Day 235. Radio, Radio. (23/8/13)

The start of something that became a regular part of my life. Sporadic appearances on City Talk 'doing the papers' which became regular appearances which became a weekly thing.

City Talk closed down near the start of the first lockdown period, the last few times I did the show were by phone. There fact that I never got to say a proper goodbye in person was a bit crap.

It's not the first time that I've been on the radio of course. Far from it, I've been doing this stuff for absolutely years.

There was the appearance on the quiz show 'Know Your Merseyside' when I was 10. Presented by local legend Brian Jacques, folk musician and writer (famous for his mouse based series of 'Redwall' fantasy novels), I recall that I made it as far as the semi finals of this schools-aimed series before losing out on one poor answer. I have no idea what the question was but the answer was 'Burbo Bank'

Bloody Burbo Bank. Cost me my chance at glory.

Then there was my brief cameo on Radio Merseyside. George Harrison had passed away and they needed somebody in the music business locally to comment on the Beatle's early passing. I was in a senior position in Church Street, everybody knew that I loved the sound of my own voice and nobody else wanted to do it so I was dispatched to Paradise Street to talk about how sad it was to lose such a major figure and discuss how it would obviously affect his sales in the most unwanted way.

This morning was different though, this morning I'd put my name forward with the claim that I would be an interesting and entertaining addition to their panel of paper reviewers; I had something that I had to live up to and the hope that I'd be good enough to be asked back. I like the idea of being on the radio, of putting my opinion forward. You may be shocked by that revelation. Or not.

Up at 5.30, outside the Radio City Tower by 6.55 knowing that the papers would be ready for me for 7am, on air at 7.20. Nobody there. No receptionist. Phoning the studio, e-mailing the presenter, anything to get in. Luckily another presenter or a news guy or somebody that works there arrived and I got in with him.

The thing to know about Radio City/CityTalk is that it is (as implied earlier) at the top of a tower. The St John's beacon to be precise. Basically the chimney for the St John's shopping centre, a revolving floor was built around the top containing (originally) a restaurant and wall to floor windows providing views across the city. In the early 80s (date may be unreliable) the BBC produced a drama starring Lenny Henry as a DJ based in Liverpool. Apparently neither Merseyside's Paradise Street home nor City's then Stanley Street based headquarters were considered televisual enough and the producers opted for pretending the then closed tower was much more interesting than it really was and cast it as a radio station.

When City had to leave Stanley Street somebody took the very clever opportunity to let life imitate art, hence a radio station up a tower.

The show's presenter, Mick Coyle, a genuinely nice bloke (not just saying this in case he reads it) came down to take me up to the studio himself. First surprise of the morning; radio based television dramas and the 'zoo' format of some radio shows lead you to expect a den of activity, producers, assistants, people sliding sliders that create aural magic, this was a one man show, Mick, a computer, two microphones and a pair of headphones.

I had 10 minutes or so to flick through the papers with a cup of tea (also made by Mick) and come up with 5 or 6 stories that I could talk about, we chatted about the suitability of Ben Affleck (now apparently referred to throughout Twitter as Batfleck) to his just announced role as the new Batman and then it was straight on to the airwaves.

And the second that Mick asked me for my first story my mouth became drier than it's ever been in my life. I felt myself stumbling for words, hearing every 'errm' and 'ahhhm' that I habitually punctuate my conversation with.

I spoke about a story in the Echo covering the fact that the team founded in memory of Rhys Jones was having to disband after a foul during a game led to one of the players being threatened with being shot by an opponent. An utter disgrace.

I moved onto music, speaking about the Liverpool Music Festival, feeling a bit more comfortable. Mick guided me into the question of Affleck and the review became a conversation.

It's always enlightening to watch somebody who's comfortable with what they do and naturally good at it carry out their work. It's enjoyable when they make you feel comfortable in their world.

That's what happened this morning.

And a couple of hours later I had the bizarre experience of hearing a conversation that I'd had at the top of a tower in Liverpool City Centre beng replayed as I drove along the M57.

And I was better than I thought.

Now that's a good start to a day.