I was wondering what to write about in this post. Until I hear the Drive time show on Radio Shropshire today.
Anyone that knows me knows the love I have for my counties local BBC radio station.
Adam and Vicki, the shows presenters where saying how it was the shows 3rd birthday, and that back on Monday the 27th of September 2010 they where teamed up to do the show, after John Darvall left the station.
This made me think about the station, a station that first went live on 23 April 1985, St Georges Day. (I am too young to remember that day. cough) The Slogan for the starting year was "Live in 85", It started with just one transmitter based on the Wrekin television mast (near telford) linked to the main studio. Converted from an old supermarket at Boscobel Drive, Shrewsbury, the studio has given the station a great base right in the middle of the county.
Now, i can see you falling asleep at my geeky out burst, I shall skip all the technical stuff I have found online about the station.
Going back to Adam Green and Vicki Archer, and they comments on the shows birthday. The day of the first show, I turned my radio on with worry about the changes to the stations shows, as, well to be honest. the station had some cracking output, and i was worried the changes could be for the worst.
However, the stations editor had done something that is hard to do.Kept the tone and cracking output the same with new teams and gentle changes. Pairing up the morning presenter, Eric Smith with the mid afternoon presenter Clare Ashford for the morning show, even if Clare groans at Eric's bad jokes. Leaving Jim Hawkins to do this great morning show. Then extending Colin Young's lunchbox from 2 to 3 hours, more about that later. then getting a new team of Adam and Vicki to replace John Darval on the drivetime slot.
Now a bit about each show,
Clare Ashford and Eric Smith on the breakfast show.
Both are far too quick witted for that time in the morning. Even If i think Eric has a key to my bad joke Emporium.
Jim Hawkins does a mainly talk based show with some great music
sprinkled though it. Showing the human side of Shropshire, Giving a new
angle on local stories and people. With the core idea of helping people
out along the way.
I have spoke to him on a few occasions when he did his "On the bench" in Oswestry. On the bench is where he goes to a bench somewhere in the county and talks to whoever come and talks to him. It a great idea, and gives real insight into the lives of Salopians.
Colin Young's afternoon show. It has a fun personal feel, with some fun
interaction bits. like on the road, you have to guess the place in
Shropshire with cryptic clues. And hitting the
headline, where you have to give a song to match the headline. Some
times I try to get Col to read out the most weirdest answers to both of
these, usually ending up with a comical comment from him.
Colin also loves doing things out and about the county. and has pre recorded bits where he finds out about things in the county or has a go and doing something. He has in the past tried doing an outside broadcast from the last Wrexham and Shropshire railways train, with some technical problems due to being on a moving train. Something he did not have trouble with when in March 2013 he broadcast his lunchtime programme from a narrowboat on the Llangollen canal in north Shropshire for a week.
Sometimes I do wonder if this escaping the studios has something to do with him being the Longest serving member of the station, being with the station from 1985.
Adam Green and Vicki Archer, with the drive time show. With more
interaction with schools out, a guessing game where Vicki's children (only 2 of the 3, the baby cant talk yet)
explain an object, it's harder than it sounds. Then there is place of
the week, a place in Shropshire that they visit and learn about, taking
us along for the ride.
There is another show that is not on daily, that I really enjoy. In fact I am listening to it as I writing this posting. That is Colin Young's Trunk Of Funk. A cracking little show that help lift my mood.
Colin has a knowledge of disco, soul, funk and all that type of music that is second to none. and always puts on a upbeat show, that and his band of Trunkateers meet up on facebook during the show for what can only be described as a mad 3 hours of interaction.
The fact that Delivering Quality First (DQF) threatened to end the show, the amount of support of the show, pushed it into a new 2200 - 0100 friday time slot, and opened up the simultaneous transmission from 3 station Radio Shropshire, Radio Stoke and Hereford and Worcester to include BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and BBC WM. Making it a West Midland region Show. Something many listeners from the original 3 stations said should of be done years ago. and in my personal opinion is the only good thing to come out of the DQF shake up,
Saturday is not the same without Saturday night with Jim Hawkins.It is a shame that it went, as it was a really uplifting specialist show. another brilliant show that was made by Radio Shropshire.
The trunk of funk and the friendly
day show, really help to lift my mood, and help me think happier
thoughts.
So As you can see, BBC Radio Shropshire can keep lone workers like myself sane and informed about the county I live in, and it always help keeps me the right side of the black dog, by being
good it job.
And most of all Being the voice of Shropshire.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
28 Sept 2013
20 Sept 2013
The keeper of the BLT.
In the last post I said about my life has been shaken and changed.
Well apparently I am a sandwich carer. The first time I hear this I thought, I don't look after packed lunches!!
After googling it, the mental images I had of looking after marmalade butties and making sure the lettuce did not escape from a BTL sub, soon disappeared. So what is a sandwich carer I don't here you cry.
Is someone who looks after an older relative and a younger relative. In my case it, my mum that tries to live as independently as she can. And my daughter that has learning difficulties.
My Mum has MS and bone that don't like keeping calcium. meaning her mobility is not what it once was, much to her dismay. She no longer drive, opting to surrender her driving licence a few weeks ago. not that she was a big driver in the last few years, Dad used to do most of the driving as the feeling in my mums feet started to fade.
My daughter has ADHD and Global Development Delay, in other word, they are still working out what other problems she has.
There is an odd side to caring for a mobility restricted highly experienced retired nursery teacher and caring teen with mental disabilities. When they are together, they start caring for each other, weird but true.
My mum has the skills from years of teaching and running a nursery to verbally direct her granddaughter and can under her instruction her granddaughter can do the physical stuff she can't.
Lets take the weekly shop as an example. The shopping trolleys are right behind the car, and my daughter knows to get one and take it to the car door, then helps mum out and to the trolley. when in the supermarket, she get what mum cant. It beautiful to see, how these two people that have trouble functioning by themselves working together to over come there own problems without even thinking about it.
And with that i will leave you with an escapee from Dave's bad joke Emporium,
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Little old lady."
"Little old lady who?"
"I didn't know you could yodel!"
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
Well apparently I am a sandwich carer. The first time I hear this I thought, I don't look after packed lunches!!
After googling it, the mental images I had of looking after marmalade butties and making sure the lettuce did not escape from a BTL sub, soon disappeared. So what is a sandwich carer I don't here you cry.
Is someone who looks after an older relative and a younger relative. In my case it, my mum that tries to live as independently as she can. And my daughter that has learning difficulties.
My Mum has MS and bone that don't like keeping calcium. meaning her mobility is not what it once was, much to her dismay. She no longer drive, opting to surrender her driving licence a few weeks ago. not that she was a big driver in the last few years, Dad used to do most of the driving as the feeling in my mums feet started to fade.
My daughter has ADHD and Global Development Delay, in other word, they are still working out what other problems she has.
There is an odd side to caring for a mobility restricted highly experienced retired nursery teacher and caring teen with mental disabilities. When they are together, they start caring for each other, weird but true.
My mum has the skills from years of teaching and running a nursery to verbally direct her granddaughter and can under her instruction her granddaughter can do the physical stuff she can't.
Lets take the weekly shop as an example. The shopping trolleys are right behind the car, and my daughter knows to get one and take it to the car door, then helps mum out and to the trolley. when in the supermarket, she get what mum cant. It beautiful to see, how these two people that have trouble functioning by themselves working together to over come there own problems without even thinking about it.
And with that i will leave you with an escapee from Dave's bad joke Emporium,
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Little old lady."
"Little old lady who?"
"I didn't know you could yodel!"
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
6 Sept 2013
Dear blog, sorry for being a way so long
yet another sorry for not posting, post.
It has been a few days off a year since my last post. Why well I have had a hell of a time. and not been up for posting.
My world has been shaken and changed. It started with one phone call and all weirdness broke out. Now I don't know how much i want to post about it. I may do a full posting of that night, in my usual style of my other now resting blog some time in the future. However, at the moment. I think it would be too painful for some people that come across my blog to read and for me to write.
My dad died in November last year. Mum called saying she could not wake him, when i got there, there was signs to do CPR. As the first person there able to do it. I did.
And at the moment that as much i can write about it.
since then I have fallen off social media a bit. I think it may be time to try and get back on to social media, as I only use it on a friday when the trunk of funk is on. The only time of the week where the black dog has a nap for 3 hours and i can lose myself in the world of funk.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
It has been a few days off a year since my last post. Why well I have had a hell of a time. and not been up for posting.
My world has been shaken and changed. It started with one phone call and all weirdness broke out. Now I don't know how much i want to post about it. I may do a full posting of that night, in my usual style of my other now resting blog some time in the future. However, at the moment. I think it would be too painful for some people that come across my blog to read and for me to write.
My dad died in November last year. Mum called saying she could not wake him, when i got there, there was signs to do CPR. As the first person there able to do it. I did.
And at the moment that as much i can write about it.
since then I have fallen off social media a bit. I think it may be time to try and get back on to social media, as I only use it on a friday when the trunk of funk is on. The only time of the week where the black dog has a nap for 3 hours and i can lose myself in the world of funk.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
9 Sept 2012
Local hospitals Complaints rise
I am writing about my local hospital trust, why i hear you ask. well I think they do not learn from the past.
Back in December 2008 a man in Telford suffered a stroke. He should of had a follow-up appointment, but it was never made. On 19 March 2009 he experienced blurring of his vision and became confused and was taken to hospital, where it was discovered he had suffered a second stroke.
This second stroke left the man a self-employed courier, partially sighted and unable to work.All down to what the trust called "simple administration error" that meant the initial appointment where a vital blood-thinning medication would of been prescribed did not happen.
After a undisclosed six-figure settlement with man, the trust said it had "reviewed all aspects of the care he received to ensure that lessons are learned".
I had a 'simple administration error' with a initial follow-up appointment. after hospitalization in November 2008 Where I had to chase it up, TWICE once in September 2009 and then again on the 28th October 2009. I ended up with an appointment on the 22 December 2009. Thats 13 months and 11 days after I was told I would have an appointment in 6 weeks. I did get an apology on air from Adam Cairns the boss of the trust at the time. when he was on Radio Shropshire.
Now I hear about a man that is having worrying symptoms, that point to a heart problem. He has had multipliable cancelled appointment to have tests to see if he has a heart condition. He has still not had these tests a year after his first cancelled appointment. Steve Peak acting boss of the trust, when on Radio Shropshire apologized on air to him. commenting that it was errors and problems with the appointment system.
The Big question is after 4 years why are these problems with appointments still carry on. causing distress or even causing danger to patients health?
So back to title of this posting. Rising complaints to the Trust.
In a new report about the number of complaint it says, A total of 734 written complaints were made to the trust in 2011/12 – a rise of 4.6 per cent on 702 in the previous 12 months. The national average is one per cent.
and the trusts reply “Putting patients first is at the heart of everything we do and a key part of this is listening to any compliments, comments and concerns. They help us learn from the experiences of patients and their relatives, and improve the care we provide.”
Ok, So that why 4 years on the appointment system is still having problems! and failing in improving the care the trust provides.
So they are 3.6 per cent higher in complaints then the national average. and from what I have said above, I wonder why it is not more.
Dear Trust Sort it out will you, it people lives you are playing with, its not like it a appointment to fix a broken washing machine. You get a appointment quicker with them.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
Information Sources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-15433844
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/should-of-really-chased-that-up.html
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/3-days-off.html
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/kidney-appointment.html
Radio Shropshire Breakfast show 6 September 2012
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2012/08/30/complaints-at-shropshire-hospitals-rise/
Back in December 2008 a man in Telford suffered a stroke. He should of had a follow-up appointment, but it was never made. On 19 March 2009 he experienced blurring of his vision and became confused and was taken to hospital, where it was discovered he had suffered a second stroke.
This second stroke left the man a self-employed courier, partially sighted and unable to work.All down to what the trust called "simple administration error" that meant the initial appointment where a vital blood-thinning medication would of been prescribed did not happen.
After a undisclosed six-figure settlement with man, the trust said it had "reviewed all aspects of the care he received to ensure that lessons are learned".
I had a 'simple administration error' with a initial follow-up appointment. after hospitalization in November 2008 Where I had to chase it up, TWICE once in September 2009 and then again on the 28th October 2009. I ended up with an appointment on the 22 December 2009. Thats 13 months and 11 days after I was told I would have an appointment in 6 weeks. I did get an apology on air from Adam Cairns the boss of the trust at the time. when he was on Radio Shropshire.
Now I hear about a man that is having worrying symptoms, that point to a heart problem. He has had multipliable cancelled appointment to have tests to see if he has a heart condition. He has still not had these tests a year after his first cancelled appointment. Steve Peak acting boss of the trust, when on Radio Shropshire apologized on air to him. commenting that it was errors and problems with the appointment system.
The Big question is after 4 years why are these problems with appointments still carry on. causing distress or even causing danger to patients health?
So back to title of this posting. Rising complaints to the Trust.
In a new report about the number of complaint it says, A total of 734 written complaints were made to the trust in 2011/12 – a rise of 4.6 per cent on 702 in the previous 12 months. The national average is one per cent.
and the trusts reply “Putting patients first is at the heart of everything we do and a key part of this is listening to any compliments, comments and concerns. They help us learn from the experiences of patients and their relatives, and improve the care we provide.”
Ok, So that why 4 years on the appointment system is still having problems! and failing in improving the care the trust provides.
So they are 3.6 per cent higher in complaints then the national average. and from what I have said above, I wonder why it is not more.
Dear Trust Sort it out will you, it people lives you are playing with, its not like it a appointment to fix a broken washing machine. You get a appointment quicker with them.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
Information Sources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-15433844
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/should-of-really-chased-that-up.html
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/3-days-off.html
http://leukemicstepchild.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/kidney-appointment.html
Radio Shropshire Breakfast show 6 September 2012
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2012/08/30/complaints-at-shropshire-hospitals-rise/
21 Jul 2012
it's been a while
I have not been in the mood to blog, to be far I have not been in the mood to do anything.
The black dog has been sniffing around again, I like dogs but this is one I really don't want visiting.
So what been going on in my life since the last posting. Well the Olympic torch came to town, and I was out with St John for it.
My step daughter moved in with her boyfriend, he lives in the Birkenhead area. So seeing her child being born is slim.
Went to Cosford air show with my Dad. I may have to write a post about that day out.
A day out with the Brother in law and his partner to Park Hall Farm, as she and her kids live in a city.
Oh yes and Race for life.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
The black dog has been sniffing around again, I like dogs but this is one I really don't want visiting.
So what been going on in my life since the last posting. Well the Olympic torch came to town, and I was out with St John for it.
My step daughter moved in with her boyfriend, he lives in the Birkenhead area. So seeing her child being born is slim.
Went to Cosford air show with my Dad. I may have to write a post about that day out.
A day out with the Brother in law and his partner to Park Hall Farm, as she and her kids live in a city.
Oh yes and Race for life.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
17 Apr 2012
run on fuel.
Do you remember a few weeks ago the panic buying of fuel. Well it happened in town, diesel dried up fast. and the queues where stopping normal traffic flow
My minibus was getting low on fuel. There was only one thing to do, use the Fuel Contingency Plan.
Now I am not going to tell you much about it, Just that I ended up queuing for the fuel there too.
Oh well at least there was only one waiting in front of me.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
I was not even trying to get fuel at this point, but was stuck in the traffic jam for 20 mins. As I finally got passed the fuel station, I see a sign saying no diesel.
That was great, no blockage, no tanker driver strike. Just the talk of they maybe a strike, after 7 day notice. and there is panic buying on fuel. It did not help that a minister said to stock some fuel at home in a 20 litre jerry can, which is wrong. you can only store 10 litres per container.
After the second day, and pleas from the media and ministers to not panic buy, the diesel running out again!
Now I am not going to tell you much about it, Just that I ended up queuing for the fuel there too.
Oh well at least there was only one waiting in front of me.
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
7 Apr 2012
I been so long
Hi all
Sorry it been a bit since I last posted, but its been a bit mad at times. my computer failed, which did not help with blogging.
Both my dad and father in law are out of hospital. My dad had a massive chest infection, which has now cleared up and he has really cut down on the smoking.
The father in law is much better, but still has mobility problems. It could be much worse if it was not for the stroke being witnessed by someone who knew the signs, and got medical help as soon as possable.
The F.A.S.T test is a good indicator of a stroke.
Also since the last time I posted, I gained another year. and here is a weird fact for you all. I got more happy birthdays from Radio Shropshire staff then I got from staff at work.
There has been some other stuff going on in my life that I don't share with the internet. maybe one day, I will blog about it
Anyway on that note, I shall leave you will an escapee of Dave's bad joke emporium 'bloke goes to the doctors, "Doctor, I feel like a wigwam and a tepee" The Doctor replies "your too tense"
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
Sorry it been a bit since I last posted, but its been a bit mad at times. my computer failed, which did not help with blogging.
Both my dad and father in law are out of hospital. My dad had a massive chest infection, which has now cleared up and he has really cut down on the smoking.
The father in law is much better, but still has mobility problems. It could be much worse if it was not for the stroke being witnessed by someone who knew the signs, and got medical help as soon as possable.
The F.A.S.T test is a good indicator of a stroke.
Also since the last time I posted, I gained another year. and here is a weird fact for you all. I got more happy birthdays from Radio Shropshire staff then I got from staff at work.
There has been some other stuff going on in my life that I don't share with the internet. maybe one day, I will blog about it
Anyway on that note, I shall leave you will an escapee of Dave's bad joke emporium 'bloke goes to the doctors, "Doctor, I feel like a wigwam and a tepee" The Doctor replies "your too tense"
Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.
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