The England Riots - 15 years on

 Fifteen years ago today, a man called Mark Duggan died after being shot by police. What originally started as a peaceful protest outside the Tottenham Police station soon escalated into riots that spread across London and then the whole of England. For about a week, the news was dominated by tales of shops ablaze, High streets being looted, political malaise and a feeling that the whole UK was unravelling. There were many factors that fed into the riots. For me though, the most interesting thing was why it all stopped. The reasons were very English and there were two. The first was that it started raining and the Brits don't like rioting when its raining. The second thing was that the football season started and all of the hooligans, who had no outlet, could go back to watching football. That is a very glib comment about a very serious issue, an issue that paralysed the country with fear.

What is less discussed is the fact that riots are a regular part of English culture. I have mates who used to always participate in riots, whenever they occurred. Not because they were enraged with social injustice. They would see it as a chance to get a new radio or a telly. They also enjoyed taking part in mayhem. Generally, the people who are present at the spark that starts the riots get fed up when things they get out of hand. It means that the injustice that started the trouble gets overlooked and the media narrative becomes about the damage and the looting.

One of the interesting aspects of the 2011 riots was the Police response. The then Tory government had been putting pressure on Police budgets and resources. I know Police officers who were happy to see the riots taking place as they knew it would put any budget cuts on the back burner. I don't believe that the Police deliberately let it escalate to the extent it did, but they were certainly not upset. It also meant plenty of overtime.

It was the first major public order challenge for the then coalition government. They made a complete pigs ear of it in truth. David Cameron was on holiday when the riots hit. He got a lot of flack for this, but even Prime Ministers are allowed to go on holiday. It is reading the room and coming home when the country is burning that was the problem. In some ways, it demonstrated David Camerons biggest problem as PM. He really had no clue what ordinary people were thinking. I suspect that this is why he made his biggest mistake, calling the Brexit referendum and getting all of his posh, out of touch mates to front the campaign.

To mark the event, today I re-read some of the blogs I wrote at the time. This passage from a blog on 12th August absolutely sums up my feelings. 

What is abundently clear to me is that in 30 years, nothing much has changed for those at the bottom of the ladder. Bankers vandalised the economy a couple of years ago. They are doing OK now. Last year politicans were exposed as greedy self serving money grabbing creeps, trousering everything they possibly could at our expense. I've no time whatsoever for anyone who robs, loots or steals. I just think that David Cameron should look at some of the people sitting behind him in the chamber, before he starts getting too self righteous.

How many of them should have been locked up by now? The trouble with having double standards is that the average person in the street is not fooled. We have to start building a fair society. That means that the people at the top have to be held to account, just as the people at the bottom should be.

Of course the rich and powerful always think different rules apply to them

I look at the UK now We had thirteen more years of the same. Then we had Sir Keir Starmer, another posh bloke, who couldn't read the room and who didn't understand ordinary British voters. Now we have Andy Burnham. All politicians have failings and weaknesses. We don't know what his are yet, but he is not out of touch. I hope we have a period of calm stable, sensible government. At some point,just as Cameron was fifteen years ago, Andy Burnham will have a real test of leadership. I hope, for all our sakes he passes it.

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And finally, I must mention Mr Eddie Nestor, presenter at BBC Radio London. He's been off work receiving chemotherapy, but came in to present his show today for the first time in eight weeks. I really like Eddie (don't tell him) and it was great to hear him. He did a great show. I am sure that he will go home tonight and crash and burn with exhaustion. He said he wanted to present the show today on the anniversary of the riots. That inspired me to write todays blog.  I recall when I had treatment for prostate cancer three years ago on Sunday, I asked my surgeon before whether he thought it would be wise to perform with The False Dots a month later on the 15th Spetember. His response "Yes, if you are mad". I don't think he realised that I took this as an emphatic YES! I suspect that Eddies family and medical team probably feel the same about him going to work today. Sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do and I salute him, even if it is bonkers. None of us know how long weve got and the wick burns faster than we realise. Live for today whilst you can!

We're delighted to welcome our friend and colleague @EddieNestorMBE back to the studio for his first show on BBC Radio London since he announced he's undergoing treatment for cancer.

Listen live: https://t.co/08ieOuDt9b pic.twitter.com/7U7O2pDAED

— BBC London (@BBCLondonNews) August 6, 2026

Rog T's Cancer Blog - My support for Eddie Nestor after his cancer statement

Back in 2023, I was personally struggling. Having been diagnosed with  prostate cancer in 2011, I was faced with a second round of treatment, which was going to be life changing. This series of blogs gave some clue to my readers. I didn't personally realise the magnitude of challenges I was facing. To my surprise though, BBC Radio London mid morning host Eddie Nestor had been following the blogs and got in contact. Eddie had his own challenge with cancer a couple of decades ago and recognised the fact that I was struggling, perhaps more than I realised. Eddie got in touch and offered his support. We have discussed cancer many times since.

Yesterday, Eddie announced that he was facing a new battle himself. When I started this journey, back in 2011, I would have posted a blog saying "Thoughts and prayers with you Eddie, I don't know what else to say". Now I do. I have grown up. One of the most important lessons I learned in 2023 is that you have to say what you feel. I have this message for Eddie. 

Dear Eddie, 

I read your post on Facebook yesterday and I was absolutely devastates. When we have spoken recently about cancer, it has been from the perspective of  people who had survived, moved on and wanted to help others facing the challenges and share our experience. We both also know that the monster may still be under the bed. When we last spoke, we discussed how for people in our position, cancer is more a mental health issue than a physical one. What we spoke of the anxiety of check ups and perceived symptoms. We spoke of the fear of the monster under the bed.

In 2023 when I was struggling, you stepped up and offered support and an opportunity to honestly air the struggles I faced as a 60 year old man facing a life changing procedure. I didn't know what the future held, what to tell my children or wife about my feelings and how to deal with the huge anger and resentment that I was feeling. As someone who's job it is to talk and make people feel comfortable, you did an amazing job helping me put the jigsaw of life back together in my head. Given that we are both scalliwags from London, who don't particularly like showing vulnerability, I never properly thanked you for this. Partly, this is because I guess you didn't want thanks, but partly because when we put the monster back inder the bed, we like to pretend it isn't there.

I read your statement yesterday as I was about to visit the gym. I spent 30 minutes on the cycling machine in turmoil. When we hear such news, it reminds anyone living with the monster under the bed that it is still there. I also realised that it would only be right and proper to say something. I have no idea whether you'll read this, but if you do there are some important things I want you to know. The first is that I love you mate, and if there is anything I can do, just let me know. It may seem a strange thing to say about a bloke I've only spoken to on the phone, but it is important to realise the effect your support had on me and how appreciated it is. The second is that we never realise how dark it is getting until someone turns the light on. I thought the sun was shining and I was doing alright mentally, until yourself and other friends put the light on. Even though your no 1 battle is the physical one, make sure that you do what you need to for your mental health. 

The difficult fact is that with cancer, it is what it is. It is a thief. It steals what we love most. In my darkest moments, I was thinking very dark thoughts. Thoughts I am not proud of, but if I don't acknowledge them, I would be dishonest. I seriously thought that it might be better if I wasn't around at all. Maybe it would spare the people I loved the sight of me disintegrating in front of them. I thought about refusing treatment and having a few great months or years and then flying to Switzerland. When I finally decided to have surgery, my wife almost broke down in tears, she said she'd have supported me whatever I decided, but I had made the choice that gave her the best chance of lumbering herself with me for the foreseeable future. That was probably the moment the light really came on. From there, once I had a plan, the job was easier, just stick with it. 

Your message says that you are now on chemo and are in the plan. I hope you are in the phase of sticking with it. It ain't easy. Far more so for you on chemo, than me with surgery. With that it was a massive discomfort for six weeks and then more or less back to normal. I don't know what the treatment plan is. What I do know is that it will be a bumpy journey. You have a fantastic wife and two amazing kids. You have a reason. Anyone with a reason is lucky. I am sure that chatting to people like me on your show in a few weeks or months, is the last thing you want to think of right now, but myself and hundreds of thousands of people in London are crossing our fingers and praying for the day you come back and start insulting us again!

In a perfect world, in three years time, we'll be rapping on your show, talking about how we both have put the monster back under the bed. In the meantime hang in there. Do what you need to do. God put you here to do great things. You have done, I genuinely believe that there is more to come. The best things in life ain't easy, but we persevere. We get through. It won't be pretty, it won't be fun, but just as the darkness of night, follows the sunniest day, so the Sun rises again. 

Give me love to Lisa and the boys. In some ways, it's harder for them. You know what the coup is and what you have to do. My mum had cancer when I was eight and it was awful. She was told she had 3 years maximim in 1970. She died in 2008. What her amazing surgeon, Mr Phillip King learned through her treatment changed many things in how such cancers are treated.  He'd wheel her out at seminars and explain to other surgeons how they could improve survival rates. He told her "Don't despair, you live in the best era to get cancer, we can cure things now that even ten years ago were terminal". The same is true today, only a thousand times over. Give them boys a big hug and make sure they know you love them. And make sure Lisa knows how much you appreciate her. I am sure she knows you love her, but appreciation is different. 

I probably won't be this nice to you again, that's not how we swing, but right now I just wanted to let you know that all of us in the Tichborne household are on your side mate. 

Take care and get better.

Rog T

Why has the management of the BBC chosen to ruin BBC Radio London?

I have written many blogs in the last three years about how the senior management of the BBC are completely incompetent and how they have deliberately set about to ruin what I use dto consider the jewel in their crown, BBC Local Radio and in particular BBR Radio London, which I consider to be "my station".

The figures back me up.the total number of weekly listeners has decreased, falling from around 8.6 million in the year to March 2022 to 7.4 million this year.  A google enquiry about RAJAR figures reveal the following

"BBC Radio London has experienced a decrease in listeners over the past three years. Recent RAJAR figures show a decline in reach and listening hours for the station. In the most recent quarter, BBC Radio London lost 61,000 listeners, a 13 percent fall, and 782,000 hours (down 40%). This trend is part of a broader pattern of declining listenership for BBC local radio stations, according to reports.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Decline in Reach:

  BBC Radio London has experienced a decrease in the number of people tuning in, with a 13% drop in reach (the number of unique listeners). 
• Drop in Listening Hours:

  The total time people spend listening to the station has also decreased, with a 40% fall in listening hours. 
• Impact of Cost-Saving Measures:

  The BBC has implemented cost-saving measures including job cuts and newsroom sharing, which may be contributing to the decline in listenership across local stations. 
• Longer-Term Trend:

  The latest figures are part of a pattern of decline for BBC Radio London, suggesting a need for the station to adapt to changing audience preferences and the competitive landscape. ""

These figures are appalling. Of course, I am sure the people who made the changes to programming will claim it's been an enormous success and it is just what they wanted, but anyone with a brain larger than a Higgs-Bosun particle will know the truth. I speak to hundreds, if not thousands of musicians every year at my studios. These people are the core of Londons music and creative scene. They all say exactly the same thing. BBC Radio London has ceased to have any artistic relavance at all to them. There was a time when the station was at the very forefront of London's music scene. DJ Gary Crowley was at the heart of the Britpop movement, championing and putting bands such as Blur and Suede on the radio and giving them a champion. Robert Elms used to be on six days a week and would have artists in most days, many doing live sessions in his studio. He was the first DJ to play Amy Winehouse. The managers, in their wisdom slashed Elms hours in half and there simply isn't time in the schedule for new artists. They also imposed a dreadful playlist on the station. 

There are still talented presenters on the show, but the show formats completely neglect Arts and Music. Robert Elms does his absolute best working under the restrictions he faces, but his show worked a million times better when he had more air time. Gary Crowley is banished to an hour on Saturday Lunchtime. He plays great music, but there is simply no time in the schedule for championing new artists. The management claim that they have addressed this by having a special show dedicated to new London artists "Jess Izzat presents her BBC Music Introducing show on BBC Radio London, which airs on Saturdays from 8-9pm. The show features new music from London artists. "

This simply shows how out of touch the BBC management are with young music fans in London. The type of people who are into new music will be out at gigs at this time. If they gave Jess a two hour show, Monday to Thursday, showcasing artists, getting guests in to talk about forthcoming gigs, I might conclude they were serious, but the whole format and concept of her show is totally ridiculous. This is no reflection on Jess, who does very well in a limited time. I am not some fool simply shouting about a subject that I know nothing about. I run one of London's leading rehearsal spaces. Yesterday, we had artist such as Echobelly, Steve Monti (former drummer of Ian Dury and The Blockheads, and legendary Jazz bassist Alison Rayner amongst the 32 studio bookings we had yesterday. Of those, 24 bookings involved artists rehearsing for shows/tours etc. We are just one studio in London, there is is so much going on. 

For most new artists, it is online, niche stations that are playing their music and showcasing them. DJ's such as Ian Griffiths on Rock Radio UK play all manner of up and coming artists, doing telephone interviews and giving them a good plug, but the BBC which is a taxpayer funded organisation, allegedly supposed to promote culture in the UK just doesn't seem interested, at a management level, in promoting London's arts. We are all stakeholders in BBC Radio London. We pay taxes that fund it. If they got it right, the station could be dynamic and drive London's art and cultural scene. Sadly, there is no space at all in the show briefs for that, apart from the morning and early afternoon shows at the weekend. 

What is interesting is that there was a 13% fall in listeners after the changes, but a 40% fall in hours listened to. It is clear to me that people are still tuning into interesting shows such as Robert Elms and Gary Crowley, but giving much of the rest of the content a wide berth. I am all for giving new presenters a chance, but it is pretty clear that the management are for some bizarre reason dead set on content that is dull as dishwater. I find it truly bizarre that presenters such as Eddie Nestor, who is quirky, funny and feisty is not encouraged to do more arts content. Eddie has DJ'd at Madness events and would be amazing if he was given regular arts features and guests in the studio, as Robert Elms used to have, doing live sessions, talking about music. If Eddie had regular slots with new and established London artists, I think it would be great listening. But sadly, when his management read this, they won't agree, they will just reach for the BBC book of excuses as to why the changes have actually been a marvellous success. 

The reason why the BBC funding and Licence fee is constantly under attack is because people like me, who love the corporation with a passion and love BBC Radio Londo are given no ammunition to hiot back at the right wing polemicists who's agenda it suits to attack the BBC and claim it is the devil incarnate. When BBC London was putting the likes of Amy Winehouse on the map, it was easy. It isn't anymore. 

And I will finish this by just mentioning a little project we've been doing at Mill Hill Music Complex studios recently. We have been building a Spotify playlist of all the artisgt who have used the studios over the years. Check this out and let us know what you think. I very much doubt you'll hear any of these brilliant artists on BBC Radio London today (unless Eddie Nestor plays one just to prove me wrong). 

Empathy for Eddie Nestors car crash radio show on BBC Radio London

 Yesterday was Valentines day. The day when we spoil and treat our beloved partners. I day when we let out our inner Casanova to shmooz the special person in our lives. Sadly for one of my favourite radio presenters, even though he's always banning me from his show, the words that greeted him when he got home were not "How wonderful to see you!". They were more like "Idiot", "Don't you ever think", "Have you no respect".  If you weren't listening, you may be wondering why. Eddie started the show off by explaining he was in trouble. I assume, although he didn't explicity say so, he forget the obligatory card and chocolates, required to ensure a romantic evening. I felt his pain, I had also forgot. One of my staff is off, so I've been covering shifts. It's also been really busy and I've been getting home late. No excuse, I know, but there you go.

But it got worse for poor old Eddie. He then told a story about how his teenage son had been searched at the pound shop, suspected of shoplifting.  It appears that this was in error and Eddie was cross. He mentioned it in response to a comment from a caller. A few minutes later, he rather sullenly said "Now I'm really in trouble, Mrs Nestor is not happy, I hadn't told her about our son getting searched, but I told the whole of London first". I can jut see the situation as he walked in "What were you thinking?".

I have a degree of empathy for Eddie here. Of course he's a fool and an idiot, of course he shouldn't discuss the family business on air, but I do get exactly why he's found himself in this mess. I've done the same thing myself in this blog. I've had the cold shoulder and the "How dare you" when I've mentioned personal things. It  is no justification but when you are on a roll and saying something that is important to you, it is so easy to switch of fyour common sense filter. 

This morning, Eddie is not on his show. I am genuinely worried for him. He's a had a journey a bit like mine. He's a cancer survivor, he's had his challenges with his mental health, he likes to talk and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is also careless in his personal relationships and doesn't always get his priorities in order. My missus will no doubt have a lot of empathy for Mrs Nestor. The fact that both of us are bad at using our common sense in these matters does not mean we don't put the family absolutely first. We just think in a way that means we get things wrong occasionally and that is part of the package.

Last year, when I was at my lowest point following my radical prostatectomy, Eddie reached out to me and offered support. He's a good man and when I heard he wasn't on the air, I felt for him. I get why he's in the doghouse, God knows, I've had enough lectures on the matter to appreciate why. All I can posibly say to Mrs Nestor, who I guess is totally fuming about this matter is that women are always telling men that they don't talk about their feelings enough. The thing is, when we do, we often shoot ourselves in the foot. We are rubbish at it. So I ask her to forgive Eddie, just as my long suffering Mrs has forgiven me for being a complete, indescrete, uncaring idiot on many occasion. 

Rog T's Cancer Blog - My six monthly review

So where are with me with my cancer journey. Last Tuesday, I had a PSA test and I received the result on Thursday. This was a precursor for my consultation today with Professor Eden who performed my radical prostatectomy on August 9th 2023. Anyone who has ever been through a cancer experience knows that the period between the test and the result is one of the most tense and stressful periods. Although a sane and rational response to such events is to not worry and wait and see, human beings are not robots and we worry. The test result arrived on Thursday morning, which meant that I only had two days fretting. I was delighted that PSA levels were recorded as undetectable. That means that from a cancer perspective, I have no worries for three months, until we repeat it all again. As I already knew the result, the conversation with professor Eden was rather short in regards to cancer. 

We then discussed the issue of continence. This is to do with how your own body is healing and adapting to the 'plumbing changes' between the bladder and the penis. I have had virtually no issues. I was functionally dry from the moment I had the cathetar out. I had a couple of spills when drinking excessively. As I've moderated this significantly of late, this has no reared it's ugly head. I have however found that certain movements, such as straining to lift heavy items (a part of my job) can cause a small spill, especially when my bladder is full. If I have a PA speaker to move, I take the precaution of doing a wee first, but sometimes I forget. Professor Eden assured me that this will improve for up to 18 months. It has only happened a couple of times, with small amounts, I am not massively concerned, but it is not overly pleasant. 

Then we got to the issue of sexual function. This has improved significantly of late. With the aid of 5mg of Cialis, I am able to get erections. This was a major issue for me. Professor Eden tells me that the HIFU treatment I had in 2016 will, to some degree, impair this. He feels that my recovery would be far more advanced, had I not had HIFU in 2016. I explained that as I was 54 at the time and I was not given a convincing argument for nerve sparing, I felt HIFU was the right decision then. In fact, had I not had the HIFU and just taken what was suggested to me then, I'd not know about the neurosafe procedure (a procedure that offers the highest and most scientifically viable prospects of preserved sexual function following a radical prostatectomy) and may have been worse off than I am now. He is of the view that HIFU is an ineffective method of cancer control in many cases. All I can really say is that I am comfortable with my personal decisions, but respect his clinical opinion with regards to cancer control. I would still make the same choices presented with the same information. 

As my mental resilience has improved, I also felt that I should send an email to my previous consultant, Professor Mark Emberton at UCLH, who performed the HIFU procedure. Most men opt for HIFU due to concerns about sexual function. Those who put primacy on cancer control would, sensibly, opt for a radical prostatectomy in the first place. I felt very disappointed that neither the UCLH surgical or HIFU team mentioned neurosafe or that there was a possibility for nerve sparing following HIFU. I only found out via a chance conversation with a friend, who's father had the procedure. He persuaded me to get a second opinion. I do feel that patients should be told there are options available, but you may need to fuind them yourself. I was lucky in as much as I had health insurance. In the end, it was a no brainer for me, even though I had to fund a part of the treatment. 

I shared these thoughts. To my mind, even if neurosafe is not available on the NHS, for men that put a Professor Emberton sent a courteous reply and mentioned and stated 

"Any treatment that has to be administered after a primary treatment can be challenging. When surgery fails radiotherapy is the only option. When radiation fails options are limited and we often resort to salvage focal HIFU, but with increased side-effects and risk. We are finding that men can have a very good outcome if surgery is necessary after focal treatments. You are a testimony to that. 

Neurosafe is being done at UCLH as part of clinical trial and the lead on this is Prof Greg Shaw (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35869497/). The NHS is unlikely to approve it until the publication of the study. There are not studies that I could find on the use of NEURSAFE in a post-radiation or post-focal therapy setting. 

I very much believe that the salvage prostatectomy should be an expert operation and done by those with experience. That is what we do at UCLH and that is what they do at Guy’s as well. This is the best way to ensure the best outcomes."

I am pleased that UCLH are taking this seriously. I do hope that neurosafe is certified and adopted as a treatment by the NHS. I struggled to get my head around the implications of surgery for a long time and I am only now really feeling comfortable with where I am in my recovery. Had I not opted for the neurosafe option, I would almost certainly be in a darker place mentally. 

Quite by chance, this morning, BBC Radio London contacted me and asked if I could contribute to their Trends at 12 slot. For this I had to pick three current news topics and discuss them with Eddie Nestor - You can hear this at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0h3wdwn (LISTEN AT 2.11.22)

As King Charles is in hospital with a dodgy prostate, it seemed a good excuse to discuss a few issues around the subject, not least the fact that I was having my six month review (also a good opportunity to plug my band's gig on Saturday - wegottickets.com/event/600663 but that's another matter). I like a chat with Eddie as he doesn't hold back. If nothing else, Charles speaking publicly will mean a few more guys get checked, which will mean a few more of us will be alive in ten years time. I am not necessarily a fan of the Monarchy, but I support anyone with a platform who uses it to promote good preventative medicine. 

My biggest criticism of the NHS is not the National Health Service, it is the National Sickness Service. It does far to little to stop us needing it's services and as a result is overwhelmed. But that is another blog.

--- About this feature 

For those of you who are regular readers and have read the previous posts on Cancer, there's what this is all about.  On 9th August, I had a radical prostatectomy and am currently clear of cancer, six months on. Early days, but hopefully the surgery has cured the problem of cancer. My continence is good, the next batttle is erectile function.

I write this blog because knowledge is power and if you know what you are dealing with, you have more weapons in the locker to fight it. It is a personal view, I'm not medically qualified. This is for the sole purpose of information for those who are interested.This is the latest installment in my occasional series about how I'm adjusting to living with a big C in my life. 

For those of you who aren't, here's a quick summary. I'm 61 years old and in October 2011 I had a prostate biopsy following two "slightly high" PSA tests - 2.8 & 4.1. The biopsy took ten tissue samples and one of these showed a "low grade cancer" which gave me a 3+3 on the Gleason scale. I was put on a program of active monitoring. In early February, I got the results of the a PSA test - down to 3.5 and an MRI scan which found absolutely nothing, two more tests in 2012 were at 3.5 and 3.9, in 2013 my test was 4.0, Jan 2014 was 3.8, August 2014 was 4.0, February 2015 it was up to 5.5 and my latest in August 2015 was down again at 4.6. In October 2015 I had a transperinial Prostate biopsy, that revealed higher grade cancer and my Gleason score was raised to 3+4 (Small mass + more aggressive cancer). On 22nd Jan 2016 I had HIFU (Hi Intensity Focused Ultrasound) treatment at UCHL). 

My post procedure PSA in May was 4.0 which was down, followed by 3.7 in August, and 3.5 in October which means that the direction is positive . However in January the follow up MRI revealed "something unusual which requires investigation" After a follow up biopsy, it appeared this was nothing to worry about. My two most recent PSA tests were Ok (3.7 and 4.6) and an MRI scan in March was very positive. A PSA in October 2019 was 4.6, so stable and good news, the last in May 2020 was 5.45 a small rise, so worrying, however after a review against the most recent MRI, it was decided that this was fine. My two latest ones in February 2022 was 6.7 and October 2022 was 6.6 was stable. 

In March 2023 had an MRI scan that showed 'significant change'. This lead to a biopsy that indicated a tumour of 4mm that had a gleason score of 4+4. A PSA test in June saw a rise to 12 and I opted for a radical prostatectomy, using the neurosafe process to give the best chance of maintaining sexual function and continence. 

Got the picture?

And finally. I'm a musician. I am blessed to play guitar and sing in the finest band - The False Dots -  on Planet Earth and I wrote a song to get blokes to get a PSA test and talk about this stuff. Please have a listen. It's a banging tune! There is nothing more uplifting than hearing an audience join in for the last line!

Dyslexia blog - Dyselexia is not a special power

 

The art of being invisible and dyslexia

So earlier today I spoke to Eddie Nestor on BBC Radio London. I had called hoping to discuss the forthcoming Mill Hill Music Festival and give it a plug. I failed miserably. Eddie got me onto the subject of dyslexia and I went into one. What really got my goat was that Eddie stated that we should consider dyslexia as a special power. This is one of the things which annoys me more than anything. The only gift dyslexia gave me was the realisation that I had to work three times as hard as everyone else just to keep up. People say "hard work never did anyone any harm" but when you are constantly struggling to do things that everyone else find easy it is just totally demoralising. I still have nightmares about being in school. As an August baby, I was the smallest in the class. Being the 'thickest' as well was no fun at all. Teachers did not give special dispensation for dyslexics in the 60's and 70's. No extra time to do exams. No extra help. Just work your guts out, do your best and celebrate if you managed to scrape a "C" grade. Reading? Couldn't do it properly until I was 12. Writing? Probably was 13/14 before I really got the hang of it. Long division? I'd probably still not be able to do it today if my sister Valerie had not spent a whole day going through it. Eventually it twigged and I became quite good at maths, but it was struggle and I realised that my teachers simply had no idea how to expain anything.

You may think it's odd that someone who claims they have all these problems has written a blog with over 8 million published words? What happened? As I told Eddie, I had a couple of moments of revealation. The first was my old physics teacher at FCHS, John Shuttler. He sat down with me and explained that the only person I was going through an eductaion for was me. It had never occurred to me. We then discussed English. I had no interest.  I saw Shakespeare as gobbldygook and blokes in silly costumes. He said "You like Joni Mitchell? Don't you listen to the lyrics?".  He then explained that Joni Mitchell would never have been a singer/ songwriter without a good command of English. I went home and read some of the lyrics on an album I had. I realised I wanted to write lyrics like that. All of a sudden, having a proper vocabulary, using English properly and appreciating the beauty of our language was important. The next moment was not from a teacher. It was sitting in a cafe in Camden Town. In walked Mr Ian Dury. A spikey and mardy individual, walked in for a cup of tea. I was with a mate. We aspired to be in a band. We tried to strike up a conversation with Mr Dury. He simply said "Go and get yourself some guitars and start a band, don't sit around here thinking about it". 

It really was that simple. That was exactly what we did. I was lucky. My then songwriting partner had a brilliant command of English. I was simply full of anger and angst. Between us we crafted a set of very powerful and complex songs. I've always said that Punk Rock saved me. It gave us ugly, spotty, unsporty, thickoes permission to be ourselves. We  could form bands and make music. Prior to the punk explosion, it all seemed to be about being a virtuoso player. Punk said that great songs are three minute bursts of enegry and it didn't matter if you didn't play it perfectly. It gave us permission to try.

The truth is that the permission to try is the greatest gift of all. Whereas the school careers master had suggested mowing the lawn for the council, we not only started dreaming of stardom with the band. We not only started a band. We needed to rehearse somewhere, so we started a studio. We needed to play gigs, so we started promoting our own gigs. We were sixteen years old. I found myself suddenly in the middle of the local music scene, someone who made things happen. I'd grown in confidence and my educational performance had improved. The only problem was that, for me, it wasn't fit for purpose. 

No one taught me how to run a business. No lessons explained the intricacies of the music industry. Nothing could prepare me for the shark infested waters we inhabited. I was lucky in as much as my Dad was a hardnut who prepared me for lifes murkier waters, but when you have to deal with complicated legal contracts, that sometimes have words you don't understand, this could be difficult. My Dad did give me one piece of advice that was incredibly useful. He said that if a legal contract has a word you don't understand in it, that is probably the most important word. They make it difficult to understand to keep lawyers in a job. He said "Always look them up and make sure you don't get shafted because you were too lazy to check". At school, I never thought words are important. Many a musician has been well and truly shafted as they didn't read contracts or understand what a word meant.  That is why words are important and not understanding them is not a superpower, it is a massive hindrance.

I've felt my whole life has been like the mythical greek character Sisiphus. The Gods gave him the task of having to push a boulder up to the top of a hill. Whenever he reaches the top, it rolls down the other side and he has to start again. Dyslexia is a bit like that. Sometimes, you smugly think you've finally managed to cope, then you realise that you've filled in a from wrong or an application. I've done this too many times. When I flirted with the idea of going to University, I applied for Bedford College, a female only University. I can't count the number of times I've ticked the vegan meal box on travel arrangements in error, bought useless crap on Ebay as I misread the description. 

I've misread people's CV's and totally baffled them by asking questions that bear no relation to what they've actually written. Any success I've had is down to bloody mindedness and a refusal to quit, even if it means working three times harder than everyone else. Is that a bad thing? It is from my perspective. I know too many people who are successful and have not really had to try too hard at all.  Of course, they have their own challenges that they keep quiet about. When I was building our studios, I largely financed it by working as a freelance IT consultant. I kept very quiet about beung dyslexic. I made a career of doing the jobs other people didn't want, the boring stuff on old, legacy systems that everyone else saw as being old hat. It was in part because it had been hard enough learning it in the first place, I couldn't stand the challenge of newer technology. It was a, for a long time, a successful strategy. When firms can't get the staff, then you earn good money. In many ways, that is the path to go. Do the stuff other people don't want to do, work your nuts off and don't let anyone else knock you back. 

I'm now a father of three children, none of whom are dyslexic. I have five siblings, none of whom are dyslexic. It makes me wonder and question myself. Was I dropped on my head as a  baby? Did I suffer brain damage at birth? Am I the milkmans? I was talking with my sister about DNA tests. I am genuinely terrified that I will learn I'm not who I thought I was. Am I alone? As a child, I always felt oiut of place. I think I walk into a classroom and tell the teacher who was dyslexic, purely by where they chose to sit. For me, it was always as near to the door as possible as this made me feel secure, but not in the first two rows of desks as you'd get asked questions there. The more in the peripheral vision of teachers you are, the less stress you got. I've spoken to many dyslexics who all tell me the same thing.

 So there you go. That is why I get cross when people say dyslexia is a special power. I hope, having read this, you know why any dyslexic my age thinks this is a ridiculous suggestion. I just hope any kids at school suffering dyslexia feel a bit different to me. 

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About my dyslexia blog

For those of you who haven't read my dyslexia blogs before, here is a little preamble and introduction, so you know who I am and what I do and why I write this stuff. For those of you who know the story, skip to the end of the paragraph for todays installment. Let me give you a bit of Background so you know who I am and what I do. I was born in 1962. I didn't start talking until I was 4 years old (at all, not a single word). My parents thought I was deaf. My reading age at eleven was 5. When I was fifteen I started a rock and roll band called the False Dots, the band is still going strong. When I was 16 I started a business called Mill Hill Music Complex (although then it was simply called the studio), a rehearsal studio, as we had nowhere to rehearse. The business has grown into a very successful enterprise, one of Londons biggest and most well respected independent studios. We now have 16 studios and a music shop and also have a photography/video studio and a dance studio. I also have done IT work, mostly on a freelance basis since 1983. In 2012 I also moved into film production, producing two highly acclaimed documentary films, both of which had screenings at the House of Commons. When I was 33 I had a dyslexia test. To my surprise I was told I was moderately dyslexic. This made me interested in the subject. To my amazement, what I have learned over the years is that my lack of educational aptitude, my feelings of anger and injustice and the core of my personality have been formed by the fact I cannot read words in a linear fashion. I have set one of my objectives to use this blog to let dyslexics know they are not alone, to suggest that people who think they may be dyslexic to get an assessment and toget people who have dyslexic children or siblings to understand the issues that they face.

The Saturday list #336 - Ten songs that were banned by the BBC which may surprise you

I recently got banned by the BBC, well Mr Eddie Nestor on the morning show to be precise! Have a listen. It was quite comical really. I was putting some boxes in the bins and when I came back, one of the guys who works for me said "You've just been banned by the BBC, what have you been doing?". I was quite mystified. My phone immediately started going like mental. My missus phoned up and insisted I rang up Eddie and apologised, completely refusing to believe that, to the best of my knowledge, I'd done nothing. Maybe one day I'll find out. Probably something I said on Twitter that upset the bosses, but who knows.

 I'm still not entirely sure why. As a long in the tooth punk rocker, I wear it as a badge of honour and have written a song to celebrate. Whilst you may not be surprised that songs with swearing in by my fellow punk rockers have been banned, when I was researching the list to write the lyrics I was rather surprised at some of the numbers on the list. Here are ten that tickled my fancy as it were.

1. All the young Dude's by Mott the Hoople. Given that I first heard this on Top of The Pops, I was incredulous at first. However, it turns out that the phrase "Wendy stealing clothes from Marks and Spencers" fell foul of the rules about free advertising. I'm not sure that M&S would benefit from army's of shoplifters turning up.

2. I'm always chasing rainbows by Ken Dodd. This is perhaps the most bizarre reason. It was banned for being a 'bad perversion of a Chopin melody". 

3. Hard Headed woman by Elvis Presley. This was banned for "biblical references to Adam and Eve and Samson and Delilah". 

4. Moonlight Cocktail by Glen Miller. This was banned for being "Sentimental slush"

5. Sincerely Yours by Liberace was also banned for nicking Chopin.

6. Killer Queen by Queen was banned by the BBC during the Gulf war, for offending sensibilities at a sensitive time. 

7. Foggy Dew by Peter Pears was banned for 'suggestive content'.

8. Stranger in Paradise by Tony Bennet was banned for being "disrespectful to the original tune by Boronin"

9. Waterloo by ABBA was another one banned by the BBC during the Gulf war, I'm not quite sure why. 

10. Greensleeves by the Beverly Sisters. The little folk ditty originally penned by King Henry VIII was bannned for being too raunchy. I love the Beverly Sisters and they foillowed it up with a cheeky dig at the BEEB called "We have to be so careful" which also got banned. 

So there you go. I'm in very good company. And I'm not cross with Eddie (even though he's cross with me), his standing invitation to bring his kids down for a drum practice stands. I'm hoping the ban will make my new tune go gold disc when we record it!

How to ruin a radio station - What are the BBC doing to BBC Radio London?

 So we've now had nearly a month to get used to the 'new format' at BBC Radio London. I'm writing this listening to Eddie Nestor on what was Robert Elms former show. I like Eddie and I think he's a great presenter. That being said, he is now in the wrong slot. His former drivetime slot was excellent. I particularly liked the fact that the last hour between 7pm and 8pm was always a bit more edgy. The powers that be decided that the last hour should be a London sports show. This is great when there is football or other sports on, but when not much is going on, it can be very dull. Most people who want to listen to sports shows have talksport. When there is a London match on commentary, BBC London does sports well, but the rest of the time? There is no real logic. 

Eddie's show on the 10am-2pm slot is ok, if you like phone in's. He doesn't get to choose his own music and there is almost no cultural content. Eddie even moaned that he couldn't choose his own music. For me, the music is a problem. Robert Elms, who had some latitude in the slot and guests, often played stuff that you'd never hear elsewhere, I probably have a couple of hundred records in my collection because I heard an artist on his show. Now? This morning we've has such tunes as ELO Mr Sunshine and the Kaiser Chiefs Ruby. A good, public service broadcaster opens cultural windows. This simply isn't happening on Eddie's show. Who is picking the music? I have no idea, but the plan seems to be to play inoffensive bland pop and AOR. To be honest, I'd rather they didn't bother if that's all they can do. Anyone who wants to listen to this sort of stuff has plenty of options. I run a music studio and music on the radio has a vital job of introducing us to new sounds. It is what used to keep London at the forefront of world music. I was naughty yesterday. We had an amazing artist rehearsing in the studio on Monday. I wanted London to hear her. I have no vested interest in her, she isn't signed to us, she just booked a studio for the day to practice for a gig. Yesterday I phoned Eddie and made sure I have her a massive plug. Her name is Miss Baby Sol. Have a listen. She is amazing.

I did this to make the point that from Monday to Thursday we are not getting a fix of new artists as we did when Robert had the slot. Eddie is working to a brief. He does it well, but it is quite simply the wrong brief. Put him back on drivetime where he belongs. I'd be fascinated to hear a show where Eddie plays his own choice of music and has something to get excited about. I'd like to see a few regular slots on his show. But what we have is a sort of LBC light with dull music. It is not doing Eddie any favours and that really irritates me. 

Jo Good was replaced by Jeanette Kwakye for the mid afternoon slot. Jeanette started on the station on the womens sports show. As a sports presenter she is great. She is knowledgeable and engaging. She asks the right questions. When she sat in for Robert Elms, before his show was moved, she did a great job. With all Roberts slots and the feel of his show, it worked. I thought she'd be brilliant. However, her show at the moment isn't working. It lacks the energy and fun of Jo's show. I can only assume that like Eddie, she's lumbered with a brief that doesn't work and a selection of music that doesn't excite her. Jeanette hasn't the experience of Eddie so at times it sounds to me like she's struggling to keep the show going. She should have been given a later show and more latitude to do the subject she has a passion for.

Then there is the new slots for Robert Elms. This is starting to drive me around the bend. He is on the radio on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Every day the show starts/finishes at different times. I have put the radio on, only to find it hasn't started or it has finished. The slots that worked so well in the week just seem to be on at the wrong time. For instance, Robert would always start the show on a Monday with the Listed Londoner slot. I love this slot. It would be the first hour, he'd have a chat and then ask the fifteen questions. Now it seems a bit compressed as Robert tries to fit it all in, as the last slot on the Sunday show. When he started it on a Monday, it would often throw up topics that people would ring up about. Now there is no chance to chew the cud on it, and that is a huge loss. Robert doesn't have the opportunity to remind listeners for feedback, notes and queries and there is far less time for artists and new music. Shoehorning the show into less hours, hasn't made it better, it has meant there is no time to breath. For me it is essential listening, but I am rarely able to on a Saturday or Sunday. Robert is also lumbered with the awful playlist. It simply doesn't work on his show. How some numpty could think that imposing music that doesn't fit the show is a good idea is beyond me.

And finally, we have Jo Good. I don't listen to the radio at night. I made an exception a couple of times for Jo, when I had a bath after football. In truth, Jo is great at that time of night. I am sure that for those who like Jo and like listening to the radio at night it is great. She has said she feels liberated, as she can be a bit naughty later on (when the bosses have gone home). I miss her in the afternoon, as it was always fun listening to her. She is a great presenter. 

If it wasn't for the fact that I feel a degree of loyalty to Eddie and Robert, I probably would have stopped listening to BBC London in protest at the changes. I had a long dialog with Sara David, the boss who imposed the changes. I explained why I thought they wouldn't work for BBC Radio London. I got bland, uninformative responses. She refused to share the new 'show briefs'. Now it is clear what they are, it is clear that she has an agenda to change the station from being one that informs London to one that reflects London. I doubt she listens to the shows very often. I doubt that she has much interest in the culture of London that the station supports. I would guess that she considers herself knowledgeable about local radio and what formats work on paper.  She is lucky to have some excellent presenters that may pull the coals from the fire, but to me the whole things is ill conceived. 

I've been told that one key brief was to make the show 'more diverse'. The execution of the changes, shows how out of touch the bosses were. Robert Elms had a better understand of various diverse music genres than just about anyone. Giving Eddie Nestor a playlist with ELO and the Kaiser Chiefs, shows just how clueless they are. If he was given free range to play the music he actually liked, then this charge couldn't be levelled but, come on. The same goes for Jeanette. A couple of times when playlist tunes have finished, she's sounded as if she's almost dozed off. I don't blame her, I would. 

I spend my days sitting in the reception of a London music studio. I see some of the greatest talent we have on a daily basis. I discuss London culture with them all of the time. For some reason, people think I have some sort of insight into what is going on. I haven't. I've not got a clue why they've got it all so wrong. I don't think they have either.

If any benevolent billionaires are out there, please get in touch. Lets set up a proper radio station for London, that does the job BBC Radio London used to do before the bosses decided to ruin it. It isn't hard. Get great presenters (something that the station has), Give them a degree of free reign to play the music they like, cover the topics they like and interview the guests who interest them. If they are good, the calls from Londoners will flow.

Immunisation

Yesterday I wrote an affectionate blog about my dearly departed Mum. As I write this, I am listening to the Eddie Nestor show on 94.9 BBC London. A woman has just called in stating that she has refused all immunisations for her children. She claims that unless a doctor can tell her that it is 100% safe she will continue to resist calls.

The woman is claiming that she has a stronger immune system because she hasn't been immunised. The woman complains that she is a member of a group called "informed parent". She said that the "drugs in immunisations are harmful".

When I heard this, I wished my mother was still alive. I remember about 10 years ago, before mum had a stroke, that there was a similar discussion on the radio. My mum had felt incensed. She had rang up the radio station and demanded to speak. She said that she'd caught diptheria as a child during an epidemic in the late 1930's. She explained how every few days a new child would appear in the bed next to her, how a few days later they'd disappear. The matron would tell her that they were happy now as they were in heaven. My mother was in an isolation hospital for 6 months recovering. Most who caught the disease didn't.

My mother went on to say that the reason that people who didn't have their children vaccinated could do it in relative safety was because most people did. As such they were selfish and dangerous. You see if no one vaccinated, we'd soon be back to the days of epidemics. I ask you this, how many people have died of smallpox in the history of the human race? How many have died in the last 10 years? Why is this?

I tend to agree with my mother's view that parents should not have a choice. Their selfishness puts others, such as children too young to be immunised at risk. If we are to allow a choice and if there is an epidemic of preventable diseases and children die who have not been immunised, I'd charge the parents with manslaughter.