Snap, Crackle and Rock to all you A1 pop pickers out there!
This week we at VOX Towers we were privy to a very rare sight... not one..but two fantastic DJ’s together in the same building. Outstanding!
No, I’m not talking about duo Smashie and Nicey but real yabba-dabba, pop heaven, in the form of Tony ‘I’m a legend’ Blackburn and Charles ‘Jazz Time Lord and News Extraordinaire’ Nove.
I like to call them the ‘Pop-tastic - A1 Vox Jox’
So let’s, quite literally, kick off from the womb of music – Pop-a-Doodle-Doo!!!!
In 1964, Tony joined pirate broadcaster Radio Caroline as a DJ. He rapidly became successful on the basis of his informal, American influenced presentation.
After a short spell on Radio London, Tony was hired as the first of a new generation of DJs for the BBC's newly established pop station, Radio One in 1967. The first DJ heard on the new station that was to change the face of British music, his "Breakfast Show" programme soon became popular, ensuring that he rapidly became a household name (who can forget Arnold the dog!) and ran for 10 years. Also in 1967, Tony started a 17 year run as one of the regular presenters of the TV programme "Top of The Pops".
Not content with being a popular DJ, Tony also had a moderately successful career as a recording artist. Although not the strongest of vocalists, he even made the lower reaches of the UK charts twice and three albums of songs were released in the late 60s/early 70s. 
Tony then became a member of the Manchester radio station Jazz FM's team and still tours British clubs and universities with his very own 70s style disco. He is occasionally seen on British TV, particularly in programmes devoted to those heady days of the 70s. Spandex and platforms anyone?
Tony has just landed a plum role as Dale Winton’s successor presenting the two-hour Saturday show Pick of the Pops that looks back at the chart hits of the Sixties and Seventies on Radio 2.
For Blackburn it is a dream job. ''The funny thing is I’ve wanted to be on Radio 2 for a long, long time,’’ he says. ''It was one of my two remaining ambitions. [The other is a cameo in Coronation Street. Blackburn has watched every episode and longs to sit in the Rovers Return, pint in hand, in the background.] I was 37 when I left Radio 1, and 2 seemed a natural progression. So it’s only taken 30 years.’’
There was much laughter and chuckle lines all round as he and Charles gabbed on about this and that, one Jock to another!
Charles has known Tony for many years and has always said what a lovely man he is. It was an honour to meet him and everyone in the Green Room can back me up when I tell you that he was one of the most laid back and easy going people we have ever had to our sunny studio. Small....but lovely, and they do say the best things come in small packages so........
You can next catch Tony all in the name of ‘chairidee’ as he and other BBC presenters such as Radio 4 Woman’s Hour host Jenni Murray do battle as stand-up comedians for Comic Relief.
The six presenters have been working with mentors, including Julian Clary and Sandi Toksvig, ahead of a gig at London's Comedy Store on 22 February.
The winning act, voted for by listeners, will be announced on Red Nose Day on 18th March.
Tony said he was "petrified" at the prospect of performing his three-minute routine:
"I have a reputation for corny gags but on radio it takes 10 seconds then I put a record on - I don't have to rely on getting a reaction,".
Come on Tony, once upon a yonk you never got tongue tied, so just keep it pop, rock and roll, and if all else fails slam on “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive. SENSATIONAL!
So from one Comic Relief venture to another. .....
But why a sticky bun? I hear you cry.
Well that saucy minx of ours, Joan Walker, has only gone and got herself tied up, in more ways than one, in a Richard Curtis porn spoof entitled Extremely Sticky Buns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now before you all rush in with more Complaints than Elton John swearing on Radio 2......
(The programme's host, Chris Evans, was telling the star that Jools Holland has to start his day by playing the piano, to re-connect with it, to which Elton sighs deeply, raises his eyes to heaven and says: "Oh f****** hell")
.........this is a, tongue in cheek nod to Calendar Girls.
A group of northern guild members decide to go one better than merely stripping naked, to raise money for their Kneesley Village Hall Roof Fund.. by ‘eck, why stop at stripping when you can go the whole hog.
It seems their antics will raise the roof rather than fix it!
Richard Curtis has hand picked some bits for this year’s Comic Relief. Due to the rudery content it will probably be on late in the evening, but if you can’t wait until then, just use the link below to see our Joan doing her best When Harry met Sally face as she takes on the role of comical, yet strangely alluring, Head of the Ladies Guild.
As the slogan of the film reads ‘Some ladies do EVERYTHING for a good cause’ and it is a real rib tickler so check it out people - Raising money for charity will never be the same again!
Design hotel opens in London's Leicester Square
Now last week we reported that The Hairy Bikers were ribbing myself and Chris about our Soho fancy ways, well I thought I would indulge the pretentious side of our habitat and prove them somewhat right by telling you all about W Hotels new flagship, luxury venture that opened on February 14th, in the colourful streets of Soho.
The 192-room property stands ten stories tall above the city's famous Leicester Square and is covered in translucent glass which changes color according to the time of day and the ambience of the area. Ruddy hell, it must be pretty hard to see in or out of the windows at the moment!
The new landmark is designed to establish Starwood's W Hotels as a truly international luxury design hotel chain.
The W London features a fitness facility with rooftop views of Soho, a spa offering a full range of treatments and a bar inspired by "rock and roll London," complete with a specially curated tequila selection. Just imagine - a quick run on the treadmill whilst sipping a mexican special and listening to The Rolling Stones - Tidy!
In keeping with Leicester Square's famous association with film and cinema, the hotel is also home to a 38-seat 3D screening room, which W believes will be used for small-scale premieres.
The hotel also offers the Spice Market, a signature restaurant by three-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten that Starwood says is inspired by the "vibrant street life of South East Asia."
Rooms at the W London start from £269 per night so probably something that The Hairy Bikers could afford to try out. As for me, I will stick to The Travelodge and go grab some pukka noodles in Chinatown.
So that is all for this week folks - Brian Blessed is coming back in next week and this time I have been promised a picture with the man himself so make sure you don't miss that one. Until then......ARRIVEDERCI DOODLE DO.
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