Grosvenor and me (I'm on the left)
ER.....THE SEVENTIETH POSTING
Ordinarily, I would have written a rambling posting today about my time in Sheffield and London. But such a thing would be strangely - though obviously - irrelevant, wouldn’t it?
Because you have all succeeded where many others have tried and failed over the years. You’ve stunned me into silence.
I realise that this posting is going to be a crushing disappointment to many of you after everything you’ve been saying while I’ve been away and after the huge leaps forward that you’ve made as a ‘family’ of listeners.
I want to shout about you from the rooftops. I want everyone to read the comments you added to the Seventieth Posting while I was away - so that they know what an awesome responsibility it is to be the ‘Gaffer’ of such a friendly, imaginative and colourful community. I’m quite certain that nothing like this has ever happened in the entire history of BBC local radio and, if I had any say in the matter, the Seventieth Posting would be headlines in the Radio Times. I don't, of course, and they won't - more's the pity.
What I’m feeling is a kind of pleasurable bewilderment. I don’t really know what to say and I certainly don’t know what to do!
Where to now? How can my trivial meanderings here on the blog possibly match the collective thought-processes - the wayward nostalgia, humour and sheer sense of curiosity and wonder - of the audience I serve? Should the blog be transformed into a ‘family’ co-operative effort? Should we think about ‘forumising’ it (if such a word and such a thing exist)?
I’m going to have to give this some thought. If you’ve been able to hear my stifled reaction on-air, you’ll realise that it was as fumbled - and as unsatisfactory - as this posting is. You see what I mean? What should I do now? What do YOU want me to do?
OR....
Have I over-reacted? Is it ‘business as usual’?
PS
Thankyou for all the supportive and flattering comments you made. And for the e-certificate I received from John Hindmarsh. If I can re-format it, I'll post it on the blog.
PPS
I finally met Grosvenor today. You can hear what happened during Thursday’s Nightshift.
There really aren’t the words to say what I want and need to say. I apologise for my unexpected inadequacy in this regard!
Nurse - the screens!
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
ianstuartrobinson@googlemail.com
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.
Ordinarily, I would have written a rambling posting today about my time in Sheffield and London. But such a thing would be strangely - though obviously - irrelevant, wouldn’t it?
Because you have all succeeded where many others have tried and failed over the years. You’ve stunned me into silence.
I realise that this posting is going to be a crushing disappointment to many of you after everything you’ve been saying while I’ve been away and after the huge leaps forward that you’ve made as a ‘family’ of listeners.
I want to shout about you from the rooftops. I want everyone to read the comments you added to the Seventieth Posting while I was away - so that they know what an awesome responsibility it is to be the ‘Gaffer’ of such a friendly, imaginative and colourful community. I’m quite certain that nothing like this has ever happened in the entire history of BBC local radio and, if I had any say in the matter, the Seventieth Posting would be headlines in the Radio Times. I don't, of course, and they won't - more's the pity.
What I’m feeling is a kind of pleasurable bewilderment. I don’t really know what to say and I certainly don’t know what to do!
Where to now? How can my trivial meanderings here on the blog possibly match the collective thought-processes - the wayward nostalgia, humour and sheer sense of curiosity and wonder - of the audience I serve? Should the blog be transformed into a ‘family’ co-operative effort? Should we think about ‘forumising’ it (if such a word and such a thing exist)?
I’m going to have to give this some thought. If you’ve been able to hear my stifled reaction on-air, you’ll realise that it was as fumbled - and as unsatisfactory - as this posting is. You see what I mean? What should I do now? What do YOU want me to do?
OR....
Have I over-reacted? Is it ‘business as usual’?
PS
Thankyou for all the supportive and flattering comments you made. And for the e-certificate I received from John Hindmarsh. If I can re-format it, I'll post it on the blog.
PPS
I finally met Grosvenor today. You can hear what happened during Thursday’s Nightshift.
There really aren’t the words to say what I want and need to say. I apologise for my unexpected inadequacy in this regard!
Nurse - the screens!
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
ianstuartrobinson@googlemail.com
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.
36 comments:
Hi Ian,
As usual, you've said it all. Great to have you back, was getting worried. (See last posting on the famous 'Sheffield Post') I thought you'd forsaken us. I think it's business as usual, but it'll never be the same!
Hello Ian, I'm glad you're back, it was strange without you.I think us Truckshunters faced a sink or swim moment....and we just went for it.
I for one would be quite happy if it was "Business as Usual". Although I would expect we will have quite a bit more to say, and would probably wander off subject slightly.
I am going to print off your posting for today, and give it pride of place near my PC. It is by far the best greeting us Truckshunters could have wished for. Thanks Ian.
Gilly, no sign of the Robins today, much too windy.
Hi Ian, I think we should try to get hold of the "Christmas Day People" - There was a great number of loyal listeners who got in touch that day - how can we get them listening or blogging? Any ideas? Also, don't know if you saw, on the Seventieth Blog , that I was enquiring about some photographs that were taken of you with some goats. Did you ever have any copies of those? Would love to see them.
Night, night, everyone.
Hi all,
It's been quite a day I'll have to say!
Firstly Ian - You ask what's to happen with the blog, well we seriously need your regular postings in exactly the way you have in the past as they were our inspiration to blogger our way through your break, and I think this blog can go along exactly like that now with lots of input from you and loads of response and tangent-offing in whatever direction our minds take us.
Also Ian a massive thank you to you for making myself and more importantly Grosvenor so very welcome this (yesterday now) morning. I loved it and as Grosvenor was vibrating (purring as you put it) and chattrering his teeth he was obviously really happy to be there. It was a great piece and Thursday morning's show will be fascinating to hear back.
When he got back to his cagemates he lollopped into his smoked salmon and rice, filled his belly and went to sleep for the day, waking up about 9pm satisfied and happy but now insists before he talks to us we tip our forelocks and shake his teeny paw bless him.
Gilly... he adored Ian, and didn't bite anyone... he just doesn't bite at all in fact. He also met Alfie Joey, Jonathan Miles, Jen Bartram, Gilly Hope, Sarah Miller Peter Dodds, Railton Howes and Simon Pryde waved from a distance, so he's well into the celebrity lifestyle now.
Having popped the big lad back into his cage (that's Grosvenor not Ian) I went off for a most individual day of work highlighting the fact I never have two days the same.
I tried to get over the Redheugh Bridge..... but the wind stuffed that with two lorries blown over, so a detour to a very, very slow Tyne Bridge ensued leaving me somewhat late for business.
From there in the fierce winds it was off to Wingate for another job, and another road closure 2 miles out of Wingate adding yet more time to my day.
Out of Wingate it was off to Tudhoe Village, and time for a swift diet coke at their local before completing that job then it was off again on a trip that took me through Meadowfield again... waving, as now is customary, in all directions to make sure I wave at Gilly, and then on through Crook, Wolsingham and into Stanhope for my last call booked in at 6.30 and I arrived at 7.35pm.
Once done there it was off back to Fenham via Edmundbyers, Shotley Bridge, Medomsly, Rowlands Gill etc...... and finally I'm here, thoroughly shattered but happy in the knowledge I've had a very different day... and now a large glass of Merlot to relax with.
Keep On Bloggin' Truchshunters!
Lawrence
hi LOZ , here you sure that Grosvenor is not related to a guinnie pig , i had aload of pigs when i was younger and when they were always what i would call "chortling" when they were happy
Hi Pickler.... No Grosvenor is 100% Rattus Norvegicus.... or Rat for short. He's a "Dumbo" breed hence his ears on the side of his head as in Dumbo the elephant.
His chatterings are a typically rat signal of happiness as are the vibrations he emmited... had he stayed longer he would have taken the happy signals one step further by boggling....eyes rapidly bulging in and out of his skull.... which looks a bit freaky but means that he's the happiest rat in the world at that time.
He really enjoyed his different day at the BBC.
Lawrence
hiya i,m up tonight again,sleeping badly, good job ians there to listen to.
lawrence? glad everything went well at the studio and that grosvenor enjoyed it, being "star" of the show. i,m sure he did adore ian,
too right. t.s mascot.
is it big, r.n ? the layout ect,
can you describe it as well as youve done with the travelling?
i remember pudsey night.
i,m amazed at the amount of miles you do around the northeast.
all those places,!
my friend has her own craft shop in tudhoe on the corner you can,t miss it cos theres not much there, you,ll know it as the old p. office.
it must be enjoyable too getting out of the house,
i hope we don,t have a bad winter making the roads icy ect,for you.
i bet its lovely being out in summer though.
and must be enjoyable too the type of work you do, working with pianos,
a "craftsman".
hi pickler i had rabbits.!
sid? hope the robins are ok.
please don,t give me bad news that theyve departed.
hildie? flyers should be pasted to telephone boxes and bus stops about truckshunters and the blog..
hiya maureen...
bye.
shocking news ?? just heard ian say we,ve had an earthquake. heavens above whats happening to the world....scary..are we safe anymore? i dont think so.
were we ever..?.
Hi people
Here's my twopenn'orth.
The blog should continue in the same magnificent way as normal; Ian giving the rest of us the ammunition and letting us get on with it and see where it takes us.
In probability theory (no, don't go to sleep!) this is called a Random Walk.
Must go, work is calling
Morning everybody,
Afraid I slept through the earthquake, my wife Jean said that I always would.
Don't worry about the Robins Gilly, they will be fine. I'll confirm that later I'm sure.Hope you feel a bit better after your sleepless night.
Must go now, want to set some onion seed away in my greenhouse.
sid? thanks. its been a day of shock too. red tape stuff.
my fault, for poor form filling in they get more difficult and bamboozling every year.
but we all have it.
wondering if the earthquake had owt to do with it.
we would grow the big onions.massive, but were they bigger than yours? do you show them?
kev nice to see you back..
hi ian and everyone..
bye xx gilly
Hi folks ,
as a possible solution to what our leader is now spending time "thinking about"
i have set up a yahoo group and have sent an invite to "ian" requesting him to respond by accepting.
once this has happend i will then put him on the moderators list.
my intention is not to move away from the blog(IANS BLOG) but to run alongside.
the reasons are many fold.
firstly photos :-
if there are to go up on the blog ian has to do it.
you have all whitnessed over the past x weeks me posting "web addresses" and me telling you you copy and paste , yes it works but it boils my blood and skoots my p***
in fact there is no reason why everyone cant be a moderator that way its open to all to do everything.
but hey lets see what "his worship"
SIR IAN OF THE NIGHT SHIFT has to say about the issue.
i might be hauld over the coals and into detention yet over this .
Ian first of all thanks for letting us all know what mr howes do,s
i for one realy needed to know and i am not being sarcastic.
firstly if the "bbs,s firewall" is not too restrictive you will have had an other e.mail from me requesting you to join the "truckshunters" on yahoogroups.
i just had a nasty thought another truckshunter is now going to say "i had a bad experience" with yahoo well that as may be but the blog can not be turned into a forum , for that we need a domain + webspace and the webspace will cost money about £35 per year (minimum)
and i dont suppose anyone has that in mind,
let alone the BBC
our boss DR ROBINSON may have created a bit of a creature but its our job to try and control it before it takes over the planet.
that might sound like science fiction .
ps
i never did like doctor who perhaps thats why i have done this.
Hello Gilly, and fellow truckshunters, both of the Robin's are fine. One of them had a good look around my greenhouse today, and wasn't to keen to leave. I think it was a clue they were hungry.
Gilly,I don't grow the huge onions, getting the small ones to grow is a struggle in itself.
I've missed the anagrams today...even though I never got them.
hi everyone, sid? glad the robins are ok, weve had a couple of buetits looking around the birdhouse today.
mystifies me why they are early.
our onions were big but we put manure in. yuck. hope no ones having tea.
pickler? the yahoo thingy? im ashamed to say i don,t know what paste means apart from paste eggs at easter and wall paper paste.
I leave anagrams to the experts, ian makes me laugh when he laughs.
its infectious no matter how you feel..
ian?? you asked about being stuck.
i was..brace yourself.
I was in hospital awaiting the birth of my son. no sign they sent me home.
we,d had lots of snow, very deep,i got home, snow began to fall thickly, i looked out and just wanted to go straight back.
i felt secure in hospital cos id been in 5 weeks.
by next day no let up roads were reported blocked. I was panicking as you do..
my dad trudged through deep snow drifts to the police station..
(i never do anything by halfs)
policeman on the desk said " do you know anyone with a 4 wheel drive" ? dad said "think so" policeman said " well try them first, if no joy come back "
just a small station in our village.
dad trudged on, 2 hours later, the local ice cream shop owner pulled up in his 4 wheel drive dad in the front.
parceled me in, the roads were horrendous, impassable really, took about 45 mins to move 4 mile.
maybe longer,i was past caring,
felt wick wth worry.
finally made it to dryburn as it was, after a harrowing trip,
bumpy cos snow drifts stretched right across the roads..
after all that bother son still waited another 2 days to make an entrance, 5.15oz. tiny.
he,s now 6ft 2ins. taller than me and the fridge, i was glad it was over safe, especially after dad told me the "poliss" said,
" if no joy it,ll have to be the helicopter"
bye..
gilly
you know those funny codes the likes of http://www.spservices.co.uk/
that i have been so free with! well if you highlight from the "http to the .co.uk/" and then right click and choose copy and then move to the browser "URL" thats the adddress box
clearout what it says and then right click again and choose paste and then hit enter you will be taken to that site or at least that address.
anyway in order to avoid the need to do that a group on yahoo has been setup in order to join an e.mail needs to be sent to the following
truckshunters-subscribe
@yahoogroups.co.uk
calling all truckshunters
please copy and paste the above e.mail address into your e.mail send to address window.
it will then be actioned and you will be granted access to a file sharing service on yahoo groups
which will allow anyone once they are a member to upload files and photos etc
Pickler, I know you have put lots of work into the Yahoo thing but I'm quite happy with the pace of this one at the moment, thanks anyway.
Here's a little anagram for Sid -
from: G, H, I, J, K, L and M
- your alphabetical friends!
CAT ROLLS CUE -
You will find it on the
Northumberland Coast.
Hildie, you little tinker, at last I've got one...Whitley Bay!
Oh alright then its Cullercoats. Thanks.
Hi All....
Gilly - Radio Newcastle is really quite a compact design with TV and Radio office being open plan and all together, slapped right behind the main 3 radio studio suite which has a larger main studio (Studio 1) where Mike Parr, and Jon and Ann broadcast from bracketed on to 1A where Ian records the Nightshift and Jonathan Miles does his bit from and 1B where Alfie and Paddy work from with a mutually useable producers booth betwixt both where calls are administered when not taken by the presenter directly from his desk console.
There is, as I learned a studio 2, used for pre-records and the like not that far from the main 3..... and I guess the TV studio isn't far from that.
It's not as big inside as you'd maybe think..... but very cosy and comfortable.
Miles around the North East - oh yes Gilly... loads.... like 40,000 a year and today I've been to Tranwell, Alnmouth, Alnwick, Budle Bay and Belford...... another gorgeous trip on a wonderful day.
Thankfully the one benefit of global warming is the lack of slippery roads for me to tackle as I had to years ago. Never again (it would seem) will I need to dig myself out of a snow drift in the streets of Kenton as I had to some 20 years ago or more.
I think, as with any job at times, it's easy to forget how lucky I am to have such a career that gets me all over the place, but I realise I am blessed with a rare one... and it's a pleasure to do, and to work on such finely constructed instruments..... since Jan 1st 1990 I've tuned over 23,500 of them now.
And an anagram....
NOT A DISTORTING WIND
Lawrence.
hiya everyone. listening to ian describe grosvenors visit.
thanks lawrence for the fascinating tour behind the scenes.
you seem to know it so well.
also enjoyed the trip out, all over the northeast,.
and yep pianos are wonderful instruments,
i loved playing when i was at home, had lessons from about age 5 i think.
a teacher came to the house, i remember he had a cough and when he started spluttering,he misted the piano up.
then when older i went to another teachers house nearby,
but once i hit 13 i got tired of "in a monastry garden" detoured missed the lesson and spent the night at the youth club.
spent the lesson money too, not good behaviour i don,t endorse it.
your job? i think its half the battle when you enjoy your work,and take pride in it, cos then its not like work,
more like a hobby you get paid to do. i,d imagine.
will you pass the art down to your children, ? im presuming you have children. ive heard you say you do the family cooking.
itd be nice to have them follow in your footsteps.carrying on the tradition..
bye.everyone.
Hi All,
Really enjoyed Ians' interview with Lawrence and Grosvenor this morning. I've heard you on Paddys' programme Lawrence, but this time I felt like nudging someone and saying, 'I know him you know'! You never sound nervous, I would be terrified. Well done to all concerned. I understand that Grosvenor was very well behaved as one would expect of our wonderful mascot. I think you've done a lot for his image. I have to admit to being a bit less wary of rats now.
Hildie, don't know if you caught it but Ian played 'your request' today, Richard Marx I'll be right here waiting for you. Lovely. I think that's a good suggestion of yours to catch the 'Christmas Crowd' It was obvious by the response then that Ian has a lot of fans out there. Why don't we hear promo's during the day for the Nightshift? (Sorry to write as though you're not here Ian, I've got into bad habits while you've been away!)
Sid I'm with you about Picklers' suggestion of Yahoo thing. You're obviously way ahead of me with computers Pickler. I have a partner who is paranoid about viruses and security, notice I haven't even got a blogger account, got half way and cancelled it. Prefer to keep my email private. I'm sorry, I might be totally wrong, but happy as I am. Sorry to have 'gone on' but seemed to have a lot to say today.
Hope everyone's fine, have a good day.
PS Gilly, loved your winters tale. Made your son all the more precious I'm sure!
Hey hey Ian, welcome back!!
Listening to your show(s) over the years, has lead me into wanting to find out more and more about people and places I come into contact with.
In a couple of weeks I'll be moving to Alton in Hampshire, and who knew it was such an interesting little market town.... Kings have signed treaties there, Sweet Fanny Adams lived and died there, and of course, Jane Austin scribbled her stories from there.
I blame my desire to know more, on Ian Robinson.
Isn't the world a more interesting place, when you look properly?
Ryan
Morning All
Lawrence - Widdrington Station
p.s. loved the 'interview' with Grosvenor
Hi, has anyone noticed that Grosvenor Rat 'anagrams' to Star Governor?
No, I hadn't but where is
UM, THE DEVIL COALMAN
Kev, I'll have to think about that one. Gilly, where are you? Must be having a lie in, I see you were up late! And Sid must be making the most of this lovely sunshine at his allotment.
"Oh what a wonderful morning, oh what a wonderful day" It must be obvious by now that I'm having a day off. Got to thinking about your request for our 'Musical Moment" Ian. Now you're talking, I love them all although I think the Rodgers and Hammersteins are hard to beat. I think it's that nostalgia thing. Who can forget Yul Brynner and Anna Neagle floating around that huge ballroom in The King And I?... 'Shall We Dance, dah dah dah?' How about everyone else? I'm off to waltz around with the feather mop!
Speak to you all soon. Good luck on your new venture Ryan, remember to keep in touch!
Sorry to blab on Ian, but this thing's addictive and now we KNOW how much space we have!
hiya everyone, late checking in... long story... its best to skip on..
maureen hiya, glad you are enjoying your day off. pop round to mine next will you please?
if not i,ll have to summon the fairies...
hiya ryan, keep blogging..
i,m interested to hear about kings treaty,s and jane austins tales, being a lover of history.
pickler, i,m trying to get the hang of computers...as the man said, "i may be some time"...
ian?... sounds a good idea about the story....virgina? was it woolfe? like a story chain everyone contributes..
i,m tying with the anagrams.!
again.. i may be some time...
ps no post wed. do you think ians out partying?
long long time zzzzz
since i went partying, with barry white under my arm...
bye....
sid???
kev? i,m trying,
bye.
Kev ... that one is much too hard for Sid.
Maureen ... I'm really upset because I didn't hear Ian do my request - bless his cotton socks ... but thank you so much for letting me know.
Kev ... it's Coatham Munderville, it was much too hard for me too, it has taken me absolutely ages!!
Pickler is light-years ahead of me! I'm just feeling quite clever that I can manage to put a posting on the blog! I used not to be able to do it. I'd prefer to keep things just as as they are.
Kev ... how did you get those gigantic letters on your anagram posting?
Coatham Munderville...seems like another anagram to me,lol.
Sorry Hildie
I'll have to try and think of some other way of explaining it.
My first attempt was a dismal failure
Kev, thanks,I'm all ears!
Funnily enough, that's no joke - you know I had that perforated ear drum a couple of weeks ago? I still haven't recovered, you know -I'm deaf as a post in my right ear! Will it get better, anybody know!?
Next question is .... Do you think I might catch Ian playing my request on one of the programmes at the week-end? PLEASE SAY YES.
Hildie,
Let's try again.
Underneath the 'Leave your comment' box is the line 'You can use some HTML tags....'
If you want a piece of text to appear in bold, type the <> with the letter b between the < and >, in front of the text to embolden, and after the text type the < > with /b between the < and >.
Similarly if you want a piece of text to apper in italics do the same thing but use the letter i instead of the b.
I can't type the symbols the way they should look because the machine treats them as instructions and starts putting text in bold etc.
I know this is probably as clear as mud but give it a try and see if it works. Miracles do happen!
hildie ? ive been deaf in my right ear ever since i was bought a player with earphones, maybe i had it too loud i dont know but its no better, ears are very complex things, once damaged i think theres not much to be done unless maybe an operation of some kiind.. good luck with it cos when i have a cold i cant hear anything very well, if i,m listening to anything i struggle.
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