July 2024

Here I am, 62 years of age and still no wiser than I was at 50, or 40 or 30! I'm not sure if I ever will be - I'm still surprised and saddened by so many things, but then so much provides pleasure so I should not complain!

I'm writing this as it's been an interesting week and I thought I'd share it with you. Recently I was contacted by a nice chap called Sam from the BBC. The title of the email was 'Media Enquiry' and it made me feel like a real creative for once!

Sam was asking me back onto the radio, this time on BBC Three Counties with the lovely Babs Michel (below) on her Sunday morning show at around 06:45hrs on July 21st. Sam asked me for something 'uplifting' and thoughtful so I spent a while looking through some recent poems and sent him three from which to choose.

He thought that 'Fragile Bird' was the one to go for and I couldn't disagree. So I got up early on Sunday, set up my phone, my paper copy of the poem and my Apple Airpods Max due to an issue in February where the phones I was using was causing feedback and I thought the more expensive pair I had would be cleaner and higher quality. 

So 06:45hrs came and went and no phone call. It got close to 06:50 and i checked my phone and saw I had 2 missed calls but it had never rung! Then I realised, I have 'Do Not Disturb' on between 07:00-23:00 and thus it would not ring in! I phoned them hoping that I'd not blown it and would never be asked again but they seemed ok and put me on hold whilst the lovely Simon and Garfunkel track ('Bridge Over Troubled Water') finished.

Babs welcomed me in her usual lovely way and I explained my process and why I write and then read out 'Fragile Bird', which is all about Laura, my Darling Daughter. It sounded like it was a 'hit' with Babs who said I'd 'nailed it' and once again, it was a lovely experience and well worth getting up at silly o'clock for!

If you want to find it, it's on BBC Sounds, search for Babs Michel (below) in BBC Three Counties radio and find her show for the 21st and my little bit started around the 51 minutes mark.

Thanks for reading, keep being nice to each other!

Alan