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And so there I was on a mid-week afternoon, sipping cups of tea in my kitchen with Mr Mule and having a non-broadcast chat about how we are both bodging our way around Audacity as part of the wonderful Radio Wivenhoe project.

An extra boost of sugar in my PG Tips inspired me to slap my thighs, climb on the kitchen table and annoyingly declare:

“Hey kids! Let’s put a show on, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!“

Oh Lordy.

And so Mr Mule and I departed to the front room parlour studio, sat down in the rocking chairs (seriously) and hit the record button. Once again the conversation was pretty much unplanned. I just wanted to speak with Martin about his life in Wivenhoe, the influence that the estuary town has had running through his work and his thoughts on the future.

I am fast learning that this is the best way to work for these Wiv Chat broadcasts. Martin can talk for England. and Wivenhoe - in fact he does so in the recordings below. I find it fascinating to hear the insights about the town each time we catch up for a conversation.

Oh - and as pledged as the end of the recording, jingles from Mr Mule for Wiv Chat duly arrived the next day. I LOVE the irony of Mulberry Harbour - a song poking polite fun about new folk arriving in the town - being used as my jingle.

We’re not form London, y’know…

Whoops.

The station itself is starting to take hold behind the scenes. A tremendous amount of work is being put in by Jerry Davis, Joe Newell and others. A provisional live launch date has been scheduled for 4th July. There is also fighting talk of a Radio Wivenhoe Fun Day (hurrah) on 20th August.

The kind Bookshop folk are busy recording spoken word from local authors; Hilary Lazwell is working on a Victorian Gothic story telling series and former Councillor Cyril Liddy is looking at a Book at Bedtime show.

Cripes.

Our May Fair friends are tapping into their vast local musical contacts, poetrywivenhoe have involvement and I’m off down the Funny Farm next week to record some of gags from the Wivenhoe comedy club.

My own personal plan is to run with these Wiv Chat pieces for as long as possible. We got off to a great start with the oral history gold of Peter Green. Mr Mule is a Wivenhoe legend, and speaking of which - I only had that nice Mr Mayor around my fireside for a catch up on Friday afternoon.

So three in the bag, and hopefully a Wiv Chat head of steam is rolling out. I have a hit list of twenty-five or so local characters or groups that I personally know whom I can approach. Please do volunteer yourself forward (or suggest other names) to keep this Wiv Chat work going.

Forty minutes or so of Mr Mule is probably enough for one sitting, but I feel that there are plenty more tales to be told from Martin to follow.

I think I’m going to rather enjoy this particular project…