I’ve adopted a new fear. I’m not scared of flying, but I am scared of planes flying in to me. In certain wind directions the flight path into Aberdeen airport is right over my work and where I live. Giving that there are several planes an hour landing and taking off, surely that is a greater risk to me than ever being involved in a plane crash myself?

I’ve been back from holiday now for 2 weeks and only today did I finally take the last of my photos off my camera (this is what has reminded me of my new fear). I’m impressed with the photos from the air, however after spending 2 weeks in Bergen, photos of Aberdeen are quite bleak and dull.

You can click on these photos by the way. They will take you to my Flickr page.

The last photo would confirm that the flight path is indeed over work.  In fact, the last turn the plane makes to line up with the runway is over work (hence the funny angle the picture is taken at). Surely that is a very dangerous part of the approach?  Saying all that though, maybe I should be more concerned that winter is approaching and from the air I can clearly see my work has a grass roof.  Nice in the summer, not in the winter.

We’ve been in Norway since Sunday now, and a few days back we were treated to an Eric Clapton concert at the Bergenhaus. We and 20,000 other folk.

Honestly, I’m not the greatest connoisseur of Eric Clapton songs. I know the hits and that is about it. Despite that and that Eric isn’t a man of many words, it was a fantastic concert in a lovely location.  Even if it had been rubbish, the live version of Layla would have made up for it.

Just one downside to it all. I now want to come back in a couple of weeks for the Neil Young concert at Bergenhaus. And a couple of weeks after that for REM.  Don’t think it’s going to be possible.

David

As you’ll have seen from my tweets, Emma and I headed up to Shetland over the weekend.  Not been home since January (a complete change from last year when I seemed to be home every 4 weeks!)

Not much had changed. It was nice to be back but there’s still little to do for someone who has seen the island as much as I have.

I went paddling. Water still as cold as ever, global warming has not kicked in yet.

Also got the perfect chance to try out my new camera on some puffins.

And Emma got to meet some Shetland ponies. A highlight of the trip for her.

Back off the boat this morning. Feeling a little home sick but I’m definitely back in the right place, all the excitement of Tescos coming to Shetland would be too much for me.

I’m sitting here in candle light. Not sure why. I’m not usually in to all that sort of stuff. I’m trying to relax you see. I’m being David the travel bod tomorrow on the breakfast show for the first time in a month or so. I’ll have to get into the swing of waking up very early again.

Problem is I’m not the relaxing type of person. I can never settle. I wish I could put down my laptop, switch off my phone and mute my IPod but it just doesn’t seem to work.  Xavier, our book pundit on the Sunday Showcase has let me borrow a copy Ian Fleming’s short Bond stories in a desperate attempt to get me to start reading books, maybe I should try that to relax.

It’s also not helping that it is still very light outside, even at half 10 at night. Something I’m used to when in Shetland, but not on the mainland.  Rather scary though in a couple of weeks we’ll be at mid summer and it will start getting darker again!

Getting close to mid summer could be a benefit for tomorrow though. At least it will be broad daylight leaving the flat at 5am. Always a help.

An exciting time for my broadcasting careerer today…. my first ever station photo.

Sounds quite nice, but I have a little bit of a tough decision to make. To shave or not to shave. Here’s the pros and cons.

If I don’t shave I look a bit scruffy and like a typical student (not that good a look). If I do shave, I look about 12 and you can see my spots (again not a good look). Eventually I went for the shaved look, so it will now look like Original are employing a 12 year old presenter.

I hate getting my photo taken. My brain seems to shut my eyes automatically every time the shutter goes off, flash or no flash, resulting in a load of photos that look like I’ve had too much to drink. Also the reason I did radio was to be heard and not seen.

I was thinking the other day how weird it is I can sit in a radio studio and speak to potentially hundreds of thousands of people, yet I would struggle to stand up in front of a room of 5 people and do a talk.

I shall post the results here when the photos arrive.

David

So how are you spending your bank holiday tomorrow? Maybe you’ll sleep all day? Maybe you’ll go shopping, mow the lawn, have a BBQ or generally enjoy the 18 degrees Celsius weather forecast that Aberdeen has.

I on the other hand will be enjoying the biggest gig of my radio career to date. Bigger than my debut on Radio Shetland 6 years ago. Bigger than my first solo show on commercial radio 4 months ago. They’ve given me mid mornings… for one day only.

And yes it’s a bank holiday, but that could be quite big. Lots of people in their cars on the way to the shops. Lots of people driving around wasting fuel on a nice run to the country. I think I’ll be running on adrenalin for the 4 hours.

So if you’ve got nothing to do tomorrow, it is a bank holiday after all, 10am-2pm, 106.8/106.3FM across the North East of Scotland or online at www.originalfm.com, give it a listen!

Mean while, here’s a video of Iain Lee showing you how to present a radio show. Loving the subtle digs to Virgin Radio and their music rotation.

About a year and a half ago I met Michael Barrymore in night club in Aberdeen. Now you can’t meet Barrymore in a night club and not get your photo taken with him. So I did.

And that’s the story. Not a very good story I may add.

That photo of Barrymore and myself went on my photos on Flickr, and I thought nothing else of it.

Today I get an email from an editor on Wikipedia wondering if it was possible to use my photo of Barrymore for free on the Barrymore page. Not a problem I’m thinking, always nice when someone wants to use your work.

There’s only one problem with the photo… and you’ve got to remember at the time I was a student without any romance in my life. I had little money, and spent a bit too much time in the pub. With that in mind… check out my hair in the photo.

I can’t believe I’ve just posted the photo again.

Here are some follow ups to some of the “memo’s to” I have been writing. None of the companies in question have replied, it’s just observations I’ve made.

Memo To First Buses

Their bus stops are slowly getting updated with the new maps and numbers, but still nearly 3 weeks on after the timetable change there are lots and lots of out dated bus stops. Not good enough. First buses HQ is in Aberdeen. You’d think they’d get it right in their home city… think again.

Memo To Somerfield

So yes the Wellington Road branch of Somerfields in closing. Apparently being replaced by Tescos but I can’t confirm that and naturally they aren’t going to advertise that in Somerfields. They are advertising however that you don’t need to worry that branch is closing because you can go and shop at your next nearest Somerfield branch on George Street. Now anyone who knows Aberdeen should know that if you normally shop on Wellington Road for your food, chances are you’re not going to go to George Street. Apparently the Somerfields in Lerwick is now displaying a sign with “your nearest Somerfields store will now be Wick”. I’m sure my dad will be popping there to do the shopping instead.

I don’t know if the staff are transferring, you’d think they would, but the staff in the Wellington Road branch don’t seem to even care any more. One woman today on the till didn’t even say a word, she just looked at me when it came to the point of handing over the money. I’ve worked in a shop before, and yes the job wasn’t that exciting, but I made an effort, that was just ridiculous (I’m turning into an old complaining duffer by the way).

Bring on Tesco!

Memo To BT

I did a bit of research into why they charge me £4.50 a pop to pay my bill. That’s £4.50 ON TOP of what I already need to pay them. It’s because I’m paying by card rather than by direct debit. Paying by card (or cash or cheque at your local post office, that’s if there is such a thing any more) is more expensive to process than direct debits. OK, I can see the logic in that. But £4.50?! Surely it cant cost £4.50 to process my payment by card? If it does then BT are being ripped off somewhere too.

My life as a moaning idiot continues.

David

Memo To: Somerfield

Dear Somerfield,

Why are you closing your store on Wellington Road in Aberdeen?

Yes you weren’t perfect, sometimes the cue would be very long and there would only be one (count them, one) till open, and yes sometimes you wouldn’t have any sandwiches I liked, and yes the woman behind the the kiosk never says hello despite me saying hello to her every morning, but all in all I liked shopping in your store.

Where am I going to buy my lunch on the way into work or my chocolate croissant on the way home from work? Where??!!

Yours hungrily,

David

P.S. I’ve just done a quick search on Google and I see that Tesco’s is taking over. Oh well, world domination continues.

Andrew and Frank Turner - nicked from Andrews Blog

A couple of weeks back on the Sunday Showcase we had solo folk singer song writer Frank Turner on. I’d heard the name before but wasn’t over familiar with any of his work. I happened to be in the office when he came to do the session (occasionally due to time constraints on the artist we have to record them rather than doing them live).

I’m not always in the studio for live sessions, that’s Andrews forte. But this time round I’m glad I went in. What a brilliant session and a very down to earth and modest guy.

If you get a chance check out some of his albums, and especially his new album Love Ire & Song, which is where this track this song comes from:

Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen

You can download this session on the Sunday Showcase Podcast - Episode 21

And also check out the song Photosynthesis on Love Ire & Song.

David