FRIDAY 4 APRIL

WORLD RAT DAY
Big hugs from all truckshunters to our handsome mascot Grosvenor, the black rat, on this special day. And thanks once again to Lawrence for looking after him so well.

SILVER THREADS AND GOLDEN NEEDLES
As I mention on-air occasionally, there seems to be a suspiciously large number of truckshunters who choose to contribute the The Nightshift’s content anonymously. Sometimes, envelopes with Ian Robinson scrawled on them are left at Reception here but it’s much more common for them to be posted and to end up in my pigeon-hole upstairs in the post-room. It’s always gratifying to see them, of course; it makes me feel quite smug, as a matter of fact, whenever I get bombarded by a cascade of two or three letters a week.

But the anonymity is unsettling. Is this one listener repeatedly posting items to me out of shyness or a sense of false modesty (or even well-founded shame)? Or is there really an army of truckshunters out there scouring libraries, newspapers, magazines and the internet for Nightshift titbits? I don’t wish to sound ungrateful but - whoever you are - please give your name(s) so that I can give you credit on-air. After all, you deserve it.

The latest example of this anonymous largesse is a wonderful list of quotes and thoughts about the perils of growing old - or at least older. I got it this morning and below are some of the lovely things in it. There’ll be more on the programme itself next week....

You know you’re getting old when -
- your back hurts;
- you eat food past its sell-by date;
- your carpet is patterned;
- you go shopping at the supermarket in the evening to pick up marked-down bargains;
- you can spell;
- you hang your clothes on padded hangers;
- you try to get electrical gadgets repaired when they go wrong;
- you save the little packets of sugar from cafes;
- you watch old black-and-white films on tv and keep on saying ‘He’s dead’, ‘She’s dead’.

I’m sure you can think of some more!

‘Mick Jagger told me the wrinkles on his face were laughter lines - but nothing’s THAT funny’ George Melly

‘Don’t worry about avoiding temptation; as you grow older, temptation starts avoiding YOU’ Anon

‘The doctor said ‘I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you’re not a hypochondriac’. Bob Monkhouse

More thoughts about growing old gratefully accepted.

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.

20 comments:

Sid said...

In my case, a sign of getting on a bit is.... 'planning things to do on the spur of the moment'.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

just a cotton pickin minet what ever happend to my middle years? or is that now????????????????

is this my mid life chrisis?

Hildie said...

Growing old brings some disadvantages, like ....
you start having trouble with the coconut ones in Liquorice Allsorts;
bending over becomes a major decision;
and you can't count thenumber of times in a day when you find yourself moving in one direction when you should be moving in the other. DENIS NORDEN.

Life is too short to learn German.
RICHARD PORSON.

In a dream you are never 80.
ANNE SEXTON.

Old age is realising you will never own all the doss you wanted to. JOE GORES.

As I grow old, I find myself less and less inclined to take the stairs two at a time.
BERNARD BARUCH.

Do not go gently into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day. DYLAN THOMAS.

Old age is a time of life when the phone rings less often, but more ominously. EDMUND VOLKART.

You know you're getting old when you're interested in going home before you get where you're going.
ALAN MAINWARING.

I knew I was getting old when the Pope started looking young.
BILLY WILDER.


Ian, I think I have got the same book as your mystery visitor. I promise you it isn't me.

Hildie said...

Sorry, that was meant to read "Old age is realising you will never own all the dogs you wanted to". JOE GORES.

Hildie said...

Ah, heck, forgot the most important one ........
Growing old is something you do if you're lucky. GROUCHO MARX.

Sid said...

Hildie, I was convinced it was meant to say 'dosh'.

gillian said...

old age isnt so bad when you consider the alternative...
maurice chevalier.

the secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.

I refuse to admit to being older than 52 even if that makes my children illegitimate.
lady nancy astor.

age is something that doesnt really matter unless you are a cheese.

age is just a number...


growing old gracefully is boring, try to grow old disgracefully, you,ll have more fun..

bye.

gillian said...

ps, i couldnt remember every author.
but does it really matter?

gillian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gillian said...

doris day...
the trouble with middle age you know you,ll grow out of it.

goldie hawn..
there are only 3 ages in hollywood..
babe..
district attorney..
driving miss daisy..

Sid said...

Bravo Gilly, well said. Hildie, those quotes are oh so true.

Hildie said...

Sid, you little tinker ......
but, doesn't 'dosh' fit so much better!

Sid said...

Morning chums, our second task novel 'Famous Five Re-United' is in need of some help.
Anne has found a note pinned to the cottage gate, what it says is up to us.
Pleeeese, don't let it be from the Readers Digest or a Pizza company.
Hildie stop peeling the veg and put your thinking cap on, Gilly's already worried about Maureen and Kev......maybe the note's from them.....

Vivienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gillian said...

ian? i spent a sleepless night wondering why..?

why..pepper pots have 3 holes salt shakers 1..

why? if we evolved from apes do we still see them,
why didnt they all evolve..

and why.. are mattresses patterned when we only see them to change the sheets..

and finally as bob monkhouse pointed out,
is the hokey cokey what its all about..
puzzling..but raised a smile..

byex

Hildie said...

Gilly, can you remember the name of that DAVID GRAY track that Ian played in the night? Also, did you hear the track that seemed to be called "The Nightshift"? It could be Ian's theme tune! .....

It went a bit like this .....

'Going to be a long night,
Going to be alright,
On The Nightshift.'

'Going to be some sweet sounds,
Coming down.
On The Nightshift'.

gillian said...

hiya hildie... the title of the david gray song escapes me ive googled too no luck,
i will remember it,
it,ll pop into my head later
think it was love something,.

ian said he cried the first time he heard it, i had a lump in my throat..
i think thats the mark of a good song,
music has the ability to move you to tears or cheer you up,...

i,d like to know when music was discovered,
i did look a while ago and think it was the 1600,s but i,m sure it would go back further than that... to cave men..



you are right the "night shift" could be ians theme tune.

byex

gillian said...

hildie...
i,m wondering
if it was "loves old song" ive looked and children are mentioned in it,.

i remember thinking it was very moving
esp the start when i heard what sounded like children in the school playground.....
if the winds in the right direction i hear it..

ive just thought you must hear it whenever at school....

joy, sometimes tears but always innocence..
hopefully anyway..
bye x

Sid said...

Afternoon everyone...
Hildie , I didn't hear the David Gray track, but if you go to www.davidgray.com they list his LP's, and give the tracks on each. You might just recognise the title of the track you want.
The other track you ask about is simply called 'Nightshift'. Various artists have recorded it.

Sid said...

Well done Gilly....
David Gray brought out an album in 1994 entitled 'Flesh'. Loves Old Song is on that album.