TUESDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2007

THIS BLOG....
Quite a few listeners have had problems accessing (awful word) this blog. The problem appears to be that simply using a Search Engine like Google or Dogpile doesn’t work with blogs. Instead, you have to use a special Blogsearch Engine; Google is equipped with one. I didn’t know any of this when I started this thing. I guess you learn from experience. I’m just a bit worried about what else I don’t know. Anyway, if you can , please pass the message on to anyone you might know who has trouble accessing (yuk) this - or any other - blog. Thankyou.

JONATHAN MILES
You will probably have heard the trails we are broadcasting for Jonathan Miles, the new presenter of the mid-morning programme currently presented by Gilly Hope. Jonathan is new to the north-east and is still - quite literally - finding his way around. When he takes over the slot next Monday please give him a big warm welcome and tell everyone to listen in. Call him, even if it’s only to say ‘Hello and welcome to the north-east’!

MUSIC
Thanks for the deluge of requests for the ‘special’ music slot I introduced the other week. I’m glad you (generally) like what you hear and that you’re keen to hear more. The rough schedule of ‘types’ is....
- Mondays: local or world music, like the Maori and Geordie songs we’ve already heard.
- Tuesdays: Listen To The Banned - tracks which, for one reason or another (usually just the one reason!), have been banned by Uncle BBC.
- Wednesdays: Showstoppers, such as the Deborah Kerr and Ethel Merman songs I’ve played.
- Thursdays: Nightshift Classics - so far, Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky but keep listening!
- Fridays: Theme of the Week - evocative or nostalgic theme tunes from tv, radio or film.
Please feel free (as you obviously do) to send in any requests or suggestions for music or even for new ‘types’. I like to ring the changes once in a while.
Speaking of music....

LISTEN TO THE BANNED
Today’s track was A Man What Takes His Time, recorded in 1933 by the astonishing Mae West - and promptly banned by the BBC. What a woman! I guess to modern eyes and ears, she seems almost incredibly camp and ludicrously suggestive. Nevertheless, I suspect that one or two of the people who heard the track would have been surprised at what she got away with. To some people, she’s shocking even now!

KNOW YOUR NORTH-EAST
West Cornforth and North Ormesby both share the doubtful honour of being nicknamed Doggie. Kev has supplied a couple of possible explanations which I will mention during the ‘live’ part of tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) programme. Briefly, though....
- the dogger was the top seam of ironstone worked by the company that owned the ironworks;
- the company made fire-dogs;
- it also made the spikes that held railway chairs down onto the sleepers - dogs;
- the railway route had a dogleg in it;
- there were lots of dogs in West Cornforth (and also, presumably, in North Ormesby).
You pays your money and you takes your choice.

CHILDREN IN NEED (CIN)
CIN isn’t far away now and I don’t want this to be the first year I don’t do anything in support of it. Any suggestions would be gratefully received - especially if they involve YOU too!

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN

NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.