Ashortstories - Podcast Details

Shows

Therapy For MeNo surprisesW/C 21st August 2023As it has turns out, I have spent very little time sat in the garden so far this summer.You may recall that it was one of the things I was really looking forward to around April time, that seasonal improvement in the ambient weather conditions that makes sitting outside such a joy.And yet I was looking out at my soggy cushions this morning, trying to think of the last time I ventured outside with a hot beverage.The end of August tends to leave me...2023-08-2619 min

Therapy For MeHome againW/C 14th August 2023For the first time ever I have not been able to find a video clip of the song I have chosen to be the title for this weeks episode.As you know I try to find something with either a title (or content) that is in someway connected, in all or part, to what I am riffing on. In fact the process of landing on the right song often takes longer than capturing the content itself.This week I dropped on the track very quickly, and a nice opportunity...2023-08-1918 min

Therapy For MeClosing timeW/C 7th August 2023Whilst this track is clearly about a bar, the sentiment chimes with something I am reflecting on in this weeks episode of TFM.Wilko has been a high street constant in my life, and because it had an administrative base close to the town where I grew up, then it always felt like a local success story. As a child I spent a lot of time at the Little Theatre in Retford, my Dad was an active member of this voluntary organisation and when (after years of trying) they...2023-08-1220 min

Therapy For MeTake fiveW/C 31st July 2023There's a lot to like about this part of France. Aside from the things I am going to talk about (and lets not beat about the bush some of them are pretty epic) there is the fact that everywhere I turn there is some seriously cool neckwear, and I have fallen head over heels for a house just down the road.Nothing grand, just a simple single storey affair that is very much in the French style. White stucco walls and sky blue shutters standing, in just the right...2023-08-0520 min

Therapy For MeRain in the summertimeW/C 24th July 2023When I first came to St Gilles Croix-de-Vie in 1990 it was like being introduced to a whole different world. It was the first time I had been abroad (save for a school skiing trip) the first time I had stayed on a Eurocamp and the first time on an overnight ferry crossing.The experience of arriving on a campsite to a fully erected tent, with campbeds and a fridge was a revelation after many soggy trips to the East Coast and the mixture of outdoor swimming pools, warm sunshine...2023-07-2925 min

Therapy For MeWalking by myselfW/C 17th July 2023I have been very fortunate in the fact that whilst I was working for my previous employer I got to visit some fairly prestigious events. Which is how I got to see Gary Moore play at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2010.As a technical sponsor of the event Shure would get access to VIP tickets, and as such I got into the cycle of travelling over for a couple of nights every year to host guests and enjoy what is a very unique event.Gary played superbly that night...2023-07-2228 min

Therapy For MeFix youW/C 10th July 2023I am finding it a little bit hard to believe that I haven't used this episode title song before. but it seems not so I am going to deploy it in the context of my washing machine door.I have always had a soft spot for the song itself, but I now cannot hear it without being taken back to that wonderful episode of Gavin & Stacy when the neighbours Pete & Dawn renew their wedding vows and he chooses these lyrics.It is a lovely example of the kind of...2023-07-1517 min

Therapy For MeWe are youngW/C 3rd July 2023There isn't any really definitive reason why or when the 'High School Prom' arrived in the UK. Most of the returns on the first page of a google search (because in reality when does research actually extend beyond that) seem to coalesce around the notion that it was due to their visibility on American TV shows around the turn of the millennium.I can't really disagree with that as a notion, they weren't a thing when I was growing up, so the closest thing I ever did was a...2023-07-0821 min

Therapy For MeSometimes I just have to say your nameW/C 26th June 2023It turns out the capacity of Headingley is a little over 18,000. Probably a statistic you didn't know that you needed in your life, but it may help a little in terms in context as you listen to this weeks compact episode of TFM.In my third year of University I lived but a few hundred yards from where I found myself sitting last Sunday, so I was able to have a pre-match stroll around the urban village of Headingley and reminisce about all the things that aren't there anymore....2023-07-0115 min

Therapy For MeSoak up the sunWe toss around the phrase 'where does the time go' without actually giving it any real thought, but we perhaps should.This week has been such a week. I am struggling to believe that I have a son that has reached sixteen, sat his GCSEs and left High School. But he has, and after a pause to regroup over the summer he will be off on his next adventure.It is also coming up two years since we lost Dan, and something very special he was involved in brought, him right back to the forefront...2023-06-2417 min

Therapy For MeThe EndW/C 12th June 2023That should be it. By all conventional standards we should have seen the back of him. Following a damning verdict from the Privileges Committee, and another week of histrionics and pyschodrama, I am hoping we are not only near the finish line, but actually there.The manner of his exit was totally on-brand, screaming self-pity and blaming everybody but himself. It was as predictable as it was insulting.The hope is that much of what was in the line of fire since 2016 has been bent rather than...2023-06-1722 min

Therapy For MeKiss this thing goodbyeW/C 5th June 2023Somethings just aren't meant to be. It's a brilliant idea, and the kind of thing I would normally be all over - but for whatever reason there is a part of my psyche that built it up into something that it was never intended to be, and in doing so put a great big block in the road that I struggled to get around.The human mind is a funny old contraption, and mine is no more or less unpredictable than the rest. Our ability to make simple things...2023-06-1020 min

Therapy For MeLate in the eveningW/C 29th May 2023It's a simple little thing that has made my day today. I hadn't actually realised it had made my day, until I found myself reflecting on it and chuckling to myself in that way that catches you completely off guard.I am not going to say anymore at this point, and just invite you to share the experience by clicking here.See what I mean, isn't that just the coolest thing ever. I have mentioned his contribution to the insta-gram-averse before but man this is a whole other level...2023-06-0322 min

Therapy For MeFake Plastic TreesW/C 22nd May 2023All roads lead to Leicester today because I am heading off to the UK Marillion Convention, which in essence means two gigs back-to-back at the De Montfort Hall.Although I have been to a number of the UK gatherings this will be the first time I have actually checked into a hotel to stay over, giving me part of the Saturday and all of the Sunday to soak up the atmos and see who I bump into.And of course it allows me the opportunity to run in a...2023-05-2726 min

Therapy For MeElephantW/C 15th May 2022This song packs a real lyrical punch, it's honest and raw, sparse and powerful and I continue to be moved by its power.There are a few elephants in the content of this weeks TFM, so it gave me a perfect opportunity to share it with you. Stay safe.Elephant - Jason IsbellTherapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the...2023-05-2021 min

Therapy For Me24 FramesW/C 8th May 2023The one thing I didn't mention this week was the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.It's a corker and it did that thing that The Force Awakens did, in that it took me right back to how I felt when I saw the original all those years ago. I think it is something to do with the music, or maybe it's the kind of grainy look of the footage, or maybe it's just the majestic presence that is Harrison Ford.2023-05-1326 min

Therapy For MeKingW/C 1st May 2023I am making Risotto for tea. In fact it is about the last thing I said on this weeks episode of TFM so it must be true. And just to confirm it is definitely for tea, because supper is a cheeky biscuit or two whilst watching the telly and dinner is long since in the past.There is a magic moment when you are making risotto and that is point when you add the wine. First up is the frying of the onion, normally in a knob of butter, and once...2023-05-0622 min

Therapy For MeHangW/C 24th April 2023The Brew Society figures this week so I thought I would let them have the first crack at describing it in their own words...Opening their doors in February 2018, Nino, Danni and Rich created The Brew Society as a collaboration project which was put together to create a relaxing, indie coffee and beer house within Leeds City Centre that serves speciality, high quality drinks.During the day, The Brew Society serves North Star single origin coffee, roasted locally by the North Star team in Leeds. Later in the day...2023-04-2919 min

Therapy For MeAll things must passW/C 17th April 2023In a bit of a rush this morning as Josh & I are trying to make sandwiches, book trains and print off tickets.The reason is we are heading to Wembley to watch the Red and White Wizards (Sheffield United) in the semi-final of the FA Cup.Of course it is a somewhat pointless exercise as we are playing arguably the best team in the world in Manchester City, so we are expecting to get parts of our anatomy handed to us in no uncertain fashion.But supporting...2023-04-2226 min

Therapy For MeCalifornicationW/C 10th April 2023When the Red Hot Chill Peppers sang about the dark side of the California they got it pretty square on the head. Of all the lines in the song the one that has always stuck with me is this one...'Space may be the final frontier but it's made in a Hollywood basement'It gets straight to it for me, and it's been buzzing around my head ever since I arrived here. So much to love about this place and yet there will always be something missing. The message...2023-04-1722 min

Therapy For MeTwo steps behind.W/C 3rd April 2023With the very best of intentions, and working to the boundaries of my abilities, some weeks I am just going to be late.And so it is for this easter episode of TFM. The recording went OK and the QC listen proceeded without a hitch. But due to a Saturday morning School Governors commitment - and the need to get a run in before I set off - the actual publishing and note writing didn't get done.All I can do is apologise and promise to be...2023-04-0820 min

Therapy For MeWhen two worlds drift apartW/C 27th March 2022Not a lot to say to tee up this weeks episode, it's slightly different to normal but you will get the gist as we go along.Maybe I am reading far too much into this and maybe this is merely the normal path of transition to a different way of framing the world. I do think the politics of division has a lot to answer for though.The one upside is that TFM came through again for me this week, doing its thing and helping me make sense of...2023-04-0120 min

Therapy For MeHome againW/C 20th March 2023I was trying to work out how unusual it was for the first day of spring to fall in the same week as the clocks changing to British summertime.The answer is of course ‘not that unusual’ and yet in my head those two events always seem to have a more pronounced gap.What doesn’t help is that this year it seems that winter wants to stubbornly cling on for a bit longer, so even though it will be the thick end of 8pm before it gets dark tomorr...2023-03-2522 min

Therapy For MePrecious sightW/C 13th March 2023For many years the stadium announcer at Bramall Lane used to open match-day proceedings by welcoming the crowd to the 'oldest professional football stadium' in the world. As it turns out this isn't entirely true, because although professional football has been played there since 1862, they were already kicking a ball about at Field Mill in Mansfield a few months earlier in 1861.It remains though a very special place though, the only place outside of the Oval to have hosted an FA cup final and the England team for both competitive football...2023-03-1824 min

Therapy For MeThe FixW/C 6th March 2023I probably wouldn't have put Richard Hawley together with Elbow if I am being honest, it's not a collaboration that would have been obvious to me. But I am really, really glad it happened.This song is something special, not only because the it is so interesting musically, or so beautiful lyrically, but because the two of them have a real chemistry and their vocal timbres work so well.If you are new to this song I would suggest you start with the original album track, and then watch...2023-03-1126 min

Therapy For MeYou fill up my sensesW/C 27th February 2022For one week only I am going to go with a lyric, rather than the actual song title for the episode name. The explanation for which comes in two parts;Firstly you have to watch this...MOTD FA Cup Introduction (or in better quality here if you are in the UK)And then you have to read this;The Greasy Chip Butty SongOh and if you missed the game itself you might want to give this a quick glance.#COYRAWW 2023-03-0422 min

Therapy For MeVideo gamesW/C 20th February 2022I have been literally dashing around all of this week, so everything feels a bit rushed and not quite thought through. As I type it's 05:53 on Saturday morning and I have a pile of stuff to remember before I jump in the car to head to The Guitar Show for the weekend.Of course I am bound to have forgotten something, but as of now I have organised the U10s football fixtures, packed the podcasting gear, remembered my running kit, started thinking about some questions for Luke (that will make...2023-02-2521 min

Therapy For MeWashing of the waterW/C 13th February 2023I love this song. And I never really imagined how I would get it into an episode title, but fortunately this week something unfortunate happened and here we are.I am a middling Peter Gabriel fan, I don't go al the way back to the beginning because I was never a Genesis fan, but I equally couldn't imagine a musical world without the songs that formed the seminal So & Us albums.If I had to pick just one, I would pick this. Quite simply sublime.Stay safe.2023-02-1821 min

Therapy For MeI just don't know what to do with myselfW/C 6th February 2023I am going to have to use that phrase, that is becoming so well used that is now some form of self-induced irony loop."we use the term legendary or unique far too often these days, but in the case of xxxxx it really is true" Of course I am going to fall into the same trap, and insert the name of Burt Bacharach into that particular sentiment. Not because I am a huge fan particularly, but because when you thinks about his body of work it just doesn't...2023-02-1123 min

Therapy For MeHow long has this been going onFive minutes ago I didn't know this song existed. When I decided on the title song for this week, I was thinking of the Paul Carrack penned track (recorded by Ace in 1974) and it was only when I was searching out a link that I discovered this gem by George & Ira Gershwin.Of course there are multiple versions too choose from, and although I am not a card-carrying Van Morrison fan, I do think this is a cracking arrangement.The song was originally included in the musical Funny Face, but after some jiggery-pokery-publisher-interference it was...2023-02-0422 min

Therapy For MeIt’s all coming back to me now.W/C 23rd January 2023By the time you get 10 minutes into this weeks episode you will realise that I have been fulfilling a bit of an ambition.Of all the things that struck me in those few hours on Tuesday, the one I wasn't expecting was the attitude and approachability of the people that worked there. They were very friendly, and very helpful, and very engaging. I ended up chatting quite a bit (who would have thought it) learning a few snippets of pomp and ceremony along the way.They all had the...2023-01-2822 min

Therapy For MeThe WarW/C 16th January 2022There is a (welcome) return to rantiness this week, and it probably doesn't take a genius to work out what has got my dander up.I happened to listen to the The Counterweight this week, which is a really great Thea Gilmore album from 2017. The War is the final track of the album proper and begins as a lyric in response to the senseless killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, a few miles down the road from where I am sat.It talks to culture war, and social media...2023-01-2122 min

Therapy For MeWe don't talk anymoreW/C 9th January 2022I hadn't even realised it may be birthday week until I started typing the notes. Now you may know that I have a bit of a difficult relationship with the whole idea of my own birthday, but I am fairly relaxed about it as far as TFM is concerned.Of course I can't be 100% sure when the exact date is, and I imagine there will be divided opinion on the matter. Episode 1 was published on the 22nd January 2020, so technically that is the anniversary. But this weeks TFM will...2023-01-1420 min

Therapy For MeIt's my partyW/C 2nd January 2023Imagine waiting for so long, years and years gripping to the greasy pole and then you moment finally arrives and a group of nutters decide to set about pulling down the decorations and bursting all the balloons.There is of course a much bigger point about a political party in chaos, a deluded faction that want to stoke emotions and sow division, and the spectre of elected representatives worshipping a fallen idol, and a false prophet.On the flip side we can have a slice of something 80s-tastic...2023-01-0721 min

Therapy For MeSpending my timeW/C 26th December 2022You will have to indulge me a little this week, for a few reasons but primarily because I am being just a weeny bit self-indulgent. I don't know if it's a hangover of lockdown, or a by-product of working from home in a fairly piecemeal fashion, but I seemed to have got into the habit of consuming quite a lot of content on a daily basis. Of course you know that, because I often reference my new favourite thing on TFM - so it seemed fitting to round out...2022-12-3126 min

Therapy For MeI believe in Father ChristmasW/C 19th December 2022Aside from being the greatest story ever written, A Christmas Carol is written not in Chapters but in Staves.This technique was employed by Dickens because it mimicked the traditional structure of Christmas carols, and as such was a bit of in-joke. He continued to play around with structure with his other Christmas writing, the Cricket on the Hearth was divided into 'chirps' and The Chimes was similarly set in 'quarters'.In honour of that fact I have subdivided this festive edition of TFM into staves, each separated by...2022-12-2414 min

Therapy For MeBaby it's cold outsideOne of the things I happen to bang on about this week is the Christmas Radio Times, a festive perennial as far as TFM is concerned.Now this gets a bit technical, but it concerns the listing dates covered by this epic publication, because this year the first information it carries is the schedules for Christmas Eve - which I found a little odd.In my head I am used to having the schedules for the run-up days, you know what I mean, usually the 19th or 20th onwards. The bit when you are winding...2022-12-1721 min

Therapy For MeShamelessW/C 5th December 2022I never learn.Clearly that isn't strictly true. In a lot of ways I am on a constant journey of discovery, development and hopefully self-improvement. Indeed TFM is part of that process, and the sheer act of assembling this podcast has positive consequences.But in other ways I never learn. Let me explain.I know I have a particular task to complete in early December every year.I also know that any unseasonably warm weather tends to break around the end of November, as the first of the...2022-12-1021 min

Therapy For MeExcitableW/C 28th November 2022I think I am getting a little giddy, a little bit unnecessary you might say.It could have something to do with an early start, a busy day and lots of things to be finishing off before I can get on the road. It could be the start of December, the excitement of the early morning Advent chocolate and the reappearance of the Elves. It could be the lingering bit of head cold I have been manfully trying to push myself through all week.It...2022-12-0321 min

Therapy For MeFits ya goodW/C 21st November 2022I am never quite sure if anybody actually reads these notes, I know that as a rule I don't for any of the podcasts I listen to. And it got me to wondering why I try and think of something creative to put in them every week.So this week I am simply going to ask those of you that have read them to let me know in some way (maybe a DM on instagram would work) and if it turns out its actually a handful of you I could try...2022-11-2617 min

Therapy For MeCover me upW/C 14th November 2022Funnily enough the episode title is not a reference to trying to keep warm , without putting the heating on.It's actually a little nod to the gig I went to last night. I don't know a lot about Jason Isbell and I am only just discovering his catalogue, so I went as a bit of a blank page with no real expectations.First up he is terrific, as are his band, and the show was outstanding. There was a particular moment in this song though that resonated with me...2022-11-1921 min

Therapy For MeCreepW/C 7th November 2022Let's go with a bit of Radiohead this week.I guess the obvious reason for picking them is the fact that Sir Gavin Williamson ('Gavin Gone the Third' as I wrote in my notes as a prompt) dominated the news cycle over last weekend and through the early part of the week. He really does seem a fairly unpleasant character, but then again so does Matt Hancock - a fact that will not be altered by the ingestion of any quantity of jungle-based scrota.And to complete the holy...2022-11-1222 min

Therapy For MeCircular rideW/C 31st October 2022By the time you have listened to this weeks dense, but compact little offering, the choice of title will be self-evident. The challenge however is that for the first time (if memory serves) I can't share a link to the song, because I can't find one.I first heard the song Circular Ride in Manchester on the 30th November in 2007, one of only three times it was played on that tour. In fact I am listening to that very performance as I type, because it was released as part of a...2022-11-0515 min

Therapy For MeComing Around AgainW/C 24th October 2022Most of this weeks content came from two strolls through London, one from Kings Cross to Waterloo in the early afternoon on Tuesday and then the return leg on Wednesday morning. Walking through the capital still retains that wonder for me that it had the very first time I visited as part of a school trip many years ago. Back then it was all about the iconic buildings, and the images that I had only ever seen on the TV. Now it is more about the little things, the...2022-10-2919 min

Therapy For MeAnother one bites the dustW/C 17th October 2022If I hadn't been to Birmingham this week then I wouldn't of thought about Birds Custard. If I hadn't thought about Birds Custard, I would never have discovered that the Birds Custard Factory used to be spread of fifteen acres of land in Digbeth, and that over a 1,000 people used to work there. If I hadn't been researching the Birds Custard Factory, then I wouldn't have found out that it was originally constructed for Sir Alfred Frederick Bird in 1906, and remained there until the company moved to Banbury in 1964 2022-10-2223 min

Therapy For MeIn these armsW/C 10th October 2022When I woke up yesterday morning I didn't expect to be settling on this as an episode title.It was Pfizer this year, which means I have now completed the set (along with AstraZeneca & Moderna) of vaccines I have agreed to in an effort to throw a Ready-Break-like protective glow around myself.No particular side effects this time, other than the obligatory stiff arms (I had my flu jab as well) and a very unsettled night in terms of sleep, which is why I am sat with a mug...2022-10-1518 min

Therapy For MeIt's my lifeW/C 3rd October 2022How do you feel when you are part of the Anti-Growth Coalition, and you get to Saturday morning with no idea what you are going say in your weekly podcast. Guilt? A sense of failure? Disgust at the fact that you are letting down podcasters everywhere ( not to mention anti-frackers, remainers, university lecturers, lib-dems, environmentalists and anybody who hasn't bought into this right wing, populist nonsense).But what can you do, how can you make the situation right and restore a sense of balance and perspective.Junior...2022-10-0829 min

Therapy For MeCrashW/C 26th September 2022This week proved that we should never take local radio for granted, and recognise that it isn't some second tier form of journalism. It's just journalism. Damn good journalism.Clearly the PM had no clue what she was walking into to at 8am on Wednesday morning, as she undertook a whistle stop round of local BBC station interviews - the first time she had been heard from in four days.Have a listen at some of the highlights.This is what we have been waiting for, proper...2022-10-0119 min

Therapy For MeIn the wee small hours of the morningW/C 19th September 2022I am going to mention Only Murders in the Building again this week, and it just dawned on me that I should have called out the performance of Steve Martin.The whole cast is great, even the fairly wooden and monotonic Selena Gomez (a performance which shouldn’t work but seems to fit just fine). But the real star for me is SM. In contrast to the rest of the what is going on around him, it’s a fairly understated turn and although there is a lot of sill...2022-09-2422 min

Therapy For MeAlmost unrealW/C 12th September 2022Strange week.As you will hear, I am finding it difficult to process what is going on at the moment. It’s not that I don’t get the tradition and the ceremony, but it just feels so disconnected from whatever passes as the norm.I have probably struggled with this one more than any of the previous episodes of TFM, and I still don’t think I have managed to articulate what I am feeling.If nothing else I remembered to mention Michael Sheen.Stay s...2022-09-1720 min

Therapy For MeMoments in timeW/C 5th September 2022The world changed on Thursday afternoon, in a way that I have experienced only a handful of times.For me the fall of the Berlin Wall, the release of Mandela, the death of Diana and the 9/11 attacks are probably the only things comporable, and even though we were being prepared for this moment it still came as a shock, and everything paused in that moment.As you will hear I don't have a particular view on the Monarchy, but I was always struck by a person that made such...2022-09-1022 min

Therapy For MeAvenues & AlleywaysW/C 29th August 2022Tony Christie recorded an album in 2008 called Made in Sheffield. It was produced by the genius pairing that is Richard Hawley & Colin Elliott and it only features music written by songwriters from Sheffield such as Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner & Philip Oakey as well as RH & TC themselves.I had read a couple of very positive reviews and decided to give it a try, and what a treat it turned out to be. The production is rich, the delivery faultless and the reworking of the songs inspired.So, think badly...2022-09-0322 min

Therapy For MeGimme ShelterW/C 22nd August 2022Probably the shortest episode I think I have ever recorded, but as I am in Spain and trying to publish via patchy signal over a personal hotspot it is probably just as well.Thursday was one of this rare days when travel went absolutely according to plan, the initial forecast delay for the car journey resolved itself as we were driving, the airport was a breeze, Ryanair behaved like a normal airline and it took less than a minute to collect the rental car keys.We left home at 9...2022-08-2717 min

Therapy For MeKiss the rainW/C 15th August 2022There are umpteen songs with the word ‘rain’ in the title, so making a decision on the episode title this week took a while. Bizarre, because most weeks it’s actually a job to find a song that in some way links to whatever I am blathering about.No Rain by Blind Melon nearly got the nod, Belinda Carlisle could easily have been picked with Summer Rain and you know how much I like The Alarm which makes it very surprising I didn’t go with Rain In The Summertime. But in...2022-08-2021 min

Therapy For MeSummer in the CityW/C 8th August 2022It goes without saying that the original version by The Lovin' Spoonful released in 1966 is fantastic but I have a real soft spot for a far more obscure version of the song.The Gutter Brothers are a band from London who recorded a cover of the song that was used in the Miami Twice episode of Only Fools and Horses, a Christmas Special from 1991. I just love the punky nature of the arrangement and the energy of the guitar riff to open it.In fact I have just found...2022-08-1328 min

Therapy For MeNow I'm HereW/C 1st August 2022It's a bit of an odd episode this week, in no small part due to being away. I did actually manage to disconnect from the world a bit, and as a result immerse myself in the ebb and flow of South Devon.It's been a long time since I was down these parts, so it was a mix of hazy memory and new experience. It's certainly a unique little slice of the English coastline.Stay safe.Now I'm Here - QueenTeign Bean...2022-08-0622 min

Therapy For Me25 YearsW/C 25th July 2022Okay, okay who have a point, this weeks title is a little too 'on the nose'.I have been racking my brain for songs which included either 'silver', 'rain' or 'umbrella' and nothing really landed. 'You got the Silver' by the Stones nearly made it because I love the sound of Keith's voice. But in the end this song by The Big Dish has always been a fave, so that settled the matter.The view out of the window is one of people dismantling awnings, pulling up pegs and...2022-07-3023 min

Therapy For MeIt's the end of the world as we know itW/C 18th July 2022The first Robert Harris book I ever read was actually the first work of fiction he wrote, and that was Fatherland. It's possibly still the best work of fiction he has produced but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give the rest of them a go as well.After Fatherland came Enigma, and then I discovered he had written a book about the Hitler Diaries called Selling Hitler which is absolutely terrific. Equally good was his biography of Bernard Ingham, the much feared Press Secretary under Margaret Thatcher.Come to...2022-07-2320 min

Therapy For MeArmageddon it.W/C 11th July 2022After 3 years of Johnson trying to put a bomb under anything he didn't like the look of (the judiciary, parliament, the constitution, basic human rights, etc, etc) it is quite amusing to see the Tory party content to turn the artillery inwards. And of course, you can rely on a bunch of long haired footie fans from Sheffield to have the perfect musical refrain.I met Joe Elliott (briefly in 1986). He was back in Sheffield to play in a football testimonial for Blades legend Tony Currie, and he was stood a...2022-07-1622 min

Therapy For MeAll cried outW/C 4th July 2022It's been quite the week.Yorkshire Tea bid Tina farewellArmando TweetLord McDonald interview on R4 TodayIncredible Call on James O'Brien LBCAndrew Marr reacts to Sunak Resignation LBCTroy Hawke at WaitroseAndrew Marr with a handy summary of Wednesday 6th JulyB&M have got Jan's backChris Loder & Steve BrayMP Chris Philp skewered by Benny Hill themeAll Cried OutStay safe.2022-07-0929 min

Therapy For MeNo small thingW/C 27th June 2022Of course when I made a note on Monday that I was absolutely going to mention Troy Hawke this week as my new favourite thing, I most definitely felt ahead of the curve.Fast forward to Saturday morning and the purple-quilted, waxed moustached charmer is literally everywhere. So much so that he even popped up on This Morning to chat with Holly & Phil on Wednesday.Oh well, the cutting edge will have to wait for another week.Stay safe.No Small Thing - Tears for...2022-07-0216 min

Therapy For MeLong DayW/C 20th June 2022There is something really therapeutic about marking out football pitches.So when I found myself on a huge expanse of playing field at 5am on Friday morning, ready to measure, mark and line ten mini soccer pitches I wasn't that perturbed at the turn of events.I will admit the first one was a bit of a chore, but that was mostly down to ensuring that the measurements were correct, and that I was going to have enough pitch left to accommodate all of the pitches required....2022-06-2522 min

Therapy For MeArgueW/C 13th June 2022They literally just want everything to be an argument. Throw enough bile and get level-headed people angry and annoyed, and then just label different sides of the debate in an effort to entrench the split.As far as the beleaguered government is concerned wedge week has been a great success, the Rwandan Policy, the NI protocol and as a cherry on the cake the European Courts of Human Rights. All in the news, and all over the Daily Mail. All of them framed as an affront to democracy, all...2022-06-1822 min

Therapy For MeConfidence ManW/C 6th June 2022Another week, another confidence vote.But let's not dwell too much on that, in fact I promise I will get it our of my system early doors (so to speak). Arguably the toxicity around the PM is nothing in comparison to that reserved for those that go 'double brown' as far as socks & sandals are concerned. Or maybe not, we might be in the process of letting all of that slide.And if that doesn't do it for you then maybe a new slice of Star Wars...2022-06-1120 min

Therapy For MeBe here nowW/C 30th May 2022Five days, five different locations and hopefully enough in the audio and the imagery to give you some kind of an insight into my time in Spain.Where I was struggling a bit was in finding a suitable song to link in as a title. In the absence of anything better (or indeed any form of inspiration) the title track from the third Oasis album will have to suffice.Actually I have always liked that album, even if that puts me in a fairly small club.Stay...2022-06-0426 min

Therapy For MeBlue turns to grey.W/C 23rd May 2022I am quite pleased with this as a title.I first heard this song on a documentary about the Stones called 25x5 which was made to coincide with the release of the Steel Wheels album in 1989.It's well worth a watch particularly for the bits when they are working on the arrangement of the song Mixed Emotions in the rehearsal studio.Anyway I remember hearing a snippet of the song in the background, and then discovering that (none other than) Cliff Richard had also covered it.2022-05-2822 min

Therapy For MeRaindrops keep falling on my head.W/C 16th May 2022I didn't know this cover version of the Hal David & Burt Bacharach song existed until literally a couple of minutes ago. I have also been a 'kind-of' fan of the Manics, by which I mean there are a handful of tracks I really like and I am very taken by him as a frontman...but I can't say I am a card-carrying fanThis version was their contribution to the "Help" album, a charity album from 1995 that raised money for the WarChild charity. The recording was the first piece of work...2022-05-2124 min

Therapy For MeOops!...I did it again.W/C 7th February 2022I have been binge-watching the later Terminator movies, and I have no idea why. Before the start of this week I had only ever seen the original and the sequel, both of which I had enjoyed but I can't say I was a card-carrying, T-shirt-wearing kind of a fan.I stumbled across the third instalment, watched that and then for reasons unknown had to track down the rest and watch them over the course of the last week.Intellectually, spiritually & philosophically I can't tell you that they have moved...2022-05-1421 min

Therapy For MeTrap the spark.W/C 2nd May 2022I thought it was time for one of my single-topic episodes this week, because (and you won't be surprised by this) I had a bit to say about the results of the Local Elections.Of course it's all shoot from the hip stuff, so you will need to take it with a bit of a health warning and unsurprisingly its also just a teeny bit biased.Oh well what's the point of having your own podcast if you can't twist unfolding events into a story that brings you a...2022-05-0724 min

Therapy For MeDon't let your chance go by.W/C 25th April 2022Seeing Neil Morrissey yesterday has reminded me how much I used to enjoy a particular episode of Bob the Builder. It was a feature-length episode from 2001 called a Christmas To Remember and it featured (amongst others) Elton John, Chris Evans and Noddy Holder.It became a bit of a Christmas staple long before the kids came along, and tbh has always been appreciated more by me than either of my offspring. So even though Neil was looking a little grumpy when he walked past me yesterday, and certainly not...2022-04-3023 min

Therapy For MeThe Party.W/C 18th April 2022I wrote to my MP this week, the third instalment of our ongoing conversation about that man and his conduct. You know the one, the Leader of the Party.To: MCCARTNEY, JasonRe: Boris JohnsonHi Jason,I write in reference to my earlier emails and your subsequent replies.You closed you last communication with the following statement;"As I have said before if anyone is found guilty of breaking the law they must face the full consequences of their actions...2022-04-2325 min

Therapy For MeChocolate.W/C 11th April 2022What we think of as an Easter egg is not in point of fact that old a tradition. The first examples can be traced back to the early parts of the nineteenth century, predominantly in France & Germany.Although Cadbury's were producing chocolate for the European market from the mid 1840's, they didn't in fact produce an egg until 1875, building the range at a modest pace until they had about twenty on offer at the turn of the twentieth century.It was the launch of the Dairy Milk chocolate variety...2022-04-1619 min

Therapy For MeTake me back.W/C 4th April 2022I didn't expect to be mentioning so many things about my hometown this week, but nevertheless they are in there and so this song seemed appropriate.Of course, what makes it perfect is that the decision to reference it is both self-fulfilling & circular. I was a Bryan Adams fan before Reckless, so before Run To You, It's Only Love & Summer of 69. I got into BA because of the Cuts Like A Knife album and by default this song.That was 1983, and it evokes memories of listening to this album...2022-04-0927 min

Therapy For MeWe haven't turned around.W/C 28th March 2022The notes will be short and to the point this week, because time is marching on and I am running late.Nothing out of the ordinary has happened, but Saturday mornings tend to shake out this way in my world, especially when the U9s have a 10:00 KO. Of course if I had written these last night I wouldn't be in quite the panic. But I didn't and know I have to finish my tea and then pop out for a run...which if everything goes to plan will give me...2022-04-0222 min

Therapy For MeThe one and onlyW/C 21st March 2022London felt like it was almost back to normal. Of course the weather helped, people ad poured into the parks & squares and were enjoying impromptu al fresco and the chance to have a good natter.There are of course plenty of pandemic scars; one way directional instructions, an abundance of hand sanitiser dispensers (literally everywhere) and protective screens a plenty. But there was something else, and to quote Darth Vader it was something I hadn't felt in a long time.Of course the case rate of Covid is still...2022-03-2621 min

Therapy For MeAngryW/C 14th March 2022The day I had been dreading for a while actually arrived yesterday. And it was a bit like the voiceover at the beginning of Hong Kong Phooey...(you will have to imagine the voice)Why was this a day you weren't looking forward to?Was it the Dentist? Imagine Henry the mild mannered janitor shaking his head.Was it the first day back at work after a week off? Henry shaking his head again.Was it filling the car with diesel? Henry: "could be"2022-03-1921 min

Therapy For MeLove will tear us apart.W/C 7th March 2022It's a minor miracle that this is not only out on time, but actually finished earlier than I have managed in weeks.To get to this point, I have had to mark out the U9s football pitch for the morning (I must have mentioned how therapeutic I find using the line marker? No? Are you sure...) read the 49 page overview document for the Government consultation on an Online Sales Tax and re-write a ton of web-copy.No wonder I am feeling a little spent.Anyway now...2022-03-1223 min

Therapy For MeOut of this World.W/C 28th February 2022This Saturday morning recording lark is becoming established as a thing, this week it was because of Friday Night football and a very eventful game vs Nottingham Forest at Bramall Lane.I actually quite like getting up and recording this way around, so it may end up being a thing. Certainly as the we head into more daylight I tend to rise a wee bit earlier anyway, so it might work out well. Mmm.A proper mix of a week this week, and a classic example of what TFM...2022-03-0522 min

Therapy For MeUnwell.W/C 21st February 2022It's almost worth the two red lines just to listen to a bit of Matchbox Twenty. I read a review of the first Matchbox Twenty album in Mojo magazine (I believe) and bought it in a little independent record store in Durham, near the high bridge that spans the river. The album was 'Yourself or Someone Like You' and it very quickly became a go-to listen, remaining in that category ever since.I kept track on them through subsequent albums, particularly enjoying 'Something to Be' which was the first...2022-02-2619 min

Therapy For MeStormy WeatherW/C 14th February 2022Very last minute this week, but only because I have a bit of a cold and I am feeling quite sorry for myself. I am a shocking invalid - in fact if you have ever seen that episode of Frasier when he has the Flu then you will get some sort of idea. I just go all pathetic, and everything is a gargantuan effort.What also doesn't help is that over the last couple of years, Lemsip seems to exacerbate the problem and give me a real dry tickle. Now I...2022-02-1921 min

Therapy For MeStorm Front.W/C 7th February 2022Back to normal this week, which I have to say was a bit of a relief.The 'planned' episodes take quite a bit more time in terms of prep & recording and before you say 'pull your finger out and make a bit of effort' let me explain my rationale. TFM was always supposed to be a one shot kind of affair, no editing, raw and in the moment. At least that was the plan.Don't get me wrong I like the episodes where I try and be a bit...2022-02-1223 min

Therapy For MeWords.It's all about other peoples words this week.I haven't strayed far from my desk for a large part of the week, and so I have been keeping up with events largely in real-time, and in most cases just by listening to the words different people had chosen to deliver at a particular time.So I thought it would be interesting to select some of these as a bit of an sonic collage this week, in a hope they reflect the current state of discourse in our community.Stay Safe.Words...2022-02-0517 min

Therapy For MeShame on you.W/C 24th January 2022I first remember seeing Gun on The Chart Show in 1989, and was absolutely knocked out by the first single Better Days. For those with long memories The Chart Show was broadcast on ITV at 11:30 on Saturday mornings, and was uniques for having sections dedicated to Rock & Indie.I toddled off to Woolworths and bought the cassette, probably from my friend Louise who was woking there at the time. Very quickly I was knocked out by the whole album. Shame on you has a bassline that sounds a bit like...2022-01-2925 min

Therapy For MeObjects in the Rear View Mirror.W/C 17th January 2022I am listening to the track in question as I write the notes for this weeks instalment. I have always love it, but I have to confess I hadn't spent too much time contemplating the title until today.Maybe you can't escape your past, maybe it is always there, just behind your shoulder, catching your eye when you glance in the rear view. I am sure that the current occupant of 10 Downing Street must be wondering what he can do to leave the contents of his mirror far behind...2022-01-2225 min

Therapy For MeToxic.W/C 10th January 2022From: Anthony ShortSubject: Boris JohnsonDate: 12 January 2022 at 12:43:51 GMTTo: xxxxx.xxxxxxxxxmp@parliament.ukHi xxxxx,I have been considering writing to you over the last few days, but wanted to wait until I had heard from the current Prime Minister at questions this lunchtime.Now he has confirmed what I think we all knew that he did attend the much discussed party in Downing Street on the 20th May I wanted to register my utter disgust at his behaviour, his...2022-01-1525 min

Therapy For MeNew Sensation.W/C 3rd January 2022Chooooonnnnn.......!The inspiration (as you will find out) may stem from heaven on a plate, but my, oh my, this is a song and a half. It's actually quite hard to believe that it was made as long ago as 1987, such is the energy it still possesses.Anyway back to the business in hand and welcome one & all to the new year. And just look at that for a week one achievement, bringing the whole shebang in at under the twenty minute mark. Still ranty, still quirky, still downright...2022-01-0819 min

Therapy For MeOld December.W/C 27th December 2021Here we go then, the last TFM of 2021 and there are a few things you need to know before you dive in.(a) There is an opportunity for a bit of listener participation, but you are going to need a pen & paper.(b) There is a James Bond spoiler so if you haven’t seen No Time To Die yet you might want to swerve TFM this week.(c) I have shoe-horned another track from Strange Communion in, just because I can.And that is it...2022-01-0122 min

Therapy For MeMust be SantaW/C 20th December 2021As it turns out there isn't a shortage of Turkeys. If anything it's a buyers market as far as turkeys this Christmas, judging by the fact that pretty much all of the fresh turkeys in the supermarket were already reduced at 07:15 when I popped along for my bread, milk & veg.It's amazing the impact the stories about shortages a couple of months ago have had. Because we have either (collectively) embraced frozen turkeys this year, or we have decided to give something else a bash instead, and head off potential disappointment. 2021-12-2521 min

Therapy For MeBad Moon Rising.W/C 13th December 2021I see the bad moon a-risingI see trouble on the wayI see earthquakes and lightnin'I see bad times todayDon't go around tonightWell it's bound to take your lifeThere's a bad moon on the riseI hear hurricanes a-blowingI know the end is coming soonI fear rivers over flowingI hear the voice of rage and ruinWell don't go around tonight...2021-12-1821 min

Therapy For MeShe's right on time.W/C 6th December 2021Three reasons for the choice of episode title this week.It's a song that popped up on my running mix on Thursday, which by coincidence was also the day I pushed past by running target for the year.It speaks to something I learned about Trains on my journey back from London on Friday.I am writing these notes with moments in hand before I need to press 'go' on this weeks episode and as such I am employing a 'just-in-time' supply model for TFM this week.As an aside...2021-12-1127 min

Therapy For MeLook Away.W/C 29th November 2021OMICROM/ə(ʊ)ˈmʌɪkrɒn/nounnoun: omicron; plural noun: omicrons the fifteenth letter of the Greek alphabet ( Ο, ο ), transliterated as ‘o’.Astronomy the fifteenth star in a constellation.Stay Safe.Look Away - Big CountryPaul Lesinski - SpotifyInstagramTwitterFacebook 2021-12-0422 min

Therapy For MeLost.W/C 22nd November 2021You probably won't have heard this track before, tbh I wouldn't expect you to have unless you are a fan of the music of Jimmy Nail. Its the last track from an album called Tadpoles in A Jar, and whilst many have been dismissive I have always had a great deal of time for his voice and his take on the world. And of course I have a soft spot for the North East.It seemed like a good choice, an ironic and somewhat flippant take on our PM, and the...2021-11-2722 min

Therapy For MeThe Release.W/C 15th November 2021I have seen Marillion many, many times. And of those gigs I would say the majority have (now) been in Manchester - it was Leeds for a long while, but since they stopped playing at the Old Poly it has moved to the dark side of the penninesThe last couple of occasions have been at The Bridgewater Hall, which as well as being a beautiful venue also means one huge development - seating.Both at gigs & the football I have turned into that person that likes to sit...2021-11-2021 min

Therapy For MeGhostbusters.W/C 8th November 2021Almost no need to apologise for re-living this 80s-tastic theme tune. The fact I am getting a little bit giddy about the new movie (only seven more sleeps) is enough of an excuse to enjoy this slight guilty pleasure.Don't worry there is still space for a good ol' fashioned Ant-Rant, but as I couldn't think of a song with Protocol in the title then Ray won the day.Stay safe.Ghostbusters - Ray Parker JrGhostbusters Afterlife TrailersParliamentary Standards...2021-11-1323 min

Therapy For MeAll you good good people.W/C 1st November 2021Sometimes I have the episode title in mind all week, most times it is the very last thing that arrives but this week I had made my mind up before I finished recording.The advantage in this scenario that is you can weave it in as part of the dialogue, which of course I have done.Now I knew the song by Embrace very well, but I have to admit as to not having seen the video - which in this instance is important because it is a little...2021-11-0624 min

Therapy For MeCrocodile RockW/C 25th October 20211. I have spent most of the week wandering around Spain in my Crocs. 2. That got me to Crocodile Rock as the episode title & tune of the week, as my Crocs do in fact really rock.3. That took to my favourite version of the song, as it appears in the Bob the Builder Christmas Special episode - A Christmas to Remember4. Which brings me to the admission that I have been watching this episode for years after the kids lost interest, it's one of the go-to Christmas moments...2021-10-3027 min

Therapy For MeTake it to the limit.W/C 18th October 2021There is a good chance that this weeks TFM has landed a moment to two later than usual. I know that because it's 2 minutes to show time and I am still composing these notes.The whole week has been a bit like that, culminating in a fairly fraught day yesterday but we will get to that in good time.We start the week with a reminder of Christmas's past and the culmination of an arc.Stay safe.Take it to the Limit (Live)- The...2021-10-2323 min

Therapy For MeOne Tonight.W/C 11th October 2021With all the shenanigans of the week, it would probably have been more apt to have picked a track with a more dramatic title for TFM.Disease by Matchbox Twenty springs to mind, or maybe Infected by The The or at a pinch Wrecking Ball by Neil Young.But amongst all the conflicting emotions of welcoming COVID into the family home, this week was also the anniversary of a unique event.So instead I am decided to take a moment to reflect on a special night, with...2021-10-1625 min

Therapy For MeWaiting to Happen.W/C 4th October 2021It does appear that the prevalence of Covid in secondary schools is somewhat alarming. Figures released by the ONS yesterday suggested that 1 in 14 children of secondary school age were infected with Covid last week.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/08/covid-rates-rising-in-secondary-schools-in-england-ons-data-showsAcross the country the infection rate has risen to 1 in 70 people, clearly placing schools as the driver behind the rises. The one slight positive is that cross-infection to other age groups is not running at the same rate.Figures from the middle of September put the...2021-10-0921 min

Therapy For MeHeavy Fuel.W/C 27th September 2021On Every Street was the final Dire Straits album, and the follow up to the über hit Brothers In Arms. Heavy Fuel was supposed to be the bedfellow to Money For Nothing in terms of sound & structure.Neither the single or album captured the moment in the way that BiA had and when I finally got to see them on tour I was left a wee bit cold by the show, which was overplayed and a little self-indulgent.You can imagine how disappointing this was for a lad that h...2021-10-0221 min