 watts would be fine….what they seemed to have overlooked is to receive brain damage you first have to have a brain…so most of the Motorhead fans should be quite safe. The Navy have been on the news displaying their latest addition to the fleet….an enormous aircraft carrier…the size of 3 football pitches…named after our majesty….all very nice but it has cost 6 BILLION….didn’t I hear someone say we had cut jobs to save money?....6 BILLION……out of the taxpayers pocket….but there is no money around?...do me a favour. 5.Track 5 on my album is called “The Bobby Vee Song”…..I had the pleasure of working with Bobby on two occasions…once at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton…and again at the North Wales Theatre in Llandudno….I found him to be a great guy and we hit it off from the outset…so I thought he HAD to have a spot on my album….it tells the story of how Mr.Vee stole my girlfriend’s heart back in the day….I thought she loved ME…but she loved Bobby Vee. It was great to meet and work with one of the top teenage idols and to discuss his hits (Carole King etc) over a coffee.

Now we are out of the World Cup we can have a change of subject on the T.V. for a change…that is when the Suarez incident has died down…he got a 9 match ban but I think the lad needs help…why not just take all his teeth out?...problem solved. Having said that the Coulson affair has taken over….and as usual the BBC drag it out for 50% of the bulletins….as I have always said the press get away with far too much…they couldn’t care less who gets hurt as long as they sell their trashy papers…..looks like Coulson is taking the hit but if it was up to me they would all go behind bars…..and Cameron hasn’t come out of it too well. Also someone has “come forward” with allegations regarding Jimmy Savile…saying he saw Savile drag a young girl out of a chidren’s home and the girl was later found dead….there is as yet no evidence whatsoever but guess what…headlines in the paper “CHILD KILLER” with a picture of JS….Proof?...who needs proof?...let’s sell papers….something needs to be done. I must say I do enjoy Wimbledon….I played tennis at club level for many years and know how tricky the game is….I don’t think people realise the amount of fitness and training is required to be at the top of the game – it’s probably the toughest sport of them all…..requiring so much skill. I go to a local gym which is part of a tennis centre where they have pro tournaments from time to time….when you watch these guys play you wonder how they SEE the ball never mind get it back…and these guys are NOTHING….I’ve known a few pro players who say unless you are in the top 20 you don’t make much of a living … tough game…come on Andy!!…but I think old Novak will win it. The Liverpool International Music Festival….ex Mathew Street Festival…is once again the subject of criticism – nowadays all the groups are young tribute bands and the old rockers aren’t too happy…they think it should reflect original Merseybeat…I’m not sure how I feel about this…a part of me says move on where another part says The Beatles still pull in the tourists from far and wide….but I’m not too sure whether a bunch of ageing sixties bands still have the appeal to the young?...at the end of the day it’s about money I suppose Track 4 on my Doowop album is entitled “Rock and Roll Princess”….this song came about after I’d written “Love At First Sight” (track 1)…and a guy in Germany got hold of it and put it on YouTube…he set the song to a picture of Venice (?) and when the chorus kicked in he put a photo of his little daughter holding a uke…it was so delightful I got in touch with him and said she looked like a Rock and Roll Princess and it went from there….I dedicated the song to the little girl (Laura) for the inspiration….it was after this that I decided to make the album.

…it’s been all World Cup…and as usual England are consistent….I don’t know how much the so-called expert pundits get…but whatever it is it’s too much. They sit there and go through the details of a match you have just watched…with all sorts of suggestions,,,bottom line WE LOST…AS USUAL. But what I can’t understand is how upset people get…it’s a football match…with a bunch of overpaid sportsmen…that’s all…it’s not the end of the world!! I’m not a betting man but I put a fiver on Germany to win the cup….you can’t bet against them guys …….and you have to laugh…the tennis has the “hawkeye” technology…the rugby has the video playback for the ref…and world football has splashed out on a can of shaving foam. Next we’ve got Wimbledon where Andy Murray will crash out along the way in front of “Murray Mount”….why aren’t Djokovic and Nadal among the constant flow of immigrants into this country…at least they would come in handy…..what gets me every time is we are still going on about the 66 World Cup ……mind you while the schools are told that there must be no winners or losers I can’t see us ever getting anywhere in top class sport unless it’s throwing the bean bag. There was news coverage of a local cricket match whereby some moron went into the changing rooms while the match was on and stole all the mobile phones…however there was a tracker device on one of them so the whole team chased after the culprit and caught him…and handed him over to the police…with a few cricket bat impressions on him I would think ……… Also a classic where there was CCTV footage of a rough looking guy in a bank who was having a bad day and in comes a guy in a crash helmet with a gun…so the bloke at the counter starts yelling at him and realises it’s not a real gun so he goes for him….the bad guy takes off out of the bank followed by Mr.Angry who picks up a fire extinguisher on the way and clobbers this bloke with it….the robber then hits Mr. Angry with his crash helmet but Mr.A’s mate saw all this and joined in….and “apprehended” the bank robber….and got an award from the police…who never mentioned what state the criminal was in. ……and finally….track three on my Doowop CD is “King of the Hop”….this came about when one of the lads on a Wednesday night played Bobby Darin’s “Queen of the Hop”…and I thought there’s never been a KING…so off O went and I’ve given my pal Joe Conroy the honour of being the main man…HOWEVER….you also get a mensh (Vinny was a macho quarterback). Runaround Sue is a number we do occasionally at our weekly jam sessions with the Cheshire Cats so I based the beat on that…..it’s all rock and roll.

Don sent the following... There has been a lot of moaning about the National Anthem being sung by the England football team….it has been said that it is only a song aimed at the Queen and not England, Personally I couldn’t care less…I think the song is so bland and boring it’s time for a new one.It’s supposed to be a NATIONAL anthem but only England seem to sing it…the Welsh and the Scots sing their own tunes…..definitely time to have a nice lively anthem…Don's available for the job…. The UK Education Minister, Mr Gove, is taking a bit of stick since he came out with the idea of scrubbing certain GCSE’s … regarding them as a waste of time and of no value…for example media studies and manufacturing studies and drama…etc…I must admit I have to agree with him…it’s all very well having “qualifications” but if they are of no use in the real world what is the point?...he is also in the limelight regarding extreme religious factions taking over schools…I think this is hyped up by the media…I can’t see it being a problem that can’t be solved. This is classic….it has been announced by our wonderful weather people in the met office that there will be very serious constant flooding in 2100 …. They can’t predict ONE DAY ahead correctly so I don’t think we need to worry too much….mind you I wont need to worry at all…..and on the subject of the media…it’s time they stopped catering for the minority….how many of us in this country are interested in goings on in China and hours spent on American prisoners being swapped for terrorists …and Italian economy…etc…WE DON’T CARE…tell us what’s going on HERE!!!....the BBC News is so BORING and depressing because they seem to think they appeal to the more “intelligent”…they DON’T…they are BORING…hence I’ve switched to ITV where you get a bit of variety in the news. The TV has been giving a bit of publicity to our historic ferry boats….the IRIS and the Daffodil played a major part in the first world war by getting troops to Zebrugge against the might of the German navy…they came back full of bullet holes…repaired and put back into service…gaining the word “Royal” in front of their names…great stuff…also a collection of Dakota planes have made a flight across the channel in memory of their part in the second world war…and I had the privilege of having a flight on one several years ago with Monty Lister…and I have the certificate to prove it…wasn’t too comfortable. I’d like to tell you the story behind Track 1 of my Doowop Days album……”Love At First Sight”….the album took me 6 months to complete and can be obtained from my website......www.donwoods.co.uk

There has been a big outcry against the health and safety dept……in their wisdom they decided that the age old English activity of “cheese rolling” is highly dangerous…this event takes place each year in one of our Shropshire villages and involves chasing a ball of cheese down a very steep hill…..as there have been many casualties the H & S have stepped in … and instead of using cheese they made them use a ball of polystyrene….which was a disaster as the ball wouldn’t roll against the wind…..so the villagers rose up and got their way…so it’s back to cheese and A & E. Vauxhalls have announced they are bringing back the VIVA…..but it wont be like the 60’s one….THANK GOODNESS…I had a Viva SL 90 in my younger days and it was the WORST car I ever had…by far…the differential went west…the front suspension was replaced…I replaced the clutch..and eventually replaced the ENGINE…so I don’t think I will be in the market for another one….the second worst car was a VW Golf…had it from new…heap of rubbish. There is a move afoot to put young drivers on a four year curfew after they pass their test…. They wont be able to drive at certain times at night….this will “cut down on accidents”…can’t see it….since when did youngsters take any notice of anything….let’s hope the police are up for it….good idea but I don’t think so. Oh dear…poor old Kate Middleton is in the news again…..someone took a picture of her with her skirt blowing up in the wind showing her bare backside….it was printed in a German newspaper….none of our papers…even the Daily Mail…didn’t put it in….but only for legal reasons….so the poor girl has been snapped topless and now semi bottomless (so to speak)…..why don’t they leave the poor girl alone. As there is very little of her I doubt whether there is much to see….they should send Harry round with some of his mates to sort the reporter out On the showbiz scene One Direction have been in the news allegedly filming themselves smoking spliffs in a taxi….I don’t know how this stuff gets into the public domain but it’s not good…even though they must be bored senseless with each other they are up there as an example to the youngsters….this isn’t a very good one…..I’ll give then 12 months tops. I was also sad to hear that Bert Weedon died in 2012…I’ve just found out….he was the one who taught us all to play guitar back in the 50’s…I always thought he should have been knighted…but then again he hasn’t got the raw talent of Sir Terry Wogan.

To save money our wonderful government are cutting down on lollipop people….you know …those people who,unlike themselves,are of value to the community….not only are these folk part of the school runs they are there to prevent kids being injured by the fools on the road…..I see the MPs have just voted themselves an extra THREE week holiday because they haven’t got enough to do…maybe if they donated their inflated salaries for the weeks they are now lazing about it might go towards solving the problem? 2.Apparently the rich are now 15% richer than last year according to the “rich list”…..now I have no problem at all with people who make lots of money but it’s hard to get my head around Jamie Oliver being worth 240 million….what for?...maybe I’m missing something…..when you look at the so called rich list it makes you wonder what they do with it all….old Jamie is always banging on about school meals etc….he should try banging on about those who have to queue for food parcels. 3.What I found very sad this week was the bloke in some firm who was ordered to take the Queen’s photo off his wall…..do these small minded plonkers who are “making a stand” think for one minute that the Queen could care less about what they think…even if she knew….it’s pathetic…are their lives so empty that this is their only way of making a point?....it’s their big moment…that’ll show the royalty!!...get a life lads. 4.Staying on the subject of our leaders Prince Charles was having a private conversation with an elderly lady who was a survivor of the Holocaust…and casually mentioned Putin’s activities as being similar to Hitler’s….bearing in mind this was a PRIVATE conversation….but close by was a piece of paparazzi vermin who scurries off and puts the comments in the headlines of his 10th rate newspaper….so this rat can make a bit of money he has created a situation which could prove very awkward when Charlie meets up with Mr.P………….it’s this sort of unnecessary and stupid activity that causes wars….no matter how “important” anyone is they are entitled to their opinion which does not need broadcasting if it’s said in PRIVATE. 5.Which brings me to something that really got me going this week….the Scudamore affair….this guy sends a private Email to his mate joking about women…and his loyal reliable female secretary catches it on the way through and off she goes to the media…calling him sexist etc etc etc….and no doubt receiving remuneration for her efforts. Now what we have here is a JOKE!!...it’s called HUMOUR!!...something which is slowly dying in this country thanks to the feminists and so called racists etc…..the attitude of women makes me laugh….it’s fine to have a programme like “Loose Women” who ridicule blokes for the whole session … if it was the other way round there would be a huge outcry…but blokes aren’t bothered because they have a sense of HUMOUR…..and another example was on the Academy Awards when some young fit guy goes up to collect his award and the woman presenter sneaks up behind him and rips his shirt off to the waist….imagine THAT the other way round… It was then announced that Scudamore who is on 2 million a year should stand down….what’s his salary got to do with it? It’s time these ladies stepped on to planet earth and got over themselves….and as for Scudamore’s secretary…she is a trainee lawyer…obviously hasn’t heard of client’s privacy….can’t see her going very far after this….I hope not.

.The Eurovision…..what a joke….the winner was like a fairground side show…BUT…and I could be wrong…BUT I get the feeling it was a spoof (Peter Kay and his Irish female alter ego springs to mind)….I’ve heard the actual record which is definitely a girl singing…I think this character is probably a comedian and will announce next year how everyone was taken in….certainly got everyone talking….just a suggestion….because he cannot be serious….I hope. Gary Barlowe has been under fire because of a tax dodge….he was advised how to dodge tax legally….advice which ANYONE would take…but oh no all the do-gooders and honest politicians think he should be stripped of his O.B.E. despite the millions he has made for charity…but Cameron (who is his mate) said he should keep the O.B.E. but pay the tax he owes…you know the tax he saved LEGALLY…perhaps he should be more honest like that prat in the House of Lords who signed in for 20 minutes and gets £300 a throw….or our mate who “fessed up” after making a grand a day for asking questions in Parliament. Good on yer Gary … tell them where to go and where to stick their O.B.E. Mind you to get a knighthood you have to be very talented…like Sir Terry Wogan. Rolph Harris has already been hung drawn and quartered by the media…tried and found guilty by the back street barristers…the same ones who wrecked Freddy Starr’s life and many other celebs. These vermin seem to begrudge anyone who makes money…despite the fact they EARN it….something needs doing about all this it’s a disgrace. There was a local BBC radio DJ in the west country called David Lowe…who unwittingly played the original “The sun has got its hat on” which contained the “N” word…shock horror!!!!....the poor guy was sacked by the Beeb…..then had a nervous breakdown…the Beeb offered to re-instate him but he refused…apparently he had been working for this wonderful organisation for 30 years….I’m sick and tired of all this tripe about “N” words and “F” words…either say what the word is (which is obvious) or put it another way…it’s like listening to Watch With Mother. Speaking of Knighthoods Sir Brucie has finally packed in Strictly Come Dancing….I think the show will go downhill now…although I’m not a hug Brucie fan I do think he has a lot of talent…he has been replaced by Claudia Winkleman…big mistake….I never rated the tall blond girl (I thought Bruce carried her)….but it will now look like Little and Large…may wo

This kidnap situation in Africa is unbelievable…200 young girls…and the filthy scum responsible bragging on a video…makes you wonder what the world is coming to….let’s hope the Americans and the SAS catch up with them…see how tough they are then….the authorities over there are under severe criticism but you could never see that coming….let’s hope it gets sorted. It’s Eurovision time again…I’ve seen one of the semi finals….no comment…….They had Bucks Fizz and The Brotherhood of Man singing together on “The One Show”…the latter having beefed out somewhat. I was never a fan of The Brotherhood of Man I always thought they were a third rate imitation of ABBA….and as for their Eurovision “Kisses For Me”..it was a dead rip off of “Tie A Yellow Ribbon”…so much so that we used to go into one from another and see if anyone noticed…..Jay from Bucks Fizz still looks good. They had a programme on Neil Sedaka which was fascinating….and a similar one on Gary Barlowe…and how they went from the top to the bottom very quickly…but what I don’t get is why they complained about lack of money….the royalties for both of them must be none stop with all the hits they had…..what I didn’t know was Sedaka only wrote the melodies…and also when he went down the pan with the rest of them when The Beatles came on the scene he came over here and did the working men’s clubs…just shows you….anyway there both back where they belong. The other week I mentioned the apparent drop in interest in golf….well this week it was announced that the Yanks have noticed this (ahead of our time or what) so much so that they are going to make the game easier by having bigger holes….hmm….15 inches….which would make it easier to play…they have already altered 42 courses… unbelievable….it’s like when they found snooker a bit tricky they invented poole…which is a joke. I’ve just completed an album called DooWop Days…..took me 6 months to make it….it looks back on the golden years of Rock and Roll through the eyes of someone who was there….I’ve sent you a copy…I’m still recovering from the price of the postage…..it’s now over three quid…and to send a LETTER to Ireland its £1.47 (second class)……BUT I can’t see the post office lasting very long at this rate.

Did you see that MP who resigned over cash for questions;.Patrick Mercer;you gotta laugh;what a twit! he came out with I openly admit my wrong doing;I was a soldier and when soldiers get things wrong they FESS UP;.as if this makes it RIGHT !!...the guy was making a GRAND a day;but it's O.K. because he has resigned.should be behind bars !! There has been blanket coverage of the poor teacher who got stabbed to death, a terrible tragedy;but the media don't help going on about how she was in on her day off and how wonderful a person she was etc etc;.it doesn't help in any way.it needs sorting -not used to pad out the papers.it's a horrible tragedy and I'm sure her family don't want it plastered all over the papers every day. The government are trying to get those on benefit cleaning the streets;.HOW DARE THEY!!...my lad teaches kids who come from four generations who have never worked;the outcry is that if they are subjected to;voluntary work; they wont be able to look for jobs;.but I don't think it's voluntary;wouldn't they be EARNING the money they pick up?...like someone who works for it?....surely cleaning the streets IS a job? Good job we've got widescreen as the new ITV morning programme has FOUR presenters sitting in a line;..it's been slated but then again anything new is always slated;personally I find the new blond girl very easy on the eye;more so than the Beeb's Bill Turnbull. And there is a re-make of Dad's Army underway;it wont work;it has to be the originals;.they tried it with Bilko and Popeye;disasters;who come up with these ideas? and finally Richard Madely sat in for Terry Wogan last Sunday on his Sunday morning programme (which was a vast improvement by the way);he interviewed Wilko Johnson of Dr Feelgood;.this guy was diagnosed with cancer a year ago and was give 4 months to live and he's still here;the interview was top drawer radio;very moving and Madely handled it brilliantly;..it was a privilege to listen to it.