August 20, 2010 · 11:27 am
1. Do You Feel Free?? It was going to be the title of this post – but Kissing the Gator elbowed it aside. (You can find out why further down.)
How does this graffiti make you feel? Puzzled? Reflective? Called to action? Annoyed (especially if it’s your garage door)?
I saw it the other day behind some shops. It makes me think smugness. The person who sprayed it is smug.
What about this next one? A step or two too far? Continue reading →
Filed under life, media
Tagged as 911, Al Qaeda, alligator, black boy, blackwater, blackwatertown, codom, death, do you feel free, durex, euphemisms, euphemisms for death, fight club, gator, graffiti, john le mesurier, kissed the gator, kissing the gator, offensive, oxford, reverse psychology, Richard Bacon, secret half hour, September 11th, SHH, Special Half Hour, terrorism, toilet, Tomasz Schafernaker, weatherman, World Trade Center, World Trade Centre
March 22, 2010 · 3:58 pm
Its been tumultuous in Blackwatertown Towers lately. Normal service will soon be resumed. Once we establish just what the new normality will look like. But in the meantime, I’ll share with you some of what I’ve learned lately.

Yes, it looks like a roof slate because that's what it is. (You get a shiny medal for Sport Relief.) The glamorous person holding the slate/trophy is presenter Rachael Hodges, flanked by "the prestigious" Richard Bacon, and me. I didn't think the beer bottle would be in the picture. Missing from the line-up are top guru Louise Birt, indefatigable Garth Brameld, podcaster Harri Ritchie and inspirational listeners Jon Hillier and the Digger. The award was for the Special Half Hour - SHH.
- I haven’t completely lost it, thank God. I’ve just left the BBC after many years, but can proudly brandish two new awards. The first one is the highly prestigious Most Innovative Programme Award from the admittedly slightly obscure annual Audio and Music Awards. I shared it for a radio show I produced up until Christmas. The award-winning bit was the Special Half Hour – SHH – of which it was an honour and a privilege to be part. (Rule No. 1 You don’t talk about the Special Half Hour. But it’s been axed, so I dare to speak of it.) The second is the also prestigious and much better known Sport Relief Mile. My running partner and I distinguished ourselves by completing the three mile (Count ’em! 3!) circuit before any of the six milers crossed the finish line. (Question: For which award did I contribute more to the sum of goodness in the world?)
- Whenever someone claims to be the first to ever do something, they’re wrong. Continue reading →
Filed under family history, history, life
Tagged as 6 Music, Ambos Mundos, art, Asian Network, BBC, BBC Radio 5 live, Belfast, Belfast Celtic, Beth Gibbs, bigotry, blackwater, blackwatertown, book, Celtic, China, Cuba, DAB, Digger, Easter, family, family history, football, Garth Brameld, Harri Ritchie, Havana, history, holiday, Howard Benson, Ivory, Jose Latour, Keith Richards, Lime Green Media, LimeGreen Media, Lou Birt, Louise Birt, Martin Lynch, Matt Stuttard, Over The Bridge, Paul Waters, play, playwright, police, Rachael Hodges, Rhod Sharp, Richard Bacon, Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC, Sam Thompson, sectarianism, Sharon Alcock, SHH, Special Half Hour, sport, Sport Relief, theatre, undergarmenty, vacation