'Festive Fun On The Jeff Belton Show'

I had a really fun time this morning as the 'special guest' of Jeff Belton on his 'Full English' Breakfast Show on Conquest Hospital Radio. Jeff is very much a 'big kid' like me and I think we are going to be friends, which is nice. He contacted my old boss, Alan 'Johnny Mason' Esdaile about me after I appeared on Alan's 60's and 70's show on the station when he found out that I had a Christmas song out (it was actually an album) and I went to meet him at his house for a chat. We got on like a house on fire and so he booked me to appear on the show today. I'm hoping to get hold of a CD with the show on it as Jeff played about 5 or 6 of my songs so I really did feel like the 'star guest'!

Jeff Belton - Complete with cracker party hat!

Its AMAZING what the power of encouragement can do, you know? Just gaining a bit of recognition for my 'musical achievements' of late has made a HUGE difference to how I feel and the feedback from 'A Nod To Mr.Dickens' has been pretty much universally positive!  

I could get used to this 'radio lark' I tell you and will definitely consider volunteering up at The Conquest myself in the future if I get the chance. I say 'if' as its a worrying world we live in these days and as I'm off up to Yorkshire (to the Dickensian event at Grassington) I've got the 'jitters' about being in amongst a large crowd at this time of year. How HORRID is that? Surely we should not have to worry more about the risk of terrorism than think about the TRUE spirit of Christmas and 'good will to all men', should we?

Two idiots in their element!

With talk of 'driverless cars' and 'automated criminal justice systems' not far into the future now though I realise how far off base I have become with the modern world. I guess that's why I LOVE remembering my childhood and trying to recreate my idea of what Christmas means and is all about on record. Jeff LOVES 'If Santa Was A D.J.' and I still think that track is a 'hit in waiting'. It was truly WONDERFUL to play the fool with Jeff live on air this morning and have some good, clean and honest fun for a change. We had a listener tune in from Russia and so Jeff and I waxed on about the KGB secretly listening in and how they might all be doing the Gap Band dance in Moscow! (lol)

The world could be a much better place I reckon if we could all just accept our differences and learn to 'give each other some personal space sometimes'. The snag with the human race is that we are a) eternally nosey and b) rather greedy and selfish - not a goods combination when you are talking about people, land and cultures!

The festive scene In the studio!

Personally, I think there should be more 'fun' D.J.'s like Jeff Belton on the radio! One minute he's 'rambling on' in a Tony Blackburn kind of way, the next he is talking to his own impression of Frank Spencer! What a BOY! (lol) No wonder he picked a crazy old buzzard like me to appear on his show! I even took a couple of Christmas crackers with me and we pulled them live on air! I actually 'won' one of the prizes and got one of those little spinning tops (which I love!). Maybe me and Jeff could become the next 'Mark And Lard'? I still remember creasing up with laughter when I heard them play Lards scratchy version of 'Mull Of Kintyre' on the air- complete with its 'dodgy' jumps and skips!

Jeff, signing my autograph book...

Jeff is going to see if he can get a recording of the show uploaded to Mixcloud - if he does I will post a link! 

Merry Christmas!