onionbagblog

An innocent plugging of m’blog, and whaddya know - less than twenty-four hours later and there I was, about to go live on BBC Radio Essex to big up the benefits of Essex life.

Blimey.

Yeah, it really was as simple as that. It seems that the (((((ahhh)))) good news story of the Colchester Kid caught the attention of the good folk working on the @DaveMonkShow at BBC Essex.

“Would you like to appear on the show for a short interview?” came the request.

Um…

Normally I would shy away from this. It’s not that I’ve got a face fit for radio, more that I’ve got a voice that only works on a blog. But y’know - these opportunities come around rarely. It is what I strive to achieve via m’blog - reaching out and seeing where the ride takes you.

So yep, shortly after 10am on Wednesday morning, there I was sitting in my rocking chair and finding out that dear old Roy Wood and Wizard were my support act.

Oh Lordy.

I had a rough idea of the points that I wanted to put across, but failed to achieve any. This was no bad thing. Dave was such a calm, reassuring host, and the end result was simply a charming phone conversation with an engaging chap.

[um, linkage - one hour, ten minutes in...]

We talked about the story of the Great Escape and what has changed in the estuary wilds in my seventeen year absence. I managed to get the plug in for Nigel and @15QueenStreet; apologies @Colchester101 - one plug more may have been pushing it slightly.

I wrote down on my notepad in front of me two areas to focus on:

Speak SLOWLY and

Don’t say f*** and don’t say bugger.

Bugger.

Only joking.

This was essentially a good news story. I genuinely LOVE living around here. The reality has lived up to all the expectations during the year or so planning around leaving London.

So a huge thanks to @DaveMonkShow and the team for a slightly different way of spending the morning. It’s a really great local news based broadcast, even with the odd hit and miss guest.

Chin chin.