Wednesday 24th June

Well Paula Radcliffe can relax – I am certainly NOT going to be challenging her for the marathon title at the 2012 Olympics.

Last night I went for a run – for the first time in years. I was dragged out by two friends and they said we’d take it easy because it was my first time. Despite telling them before hand just how rubbish I am they still seemed shocked when just 200 yards up the road I was pulling up because I was out of breathe.

I spent most of the half an hour of hell walking, with a very red face and muttering to myself about what a silly idea this was. When I got home I was sick and started aching. O the pain! This morning I have cramp in my left leg that won’t go away, I have very sore legs and back ache!
I have quite a few friends who go running and I just can’t understand what they get out of it. I would much rather sit and watch television while supping a lovely cup of tea!

Monday 22nd June

I’ve had one of those weekends when by Sunday night you don’t feel like you’ve had a weekend at all!

On Saturday I spent much of the day finishing off cleaning out the flat I used to live in – scrubbing away at limescale on taps and re-painting walls. My other half was cleaning the carpets and just as we were about to pack up and go back to our nice new flat for a cup of tea there was a knock at the door. We opened it to find an estate agent there ready to show some people round. They came in and had a quick look and then left. Just as they left we noticed some marks on the carpet – they’d only brought mud into the flat and all over the cream carpets. We had to start our work again and in very bad moods.

I worked on Sunday morning and when I got home James and I decided to take a dog we are looking after for a long walk. We walked miles up the canal in Leighton to a pub and then back again. The dog, James and I were all exhausted. As I got up to come to work this morning my feet were still hurting.

Tuesday 16th June

Moving, moving, moving. That seems to be all I’ve thought about for the last two weeks. And thank goodness it’s all over now. I moved literally up the road and round the corner on Saturday – which I reckon was one of the hottest days of the year so far. It was horrendous, however the new flat is nice and clean and I have already made a resolution to clean every night so it stays that way. Wonder how long that’ll last!?

I am now considering putting my new found art skills to the test and thinking of painting a picture for the wall in my bedroom. I’m just not sure what to paint though. Painter’s block has set in!

Friday 12th June

Yesterday I felt like I was on “Jim’ll fix It” – a show I always wanted to be on as a child. I got to do one of my dream interviews.

It was about 10.45am and I was sat at my desk when my news editor called me into the studio. He asked me to take over an interview he was meant to do but he’d double booked himself. Now, this was an interview that we do over a special phone line that goes straight into a studio somewhere else in the country, this time in London. Huw shoved a press release in front of me, and told me raise the fader and start. As he was wandering out of the studio I raised the fader and ended up speaking to Ben Fogle!

I nearly collapsed I was so excited. Now let me give you a bit of background – I have had a crush on Ben Fogle ever since seeing him on ‘Shipwrecked 2000’ which was a programme where a selection on people were put on some tiny island off the coast of Scotland and had to survive for a year. Since then I’ve avidly followed him through the news, watched him on TV and stage and even gone as far as joining an appreciation group on facebook!

But the shock of actually speaking to him and knowing he was listening to me for once, meant that all the questions I’ve lined up in my head that I’d like to ask him (i.e will you marry me?) just completely disappeared. I was gobsmacked. I seemed to go into auto pilot and started asking questions about barbecuing which I’d discovered the interview was meant to be about.
I’ll admit that it’s not my best interview, although I did learn that the most unusual food he’s eaten is guinea pig! Yuk! As I came off the line hundred of other questions I should have asked came into my head – like the most obvious ‘what’s your next project’ – but I would challenge anyone put in that position, interviewing a person they’ve had a crush on for years, to think straight!

I've decided to link this blog to my work blog. That way it'll get updated more often! So from today here we go....

Well, you could fry an egg on my back this morning. Yesterday, (Bank Holiday Monday) I went for a lovely long walk from Ashridge to Ivanhoe Beacon. I was even carrying my suntan lotion in my bag but foolishly didn’t think the sun was really that strong. Judging by my rather red face and skin this morning though that wasn’t the case.
Got an exciting start to the week this week. David Cameron is coming to MK this morning. Victoria is going to go along and quiz him on his reforms. I’m expecting she’ll take loads of pictures too so keep your eyes peeled. Last time he came to MK Victoria had a bit of a run in with one of Cameron’s ‘people’ as she tried to barge into his off stage area. Hopefully she’ll have more success today.

I, on the other hand, am going to a car dealership to find out how the scrappage scheme is going one week on.

A rant


What really really annoys me is drivers who get right up your arse when you’re merrily motoring along.

A few months ago, as I was driving through Luton, a man of the cloth – aka a priest – was trying his upmost to hitch a ride on the back of my bumper.

Nothing annoys me more!

I slow down and on occasions I actually pull over and let the impatient idiot pass.

Then this morning, as I was driving to work at around 4.30am along a duel carriage way between Leighton Buzzard and Milton Keynes, some other idiot decided that he wanted to ride in my slipstream.

At that time of the morning there is hardly ever any other cars around. As I looked in my rear view mirror I saw the offending car approaching. As it was a duel carriage way there was loads of room to overtake – which I assumed he/she would do from a safe distance. But no – this plonker decided to come right up to the back of my little dirty white corsa until I couldn’t even see their headlights anymore – before swerving out and overtaking!

I was so angry. What is the point in that sort of driving!? I don’t pretend to be a faultless driver – however this dangerous driving really pisses me off! GRRRR

Don’t let me go anywhere beginning with E in my car!


Just over a year ago I was driving to meet James (the bf) halfway between the places we were living for a weekend getaway. I was coming from Falmouth in Cornwall and he was coming from Luton. We’d agreed to meet up near Bristol.

So I set off after uni one night and was trundling along. It was going to take me 3 hours and I’d left plenty of time. As I got on the M5 in Devon I noticed that my car seemed to be losing power – but I thought it was just the strong winds – so I got into the slow lane and carried on.

For some reason (and I’m not really a religious person – but I do blame divine intervention here) I decided to double check the car and so came off the motorway and onto the slip road. As I got to the top of the slip road the car gave up. It was very dark and windy – and I managed to limp the car to the service station.

On closer inspection I discovered that there was smoke coming from the bonnet and no water in the water thing under the bonnet. In a flap I had to call my rescue service and discovered that they’d only tow me 10 miles! After that it was gonna cost me a pound a mile! OUTRAGEOUS – I’m going to start my own towing business!

Thankfully James picked me up from Cullompton service station a few hours later and the next day my step dad and mum drove down with a trailer and picked the car up…the head gasket had blown.

Then just a week ago I had a similar moment of divine intervention. This time I was in Dunstable. (we’re going through the alphabet here) I hadn’t got any break down cover – cos what is the point if they’re going to charge you that much to take you home!?

As I was driving along I was suddenly aware that my car sounded like a tractor so pulled up beside a Church. Again it was dark and windy – plus I had the excitement of heavy rain. At first I thought the exhaust pipe was just banging against the plastic bumper at the back – then I drove off and heard this horrendous scrapping sound…alas the back two thirds of my exhaust pipe had decided that they’d like to try flying solo. Cue another frantic phone call to James and ‘the man who can’…aka my stepdad.

I have decided now to look into getting a new rescue service and my mum has advised that the corsa and I avoid travelling anywhere which begins with an E – so that rules out Edinburgh, Elsmere and Exeter.

Permanent Jet-lag.


I’m just starting the third week of my semi-new job.

It’s semi-new because I’ve been relocated to Milton Keynes and am now working on the breakfast shift – but I wouldn’t consider it to be an entirely new job because I’m working with mostly the same people and under the same editor.

However the job has changed my life and I am constantly jet lagged.

I have to be at work at 5am – which means getting out of bed at 4.15am. I thought this would be horrendous, but actually I find I’m normally wide awake and raring to go.

I work until 1pm and then jump in my car and go home for my lunch and an afternoon snooze. I generally try and sleep for somewhere between 2 and a half and 3 hours – it means that I can spend the evenings with James and have a relatively ‘normal’ life.

But, a word of warning – I may finish early and trot off home – but NEVER be tempted to give me a ring in the afternoon – I’m terribly grumpy if I’m woken up – rather like a grizzly bear – as a cold caller, the cleaner and my friend Vicky have so far discovered. (sorry Vicky!) And if you think I’m grumpy then, then you should see me just after waking up – all I can do is stare at the TV for about an hour and grumble about anything, however small it is, that has annoyed me.

I stay up until 1030 and then once again, for the second time that day, I go to bed.

Now, I’ve never been any further than Europe so maybe I’m not qualified to talk – but others tell me this is like having CONSTANT jet lag. My body clock is all over the place –when everyone else is having one day – my body thinks it’s having two days because I’m in and out of bed. At the minute I don’t see much daylight – I get up at 4-ish when it’s dark – there is no window in my office…when I drive home at lunchtime it is light – but when I wake up again from my afternoon nap it is dark again. Roll on the summer!

I am enjoying my new job – it means that I read more bulletins than I did before and I have a more specific area or patch to work on. And being jet lagged can be quite funny sometimes – at least you get to tell cold callers where to stick it!

Does a ‘pro’ take a music stand?

That was my first thought when I was packing my bag for the concert I’d accidentally got myself into.

I decided it was better to be safe than sorry in this instance – I was already going to look like a fool when I turn up and, once I start playing, it becomes clear that I’m not a pro, like the rest of them. The last thing I wanted was to stick out even more! So I tucked my music stand in my bag – thinking that if I did need to get it out I’d look a bit like Mary Poppins, delving into my huge bag.

The rehearsal got under way and thankfully there was a music stand already there for me and, to top it, I didn’t have too tricky an afternoon. In between the rehearsal and concert I had a chance to look through a programme. I was the only amateur in the brass section, but not in the whole orchestra. There were scientists and all sorts. (A breathed a sigh of relief) The majority of the musicians were pros though.

The concert was fine – no disasters from my part. I learnt a lot too sat beside those pros. I had the fact that the start of the note is the most important part drummed back into me, and that despite what I’d always known, but had happily ignored – that playing quietly is extremely effective – and you don’t always have to be heard clearly – you just have to be in the mix.

It was great to play in what was probably the best orchestra I’ve ever been in – although it did reassure me of two things. Firstly pro’s do make mistakes, the chap next to me got completely lost, and secondly – I’m glad I’m not trying to make a living from being a musician, I like it as a hobby, but couldn’t toot all day every day.

Back in the saddle.

I went to music college full of dreams of becoming a great horn player, in demand and filthy rich…only it doesn’t seem to work like that.

Four years later I came out with a degree but a complete change in career – I went to the arse end of England (aka Cornwall) to train to become a journalist – fantastic job, hard work but certainly not filthy rich.

Harriet-the-horn stayed in the case for just over 15 months – untouched – apart from the briefest of checks to make sure the valves still wiggled… and it was normally my mum who did that.

I tried to avoid classical music – I didn’t want anything to do with it. I felt that classical music and Harriet-the-horn had controlled my life – all my friends were musicians, and for the majority of my time at college, I’d felt riddled with guilt if I wasn’t practising. (Though I do admit I coped with that guilt well when whiling away the hours in the coffee bar!)

I just needed a break.

But then one day, on my way to work, I missed the preset button on my car radio for Radio 4, and instead hit Radio 3. Before I knew it I was humming along to some classical piece that escapes me now, and rather than feeling angry about classical music and the way it had made me feel by the end of my four years at music college, I was actually enjoying it again.

The next thing I know I’m googling local orchestras – and by the end of the following day I’d joined an amateur orchestra. But I’d gone a step further too – I’d signed up to play for a high profile concert – where the site said the standard they were looking for were professionals…only I missed that bit before signing up.

As the rehearsals drew nearer for the amateur orch I started getting a little bit nervous. I kept telling myself it’d be like riding a bike – and that I’d never forget. And yes it was like riding a bike, only I couldn’t cycle so far… The concert for that orchestra came and went – and it was then that I thought – O heck what have I got myself into with this ‘pro’ gig.

The problem is it’s too close now to pull out – and basically I’ve got a free seat to what is going to be a great concert – and the bonus is that I get to sit alongside some fantastic musicians – all for just giving up and an afternoon and evening of my life… and how wrong can it go? It’s just a case of keeping my head down, hopefully not being discovered as a bit of a fraud among the greats in classical music, and getting back in the saddle.

The concert’s this Sunday at Bedford Corn Exchange. (And don’t let on that I’m a little out of shape!)