7^TH September.

The first show was a very nervous experience, and I cannot remember all of it because of my nervousness. However it was enjoyable, and there were many requests in the middle. I did not see where the time went, because it was very quick.

As I remember I started the show with “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel, and then I introduced my show WOODY’S ROUNDUP”. After I gave a quick description of how the show was going to go, and what was going to be contained in that show. This I think came out something like “Thank you Chris (the presenter before me), in my show you will hear the great connection quiz, a comedy single, & something from a local act. Along with the usual great music here at 87.9 Derwent FM, you’re voice, you’re choice”. After that I played “Pure Shores” by the All Saints.

As Pure Shores was being played there was a request that came through which did panic me a little, as the request that came through was not on the system, and the only way this was available was on a CD in my car. I quickly decided that there was no time at that moment to go out and collect it, but I could obtain it whilst I was doing the connection quiz part of the show. Moving on from that point when I felt more relaxed, it was coming up to the first of the “Community News” Slots. This is where I started to panic again, and I was only 15 minutes into the show. This was the first time I thought I could seriously get it wrong, but it would appear that it was ok.

I lead out of the news with “Smile Like You Mean It” by The Killers after which I introduced the first of my features, which was the connection quiz. As I stated at the time I play two songs back to back, and the connection between the two songs that are played needs to be established. As soon as the connection is known, you contact the studio with the correct connection, and if you are the first name drawn out of the hat you win a Derwent FM goodie bag along with a “WOODY’S ROUNDUP” t-shirt. During this time I quickly left the studio and collected the CD I mentioned earlier from my car.

I arrived back in the studio after going to the car in plenty of time to cue up the request from the CD and that was played after the connection quiz. I thought time was going very quickly here as before I knew it was time for the next “Community News”, which I presume, went ok. After that the requests came in, and at which point I had to move from the schedule I had for the program. Most of the requests finished around 15:00. At which time I played the second of my features, which was a comedy single. For the shows I had the idea to do the first one from the 70’s. The single I chose was “Funky Gibbon” by The Goodies.

During the comedy single a request came in for something I was not prepared for. That was for somebody who wanted a good song for which he could make a marriage proposal. The song we decided to play was “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye. After that request that surprised me I continued with some more songs that were off my schedule. Before I could tell again it was the third of my “Community News” slots. I moved out of the news with a comment that was relayed to me in the studio, and that was the marriage proposal was accepted. After a while I thought I should do my own amusing news item. That was “We have just had reports of an incident in Derby involving a cement mixer & a prison truck. The police are advising the public to look out for 16 hardened criminals”.

The time was now closing in and I only had half an hour left, so I did the last of my features, which was the local act spot. I gave a quick description of the group and then played “Starstruck” by Atomic 16. That bit was ok but I panicked again as this time I got the fader wrong, but it would only have been a fraction of a second.

Before I knew where I was it was the last of the “Community News” slots, which I think went ok, but as I said before I cannot remember how it went. The Animals closed out the first show with “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”. At which point I introduced the next presenter, who was Claire.

  14^th September.

The second show felt much better and more natural than the first, and that was before I entered the studio. I was a little later than I would have liked, as I got there just before 13:40. However with that aside this time I had to go and do my show I was like “ok it is time to do your show, LET’S GO”, and before it was “Oh no here it is this is my first show, how am I going to be with this?”. Basically I was far less nervous than the last show, and it felt like most of my nervous had gone.

The show was introduced by one of my favourite acts, and that was The Stranglers with “Big Thing Coming”. When that was done I still felt great and I introduced the show, as I had done the previous week but this time I was clearer and calmer. I then continued with “California Girls” by The Beach Boys. This week after The Beach Boys I announced the competition that the station was doing. I probably announced this sometime on the show last week, but I have no recollection of it. I could not believe how this announcement went, I am not saying that it was perfect, but it felt calm and together. I then continued with the next song.

After “Don’t You Want Me” was played I made a comment about having some muesli for breakfast, but momentarily falling a sleep into it. I commented that, I thought it was a strong current that pulled me in. After that I played the first of the requests on the show for that day, but the person that made the request was a “Tall blonde lady in Long Eaton”, and she wanted me to say the following on air “Ace of hearts”. I did however have to say it in the characterture country farmer accent, which sounded something like the “Ace of aaarrrrrtts”.

After that request it was time for the first “Community News” slot. I cannot remember what was said here, and I do not think it was as good as it should have been. The news slot was however far better than last week, and to me it did sound good. I continued the show with my next song and whilst that was on I had the first request for a song, which was not available in the studio, and I did not have a copy of it either. Baring in mind what was requested was a comedy single; I decided to play something from the comedy selection I was going to be using later. I do not know if it worked, but to me it was an apt choice.

After a while it was the connection quiz and I think I did the easiest connection one I could do this time with playing the James Bond Themes “A View To A Kill” by Duran Duran, and “From Russia With Love” by Matt Monro. I could not believe how calm and relaxed I was compared to the show I did the week previously, and at this time I could tell how bad I felt the previous week.

The show then kept on moving in a clear and smooth manner. I started to get some more requests and I think at this point it started to feel as if I was getting more than the previous week which made me feel better still. The second “Community News” Slot was fine again. Time then moved on to my second feature, which was the comedy single. I continued this week with the trend I started before, as where last week was 70’s, this week was going to be 80’s. I am aware that I did also play a comedy single before in the show, but I thought it was going to be ok, and it was.

Before I realised what was happening I was well into the second part of my show, and I had to do another of the “Community News” slots. I think looking back, and probably at the time that was my worst part of the show that day. However the show was far better than the week before and after I gave myself a quick talking to on the track afterwards I was ok.

I soon came up to the last of my features for this show, and this week I played something by somebody a local artist and somebody I happen to know, and that was by Dave Berridge. I also announced something that had been loosely arranged the week before, and that was to do an interview with him live on air. The time of the interview I announced would be 15:00 and it would be on next weeks show. After that song by the local act I was enjoying myself a lot by this point I played another comedy single, and that quickly brought me up to the last “Community News” slot for that day.

After a few more requests came in, it was time to close up that show, which was a pity because I was enjoying myself so much. After I came back into the reception it was stated that I had been live on air to the Derby College. I was surprised about this initially, but I was pleased with how the show went, so there was no need to be embarrassed about it. Later on when I had left I remembered that it had been stated some time ago, but it appears that I had forgotten.

21^st September. 

This was the third show and probably the best show I did looking back at them all. Where on previous weeks show I was feeling calmer, this week it was fun and energetic. The only regret I had at the start was my opening track, which was “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones it was a little bit shorter than I personally would have wanted (short intro, which leads to less setting up time). I introduced the show in the usual way but this time I felt like my introduction just flowed. I also stated that this week I had an interview live on the show. I will be honest and say I was not sure how that was going to go? I then played the first track of the show, which was Franz Ferdinand with “Matinee”.

At this time I quoted the pantomime question that all the presenter were doing on their shows, And I did not realise till later on that was the last time I would have said it. The prize was going to be awarded on the program before me next week. I played another track and made one of my jokie comments at the start of my show and that one was “The Ice Cream van came around as he usually does at the weekend. However when it had stopped and I approached it, I saw the ice cream seller lying on the floor covered in hundreds and thousands. The police were called and coned off the area. Afterwards they have stated that he topped himself”. After I played the first request on this show it was time for the first of the “Community News”.

I came out of that news item with my second and final mistake of the show (and I was only 15 minutes into the show). The mistake was I was playing a up beat and short song to come out of the news item, but there was a request made which I was going to play after, but I was told that request should have come on straight after that news item. I felt that I should have left the request till after what I was playing, as I did not like to introduce the request over the introduction of that song. It was ok in the end and I continued playing till it was approximately 14:30, at which time it was the connection quiz.

As of before in this part of the show two songs are played back-to-back and the connection with those two songs needs to be established. This time I played “Electric Avenue” by Eddie Grant, and “2, 4, 6, 8 Motorway” by the Tom Robinson Band was played (which leaves the connection being roads). After they were done I played some more requests as they were coming in quite quickly. The next “Community News” came up very quickly and it felt fine, as I finished that I was made aware that Dave Berridge had entered the building.

The time was now moving on to 15:00, so I played the comedy single for that week. Continuing what I had done the previous weeks I had now moved onto the 90’s. The single for that week was Arnie & The terminators, with “I’ll Be Back”. I think this was enjoyed a fair bit as I understand somebody got back in touch with the studio, and asked if I could repeat who the performing artist was.

Before I knew the time was now coming up to 15:15 and that was when the third “Community News” slot was done. After that I realised something that was the same as the week before, and that was when it comes round to doing your show, you see the first 15 minutes of the show go (I am not saying that that time drags by, it is just that you recognise that time goes by). Then 1 hour just seems to vanish and you cannot remember that time going.

Anyway I could not reflect on that too long as my guest now joined me for my show. I announced that Dave Berridge was with me to chat about his new album, what projects he is involved with and play something off that album.  The interview seemed to go ok and I felt like I asked all the questions that I needed to, it did however feel a little cliché at times. This interview was however fun and enjoyable and this helped be remember this particular show fondly. I cannot remember exactly but I think this interview lasted approximately 20 – 25 minutes long as well, which I could not believe as I was it felt like it was only a short amount of time.  

After the interview it was time for my last “Community News” slot for this third program. This I think went ok, but I cannot remember it very clearly as I think I was probably still thinking about the interview, which I don’t think I should have. I quickly had to start wrapping up this show, and I did this with a news item of my own. This was “We have just received a news exclusive here at Derwent FM. It is that hot I have dropped it on the floor. The exclusive is. Thieves have just broken into the local museum. Upon hearing of this the police immediately sealed of all the exits. Unfortunately the thieves got out the entrance”. The ending of this show came up on me quicker than I would have liked to see, which was a little unpleasant. I also left the studio fully aware that the next show is the last one.

28^th September.

Right this was the last show I did but I was not going to let this put me down. I had what I thought what was to be a good way to introduce this show, and that was “Pumping On Your Stereo” by Supergrass. After which I introduced the show for the last time and I tried to still feel the same as the previous shows, even though it did not to me. I continued with my next song which I thought was good, and that would have brought me up to the pantomime competition, but as I knew the previous week that had been done. I therefore reminded all the listeners that the station is on air longer today as it is the last day on air. Due to this there will be an extra show where all the presenters are interviewed about their time on air. 

After a couple of requests it was time for the first of my Last “Community News” slots, and this was fine, and as soon as I had lead out from that the requests started to come in and they did not stop until about 14:35. At that time I thought I had best do what was to be the last of the connection competitions. As of before the connection needs to be established between two songs that are play back-to-back. The lucky winner still receives as they have done before the goodie bag along with the “WOODY’S ROUNDUP!” t-shirt. The two songs for my last connection quiz were “Kayleigh” by Marillion, and Blondie with “Maria” (which leaves the connection of girls names). After that was done I had to go straight into the next of the “Community News” slots. After which I continued to play more requests.

Around 15:00 the requests seemed to be less frequent so at this time I played my last comedy single. The single I chose for this my last show is a firm favourite of mine and continued in the form as the comedy singles on previous shows. This week it was from this decade. I chose “Bunsen Burner” by John Otway. Not long after that I could see what I thought the week before, and that was after the first 15 minutes of a show the next hour disappears without you realising. At which point I realised that there was less than an hour left in my show. However just as I thought that some more requests started to come in and that brought me up to penultimate “Community News” slot.

The requests did keep coming for a while after the news slot, but I managed to get a break in the requests just after half-past three. At which time I played the last of my feature, which was the local act. This time I did not play something by Dave Berridge, as many people thought I would do. This time it was called “Mr Hip Hop” by Rob Holmes. After I played the last of the features I was able to go back for a little while and play something off my schedule.

Before I knew it the requests came back again which nearly filled the rest of my show. These took me through my last of the “Community News” slots. I only then had one chance before the show ended to play something I wanted. This was “Radio #1” by Air. I dedicated this to everyone at Derwent FM and most importantly you (the listener). Before I left I did have one final and last item of news to announce. “The police are desperately looking for the man who steels the end of the news items here at Derwent FM. The man is tall got grey hair, with a big…

After that my show was done and it felt like a funny show because whilst it was fun, in my opinion I played too many requests for my liking (not that I am complaining but I played 20 something requests, and I would like to have chosen more in my last show for myself). Anyhow I now joined the rest and relaxed before I went back in the studio to chat about my experience on air.

I was the first one to chat about my time on air on the last program, because I had a prior engagement that night. I was asked about my time and if I enjoyed it. I said it was all great, however I was using the other microphone, which I have never used before (that did feel strange). I also said the atmosphere was superb, at which point I said I would love to do this again next time the station is on air (I can then maybe improve on my worst part of the coarse, which was the “Community News” slot). I left this interview by playing something by my favourite group The Stranglers, and “Big Thing Coming”. I thought that was a good way to close the session I had on the radio.