April 2012

Buttercup Cough Syrup, Sinitta and Billy Joel's Shopping List...

30th April 2012

Apologies for the lack of a blog on Friday. I haven’t been very well the last few days, so I wasn’t here to write it. I was back on air today though, hacking and spluttering my way through the show. I think I’ve developed an addiction to Buttercup Cough Syrup over the last few days. I don’t even bother with the 5ml plastic spoon anymore.  I just swig it straight out of the bottle. If anyone knows of any support groups for such an affliction, please get in touch.

Nick told us that he read the Simon Cowell unauthorised biography over the weekend and since reading about Cowell’s diva-like behaviour, he’s admitted to having thoughts of a ‘I shouldn’t have to do this’ nature. He said he was ironing his shirts last night and thought that it surely should be Sinitta’s job to do it for him. Then when Gav (who is back from his paternity leave – yay!) made us a cup of tea, Nick demanded (actually demanded) that Gav went back to the kitchen to put more milk in it! (To be fair, Gav didn’t put any milk in his tea whatsoever, but still. I think it’s reasonable that I put that down to Nick being a diva and not Gav being a div.)

The Monday Moan In was another good one. Nick moaned about the lyrics to the Billy Joel song, We Didn’t Start The Fire, which is essentially just a list of stuff. I moaned about Lemsip because it’s meant to make you feel better when you’re sick, but drinking a mug of steaming hot lemony grit only makes you feel worse.

See you tomorrow. Thanks for dropping by.

Posted by Jennie at 1:59pm

Nick and a demin shirt. Yes, denim.

26th April 2012

Nick wore a denim shirt to work today.

A denim shirt.

An actual denim shirt.

Denim.

Posted by Jennie at 9:17am

Fatman, Bobbins, Superman and Turtle Girl...

24th April 2012

To promote our Local Hero Awards Nick and I dressed up as Batman and Robin today. (Or Fatman and Bobbins as we rebranded ourselves.) We took to the town centre after the Breakfast Show, along with Superman and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Hometime James and Sophie from the News Team.) We did a bit of larking around, handed out some nomination forms and paid visits to some of our friends at the bus station, Coppice Valley Primary School and the Fire Station.

You’ve only got until Sunday to get your nominations in, so go to our Local Hero Awards section and get the job done. In the meantime, have a look at these photos.

By the way, Mike is filling in for Nick and I tomorrow as all full-time Stray FM employees are having a training day. We’ll be back as normal on Thursday. Until then, be good.

Posted by Jennie at 1:25pm

Babysitting, Producers and Crisps...

23rd April 2012

Hello. Hope you’re well and that you had a nice weekend. Nick’s niece babysitting went really well, which is a bit disappointing as there weren’t as many funny stories to talk about on air as I’d hoped for. I was imagining anecdotes to rival the script of Three Men and a Baby, or at the very least, Kindergarten Cop. The best he could muster was  ‘she almost knocked over some bottles over in a supermarket.’ Well, that’s almost funny then isn’t it?

Club style Singing in the Shower is back. Our producer told us to drop this competition mechanic the other week telling us:

“It’s old now. Think of something fresh.”

Well, our producer is pretty old and he also stinks, so by his logic we should replace him too.

It’s ok, he’s unlikely to see this because he isn’t on Facebook or Twitter. He doesn’t believe in the internet. He doesn’t think it’ll catch on.

We had a lovely award-winning chat with the award-winning Stephanie Moon today. She's an absolutely lovely, award-winning chef at the award-winning Rudding Park and she’s back on telly tonight on The Great British Menu - BBC2 at 19:30.

We also reported the shocking news that Imogen ‘Giggsgate’ Thomas ate up to four packets of crisps a day, in the past, when she was stressed. Deplorable behaviour, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Click on this little audio clip for a laugh and remember; there’s not a scrap of evidence that says life should be taken seriously. Catch you again tomorrow.

Posted by Jennie at 1:13pm

Slips, Mavericks and Elton...

20th April 2012

Nick and his good lady wife, Sarah, are babysitting their two-year-old niece for the whole weekend, this weekend, for the first time, and Nick is worried. He and Sarah have been baby-proofing their house like there’s no tomorrow and Nick said they’ve bought a truck load of fuzzy felts, jigsaws, colouring-in books and felt-tip pens – Nick could have just let her borrow his but he doesn’t like to share his toys.

YES, the Secret Sound went yesterday. YES, I inadvertently let slip yesterday what it was, and YES, that’s no doubt how it was won, but, at this juncture, I’d like to point out that I’m only human and I make mistakes and, as I outlined in my blog yesterday, I am a nonconformist maverick rebel on top of that.  I rarely play by the rules because that’s what nonconformist maverick rebels do. (To behave in an unpredictable, spontaneous manner are the rules that a maverick must live by – and I study and stick to those rules rigidly in order to ensure my spontaneous, devil-may-care, unpredictable reputation.)

Nick’s always taking the mickey out of me. You might have noticed and today was no exception. He doesn’t seem to think that I’ll get an interview with Elton John when he comes to town. (Elton John is playing at the Great Yorkshire Showground for one night only on the 5^th June.) I pointed out that I managed to secure meetings with Gokky Wok and cheeky chappy Olly Murrs, for instance, but he seems to think that chewing the cud with Elton might be a bit harder to arrange. I fail to see why.  He’s only a person like you and me. He still knows the heights his career could soar to if he got a mention on Stray FM.  He’s not crazy! I don’t think Nick’s giving him enough credit. I had a serious talk with Nick about this off air the other day. I told him that I didn’t think he was being very supportive of me trying to help Elton John out in trying to give him some airtime. Since then Nick’s got on board, he even got hold of Elton John’s personal email address for me to help me out. I’ve not had a reply yet but I’ll keep you posted.

Posted by Jennie at 11:48am

Radio, Being Feral and the Size of Weetabix...

19th April 2012

Personally, I think the beauty of radio is that it’s live. When you’re listening to the radio, you know you’re part of something that’s happening in real time. Switch on the radio and you get a feeling of ‘we’re all in this together. This is happening right here, right now.’  That, to me, is what makes radio the best medium. It cuts through immediately and that makes it more exciting, more current, more relevant and more stimulating than other forms of entertainment. With most television shows and with journalism - even at its brilliant best - you still know that you’re watching or reading something that has already happened. By the time it gets to you; it’s already old news. Radio cuts through instantly and that’s what makes it so powerful and compelling.

When radio is good, it’s awesome. (And I mean that in the proper sense of the word, not when I say ‘thanks for that cup of tea, man. It was awesome’.) To me, great radio isn’t about rehearsals or scripts or safe, pre-meditated responses. It’s at its best when it’s real and honest. If that means that Nick and I make mistakes live on air and are a little controversial sometimes and fly by the seat of our pants occasionally, so be it. If that means that Nick and I end up talking about the size of Weetabix at a moments notice, hey, deal with it. It might be shocking but that’s just the way it’s going to be when you tune in to us. So get used to it. You can’t tame us. We’re feral.  We’re wild and free and we’ll please ourselves before we pander to anybody else. We’re renegade broadcasters and we won’t change for anybody.*

Oh yeah, and I might have accidentally given away what the current Secret Sound is at 08:05. It was a complete accident but that sometimes happens when you’re a loose cannon of a girl who lives on the edge like I do.

*Our Producer has insisted that we change.

Posted by Jennie at 2:04pm

Cowell again, tabloid fodder and Nick's gym...

18th April 2012

Well, isn’t Simon Cowell a despicable human being? Can you believe that he has flowers in his house? That he likes a nice water feature in his garden?? Or - brace yourself now - that he has the audacity to eat “life-enhancing fresh fruit” EVERY DAY?!!!

The daily revelations about his private life in the tabloids have reached a climax with these gritty accusations. I don’t know how he can look at himself in the mirror. Fruit? Every day? Despicable behaviour, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

The Wednesday Weigh Off went well today. Not much change, which is a good thing, in a way. Not huge weight gains to report here. Just the news that Nick’s fashioned himself a Rocky style gym in his garage. (When I say ‘gym’ I mean one piece of actual gym equipment – a cross trainer - and some tins of paint which he uses as weights.) He’s doing an offer on memberships at the moment if you’re interested. Be warned though, he works out in his pants.

More gumf tomorrow. Take it easy, don’t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.

Posted by Jennie at 10:00am

Cowell is NOT a gayman, The Jolie-Pitts and a photograph that will haunt me forever...

17th April 2012

Another day, another Simon Cowell story detailing how much of a heterosexual man he is. We have no reason to doubt it, not when several unidentified sources have confirmed it.

We also told you about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie visiting Richmond – nice of them to come and hang out in Yorkshire for a bit. I hope Angie makes the most of it and does a bit of leg bombing while she’s here.

Nick was all dressed up today because he’s gone on some sort of secret mission with SB: The Big Bad Boss and Paddy The News Dunlop. He even had to take his passport with him. I really wish hadn’t had to, because it meant that I saw his passport photo – a memory that will stay with me forever, unfortunately.

Check the audio clip out and, if you’re brave enough, check out the photo below.

Posted by Jennie at 1:54pm

Easter's Over and Misunderstanding the Concept of the Monday Moan In...

16th April 2012

The Easter holidays are over. All the kids are back at school. All the grown-ups are back at work and Nick and I have all twelve of our listeners back. Yes! Being Monday, Nick and I did the Monday Moan In as usual, in spite of the people who moan at us every week for encouraging people to moan. Ironically, in doing this, these naysayers inadvertently fall into the trap of participating in The Monday Moan In because they get in touch with us to moan about other people moaning! MMMWWWWAAAAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

If you’re of the opinion that we shouldn’t be doing The Monday Moan In because it encourages misery; you’re missing the point. Try to see it as us providing an important little service, for a very small amount of time, during one Breakfast Show per week, where you have a friendly platform on which you can get on your soapbox about absolutely anything you like. It feels good to get things off your chest. Obviously we’re after light-hearted, funny, interesting anecdotes. This show is upbeat live entertainment, generally suitable for kids to listen to as well as adults and our main aim is to give you something pleasant, interesting and amusing to listen to. Most of our listeners understand this and we usually have a right laugh sifting through your brilliant Monday Moan Ins:

“Hey Nick and Jen. When you eat out at Italian restaurants, why don’t they trust you with the cheese?”

“My moan is about people who take ages to reply to your texts. If someone takes an hour to respond to me, I feel that I have to take two hours to respond to them!”

“Hello Nick and Jen. I’d like to moan about the fact that someone ran over my dog last night, killed it, and didn’t even stop to help me clean the mess up.” That Monday Moan In didn’t make it to air.

Nick and I are after those silly little things that annoy you. Or those trivial things that don’t quite make sense to you. The things that leave you feeling a little baffled and thinking ‘am I the only one this happens to?!’

Click on the short audio link below to hear my Monday Moan for this morning. It’s something I’m sure we can all relate to.

Posted by Jennie at 1:45pm

Sweeptakes, Singing in the Shower and Thank you x

13th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with Nick and Jen...

Nick decided not to watch The Notebook last night. I think that was a wise decision. He’ll need the weekend to recover from the trauma.

We ran a sweepstake on the Grand National, taking place tomorrow. The phone lines went absolutely mad – all 40 horses were allocated to individual listeners in record time. It baffled me. It was only 40 quid and three bottles of naff screw-top wine (that Nick had won the previous day in a raffle) up for grabs. We been known to get less fuss when we’re giving away a grand on the Secret Sound. I guess we’ve got a core audience of gamblers with drink problems.

We did the last ever Singing in the Shower today too – we’re tired of being hounded by Cowell. Our talent for effortlessly delivering hauntingly beautiful duets and making songs our own has become an albatross around our necks. (That’d be two albatrosses then.) We have no desire to be the next Kylie and Jason, thanks. The ever lovely Nickki (yes, that is the right spelling, I checked - phonetic alphabet and everything) won the last two tickets to see The Wanted at Ripley Castle on 15^th July. Well done girl!

As ever; thanks for listening. There’s a lot of choice out there but you’re made the right decision listening to us. We really don’t take you for granted and always strive to give you want you want.

Wishing you a great weekend. We’ll catch you again on Monday morning.

Posted by Jennie at 10:09am

The Notebook, Telly and Sheds...

12th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with Nick and Jen...

Brace yourself. I’ve lent Nick The Notebook and he’s watching it tonight. A film once described as “so devastating, I lost my mind for five years.” If you don't realise the implications of this, just know that Nick bawls his eyes out over light-hearted rom-com ‘50 First Dates’. His wife, Sarah, tweeted me earlier saying that he’d broken down last week at an episode of Hollyoaks. I’ve advised her to take some time off work to deal with the aftermath. Nick appears to have no idea about what he’s walking into. I feel like I’m watching my pet dog go off, tail wagging, thinking he’s going to live on a farm, when really he’s going to the vets to be put down. It’s going to be a blub fest round at The Hancock’s pad tonight and no mistake. I’ve advised Nick to get lots of tissues in for this film. He assured me that he’s already stocked up on the tissue front, he watches a lot of films that necessitate them apparently. Tune in tomorrow to hear his film review. That’s if he can drag himself out of bed in the morning.

I now have a television. Nick can’t believe this, but for the last three years, I’ve lived quite happily without one. I think he imagines me doing my laundry on a washboard and mangle and blowing my gas lantern out before I go to sleep on my pile of straw at night. So I’ve been pulled back in by the low-brow charms of Jezza K, Judge Judy and 60 Minute Makeover – God help anybody who did that to my house - decent furniture is not made of MDF. Fact. I must get a grip, and quickly, one day in and I already feel less intelligent.

Nick told us who was fired from The Apprentice last night. (Which I watched via the medium of my television.) We got the usual few people moaning at us for relaying this information on the radio. I find it curious that Paddy, Gav and Sophie, our newsreaders, never get people moaning at them for reporting new information. “Oh thanks a lot! You could have waited with your news bulletin. I haven’t got around to finding that information out for myself yet.”

Finally, Nick found it most amusing that I am a shed-lover, and according to a recent poll, and Michael Jackson: I am not alone. We Brits spend an awful lot of time in them. I think I took it to the next level during my teenage years though. After years of coveting sheds on family trips to places like Homebase, my Dad took it upon himself to build me my very own shed, at the bottom of the garden, when I was about 13 years old. I’d while away many a happy hour in my shed. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, with a friend or two, playing scrabble by candlelight, in my beloved shed. You might think my childhood decadent, like some kind of gypo Paris Hilton. And yes, they were heady times. It is a lovely childhood memory until I do this sum: wooden shed + highly flammable polyester sleeping bag + irresponsible kids + naked flames = what on earth were my parents thinking?

Posted by Jennie at 2:19pm

Mollie, Blasphemy and Blubbing...

11th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with Nick and Jen...

Yay! Nick is back! And what a joy it is to have him return from his hols to Stray Towers. Co-hosting The Breakfast Show with Nick again is like putting on a nice pair of comfy, old, sarcastic slippers. 

Today we celebrated the fact that our Gav has become a Dad for the first time.

Welcome to the world Mollie!

While Gav is on paternity leave for the next fortnight, we’ve got the pleasure of Paddy’s company - delivering your news in much the same way that babies are delivered: with precision timing, attention to detail and the ever present possibility that an emergency blood transfusion will have to be performed.*   

The post-Easter Wednesday Weigh In took place at the usual time of 08:30, which included a predictable and colossal combined weight gain and a spot of mild blasphemy.  (It’s ok, if God really does exist, he’s bound to forgive us.)  We concluded that stuffing your face with chocolate over the Easter holidays until you’re too podged to move is what Jesus would have wanted.

We chatted about a recent ‘Films to Blub to’ survey. Marley and Me and The Notebook came top of the list. Marley and Me doesn’t really move me. Give me Turner and Hooch any day if you want to render me emotionally labile over the death of a fictional dog. (During this conversation the unbelievable confession came forth that Nick has never seen Titanic or Forrest Gump!)

We’ll be back tomorrow with more brilliance. Until then, try to take it easy and enjoy your day.

*This situation is a rare occurrence in a radio station news booth.

Click on the audio link below to get a glimpse of what you might have missed from this morning's show.

Posted by Jennie at 11:48am

Bank Hols, Games and Nick's Girth...

10th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with James and Jen...

James and I were both here doing the breakfast shows on Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday, but we didn’t write individual blogs for them because, quite frankly, we had better things to do once the shows were over. I had to go and play golf at Crimple Valley, attend Hare Fest, visit Newby Hall and nearly break my neck walking around How Stean Gorge and James had to do a pile of ironing that was this* high.

Anyway, it’s good to be back to normal this morning after the Easter weekend. James and I were chatting about the games we used to play as kids. Some of you got in touch to tell us your old favourites: Operation, Game of Life, Downfall, Mousetrap, Ghost Castle and Buckaroo - to name but all of them. (You gave us the impression that you weren't really with it today, to be honest. Get it together will you! It's time to get back on it now. Easter is over. Time to get back to work. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help get you going again. Would you like me to send James round to give you a little pep talk?)

We told you all about the current Soundcheck Survey, where you get to directly influence the music we play on Stray FM (go to the Soundcheck section to take part. It only takes a few minutes and is a lot of fun**). We did the Secret Sound as usual at 08:05; the jackpot currently stands at £200 and we gave away another couple of tickets to see The Wanted at Ripley Castle on 15^th July.

Nick’s back off his hols tomorrow, just in time for the Wednesday Weigh Off. James (foolishly) thinks Nick will have lost weight during his time off. I’m guessing that he’s gained the best part of a stone, and Joey, (one of our Sales Execs who popped into the studio during this idle chitchat) reckons that he’ll have put on four pounds. Tune in tomorrow to find out.

*I’m holding my hand up above my head.

**It’s moderate fun, at best. Still fun though.

Posted by Jennie at 11:51am

Hitches, The Beatles and Soundchecks...

5th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with James and Jen...

We had a few technical hitches early this morning, but being the professionals we are, it doesn’t appear as though anybody noticed...either that or nobody was listening to us. It was very early though so perhaps you were all where you should be at silly o’ clock – snuggled up in bed.

Today James and I chatted about The Beatles offspring wanting to create their own Beatles spin off band. Good God! Isn’t this one of the worst ideas you’ve ever heard? Just because they share DNA with musical geniuses, doesn’t automatically mean that they inherited their phenomenal talent – and clearly they didn’t because they’ve all individually attempted to forge music careers in the past and they failed spectacularly. It’s a blatant attempt to cash in on their family names and I, for one, find that most unpleasant.

...and breathe...

James and I told you about the latest Stray FM Soundcheck – where you get to rate the music we play. It’s a simple fun survey that lasts for two weeks, so make sure you get on it. Just go to the Soundcheck section on this website and get involved. You’ll never again have any excuse to say that we play ‘x’ too often or don't play 'y' enough. What our listeners want, our listeners get. You just have to make sure you opinions are heard – so sign up and do the Soundcheck.

Finally, the sun’s got his hat back on. All is right with the world once more. It’s Bank Holiday Friday tomorrow, but James and I will be here as usual from 6-9am. We’ll be playing all No.1’s tomorrow and on Bank Holiday Monday too, which will be a lot of fun. See you tomorrow. You stay classy.

Posted by Jennie at 11:35am

Snow, Garms and Cheetara...

4th April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with James and Jen...

This time last week I was in a sunny beer garden after work. This morning we all woke up to snow. We’ve known snow in April before now, but I don’t remember the weather changes being as extreme as this. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going clothes-wise. A day can look all blue skies, but then you go outside in your summer threads and literally freeze your bottom off. (Yes, literally.)

And this problem of deciding what to wear every day, it’s even worse when you do a job that has such early starts. I get up at 5am every day. Gav, James (and Nick when he’s not on his holidays) live further away and so have to get up even earlier in the 4am hour.

So half of the Programming Team at Stray are half asleep when they get dressed for work every day. Add to this that we’re normally in a rush and don’t have the option of being late (because of having to be on air for a set time), it explains the states we sometimes turn up to work in. I normally have a pretty good case of bed-head hair. (Gav even went through a phase of calling me ‘Cheetara’ from the Thundercats cartoon. She had an opulent mane of hair.) I’ve accidentally worn t-shirts inside out and it’s commonplace that our shirts are un-ironed. James almost came in wearing his slippers once and it explain Gav’s questionable bomber jacket today too. (It does not excuse Nick’s red trousers though. He deliberately wears that garment with no hint of irony.)

Gav and his Mrs are expecting a baby and she’s now overdue so he could get the call at any second. I therefore think Gav’s gone into ‘Dad Mode’. He certainly seems to be acting a little more oddly than usual and it would further explain the dodgy coat.

Have a listen to the clip below. We’ll catch you again tomorrow. Wrap up warm!

Posted by Jennie at 12:01pm

Lagerfeld, McAllister and Pallister...

3rd April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with James and Jen...

Today James and I told you about how Karl Lagerfeld had tried to make amends with Adele by sending her loads of Chanel bags.  Lagerfeld reportedly said that Adele was “too fat” a couple of weeks ago. James couldn’t believe that a bag could be on sale for several thousand pounds. He said that he prefers designer brands like Matalan and Primark. His wife is a lucky lady. (Yes, that’s right, James is a married man, has been for some time. I know! He barely looks old enough to be a page boy.)

James reckoned he spotted a celebrity outside the Wetherby Whaler on his drive home yesterday. He tried to get me to guess who it was, which would have worked a lot better if I had the slightest idea who Gary McAllister is. (He is a former Leeds United footballer. He is currently a chip shop lover.) With me being blatantly underwhelmed by his superstar sighting, James turned his attention to news reader Gav, who was in the news booth waiting to read his bulletin, chomping on his banana if you must know.

Well, Gav was even less impressed than I was...but then he thought we were on about Gary Pallister. 

A glorious case of crossed-wires which left James unimpressed with the pair of us. Click on the audio link below for a clip. Catch you tomorrow. Take it easy.

Posted by Jennie at 1:35pm

Bashing, The Dirty City and Cats...

2nd April 2012

Get up to no good in the morning with James and Jen...

James and I had the usual Monday Moan In this morning, where we encourage you to get those pet peeves off your chest. You really do feel better for it. I was in London at the weekend and so my moan was how in London you tend to get bashed about when you walk around, nobody ever tries to avoid doing it or says sorry when they do almost knock you flying.

James moaned about Sunday drivers. Ambling along roads at 30 mph when they’re in a National Speed Limit Zone, when you’re behind them and in a rush – ggrrrrrrrr!

As usual we had the people who don’t want to take part, eeerr...taking part. “I have nothing to moan about. Why do people have to moan? I’m sick of people moaning!” Which is in itself a moan and not a very inventive one at that.

We’re giving away Sitting Room Comedy Club tickets and Hare Fest tickets all week. Don’t say we never give you anything.

With Nick being on his holidays, tomorrow’s topic is: while the Cat’s away, the mice will play. Should be quite funny. You stay classy Yorkshire.

Posted by Jennie at 1:48pm