大象传媒

Friday 14th August

It's time to grab a hankie and shed a tear. The Breakfast Blog is going to the great web scrap heap in cyberspace. The 大象传媒 Humberside website is undergoing a major change shortly in its look and feel. Partly, in response to one of those high-flying reviews about the 大象传媒's web activities and also to brighten it up to make it more eye-catching. We'll still be able to have our own web space on the site but our daily ramblings are being rested.

There will be some great benefits though. We'll be听 improving the sound quality of our listen again items through the iPlayer and we'll also get the chance to add some daily information in the programme schedules. This will take a bit of time to sort out but we're promised the end result is worth any temporary heartache. So shed those tears by all means, but make them tears of joy.

Today, hear our story about flies plaguing people in East Yorkshire. There was quite a 'buzz' about this story. (Groan -ed).

Listen to:
- my interview about the anniversary of the Fastnet disaster with Eddie Ward Owen and Janet Grosvenor.

Queens' Gardens' fountain

- Chris Barker talking to me alongside the newly revamped fountain in Hull city centre.

- our feature on Hull City's second season in the Premier League with Louis Massarella, the editor of 4-4-2 magazine

View from above

- Lee Merrill Sendall standing on a ladder, talking about building a hill in Holderness. Just to prove that really happened, I've popped a photo here on the blog for you.

Today, the question came from Jake: Which is the only club to have played in the Football League that also once won the Rugby League Challenge Cup final? The answer was Bradford Park Avenue.

Jake also revealed that his beloved Southend United have won the Chant of the Year competition. Here is the "witty" masterpiece. Sadly you'll have to dig out your copy of the song from your own collection to sing along to, with the new 'lyric'.

Underground, overground, signed on a 'free'
He's Dougie Freedman of SUFC
Scores goals for fun, he's blue through and through
Better watch out 'cos he'll score against you.

The Breakfast Show Fact of the Day was: In every episode of Seinfeld, there is a Superman somewhere. Our 8.55 song was House of the Rising Sun by the Animals.

I'm off for a week - Phil White is standing in for me on Breakfast and Mike Morris is doing the honours on Sunday Brunch. Thanks, fellas! So, have a good week and TTFN from me and from the blog.

Thursday 13th August

Hello again. I'm out and about today with our technical man, John Anguish, having a look at the places we're taking the Breakfast Show to in the first week of September. We're following the route of Stage 1 of the cycle race, the Tour of Britain. Every time we take the show out on the road we have to go beforehand to check the venue - to make sure we can get a radio signal back to base and to check the safety and facilities. We'll be using our newly refurbished radio car.

Today some of the people featured on the programme talked about听 the problem of听 sewage in Market Weighton. Many had plenty to say on the matter and you can hear what they told us about their feelings. A meeting's due to take place to try to get to heart of the matter. The wicked side of me wanted to say 'get to the bottom' of this story..but it's certainly no fun as there are serious health concerns.

In addition, there's also the chance to hear from Chris Thompson who wants to have his cake and eat it. He's a Hull businessman who's challenging the VAT charged on some health products. John Glenton from the English Churches Housing Group updates us on a story we covered a short time ago about finding a suitable location for the building of a new centre for homeless people.

And, it was on with the boxing gloves as we heard from the woman hoping the Olympic Committee will strike a blow for women's rights by allowing female boxing to take place in 2012 under the world's sporting spotlight. Plus another brave woman Della Parsons came in to talk about taking part in the Round the World Clipper Race which is due to get underway very soon. Della's taking a break from her career with the 大象传媒 and is swapping studio talk for 'sails' talk..get it? Er..

Today, the question came from Sarah Cruddas: Geography today: Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man. But which nation is it nearest?听 England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? The answer: Scotland. Our 8.55 song was The sun goes down by Level 42 - well done if you got that right.

The Breakfast Show Fact of the Day: A Funambulist is the proper term for a circus tight rope walker.

I'm back on the radio tomorrow for the last time for a week from 6.30.

Wednesday 12th August

It's the Glorious Twelfth. Nothing glorious about it. It's cloudy as usual.

Today you can listen again to:
- Sayeed Ali, an unemployed man from Hull and Richard Woodward from Hull University on unemployment;
- Hedley Aylott from a local media company, which has an office inside the walls of the Wolds Prison.
- Brian Stoten from the NHS Confederation on the problem of patients missing appointments.
- local travel agent, Andrew Earle, on low cost airlines choosing Leeds Bradford over Humberside or Robin Hood.

Today, the question came from Producer Tim: What links Connecticut, Edinburgh, Wednesday and cupboard? The answer: They all have silent letters. Well done if you guessed our song at 8.55am - it was Sunny by Boney M.

The Breakfast Show Fact of the Day: Winston Churchill was born in a ladies bathroom.

By the way, I passed my radio car test with flying colours - I know you've been worrying about that. Radio car users have to undergo a refresher test for safety reasons every year. You might have spotted our newly refurbished radio car out and about during the Breakfast Show. The sleek white machine is somewhere in East Yorkshire or Northern Lincolnshire every weekday morning. I'll be back tomorrow from 6.30am - do please join me then.

Tuesday 11th August

Today we heard about new money coming into the Nunsthorpe area of Grimsby from the National Lottery. It's good to report lottery money benefiting people in our area. Mind you, I've never benefited from the Lotto. Although I think I did win a tenner once.

We heard both sides of a story about building a cycle way over Dane's Dyke, north of Bridlington. Talking of cycling; I'll be out on the roads in the first week of September, as Breakfast looks ahead to the Tour of Britain. I'm in training at the moment and it may be too much information but I do have a sore bottom after my recent training spurt which took me to Scunthorpe. Another fit athletic fellow also made an appearance on the programme. Marcus Walmsey told us what's possessed him to swim the Humber Estuary. And, the Chinese are coming. We heard from Liu Kurui who's just come to the UK to help with Propeller TV which now has some strong financial backing from the Far East. I've selected a few bits for you to browse again just in case you haven't the time to listen to the full Monty version through the 大象传媒 iPlayer.

Today's question came from Jayne. It related to the story of a head on crash which took place just outside of Hull's Paragon station. She wanted to know the year it happened. The answer: 1927.

Our 8.55am song was tricky one. Seven Sunny Days in June by petrol head听 Jamiroquai. The Breakfast Show Fact of the Day: Flamingos can only eat with their head upside down.

Join me again from 6.30 on Wednesday morning. I'm off now to revise my notes ahead of my refresher test on safely using our radio car. I'd better be ready to put my hand in my pocket to 'persuade' the engineer I'm a competent person. For members of the 大象传媒 Trust who may just be reviewing this page..the previous remark is a bit of presenter banter and to be taken as such. Any attempt to suggest otherwise would have course have grave repercussions and at the very least will result in my muffin basket privileges being withdrawn.

Monday 10th August

I'm a little saddle sore this morning. Even with my fabulous gel saddle, I can still feel a reminder of my weekend bike ride from Hull to Scunthorpe. How do they do the Tour de France and manage to walk properly afterwards? Stay tuned to Breakfast for more details on our Tour of Britain shows at the beginning of September, when I'll be jumping on the bike again.

Today's show looked at another big sporting event coming to our region - the round the world clipper race. To hear our features on what it'll mean for Grimsby and Cleethorpes use the links below.

-听 reporter, Sarah Burton; Hull & Humber crew members Alison Harvey and Paul Briggs and Geoff Lowis, NE Lincs Councillor.
Also have a listen to:
- Paul Wilkes, who's set up a new online tenant finding service;
- East Yorkshire reporter, Chris Arundel, on Bridlington regeneration plans.

Today, the question was: what well-travelled, safely-delivered items were devised in the 1960s by George Gerard and his son after hearing about a mouse that had made itself a safe nest by tearing newspapers into shreds? The answer: Those padded envelopes that seem to smoother you in blue fluff when they are torn in an unexpected way.

The fact of the day, which we eventually got the right way around, was听 "I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. Today's song at 8.55 was The boys of Summer by Don Henley.

Kevin West was back on the show today from a canteen in a secret location, waffling on about football and golf. Nothing changes.

I'm back tomorrow with news of a man swimming the Humber and I'll be asking about how risky that could be and what preparations you need. That's tomorrow from 6.30am.