WE
For the 2nd week running, BBC WM this Saturday on 95.6fm will take time off air for some transmitter work between 6 & 630am. (This apparantly will also affect the other FM services from Sutton too, based on what Tom Manners said last week!)
Tonight's 'Other Side Of ' repeat is that tw*t Gaunty on 8pm tonight !
Don't forget Mollie Green's Early Show from 5am on Monday & Danny Kelly at Lunchtime on 95.6 from 1pm! (Brolly still rules the airwaves on C&W!)
Tonight's 'Other Side Of ' repeat is that tw*t Gaunty on 8pm tonight !
Don't forget Mollie Green's Early Show from 5am on Monday & Danny Kelly at Lunchtime on 95.6 from 1pm! (Brolly still rules the airwaves on C&W!)
WE
Me again !
Just 'a little something' I picked up from the Beeb's press office site :
"Calling all music fans. Whether it's soul, jazz, gospel or samba that rocks your boat these days, there is a feast of sound coming your way during a week-long BBC Easter music bonanza.
Mad About Music will be taking place in the West Midlands from 5 to 12 April.
Celebrating the musical styles and cultures of the region, the project will be featured on BBC local radio and television as well as online.
A host of musical events are scheduled to be held at public venues throughout the West Midlands - from Egyptian belly dancing in Coventry and percussion in Wellington to Morris dancing in Worcester and Northern Soul in Stoke.
The climax of the week-long Mad About Music project will be on Easter Monday (12 April) when the BBC in the Midlands will be hosting a musical fun day around the canals of Birmingham city centre.
The event is being organised in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, British Waterways, Brindleyplace and The Mailbox.
There will be fun for all the family from noon to 6.00pm, including a stage in Brindleyplace and performers in bars, on the canalside and on boats.
The music will reflect the vast array of styles and cultures in the Midlands, including Chinese dragon dancing, Dhol drummers, a brass band, steel pans, gospel, reggae, samba and much more.
In Brindleyplace there will be a bouncy castle, inflatable sumo wrestling, face painting, balloon modelling and the Cadbury Crème Egg car.
The event will also see the grand launch of the BBC WM narrow boat by presenter Tony 'Boating with...' Butler.
The boat will be used to host a wide range of BBC WM events and programmes.
It will also be seen out and about throughout the canal network at various boating festivals and canal-side events during the year as well as cruising up and down near BBC Birmingham's new home at The Mailbox.
You could look out for it while taking a journey along the canal on one of the many trip boats which operate in the area.
Meanwhile, BBC WM presenter Danny Kelly will be broadcasting live from the event between noon and 2.00pm.
Ian Clark, asset manager of Brindleyplace, says: "Brindleyplace offers an array of recreational facilities and, with a full schedule of outdoor events and entertainment taking place throughout the summer, we are delighted to start the proceedings with such a high profile and exciting event as the BBC's Mad about Music."
BBC event producer Jenny Wilkes adds: "The fantastic cross-cultural make-up of Birmingham is reflected in its amazing range of performers and musicians.
"We're hoping to capture the essence of our vibrant city in a fun-filled afternoon for all the family."
Mad about Music will be featured on BBC WM, Midlands Today and online at www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham.
Earlier in the week there are events in the Coventry, Worcester, Stoke and Shropshire areas:
Coventry - Monday 5 April
Egyptian Culture and Dance workshop, West Orchard Shopping Centre, Coventry, 1.00-4.00pm
Worcester - Wednesday 7 April
Traditional border Morris Dancing and Worcester's own Organic Hillbillies, Crown Gate Shopping Centre, Worcester, 1.00-4.00pm
Shropshire - Thursday 8 April
Local musicians showcase the full range of Shropshire music, including Telford West Indian Steel Band, a folk group, jazz guitarist and shoppers making their own music. 10.00am-3.00pm.
Julian Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley, is live in concert at The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury. 9.00pm-midnight.
Stoke - Saturday 10 April
Northern Soul night featuring the top Stoke Northern Soul DJs and a Northern Soul dancing competition, Alsager Civic Centre. 9.00pm-1.00am.
(Which explains Jenny Wilkes' recent absence from the airwaves! Anyone who listens to Daz Hale on Saturday mornings, will have heard his 'running joke' about our Jen & her 'work' at a lap dancing club!
Can anyone explain the 'point' of Jenny Jones please ?)
and :
Award-winning broadcaster Jim Hawkins is swapping his alarm clock for a coffee cup.
The latest recruit to BBC Radio Shropshire is to move from the Early Show to the station's mid-morning slot from 9.00am until noon on weekday mornings.
He will be taking over from the ever-popular Chris Ashley who is switching to the Afternoon Show which goes out from 2.00 to 5.00pm on weekdays. (Which means Chris won't available to cover for Franksy in future on WM Drivetime !)
Jim, who lives in Shrewsbury with his broadcaster wife Claire and their two cats, has presented the Early Show since arriving at the station six months ago.
He will continue his Sunday Night Rock slot from 6.00 to 8.00pm.
Nonny James moves from the Sunday Late Show to take the reins of Sunday Special from 6.00 to 9.00am in place of Jon King.
Jon, who has also been presenting the Afternoon Show, is moving on to work full time on a heritage project close to his heart.
Taking over from Nonny is fearless BBC Radio Shropshire action-woman Samantha Hatton, who in the past has travelled across the Himalayas on an Enfield motorcycle and been strapped to a biplane.
She is returning to the station from a non-stop adventure of a very different kind – motherhood.
BBC Radio Shropshire editor Tim Pemberton said: "I'm really excited by these changes and hope that the listeners will respond to them warmly, as we try to keep our sound fresh.
"We are already having great success at breakfast with almost a quarter of the listening audience choosing to start the day with Eric Smith.
"I am sure the new line-up will give us an excellent chance of reaching out to an even greater number of listeners."
The changes will take effect from 4 April.
Other news now.
Actress Joan Collins seems to be around the area, or available for interviews at least, as Danny Kelly kicks off taking over 95.6 Afternoons with a chat on Monday(I think!), & Doolan is taping a 'Other Side Of', for transmission this Friday, with a repeat next Sunday morning.
Just 'a little something' I picked up from the Beeb's press office site :
"Calling all music fans. Whether it's soul, jazz, gospel or samba that rocks your boat these days, there is a feast of sound coming your way during a week-long BBC Easter music bonanza.
Mad About Music will be taking place in the West Midlands from 5 to 12 April.
Celebrating the musical styles and cultures of the region, the project will be featured on BBC local radio and television as well as online.
A host of musical events are scheduled to be held at public venues throughout the West Midlands - from Egyptian belly dancing in Coventry and percussion in Wellington to Morris dancing in Worcester and Northern Soul in Stoke.
The climax of the week-long Mad About Music project will be on Easter Monday (12 April) when the BBC in the Midlands will be hosting a musical fun day around the canals of Birmingham city centre.
The event is being organised in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, British Waterways, Brindleyplace and The Mailbox.
There will be fun for all the family from noon to 6.00pm, including a stage in Brindleyplace and performers in bars, on the canalside and on boats.
The music will reflect the vast array of styles and cultures in the Midlands, including Chinese dragon dancing, Dhol drummers, a brass band, steel pans, gospel, reggae, samba and much more.
In Brindleyplace there will be a bouncy castle, inflatable sumo wrestling, face painting, balloon modelling and the Cadbury Crème Egg car.
The event will also see the grand launch of the BBC WM narrow boat by presenter Tony 'Boating with...' Butler.
The boat will be used to host a wide range of BBC WM events and programmes.
It will also be seen out and about throughout the canal network at various boating festivals and canal-side events during the year as well as cruising up and down near BBC Birmingham's new home at The Mailbox.
You could look out for it while taking a journey along the canal on one of the many trip boats which operate in the area.
Meanwhile, BBC WM presenter Danny Kelly will be broadcasting live from the event between noon and 2.00pm.
Ian Clark, asset manager of Brindleyplace, says: "Brindleyplace offers an array of recreational facilities and, with a full schedule of outdoor events and entertainment taking place throughout the summer, we are delighted to start the proceedings with such a high profile and exciting event as the BBC's Mad about Music."
BBC event producer Jenny Wilkes adds: "The fantastic cross-cultural make-up of Birmingham is reflected in its amazing range of performers and musicians.
"We're hoping to capture the essence of our vibrant city in a fun-filled afternoon for all the family."
Mad about Music will be featured on BBC WM, Midlands Today and online at www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham.
Earlier in the week there are events in the Coventry, Worcester, Stoke and Shropshire areas:
Coventry - Monday 5 April
Egyptian Culture and Dance workshop, West Orchard Shopping Centre, Coventry, 1.00-4.00pm
Worcester - Wednesday 7 April
Traditional border Morris Dancing and Worcester's own Organic Hillbillies, Crown Gate Shopping Centre, Worcester, 1.00-4.00pm
Shropshire - Thursday 8 April
Local musicians showcase the full range of Shropshire music, including Telford West Indian Steel Band, a folk group, jazz guitarist and shoppers making their own music. 10.00am-3.00pm.
Julian Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley, is live in concert at The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury. 9.00pm-midnight.
Stoke - Saturday 10 April
Northern Soul night featuring the top Stoke Northern Soul DJs and a Northern Soul dancing competition, Alsager Civic Centre. 9.00pm-1.00am.
(Which explains Jenny Wilkes' recent absence from the airwaves! Anyone who listens to Daz Hale on Saturday mornings, will have heard his 'running joke' about our Jen & her 'work' at a lap dancing club!
Can anyone explain the 'point' of Jenny Jones please ?)
and :
Award-winning broadcaster Jim Hawkins is swapping his alarm clock for a coffee cup.
The latest recruit to BBC Radio Shropshire is to move from the Early Show to the station's mid-morning slot from 9.00am until noon on weekday mornings.
He will be taking over from the ever-popular Chris Ashley who is switching to the Afternoon Show which goes out from 2.00 to 5.00pm on weekdays. (Which means Chris won't available to cover for Franksy in future on WM Drivetime !)
Jim, who lives in Shrewsbury with his broadcaster wife Claire and their two cats, has presented the Early Show since arriving at the station six months ago.
He will continue his Sunday Night Rock slot from 6.00 to 8.00pm.
Nonny James moves from the Sunday Late Show to take the reins of Sunday Special from 6.00 to 9.00am in place of Jon King.
Jon, who has also been presenting the Afternoon Show, is moving on to work full time on a heritage project close to his heart.
Taking over from Nonny is fearless BBC Radio Shropshire action-woman Samantha Hatton, who in the past has travelled across the Himalayas on an Enfield motorcycle and been strapped to a biplane.
She is returning to the station from a non-stop adventure of a very different kind – motherhood.
BBC Radio Shropshire editor Tim Pemberton said: "I'm really excited by these changes and hope that the listeners will respond to them warmly, as we try to keep our sound fresh.
"We are already having great success at breakfast with almost a quarter of the listening audience choosing to start the day with Eric Smith.
"I am sure the new line-up will give us an excellent chance of reaching out to an even greater number of listeners."
The changes will take effect from 4 April.
Other news now.
Actress Joan Collins seems to be around the area, or available for interviews at least, as Danny Kelly kicks off taking over 95.6 Afternoons with a chat on Monday(I think!), & Doolan is taping a 'Other Side Of', for transmission this Friday, with a repeat next Sunday morning.
PO
There were some good clips on there - some great clean ident clips and opening titles from ATV Today.
And that woman's stuffed poodle was hilarious! I'm looking forward to the next one. The BBC should do the same when they move from Pebble Mill.
ab posted:
Just for anyone who's interested, there's a new series on ITV1 Central now (Sun 17:40-18:10) called 'TV Gold', looking at archive material from the past 50 years of TV in the Midlands.
There were some good clips on there - some great clean ident clips and opening titles from ATV Today.
And that woman's stuffed poodle was hilarious! I'm looking forward to the next one. The BBC should do the same when they move from Pebble Mill.
ST
I'm afraid they did that at the end of January on a programme called 'Goodbye Pebble Mill' and I assume there won't be anymore. Though it is odd considering they haven't fully moved out of Pebble Mill yet.
I think the last main edition Midlands Today from Pebble Mill will feature old clips and other stuff like that. Maybe Sue B and Kay will come into the studio as guests?! It's not that far away now- 9th July.
nwtv2003 posted:
Pootle5 posted:
The BBC should do the same when they move from Pebble Mill.
I'm afraid they did that at the end of January on a programme called 'Goodbye Pebble Mill' and I assume there won't be anymore. Though it is odd considering they haven't fully moved out of Pebble Mill yet.
I think the last main edition Midlands Today from Pebble Mill will feature old clips and other stuff like that. Maybe Sue B and Kay will come into the studio as guests?! It's not that far away now- 9th July.
WE
Bit of sad news for the Wadsworths of WM.
(As taken from the IC Birmingham site)
BBC WM presenter Julie Mayer is fighting skin cancer, she revealed today. (Wednesday 7/4/2004)
Tomorrow night (Thursday 8/4/2004 at 11pm), live on air, Julie will be joined on her late show by the Midland consultant who is set to treat her.
Julie, aged 46, said: "I've been to many hot countries, from my honeymoon in India to Barbados, Jamaica, Borneo, Italy and Tunisia.
"I've sunbathed in the lot of them, even when it's been 100F at midday.
"Very often I would use little or no suncream. But the biggest danger is that a lot of us underestimate the strength of the sun in this country. Any excuse and I would be out in it.
"When I was about 19 and 20, I used to sunbathe with my elder sister, Barbara, who's now 49.
"We used to make up our own lotion using sunflower oil and vinegar, thinking that if it was good for browning things in cooking, it would turn us brown, too."
Julie added: "Now I want to talk about my cancer because I want to turn a negative into a positive. "If I can just stop one person from sunbathing without positive protection it will have been worth it."
It was only by accident that Julie discovered she had skin cancer, thanks to sitting in on a medical appointment for her husband and presenting colleague, Tony Wadsworth.
He had been having daily nosebleeds on air, traced back to problems which had developed since he had his nose broken at the age of 14.
The consultant noticed a spot above Julie's left eye. Feeling it confirmed that it also had a ridge, a telltale sign for cancer.
Julie said: "I just thought it was a spot that wasn't healing.
"I've had it for some six months and didn't really think much about it as I'd associated skin cancer with moles, not spots on your forehead.
"He knew straight away that it was a basal cell carcinoma. My heart sank and I thought: 'Oh, God!'
"Hopefully this will be quite easy to be removed and not the sort of cancer that will spread. But, when I got home that night and went to bed at 3am, I did find it hard to sleep. I kept thinking, 'what if this is just the start?'.
"Tony has always warned me about my sunbathing. But I would take no notice while he'd sit under an umbrella wearing socks, shoes and knotted hankies.
"I think manufacturers need to reduce the price of sun lotions. Too many people do without them because they are expensive."
I'm sure all on the forum send best wishes to Julie & a speedy recovery.
(As taken from the IC Birmingham site)
BBC WM presenter Julie Mayer is fighting skin cancer, she revealed today. (Wednesday 7/4/2004)
Tomorrow night (Thursday 8/4/2004 at 11pm), live on air, Julie will be joined on her late show by the Midland consultant who is set to treat her.
Julie, aged 46, said: "I've been to many hot countries, from my honeymoon in India to Barbados, Jamaica, Borneo, Italy and Tunisia.
"I've sunbathed in the lot of them, even when it's been 100F at midday.
"Very often I would use little or no suncream. But the biggest danger is that a lot of us underestimate the strength of the sun in this country. Any excuse and I would be out in it.
"When I was about 19 and 20, I used to sunbathe with my elder sister, Barbara, who's now 49.
"We used to make up our own lotion using sunflower oil and vinegar, thinking that if it was good for browning things in cooking, it would turn us brown, too."
Julie added: "Now I want to talk about my cancer because I want to turn a negative into a positive. "If I can just stop one person from sunbathing without positive protection it will have been worth it."
It was only by accident that Julie discovered she had skin cancer, thanks to sitting in on a medical appointment for her husband and presenting colleague, Tony Wadsworth.
He had been having daily nosebleeds on air, traced back to problems which had developed since he had his nose broken at the age of 14.
The consultant noticed a spot above Julie's left eye. Feeling it confirmed that it also had a ridge, a telltale sign for cancer.
Julie said: "I just thought it was a spot that wasn't healing.
"I've had it for some six months and didn't really think much about it as I'd associated skin cancer with moles, not spots on your forehead.
"He knew straight away that it was a basal cell carcinoma. My heart sank and I thought: 'Oh, God!'
"Hopefully this will be quite easy to be removed and not the sort of cancer that will spread. But, when I got home that night and went to bed at 3am, I did find it hard to sleep. I kept thinking, 'what if this is just the start?'.
"Tony has always warned me about my sunbathing. But I would take no notice while he'd sit under an umbrella wearing socks, shoes and knotted hankies.
"I think manufacturers need to reduce the price of sun lotions. Too many people do without them because they are expensive."
I'm sure all on the forum send best wishes to Julie & a speedy recovery.
TV
thats very sad news - i know that a fair few of the midland forumers, including myself, are (or have been at some point) tony & julie fans, i hope she makes a full, speedy recovery!
happened to see in the evening mail (and i think it was in the birmingham post too) that bbc midlands have got planning permission to erect a big telly in the city centre. wonder if it'll be in centenary, victoria or millennium square
and lets hope they leave it tuned to bbc one midlands throughout the day so we can all watch kay at lunchtime in the sunshine.
tvmercia
Founding member
Westy2 posted:
I'm sure all on the forum send best wishes to Julie & a speedy recovery.
thats very sad news - i know that a fair few of the midland forumers, including myself, are (or have been at some point) tony & julie fans, i hope she makes a full, speedy recovery!
happened to see in the evening mail (and i think it was in the birmingham post too) that bbc midlands have got planning permission to erect a big telly in the city centre. wonder if it'll be in centenary, victoria or millennium square
and lets hope they leave it tuned to bbc one midlands throughout the day so we can all watch kay at lunchtime in the sunshine.
WE
A few holiday prog changes on WM.
Waddo solo is in for that p**t Gaunty, (definetely a better show, but try telling Herr Flick that one!) (Gaunty is off for 2 Saturdays BTW)
Doolan has Danny Reddington (the rare records bloke) in on Sunday.
Bank Holiday Monday is shared/joint all day, apart from daytime news probably.(& sport maybe?)
No 'Early Show', so it's that boring Baggies fan Goldberg between 6 & 9 for breakfast, Annie Othen, making a rare 95.6 appearence, between 9 & 12, Danny Kelly between 12 & 2, live from the Mailbox area, then Sport between 2 & 6, then Daz Hale between 6 & 10, then Late Show between 10 & 1.
Found some more info from IC Birmingham.
The BBC's troubled move to the Mailbox in Birmingham city centre has suffered another set-back because of new "construction snags".
Staff have been told their move from the Pebble Mill studio in Edgbaston has been put back another month while repairs are made to a water leak and a major pipeline blockage.
The repairs are the latest glitch to hit the new BBC headquarters in the Midlands, which has seen the cost of the project balloon from £23 million to £45 million.
Staff at Pebble Mill received a memo from Andy Griffee, controller of BBC English regions, putting the delay down to pipe damage that would cause "unacceptable" working temperatures.
"In addition, a blockage needs to be cleared from the chilled ceiling pipe work which means a disturbance to areas of ceiling."
About 700 staff are expected to move to the 10,000 square foot site at the Mailbox, which will also house regional studios for Radio 2, Radio 4, Five Live, the Asian Network and Radio WM.
New media and internet departments will join the corporation's IT and personnel departments.
The move was supposed to be completed this month but the first group of staff to transfer to the new studios, which was scheduled for last November, has yet to relocate.
Other problems encountered by the move include the huge reduction in car parking spaces, with the Mailbox offering just 100 spaces, compared with more than 600 at Pebble Mill.
To temporarily overcome the parking shortfall staff will be allowed to continue to park at Pebble Mill until December, when the site will be decommissioned and handed over to the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
In 2002, the BBC said it would be forced to delay moving to the Mailbox after initial designs for the new offices proved too expensive.
I've also read in the Evening Mail yesterday, but I can't find an online equivelent, that long mooted plans for Central transmission/broadcast(not Central News studios at the moment!) are back on.
They are on about moving broadcast to Leeds.
Anyone know anymore about this, plus if & when this happens, Leeds will have to upgraded, to provide the breakflashes for starters, & I guess Central will probably get the problems so 'beloved' of the GMG North regions, where the wrong regions picture will appear as well.
Waddo solo is in for that p**t Gaunty, (definetely a better show, but try telling Herr Flick that one!) (Gaunty is off for 2 Saturdays BTW)
Doolan has Danny Reddington (the rare records bloke) in on Sunday.
Bank Holiday Monday is shared/joint all day, apart from daytime news probably.(& sport maybe?)
No 'Early Show', so it's that boring Baggies fan Goldberg between 6 & 9 for breakfast, Annie Othen, making a rare 95.6 appearence, between 9 & 12, Danny Kelly between 12 & 2, live from the Mailbox area, then Sport between 2 & 6, then Daz Hale between 6 & 10, then Late Show between 10 & 1.
Found some more info from IC Birmingham.
The BBC's troubled move to the Mailbox in Birmingham city centre has suffered another set-back because of new "construction snags".
Staff have been told their move from the Pebble Mill studio in Edgbaston has been put back another month while repairs are made to a water leak and a major pipeline blockage.
The repairs are the latest glitch to hit the new BBC headquarters in the Midlands, which has seen the cost of the project balloon from £23 million to £45 million.
Staff at Pebble Mill received a memo from Andy Griffee, controller of BBC English regions, putting the delay down to pipe damage that would cause "unacceptable" working temperatures.
"In addition, a blockage needs to be cleared from the chilled ceiling pipe work which means a disturbance to areas of ceiling."
About 700 staff are expected to move to the 10,000 square foot site at the Mailbox, which will also house regional studios for Radio 2, Radio 4, Five Live, the Asian Network and Radio WM.
New media and internet departments will join the corporation's IT and personnel departments.
The move was supposed to be completed this month but the first group of staff to transfer to the new studios, which was scheduled for last November, has yet to relocate.
Other problems encountered by the move include the huge reduction in car parking spaces, with the Mailbox offering just 100 spaces, compared with more than 600 at Pebble Mill.
To temporarily overcome the parking shortfall staff will be allowed to continue to park at Pebble Mill until December, when the site will be decommissioned and handed over to the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
In 2002, the BBC said it would be forced to delay moving to the Mailbox after initial designs for the new offices proved too expensive.
I've also read in the Evening Mail yesterday, but I can't find an online equivelent, that long mooted plans for Central transmission/broadcast(not Central News studios at the moment!) are back on.
They are on about moving broadcast to Leeds.
Anyone know anymore about this, plus if & when this happens, Leeds will have to upgraded, to provide the breakflashes for starters, & I guess Central will probably get the problems so 'beloved' of the GMG North regions, where the wrong regions picture will appear as well.