Therapy For Me: Recent Episodes
ashortstories
If you think getting a bloke in his late 40's to talk about the stuff going on in his head is difficult...you should try getting him to stop.
I am half way through the new Dan Brown/Robert Langdon book and I am thoroughly enjoying it, even though it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.
Why? Because it is fairly woeful.
Not only are all of the RL books the same, but we are definitely in diminishing returns territory. Like most people my first experience of his writing was The Da Vinci Code, and I maintain that the first couple of hundred of pages of that book were genuinely original and enthralling.
It's just that nothing post that really hit the spot in the same way. Even the title of the new one 'The Secret of Secrets' is a bit cringe, but that hasn't stopped me racing 350 pages in.
I don't know what it is, they are proper page-turners.
Anyway I decided to go with Pure Shores in the end, because the other track I had thought of is one that I have used before. Banger
Stay safe.
Pure Shores - All Saints
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th July 2026
I am finding it hard to believe that I haven't used this song as an episode title before. Indeed, so concerned was I that I had and the search function in my hosting platform wasn't doing what it should, that I sorted it alphabetically and then checked it twice.
The reason is simple, I have had so many special experiences over the time I have been recording TFM that I was convinced I would have used it as a reference.
But no, absolutely no sign of it.
Which means it must have been meant for this week, to reference that event, and that place.
Stay safe.
Fantastic Place - Marillion
Fix You Flash Mob - Joe Jenkins
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th July 2026
I ended up having a bit of something to eat at Pizza Pilgrims this week, a funky little chain that I was aware of, but never actually frequented. It all turned out fine, the staff were friendly and attentive and the pizza was more than acceptable.
In preparation for the weekend to come I opted for the Amalfi Coast, which meant Anchovies, Capers, Olives and at least two types of cherryish tomatoes. The reason I tell you this is that it is another marker on the road to anchovy-addiction. Maybe addiction is a little strong, but certainly the same (or similar) culinary fascination that pushes me to olives, blue cheese and sushi whenever I get the chance.
None of this is particularly groundbreaking, other than they are all foods that in my younger days I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near.
Nevertheless questions remain, how and where do these new cravings come from, and I guess more importantly what am I going to be drawn to next?
Stay safe.
River - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th July 2026
If I think about it rationally Dublin is no more of a city of contrast than any other. Most places you visit are marked by the different stages of their development, or the businesses that thrived there, and Dublin is no different. Depending on where you find yourself there are similarities with Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford and of course Liverpool.
I guess the reason why it seems more obvious in Dublin is the way that in collides, most notably in the buildings along ether side of the quays, toward the port area, because the style of this development was never intended to blend in. It is dominant and obvious, and that is not to say that I don't think it has a quality, just that it was always going to sit uncomfortably with what went before.
A lot of money has been spent, but I don't know how much of it has trickled down or out to enhance the lives of those who were born and raised there.
Stay safe.
Different Worlds - Magnum
Boundary Stone
Village Life
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th July 2026
At first I thought the marketing algorithm might have lost the plot?
I say that because this week I have been getting some very extended posts about the benefits of collagen, and the difference it can (and has if the posts are to be believed) made to the lives of many suffering the symptoms of the menopause.
As you would expect my first thought was how and why are these finding a way into my feed, normally reserved for adverts about tennis trainers, tai-chi workouts, and how to spot the tell-tale signs of prostate cancer.
But at the point I was discussing this with Alison as we wandered down the middle aisle of Lidl, I realised the genius of algorithm. I had succeeded in my task, and delivered the marketing message I was supposed to deliver, to the person it was intended for, in a bespoke and personalised manner.
Exactly how I would like all of my notifications to be..
Stay safe.
Holding Out For a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th June 2026
Never, ever, did I expect to be using this song as a title inspiration for TFM.
I do have previous with it, because back in the day it was a third-set-staple when I was out playing the pubs and clubs of a weekend, in various parts of Yorkshire.
But that still makes tacking it on as a reference to a section all about Brexit a little bit of a stretch, but there we are, that is how these things shake down.
And the easter egg is discovering this video clip of it being performed as part of the Jools Holland New Year Celebration from the way back (I am not sure it was even the Hootenanny in 2003) featuring an incredible collection of artists and celebs. Admittedly it's very loose, but by the end everybody is having a whale of a time and you can't help but smile as you watch it.
Stay safe.
Jeff Beck - Hi Ho Silver Lining
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd June 2026
No word of a lie, I popped out yesterday to try and buy a fan...
And of course you are right to ask the obvious, what kind of a lunatic tries to buy a fan on day three of a heatwave. Well after a near-military effort to keep the house cool Josh's room was still in need of a bit of assistance, partly due to user error, partly due to house design and aspect.
And, for what seems like weeks and weeks I have been wandering past 'em, literally in every store I could care to mention; a cornucopia of Pedestal, Tower and new-fangled Bladeless, all piled up like mountain ranges.
Clearly I was on a hiding-to-nothing, and of course I didn't exacerbate the situation by offering up the question "do you have any fans left?", but the absurdity of my behaviour did make smile.
Stay safe.
The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
OEX Roof Tent
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th June 2026
Toyah took me to the Beatles, and the Beatles took me to Sarah McLachlan.
(Of course it starts with a Apple TV box-set, but that will become obvious as you listen to this weeks episode…)
It could so easily have been Toyah, as ‘It’s a Mystery’ is one of the earliest chart tunes I can remember being fixated on (thinking about it, if you throw in Prince Charming and Stand & Deliver, it does explain a lot).
And whilst it ain’t the greatest of the Fabs catalogue, I do love the way the drums kick back in after the break in MMT.
But Sarah gets the nod this week, it’s a classic tune and she is an amazing artist. In fact if you have never listened to Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, then you have a treat on store.
Stay safe.
Building A Mystery - Sarah McLachan
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th June 2026
Because this week is a bit of an 'on location' episode I didn't get around to mentioning a few other things.
Firstly, the parking notice appeared for APCOA who handle the parking at Manchester Airport, a cool £100 fine for genuinely forgetting to pay the £5 charge. As it turns out I was in the parking zone for 2 minutes and thirty-five seconds. I may well still share my thoughts on this further down the road...
Secondly, and before heading off, it was Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in Manchester at Bridgewater Hall. Everything about it was sublime, the venue, the setlist, the band and the man himself.
He played a few 'band versions' of songs from his latest release, a solo acoustic album called Foxes in the Snow, and I can't think of a better way to name this week's episode than to share one of those songs. Especially as I don't recall a pertinent song about overhead lockers of very big barges.
Stay safe.
Crimson and Clay - Jason Isbell (Solo Version)
Crimson and Clay - Jason Isbell (Band Version)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st June 2026
So I was in a hotel on Tuesday night, and I did that thing where I was just flicking through the TV channels and I chanced upon a film I hadn't seen in a long time. In this case it was The Hunt for Red October, and although I hadn't planned to, I settled back and gave myself over to a film I had seen many times before.
Personally I think it is a belting movie, great cast and really nicely put together, and just the right thing for that particular moment. What's nice about those kind of happy accidents, is that I would never have been able to tell you thats what I wanted to watch - it needed to be a serendipitous experience.
I love it when that happens.
Stay safe.
As The Dawn Breaks - Richard Hawley
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th May 2026
I like things in group of threes or fives is possible.
So the fact that naming this week's pod Thunderstruck means I have four touchpoints to the AC/DC classic is a little unsettling.
The first is the song itself, absolute banger - no disagreement allowed.
The second is the fact that it was used spectacularly well in the soundtrack of the Pixar film Planes.
The third is excellent interpretation by those chaps known as 2Cellos, stunning stuff.
And finally we have my thundery run, which you are going to hear about today. Which means I am on the look-out for a fifth just to resolve the symmetry conundrum.
Stay safe.
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Thunderstruck - 2Cellos
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th May 2026
There is something so satisfying about wandering around selecting the wood I need for a project, getting stuff cut to size and whipping out my 5m measure to check some widths.
I appreciate it's more than likely a bloke thing, and probably only one that hobbyists get a buzz from, but we have a cracking example in Huddersfield and the cohort that work there are super helpful.
This morning I need fence palings and some stuff for a decking frame. Happy days.
Stay safe.
Bangaranga - Dara
W/C 11th May 2026
A thought struck me as I was walking through Charles de Gaulle airport last week. I wondered how far I was standing (at that precise moment, in that exact spot) from somebody that I knew, but was unaware of.
And not just that moment, maybe the last time I was in London or in Leeds, or on holiday or on the train, etc, etc.
Clearly with the tech we have at our disposal we can (to an extent) answer that question with stuff such as location sharing, and snap-maps. But that only works with an engaged friendship group, and not necessarily everybody we have ever come into some form of contact with.
So the question remains, how close do we pass to people we are acquainted with, but never actually bump into. Was an old school friend also passing through CDG at the same time as me last week, or taking coffee in Headingley yesterday whilst I was at the cricket, or being stuck in the same queue as me on the M1 on Tuesday evening.
Answers on a postcard please.
Stay safe.
Honesty - Billy Joel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th May 2026
There are so few opportunities to use this particular song as an episode title (this is certainly the first since I started TFM) that I snatched at it, without hesitation.
As a guitar player as was well aware of Gary Moore, and whilst not a card-carrying devotee, I was certainly more than aware of the range and depth of his work. I got to see him play live once, at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2010, and he certainly lived up to his reputation.
What I didn't know at the time was that it would be his last ever recorded performance, as he would die less than a year later in Estepona, he was 58. I have spent quite a lot of time there, it is a place I really like, and yet I had no idea of that part of the story.
I have included footage of that performance alongside side the original for no other reason than I was there, and finding it took underscored the poignancy of that night.
Stay safe.
Parisenne Walkways (featuring Phil Lynott) - Gary Moore
Parisienne Walkways (Montreux Jazz Festival, 2010) - Gary Moore
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th April 2026
It will become obvious when you listen to my week why I have picked this particular song as the title track.
As you will hear I had considered A Legacy by Marillion, or In A Lifetime by Clannad, both of which would have captured the spirit of what I was talking about.
But instead I went for the Jason Isbell one, because to me it talks more to the journey from the initial concept to where it eventually ended up.
Stay safe.
Jason Isbell - If It Takes A Lifetime
Don't Wordle
June Emerson Wind Music
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th April 2026
I think I might be going through the summer with a red nose, for a number of reasons.
a) I have now spent a couple of days at Headingley for the cricket, and on both occasions the sun has been shining.
b) spending a lot of time reading around the pool in Gran Canaria.
c) the design of my sunglasses and a definite-sized nose
The result is that my nose always catches the sun (irrespective of sun block) and the sunglasses mark accentuates the effect.
Short of one of those cardboard-nasal-cod-pieces I think it will continue to be my summer feature.
Stay safe.
Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
W/C 13th April 2026
Nothing fancy in the notes this week, just an explanation as to the track I have chosen for the title.
It's a Paddy McAloon song, recorded by Jimmy Nail as part of the Crocodile Shoes project, which was a TV show about a songwriter in the North East. Had I not mentioned it as part of a discussion about Prefab Sprout it may never have come up in conversation, but that would also have meant that I wouldn't be booked out for what promises to be a special evening on the 8th October.
Thanks Shane, life is indeed a circular ride.
Stay safe
Dragons - Jimmy Nail
Dragons - Paddy McAloon
W/C 6th April 2026
As we were driving to Manchester Airport last week we realised we had left the newly-purchased suncream at home. Even though we had only been travelling a few minutes we decided not to turn back, but risk picking some up at the departure lounge, irrespective of the fact it would probably be at an eye-watering supplement.
As it turned out it was pretty much the same as buying from Boots on the high street, and another thing I noted was that the coffee and sandwich that I got from Pret was not only the same cost, but I was able to get my Club Pret discount. So kudos to everybody at T2 for not taking advantage of those passing-through.
Surprisingly, and in sharp contrast, it cost eleven euros for 2 small cervazas on the way back - which is exactly what I wasn't expecting in GC. This was followed by sixty-five euros for a family Burger King (there really wasn't much more in the way of choice) which really did seem like profiteering.
A tale of two departure lounges.
Stay safe.
Richard Hawley - As The Dawn Breaks
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 30th March 2026
I am hoping you will forgive me if the edit is a little off compared with normal.
The good news is that I have managed to assemble and export this week’s TFM on the iPad for the second week on the spin, and the first where I didn’t have a fallback option.
The not-so-good news is that I can’t work out how to fine-tune the episode length (I like the episodes to end in a double digit format) and the volume fades are not as precise.
I am sure I will get better, but I must admit I am finding the new workflow a little frustrating.
Clearly not a real world problem, so I will give my head a wobble, but at the same time this wouldn’t be TFM if I didn’t at least mention it.
Stay safe.
P.S He finished with Carless Whisper so we got the saxophonic holy trinity - very apt considering what day it was…
(Reach up for the) Sunrise - Duran Duran
Guardanapo
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd March 2026
I appreciate I have said this before, but one of the challenges of TFM is that some weeks what goes through my head just isn't that interesting.
Take this week, twenty odd minutes of stuff but honestly, nothing that is going to give you any deeper insight or philosophical clarity. You could summarise it as something I have taken a shine to, and something I haven't, something I haven't heard for ages and enjoyed, and something I haven't but didn't, and something that may (or may not) be a bit of a fad.
You see, even the notes for the pod this week aren't that enlightening.
Stay safe.
Human - Rag 'n' Bone Man
Renault 5
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th March 2026
On the back of using a Cliff track for a recent TFM I went back and listened to 'those' albums all over again, which is why it was easy to join the dots and get to this track whilst trying to come up with something for this week, specifically the on-location recording bit.
Of course that then took to me back to that very 'of it's time' video, that has the man himself roller-skating around listening to a Sony Walkman. The things that I get dragged back to as part of the TFM process are indeed more than a little surreal.
I know I said it in the pod, but thanks to you all for your support and feedback. You are all wise, and caring and I take none of it for granted.
Stay safe.
Wired For Sound - Cliff Richard
The Case for Rejoin - John Curtice Article
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th March 2025
I am now in two minds.
Having mentioned this tune toward the end of this week's TFM I am not sure it is in fact the right choice because equally I could be the problem in the integrity of this figurative dam. But you have got to pick a side and I do like this track so I am sticking with it (don't worry it will all make sense as you listen, or at least it should...).
I don't know what else to write about what I have to say as it kind of stands alone this week, so I will take up no more of your time and let you listen.
Stay safe.
Hold Back The River - Wet Wet Wet
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd March 2026
As you are about to hear I went somewhere a bit special this week, and it took me right back to early 1983, as I approached my twelfth birthday.
At that stage I was desperately waiting for the day to arrive, because I was hoping to get a ZX Spectrum (16KB) and join the cyber-generation. In preparation, and as a way of increasing my sense of anticipation and excitement, I had been reading, and re-reading the couple of computer magazines that I owned, devouring anything I could and planning what I would use the mythical machine for.
Within the pages was an advert for the Spectrum, a full size image on the actual machine in all its glory. I remember this vividly, because as the day approached I had taken to sitting cross-legged on the floor, typing commands into the keyboard, and imagining how my life as a top programmer was going to pan out.
Stay safe.
I'm Nearly Famous - Cliff Richard
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd February 2026
It's been a long time since I have watched Pulp Fiction, but it came up in conversation when I was asked by my eldest if I could suggest something for him to watch.
At the beginning of lockdown I began the process of ripping my DVD collection and having everything available as easy playback and sharing, and having got about 80% of the way through it before getting bored, it meant I had a lot to peruse and ultimately recommend.
Along with the cool-as-you-like Tarantino classic I offered up Grosse Pointe Blank, I Am Legend, Inception, Phone Booth, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Birdman, Blade Runner and Unbreakable.
Oh, and Phoenix Nights.
Stay safe.
You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th February 2026
I am bringing you a bit of a story this time, so here isn't much I can really say about it in advance...I need to just let it all unfold, so to speak.
What I can say is that the track that gives the episode its title is by Dave Lee Roth, and is from an album called A Little Ain't Enough released in 1991. It is memorable for me because I went to see DLR on that tour, and it remains the only live experience I have of him or any link to Van Halen.
It is also memorable because I bough a t-shirt that had 'Pure F*ckin Rock' emblazoned on the front (just without the censorship) which I wore with the cocky swagger of a 20 year old, thinking I was the first.
Which is more than a little amusing, in the context of today's tale.
Stay safe.
Sensible Shoes - Dave Lee Roth
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th February 2026
In between recording and note-writing Wikipedia has provided one of the answers;
St Andrew's Church is a redundant Anglican church standing in an isolated position, in fields about 2 kilometres to the north of the village of Woodwalton.
The isolated position of the church is thought to be due to its central location between Woodwalton Castle, a motte and bailey castle to the north, Sawtry Abbey to the west and the village settlement to the south.
It is about 200 metres to the east of the East Coast Main Line and is visible from the passing trains.
A picture of the church appears on the cover of the book The Nation's Favourite Churches by Andrew Barr.
Oh, and it allows me to tip my hat to the Little Angels, on the week tickets have gone on sale for their reunion tour.
Stay safe.
Splendid Isolation - Little Angels
St Andrews Church, Woodwalton
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
Time disappears for me on a Saturday morning.
I like to be out for a run around the seven thirty mark, which means that the alarm is usually set for between six and six thirty, so I can start the process of recording the weeks TFM. In theory that should be enough time to record a c.20 minute podcast, make a brew, write the notes and get myself ready.
It's currently 07:38 and I have got this far. I have managed to lose fifteen minutes listening to Tenacious D and a further five minutes just faffing. I have also taken the top of a small scab on my left forearm, which is gently bleeding toward my elbow.
There is a good chance it will be gone eight before I am pounding the pavement, but I do now have a brew on my desk. There is still a good chance something else will throw me off task before I hit send.
Stay safe.
The Day Before You Came - Pulp
Wicked Game - Tenacious D
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th January 2026
OK so this is a very particular phenomena to mention, but there is something about that first blast of UK air when you get off a plane that is really quite reinvigorating.
It is probably down to nothing more than the welcome release from the stale air of the aircraft, but when I was met by what was comparatively fresh and chilly air as I stepped into the air bridge, it didn't half hit the spot. And I got a second chance to enjoy it as the lift doors opened onto the multi-storey car park.
Of course by the time I reached Sheffield, and it contained a fair dollop of driving rain, and I was feeling the temperature differential from SoCal quite acutely, it had lost some of it's initial appeal.
Stay safe.
Ride on Time - Black Box
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 19th January 2026
Friday Night.
I have just collected some take-out food and returned to my hotel room on the top floor of the Sheraton Park Resort, to eat Spaghetti and watch The West Wing. After three days of meet and greet I am spent, I just want be quiet for a while.
The Friday 'night-in' has become a regular feature of this trip over the last few years, and it is neccesitous if I am going to get through the last of the working days. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of people here that I have come to know well (and care about) over the years, but I need a few hours to regroup.
I will be fine by the morning. One more day of back-to-backs (starting with a breakfast meet at 07:45) and that will be it for another year. I do enjoy this show, but for now I am grateful for the space and the wise words of Jed Bartlett.
Stay safe.
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 12th January 2026
As an addition to the bit about things that we just pass-by all the time without really noticing, I went to Milton Keynes this week (go with me on this) because I had been asked to speak as part of a panel discussion on Music Education.
Anyway, I stayed at the Hilton hotel which is incorporated into the Stadium MK complex, the homes of the MK Dons football team. Because of the nature of the development the entrance is a fairly small and basic, with just a Reception Desk, a sort of gathering space with a few chairs and the lifts. It starts to open out on Floor Two, when you get the first of the restaurants, a bar area, some meeting rooms and the gym (as well as the first of the bedrooms).All perfectly predictable then, until you get to floor three which just comprises of bedrooms.
What I wasn't expecting was the fact that it does a complete loop of the football pitch, so whichever way you turn as you leave the lift, and provided you don't turn back) you can keep walking until you have been around all four corner posts and arrived back at where you started. There are also a number of windows along the route so you get a great view of the playing surface and the stadium itself.
Now I have driven past this building on a number of occasions, and eaten in the restaurant, and yet I had no idea about that part of the design. And looking from the outside you equally probably couldn't have worked it out. Pretty cool, eh.
Stay safe.
Anxiety - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th January 2026
Two things to quickly mention before you listen to this week's TFM.
Firstly I managed to get myself confused by songs, so instead of The Who track that I mentioned you are getting the Robbie & Kylie track that was actually playing in my head. I think the confusion comes from the final line of the chorus which does actually say 'the kids are alright', even though the song title is more to the point.
It's not that I have a problem with The Who, but that track isn't one that would ever loop in my subconscious.
Secondly I have just found an enormous hair growing from the top of my ear, probably getting on for an inch in length. Now I have been in a few social situations this week and either nobody spotted it (unlikely) or nobody pointed it out. I was more than a little distressed at my need for an overdue aural manicure, so please...if you spot misplaced and (frankly) rampant follicles on a friend or colleague, gently let them know. They will thank you, I promise.
Stay safe.
Kids - Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th December 2025
I have got a little bit reflective and a little bit sentimental this week, but I guess that is only to be expected as the old year finally turned.
And even though I only finished recording a few minutes ago, I am already thinking of the things that I missed out of my 'off the cuff' countdown of the best, and most memorable bits of 2025. Now normally I would be kicking myself at the omission, but actually I am taking the positives from the positives that I missed, and choosing just to smile.
However you choose to do it, thinking back on the good times is well worth it.
Stay safe.
This is the Time - Billy Joel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd December 2025
I am going to split Christmas 2025 into three categories, the more, the less and the same.
In the more bucket we have family cultural experiences, with the triple whammy of the cinema, the theatre and the panto in a five day period bookending the big day. I would also throw into the more pot, jigsaw-time, food-prep and possibly running.
The consistent category is food and drink, no question. The annual appearance of the cheese board has been most welcome, and there has been very little in the way of intake discipline since Christmas Eve. Slightly more red than white, equal parts savoury to sweet.
And the less has been screen time, scheduled group TV moments and snoozing. I don’t think I have had one nap this time around.
Oh and matching Christmas Pyjamas, at no point has this even been considered, as an insta-moment or as going-out attire.
Stay safe.
The Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th December 2025
Technically speaking the actual song title for this is Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast, but I have taken a little artistic license for the episode naming just because it's my podcast, and I can.
I make no apology for banging on about this incredible songwriter, or indeed for reminding you that her winter album Strange Communion is the only thing you should be listening to for the next week or so. It remains an incredible collection of songs, and the fact that it can be revisited every year at this time, and still have the ability to knock me (or indeed anyone) right over is all you need to know.
So apropos of nothing, other than we are just about to hit the 21st, I present to you the studio version, and a lovely live take on this song.
Hopefully I will see a few of you before we get to the 25th, but if not I wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas x
Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast
Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast - Live at the Jazz Cafe
J Sheekey Restaurant
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th December 2025
I was somewhat taken aback this evening, just at the point when I was about to enjoy one of the traditional kick-offs to the festive season.
Our local Lidl has recently had a facelift, and as part of that process the magazine stand has been placed in the entrance. As such, and as we were walking out, I happened to notice a cardboard display freshly stacked with copies of the Christmas TV & Radio Times. Huzzah!
Obviously I scurried back inside with a virgin copy of the Festive RT, and headed to the new collection of self-checkouts tills, which were another feature of the recent works. Now this is pertinent because it meant I was about to make a purchase of a single unit, and in doing so I couldn't escape noticing the price of said item.
Clearly of late I must have procured my RT as part of a wider supermarket basket, because I am sure I would have passed comment on being asked for £6:50 for my piece of festive nostalgia.
When did that happen?
And before you say it, yes I realise I am starting to sound like somebody of a certain age, but even so, six and a half quid for the Christmas Radio Times...
Stay safe.
Train in the Distance - Paul Simon
Recipes that have taken Social Media by storm
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st December 2025
The eldest has asked for a first pair of running trainers for Christmas, and after taking him to Up & Running for some cheeky gait analysis, we settled on a pair of Hoka Clifton 10s in a light green finish (I think the decision has been based on the aesthetics of the shoe in question, but they do also provide the required support).
Unfortunately it's a range that Up & Running don't carry so we ended up getting them for Run North West, and when they arrived I noticed a nice postcard in the top of the shoe box. Anyway it has been sat on my desk for a couple of weeks, and as I was moving stuff about I happened to notice that it had been handwritten with a message from Tim, wishing me well with the shoes.
Now I like stuff like this, I think it is simple but very effective, and it prompted me to call the RNW number and let them know that everything had arrived safely, and that I really appreciated the time, care and attention they had taken with my order. And as you might expect the person who took the call was equally lovely and appreciative of the feedback.
It really isn't that hard.
Stay safe.
Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
Jason Isbell Martin Acoustic
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
Sra
W/C 24th November 2025
I heard this song for the first time in ages, and I have been humming it most of the week. So when I found myself knee deep in blue icons looking at the London Remembers website, then I closed the loop and accepted it was going to be the episode title.
Of course what that has done has (somewhat) inevitably led me to an hour of listening to some of my favourite Bob choons, and I thought it would be rude not to share. So in no particular order we have had Tangled Up In Blue, Hurricane (with its lyrical awesomeness and that crazy fiddle), Ring Them Bells, Jokerman (with Mark K on both guitar and production duties), Make You Feel My Love, The Mighty Quinn, Everything is Broken, Not Dark Yet, Things Have Changed (which I think features in the Michael Douglas film Wonder Boys) and of course Blind Willie McTell.
Not a bad way to spend an hour.
Stay safe.
Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
Carol of the Bells
London Remembers Website
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th November 2025
Thanks to everybody that joined in and got a bit angry last week, it didn't seem to take much to push most of you toward that particular line in the sand.
I am not sure I am quite as angry as last week, but lots of the noise swirling around is still somewhat triggering, to the point that even a Pret Christmas sandwich did not produce it's normal unadulterated moment of joy this week (don't get me wrong, it was none too shabby, but I wasn't as fully focussed as I should have been).
The one thing I did notice this week, was that when I went to Leeds on Wednesday I got very cold. Clearly exacerbated by being a little off my best, it didn't alter the fact that I am getting old, and feeling the cold far more than I used to. And I can't say that I care for it.
Stay safe.
Numbers - Fish
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th November 2025
The morning after the night record, and I am not sure that it was anger I was feeling or a sense of frustration, we don't get many cracks at this which is why they have to count. We are way past the point of thinking that we are going to evolve into the place we need to be, and in too many ways we are clinging to something that is just way past its sell by date.
Of course there are reasons, and there are far too many interested parties that have the ability to influence and drip-feed a narrative. That doesn't mean they are right.
Because a change in direction is way overdue, we are going to experience some bumps and it will be costly. We are all going to be in it together.
But if we don't we are risking something far worse for the generations that follow. It's time to be brave, and talk about where we truly are.
Stay safe.
Hope the High Road - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Robert Harris
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 3rd November 2025
I want to shout out to all those of you that regularly comment on TFM, comments that I always read but because I read them whilst I am dashing around hardly ever respond to.
Actually that is worthy of an apology, so let's start by apologising for not responding to most of the comments I get, but confirming that I do read them all.
So this goes out to Christine (invariably the first to listen & comment), Linda (always includes a Allen family insight), Brian (fast becoming a top five responder), Melissa and Kerry (both often a week behind the rest of the pack), Simon (always some Blades based reassurance), Susie (most dedicated newbie), Rita, Michael, Paul & Adam (insights from across the pond) and of course Shane (keeper of the records).
I will of course apologise to all those regulars I have missed next week, as names come flooding back to me over the course of the day.
And if you would like to comment, then head over to Patreon and check out the episodes there.
Stay safe.
Flag Day - The Housemartins
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th October 2025
A chance for a good ol' bit of hair rock this walk as I believe I am welcoming Mr Big to the TFM artist roster for the first time.
They became well known because of the ballad To Be With You which went to the top of the UK charts in 1991, but the essence of the band was hard rock. This song appears on the first album, and is a great example of where they were at.
If you want another MB recommendation, then check out Green Tinted Sixties Mind which has the most amazing intro guitar riff.
Stay safe.
Take a Walk - Mr Big
Christian Payne AKA Documentally
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th October 2025
I picked the episode title before I sat down to watch the football.
After a really difficult start to the season, a lot of which was self inflicted, over the last week it looked like the Blades had perhaps turned a corner. Back to back wins, and we had moved out of the bottom three.
So when we went 2-0 up in the first twenty minutes last night, in a bid for reassurance I made the mistake of checking a stat about our opponents Preston. Big mistake.
It turns out that by looking back to check the last time they had managed to score three goals in a game, the act itself pretty much guarantees that will be the outcome. As so it came to pass.
Stay safe.
Crashing Down - Del Amitri
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th October 2025
I very rarely do this, but I have picked a song I don't know just because the title works for the episode.
Anyway this is Gavin James, and I have to admit I actually quite like the song. It sounds very familiar, quite a bit Newton Faulkner-y. Anyway he's an Irish chap and has been on the go since 2015. He's opened for Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran and he has also produced an album called Winter Songs which I am definitely going to seek out (after all you know how I feel about winter albums).
Stay safe.
Tired - Gavin James
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th October 2025
I am going to pop out for a final run before the Manchester Half tomorrow. I hadn't planned on running today but my legs were a bit stiff yesterday so I am going to throw in a gentle 5-6 miler just to keep everything loose.
It's probably all in my head, because I am ready, In fact I have been ready for a couple of months. At the beginning it was about whether I could cover the distance, which progressed to whether I could do it under two hours - but as I have answered both of these questions as part of my prep so tomorrow becomes about the enjoyment of the day.
It's fitting that this event should fall on this weekend, because one of the initial prompts for TFM was the fact I was sat at home, with an injury, unable to get out for a run. The importance of running in my life was evident then, and thankfully that hasn't changed.
Stay safe.
P.S thanks to Shane & Christine (they both know why...)
Here and Now - Del Amitri
Rob Brydon's Honky Tonk Road Trip
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th September 2025
As I suspected I had used this particular track for a TFM episode title, but as you will hear it is just too prescient not to go with for this week.
The track itself is from 1992, and an album called Sleepwalking which I used to own but has somehow got lost in the journey to this point. I did try to get hold of it again, but it is quite difficult to late being out of print and seemingly in demand - I am guessing there is some confusion about licensing as it is also unavailable on most streaming services.
Anyway I think it's a cracker, and a reminder of the kind of tune that Magnum could turn out, and the vocals I remember.
Stay safe.
Stormy Weather - Magnum
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd September 2025
Well that was a week, and I had a blast. Apologies that this is a little late, but by the end you will understand the reason why and the episode title will make sense.
I have now discovered that there are two tunnels on the Bristol-Bath cycle path, and that the one I ran through is called the Staple Hill Tunnel and is the shorter of the two, coming in at 515yds.
Of course I am now going to have to plan a return journey to have a trot through the Combe Down Tunnel, which comes in at over a mile in length and is the longest walking/cycling tunnel in the UK.
Stay safe.
One Slip - Pink Floyd
Bristol-Bath Rail Path
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th September 2025
Of the things that went to Newcastle for a bit of a run out, but ultimately we're not required, or indeed couldn't be accommodated the highlights are;
- Shoe Rack
- 27" Computer Monitor
- Dinner Plates (x2)
- Cereal Bowls (x2)
- Side Plate (x2)
- Desert Bowl (x2)
- 2 way HDMI Splitter
The Fire Stick has ended up in the kitchen, and a longer 3.5mm to RCA Phono cable along with a set of Digital Scales have been acquired. Operation Child Transition appears to be proceeding well and largely to plan.
Stay safe.
P.S It turns out that Alec Guinness plays eight parts in Kind Hearts and Coronets not the six as I suggested.
The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene
Bill Bailey playing The Typewriter
Driving Tests
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th September 2025
I think we have pretty much got everything, the last bits of tech arrived yesterday (HDMI Splitter, Laptop Stand) and apart from a few bits of food we are about there.
Clothes still have to be pulled from the wardrobe, and we haven't decided how we are going to transport them, favourite appears to literally be a well positioned heap on the top of the other boxes. For one more night the house is overstocked with more kitchen utensils than is ordinarily required, which makes contemplating the number of people who could simultaneously (and independently) mash potato quite amusing.
By this time tomorrow it will all be winging its way to a new location, and by this time next week it will be feeling very much at home, adapting well and functioning as required. The turntable will provide the soundtrack, the laundry basket will be overflowing and the chopping board will be battle scarred with toast crumbs. All will be firing, even if it is taking the gentle souls in the background a little longer to settle.
Stay safe.
(Wading Through) The Waters of my Time - Richard Hawley
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st September 2025
The best opportunity you will ever get to prove to a customer you are the real deal (and worthy of repeat custom) is the way you behave when something isn't quite right.
Good customer service should be easy, because if you think something through from the customers perspective, and you agree they have a point, then fixing it is no real headache.
Five examples of that in practice this week, and pleasingly more positives than negatives, but in reality it should have been a clean sweep.
Stay safe
Nice'n'Easy - Frank Sinatra
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
I am sat watching what can only be described as an underwater vacuum cleaner, and I can only assume that is what it is called because it's job is to vacuum up and generally clean, and it is (presently) under the water. In the pool to be pinpoint precise.
Why I should be surprised at this technological development is beyond me, I nearly bought a similar looking device from the middle aisle of Lidl at the start of the year, only with the intention of never having to mow the lawn again. And I am sure they are common place in many homes scurrying around carpets and laminated floors.
There is just something magical however about this device, because it is attached to the surface by a long tube and so looks like some kind of deep sea recuse pod, that is being manned by a team of intrepid gerbils.
I look forward to seeing them emerge, and hearing tales of the successful discovery of long lost wrecks, and plundered treasures.
Stay safe.
Blue Hotel - Chris Isaak
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 18th August 2025
You may recall the debacle I talked about last time, the one where I managed to get carried away with my own technical ability and inadvertently formatted my SD card, deleting an unpublished podcast in the process.
So last week, with that experience still raw, after recording TFM I reverted to the 100% tried, 100% trusted method of removing the self-same card and inserting into my desktop dock. Moments later my files were transferred, with a welcome lack of drama, and with everything intact.
Of course the reassurance that comes with knowing your media is secure, turned out to be a false blessing when yesterday I discovered that it remains in situ on my desk - a cool 1084 miles from where it was now needed.
It really is turning into a gift that keeps on giving
Stay safe.
Room At The Top - Tom Petty
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th August 2025
I started beating myself up yesterday, because I hadn't got anything worked out in terms of talking points for this week's TFM.
In that moment (because unsurprisingly this isn't the first time it has happened) I tend to get a bit despondent, and a little bit flat, and I do question whether I should even be bothering. And yesterday evening, probably around about seven thirtyish, that was where I was at.
Of course none of that is important. It isn't the reason that TFM exists, and it isn't why I do what I do. So I sat down and talked, with no idea what was going to happen, and felt better.
And this morning I have dropped that pure example of TFM into the editing software, and just added the episode idents. Exactly how it was intended to be.
Stay safe.
Pure - The Lightening Seeds
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th August 2025
I had no idea that Trevor Horn had so much to do with this song.
I have always really liked it, but it was only when the TH band played it last night at the Cropredy gig did I put two and two together. TBH even then he had to kind of say it out loud for the penny to drop.
Anyway I think it's a banger and worthy of a break in the day to have a listen...the kids were really getting into, I wonder if it has had a second life on TikTok.
In other news apols for this being a bit late, I had recorded it in time but my host has been distracting me with stories of village life and clips of Rollie Birkin.
Stay safe.
All The Things She Said - t.A.T.u
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th July 2025
As you know I try and get out to go for a run on a Saturday morning.
These days that means a distance of 7-8 miles, and I usually run to Coffee Boy in Huddersfield to meet Mrs S. for a beverage. I am quite happy with this arrangement, it kicks off the weekend well and I like the fact that more often than not I can arrive for the opening time of 08:30 hours, and be in the first wave of clients.
Last week the opening hours changed, and it now opens at 07:30. This has caused me more than a little frustration. In my head I know there is no real way I can now be there for opening time, because I am not going to set the alarm for 05:30 just to do that. But it has taken the shine off the symmetry of my day when I run down there, I did like being just as they were just opening the door.
Oh, and I am not sure this is the right Lego themed song, but it does neatly capture the project in hand.
Stay safe.
Little by Little - Oasis
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st July 2025
I will have to rely on others to make this statement definitive, but this may be my first Belinda Carlisle song choice as episode title...?!
Dedicated to the right hand side of the bay window in the lounge, the one overlooking the harbour, and the hypnotic joy of idle observation. The song comes from the Real album, which was released in 1993 and is an absolute cracker - in fact I am playing the closing track Here Comes My Baby as I write these notes.
I think Belinda is a little underrated actually, both this album and the follow-up which includes a fantastic collab with Brian Wilson called California. And if that wasn't enough it also features (none other than) Nick Beggs on Chapman Stick. Boom.
Stay safe.
Windows of the World - Belinda Carlisle
Here Comes My Baby - Belinda Carlisle
California - Belinda Carlisle
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th July 2025
What seems to be happening at the moment is that I am missing one of my walking days, pretty much without fail, every week.
The running is going fine, I am up to about 35 miles per week, and last week I ran my second half marathon distance. I am just about to set off for an eight miler, and I will probably do eleven or so tomorrow.
Thinking about it, it might be because I get up and run first thing, as opposed to trying to crowbar a walk into the later part of the day. Anyway, whatever the reason, it just seems to be (literally) a step too far for my schedule at the moment.
Stay safe.
Save The World - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The Brett Domino Trio - Dead Whale Song
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th July 2025
There is quite a bit of excitement in the house about the new Superman movie. Jack has been looking forward to it for quite a while, and I must admit I have been a little drawn in by all the noise around it, and the fact it is dividing opinion so much.
Clearly I am from the Christopher Reeve era when it comes to Superman. Another one of those magical movies that appeared at just the right point in my formative years, and was my introduction into the concept of a superhero story.
As you know I am not an avid Marvel or DC aficionado, but I did enjoy the Henry Cavill film and the fact it is from the director of Guardians of the Galaxy give me hope that it will not be an updated rehash.
Stay safe.
Doctor, My Eyes - Jackson Browne
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 30th June 2025
05:22 this time.
After a similar experience a couple of days ago, it was slightly later this morning when I woke up with the missing piece.
I suppose you could say that most weeks are full of hellos and goodbyes, but on reflection this week has been built around examples that are maybe a little heavier than the norm.
And apologies for fans of the original, but at this time of the morning I find the David Gray take on this song a little more in keeping.
Stay safe.
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray
The Last Laugh
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd June 2023
I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the cricket.
The first test against India from Headingley was an absolute delight, we were pretty much addicted for the whole five days, with the live coverage in the back room doing battle with the radio commentary upstairs.
The whole joy is that for most of the fifteen (yes I did say fifteen) two hour sessions I had no idea who was actually winning. At four-ish on the fifth day it could still have gone three ways, with the outcome only really becoming clear after tea when the threat of a final weather-based intervention passed.
We should hang onto this strange sporting phenomena tightly. It is a quirk, a wrinkle, a throwback and we are all the better for it.
Stay safe.
Here's to you - Thea Gilmore
Ian Dunt - In Praise of Kim Leadbeater
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th June 2025
I have been trying to work out if I have ever seen the video for this song before, and having mulled it for longer than I possibly should, I have reached the conclusion that I probably haven’t.
Nothing particularly surprising in that conclusion I suppose, and whilst it’s very much of its time (quirky and instantly forgettable) it also made me realise that I had no real clue what Squeeze actually looked like.
Yes I know that it's Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, yes I remember that Jools Holland was there in the early days and that he had been replaced by Paul Carrack. But as to the look of that band, not a clue. So I was surprised to see a bouncy, punky outfit with swagger and Jools chomping away on a cigar. It's great when things like that happen...
Stay safe.
Cool for Cats - Squeeze
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th June 2025
Now you know I like a good sitcom, and you also know that I rate Not Going Out very highly and certainly worthy of special mention.
Well the new series landed last night, and the BBC dropped all six episodes which resulted in us watching the first four. I am pleased to report that it is a strong as ever, but the reason I mention it is because the second episode called Doll is really very clever.
I am not quite sure how you begin to put together a narrative like that, the whole thing is a little uncomfortable (and certainly quite unnerving) but it hard not to be swept along in the subtext.
If you can get the iPlayer, you might want to give it a go.
Stay safe.
God Only Knows - BBC (Various)
Sloop John B - Brian Wilson & Alan Jardine
Stairway to Heaven - Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Jason Bonham, et al
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd June 2025
Sometimes the need to try and find a song title that encapsulates an element of my week, takes me to some very specific places.
This song featured in a Rolling Stones documentary called 25x5, that I watched over and over, back in the late 80s. It was only a very small section of the programme, but it always stuck with me, and fortunately it was easy enough to locate the clip.
So even though it is a prompt to a rather disappointing realisation (and outcome) of the week - it is still a really great performance.
Stay safe
You Better Move On - The Rolling Stones
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th May 2025
I completed my final run for the month yesterday, and also the final run in my current pair of running shoes, and I mention it because it is a bit of a bitter-sweet moment.
I become quite attached to my runners, and whilst I am looking forward to a new pair (the first few runs in new shoes are always great) it always feels like I am being less than respectful to my current squeeze as we approach the end of our time together.
Of course, the reality is that isn't the case. After a well earned (and no doubt) invigorating spin through the washing machine, my trusty pair of Saucony Ride 17s (Tangerine & White) will be this year's casual wear of choice.
Stay safe.
No Easy Way Down - Mark Eitzel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
This Time is the first song I ever heard from an unknown Canadian rocker named Bryan Adams. I was introduced to it by a friend called Steve Nicholson, he lived at the end of my road and he too was an avid Sheffield United fan.
I ended up going to away matches with him and his Dad, and I even had a Saturday job at their family business back in the day (they had an independent Insurance brokerage, just in case you were wondering).
We still keep in touch, though somewhat vicariously, over one of the platforms, in fact there is even a possibility we will bump into each other through the course of the day. Because he will be heading to the same place that I am, and like me he will have found some new hope.
This time.
Stay safe.
This Time - Bryan Adams
Cambridge Common Cows
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 12th May 2025
I haven't been able to ascertain exactly which group of football fans adopted this song first. Wikipedia cites the example of Everton fans in 1956, which is only a year after the song was written - so that might be favourite. I was belting it out (along with 26,000 others) at Bramall Lane on Monday and having a whale of a time.
Aura Farming: Depending on the context, “aura farming” can refer to a person who does something cool without trying, or someone who is trying too hard to appear cool. For the purposes of this week's TFM I am hoping it is the former.
Mog: To outclass or be significantly more attractive than someone else, often used in a humorous or self-deprecating way
Oh and I haven't mentioned Andor this week, mainly because I haven't finished it yet. If truth be told I don't want it to end, I have two episodes to go and I am trying to stretch it out. It really is exceptional.
Stay safe.
Que Sera, Sera - Doris Day
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th May 2025
I see that Amazon very astutely managed to get Conclave on their roster of films included on Prime, just in time for the selection of the new pope.
I can only assume that the nature of the timing, you could almost say it was divine, will push the viewing figures no end.
I haven’t seen it yet, but I have read the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Robert Harris is a fave amongst my fiction-author-choices, and his new one Precipice landed last week, it's currently perched at the top of the ‘next up’ pile.
I’ll report back when I get to the film, but the cast looks hefty, and the twist at the end is delicious.
Stay safe.
Down The Road - Mike Peters
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th April 2025
Between 13:00 and 13:40 today I witnessed a wonder of the modern world.
In the Long Bar, which is situated in the East Stand at Headingley, an undisclosed but statistically significant number of cricket followers were fed a lunch of fish, chips and mushy peas, with bread and butter on the side.
This was the scene that greeted me in the Members lounge, as this unnamed collective moved between the food queue, the condiments table and the bar. The average age well north of 70.
There was little in the way of fanfare, and nothing like the amount of ambient noise I would have expected. Just a focussed sense of purpose, that comes from the understanding that the time in hand was short. You see there was not only food to be eaten, there was drink to be drunk, and a comfort break to be factored in before the first ball of the afternoon.
You can moan about the boomers, and I often do, but when they get their sh*t together it is a thing of really beauty.
Stay safe.
Give A Little Bit - Supertramp
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st April 2025
As you are about to hear there isn't a real reason why I have picked this particular track to share with you as the episode title. There could have been, but as it turned out I ditched that idea because it was a bit too complicated.
But I have stuck with it because I can't get past one aspect of the lyric, and as it happens it does resonate with (admittedly in a slightly laboured way) the football part of this week's TFM. Let me explain.
As a song it contains an absolutely killer lyric, and it is preceded by a really nice build up in the verse;
Jimmy Shoes, he busted both his legs
Trying to learn to fly
From a second storey window
He just jumped and closed his eyes
His momma said he was crazy
He said, Momma, I've got to try
Nothing wrong with that, it's a great foundation that is building a narrative and preparing you for something special. Kind of like the first forty games that Sheffield United have played this year. Then you get this killer line....
Don't you know that all my heroes died?
Boom. Absolutely stunning line, really stops you in your tracks. A bit like beating Coventry 3-1 at home and putting promotion squarely in your own hands. But then Jon follows it up with this lifeless, disappointing, throw-away cliche
And I guess I'd rather die than fade away
What a let down, hopes smashed. Like losing to Oxford, Millwall and Plymouth and handing promotion to your season-long rivals.
Stay safe.
These Days - Bon Jovi
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th April 2025
I am quietly chuckling to myself, because I never thought I would be able to feed a song title like this one into an episode of TFM. But in the context of the content for this week, and if you flip it around a bit, and imagine it from a certain perspective then it does make a lot of sense.
Anyway it's a bit of a funny one this week, with the early week being the closing stages of our holiday to Gran Canaria, before setting back off to what was a slightly unusual end to the working week.
I hope you find something in there of interest, and that you have a rewarding easter weekend.
Stay safe.
Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles
The Residence - Netflix
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th April 2025
As it turns out a Saltwater swimming pool does (in point of fact) still contain Chlorine.
Not an opening sentence I thought I would ever use for a slice of TFM, but the experiences of the week have brought me here, and after all that is what this is all about.
I have been informed by Goggle AI that 'a saltwater swimming pool utilises a salt chlorine generator to produce chlorine from salt, offering a less harsh alternative to traditional chlorine pools. While it doesn't eliminate chlorine entirely, the generator creates a smaller amount, making the water feel softer and potentially gentler on skin and eyes.'
None of which I knew.
The thing that it doesn't explain is the sensation of increased buoyancy that you feel when just floating on your back. None of the 'advantages of' lists I have read has it down as a feature or a benefit, which leads me to the conclusion that I have probably just imagined it.
The power of the mind, eh.
Stay safe.
Saltwater - Chicane (ft. Moya Brennan)
W/C 31st March 2025
26 minutes to go until this weeks TFM is due to be published and I have no idea what to do about the notes.
Michael Sembello is pulsating out of the speakers on my desk, and if I flip tabs I can see the very MTV era video playing away in its non-widescreen format. We are due to be leaving the house for a family shopping trip to Meadowhall at quarter to, which is only adding to the pressing nature of my task.
Normally I would have a little nugget leftover from the episode, something anecdotal perhaps or maybe a bit of interesting aside that would round out one of the segments. But for now I have nothing.
22 minutes now, 7 until we are due to set-off. Quick mental recap of the week, but still nothing. I might just have to go with an empty page...
Stay safe.
Maniac - Michael Sembello
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th March 2025
One of the great things about recording TFM is that I get to rack my brains and come up with an episode title that is also a song. You know the rules, the song title (where possible) must be pertinent to some of the themes of the week's episode, and I try and make it a song I have some history with.
Clearly this week was going to be fairly easy, I mean how many song titles are there that contain the word 'Drive' (don't answer that, because it is quite a lot). But here's the thing, because this part of the TFM process is a bit of a gift that keeps on giving, the choice of REM has taken me back to Automatic For The People, and who doesn't need reminding of how good an album that is and how lucky we are to have it.
What that means is that I am going to be giving it a spin over the weekend, as I contemplate the state of the nation finances and the sheer absurdity of the Testi app.
Stay safe.
Drive - REM
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th March 2025
I have heard this story three times now, and it floors me every time.
This song was written as part of Radio 2's 21st century Folk project, where a group of songwriters were invited to write songs about other peoples lives. The song describes the day that Thea travelled to the North East to meet Delyth Raffell, and to hear about her daughter Ellen who passed away at the age of 16 from an allergic reaction.
I was drawn to the song on the first listen, long before I understood the context or the significance of it. With the backstory in place, it takes it to a whole different level.
She then performed the song for Delyth and her family at the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington. I have included the link to that performance as well album version of the song.
Stay safe.
She Speaks in Colours - Thea Gilmore
She Speaks in Colours performed for Delyth Raffell
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
Welcome to fellow Marillion folk and all newcomers to this podcast...
A few things to know, Therapy For Me has been running for just over five years and is a safe space for me to process what has been going on over the course of the last week.
It is unscripted, recorded (mostly) in one take and published fresh everything Saturday morning around 9am GMT
The episode titles are based around songs that tie-in to some aspect of the content of that week, and feature tracks that have floated in and out of my existence.
(this week it's a belter from a project called Sunhouse, the link is below)
And that should be enough to get you started. Feel free to subscribe if you like it, and if you want to join in with the chat you might want to listen via my patreon page
Stay safe.
Ant
P.S If you are curious about the swan then click here
Crazy on the Weekend - Sunhouse (song)
Crazy on the Weekend - Sunhouse (album)
Sunhouse
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th March 2025
I love this song, and I love this album.
Bearing in mind what I am talking about this week I wanted something sublime and beautiful, and this is surely it.
Should I be using something other than Marillion to describe a Marillion weekend? Absolutely I should, anything by the band themselves would be a little too 'on the nose'
Anyway I hope you are well and have had a good week, mine has been another one of those slightly surreal ones, for which I feel blessed.
Stay safe.
Crazy on the Weekend - Sunhouse (song)
Crazy on the Weekend - Sunhouse (album)
Sunhouse
W/C 3rd March 2025
Todays notes come courtesy of Wikipedia;
Coles Corner is the name given to the corner of Fargate and Church Street in Sheffield, in sight of the cathedral. It was the site of the old Cole Brothersdepartment store until it moved to Barker's Pool in 1963.
The corner is famous in Sheffield as a place to meet for a first date. A plaque put up by the Rotary Club now marks the spot and ensures its local history is not forgotten.
I mention this of course because of the 20th anniversary of the album by Richard Hawley, and because as I am off to Sheffield today anyway (the Blades are taking on Preston at BDBL) I might try and go and seek out that plaque.
You can find some more information and pictures here
Stay safe.
Coles Corner - Richard Hawley
Craig Joiner
Sea of Souls
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th February 2025
I found myself watching the first Rambo film last night, partly because it was there and partly because I haven’t seen any of that particular franchise.
Clearly they were films of their time, but it is interesting that the original - which was called First Blood and has since been rebranded as Rambo: First Blood - bore little resemblance to the genre it effectively spawned.
It got me thinking about the parallels the Deep Purple Machine Head, which I had also listened to for the first time recently and which also sounded nothing like the musical style that the band is cited with creating.
As far as both were concerned I was pleasantly surprised. I guess it’s a reminder to always experience the source material first hand, and always make your own mind up.
Stay safe.
Coffee and TV - Blur
Documentally substack
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th February 2025
It really has been a revelation listening to some CDs again, the only real downside is that I had forgotten the effort it takes to read the album titles up on the high shelf in the back room.
You will understand what has got me to this point when you have listened to this weeks TFM, but in real terms it means I have given the following a spin;
- Symphonie Fantastique - Hector Berlioz
- Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen - Various Artists
- Small World Turning - Thea Gilmore
- Green Light - Cliff Richard
- Something to Be - Rob Thomas
- Crazy on the Weekend - Sunhouse
- S P Q R - Steve Hogarth
- Eyes Wide Open - Snow Patrol
- Let it Bee - Voice of the Beehive
- Melissa Etheridge - Melissa Etheridge
- 12 Songs - Neil Diamond
I am not convinced I would have surfed that lot down on Spotify.
Stay safe.
Running With Our Eyes Closed - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Harrison Ford
Illinois State of the State Address
W/C 10th February 2024
As I have mentioned before, there are some weeks when it comes around to TFM time that I literally have nothing.
Over time I have learnt not to panic, trust the process, and hey presto something appears right when I need it and away we go.
The same is also true of writing the notes.
So even though I finished this weeks TFM last night, I am still waiting for process to deliver, to allow me to finish the notes. I am staring to panic a little because I am hoping to get out for a run in the next twenty minutes or so.
I am sure something will come to me.
Stay safe.
Think for a Minute - The Housemartins
Julie Hartley Brewer
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 3rd February 2025
Whatever we thought was going to happen when the world became more connected, this absolutely ain't it.
I have spent the last few weeks speculating on the 'end-game' for the sector I work in. Not quite existential, but certainly diminished to a point that would have been unthinkable when I first wandered into a guitar shop back in the mid-eighties.
Of course it is part of a bigger pattern, where the problem isn't the information we have at our fingertips, but the difficulty we now have in being able to navigate it.
In the past effective oppression has come in many forms - physical, structural, spiritual - all of which kept people in their place. Our paths today are influenced by the sheer quantity of information we are bombarded with, and our inability to make any kind of sense of it. So after starting out with the best of intentions of becoming better informed, we put our heads in our hands in despair at the doom-spiral we are locked in, and just give-up.
Because the path of least resistance may not be enlightening, but it certainly is easier.
Stay safe.
This Ain't It - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Journalism is collapsing in the middle of the information war - Ian Dunt
LALAHO Piano
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th January 2025
You may well have heard of Rob Thomas, and if so it is entirely possible this is down to the Santana tune Smooth. Not only did he sing on that track, he also rewrote the lyrics and melody.
My Rob Thomas story starts in Durham, on a Sunday afternoon and the purchase of the first Matchbox Twenty album from a little independent CD shop just this side of the bridge.
It is a cracking album called Yourself or Somebody Like You, and it was followed up by the equally sublime Mad Season.
Fast forward a bit and Rob releases his first solo album - Something To Be - which I end up getting slightly obsessed with for a while.
I finally got to see him/them in Manchester in 2008. They were touring their first hits compilation Exile on Mainstream. You will be pleased to know they didn’t disappoint.
Stay safe.
This is how a heart breaks - Rob Thomas
When the heartache ends - Rob Thomas
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th January 2025
I just need to accept the inevitability of not sleeping when I arrive here.
But no, for the first two nights I tried to outwit my old LA nemesis by every single combination of pillow and bedding known to man, in the vain hope that I would unlock the mystical elixir of deep and unbroken sleep.
You are aware in an instant, on awaking at 03:17, that sleep as an option has been pulled from the menu, so why would I believe that having one foot out from under the covers and one of the pillows folded double will somehow make a difference.
I tend to give up just after five, and pop the coffee machine on.
Stay safe.
Old Friends - Simon & Garfunkel
Redondo Beach Pier
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th January 2025
Because I am not sure what to write this week, I am going to back fill a few bits of extra information on some of the stuff that came up...
- Duke Special was born just a few weeks before me in Northern Ireland, and the song of his I am banging on about was released in 2005. There is a Marillion tie-in as he often works with Ben Castle
- Pride and Prejudice (sort of) has just begun its run for this year, and is going to be on the road for quite a while so you have a good chance of catching it. The website has the cast details, and jolly fine they all were. Don't think about it, just book and go.
- According to onlineopticiansuk there is a chart to help you pick reading glasses, and apparently for my age I need a 1.50 to a 2.00. The strength of all reading glasses is measured in dioptre, with units increasing by 0.25 dioptre depending on the power of the lens. So there.
Stay safe.
Freewheel - Duke Special
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th January 2025
It's always a little strange that the first couple of episodes of the New Year also mark the end of another year of TFM.
Here we are at episode 52 of season 5, which means that next week will mark the beginning of my sixth year of banging away at whatever this curious little podcast actually is.
Anyway, whilst searching to see if `I had used this weeks episode title before (which I had) I took a moment to stop and read the episode notes from back in January 2021, and as it turns out it was that episode when I made the decision to publish in seasons, as it marked the end of the first year proper of the pod.
Strange how these things make sense of themselves...
Stay safe.
Seasons End - Marillion (with Friends)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 30th December 2024
Having made the decision to go with Old December as the title track, it turns out I have already used it - way back at the end of December 2021.
That left me with the dilemma of what to do, should I consider something different and if so should I re-record the final bit of the podcast? Of course that would have meant selecting another tune as an episode title, and nothing was coming to mind.
Should I go back and rename the earlier episode? Not a bad idea, but I would have to go back and listen to it to try and select something suitable, and I am not overly excited about that prospect.
Or should I just power on and repeat myself. Well it is a great tune.
Stay safe.
Old December - Thea Gilmore
Ashley Jackson
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd December 2024
Here we go then, the Christmas TFM.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been watching a lot of Christmas specials, you know the kind of thing Not Going Out, Gavin & Stacey, Frasier, Click & Collect, etc, etc. I have been over indulging in them for the reasons we do anything at this time of the year; they are there and they make you feel good.
And I think some of that Christmas Special formula has permeated its way into this week's episode. Think about it, it feels like a normal episode but somehow it isn't quite the same, it has an unashamed Christmas vibe and it is a little less ranty and a little more mushy.
Of course any series that has been running this long would be expected to deliver some form of festive special, after all it is the law, so I am on point in that respect.
Stay safe.
P.S The other Christmas Carol spoken TV episode I was struggling to recall was Simon Callow.
That'll be Christmas - Thea Gilmore
Hendersons Relish
Sheffield Lyceum Snow White
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th December 2024
The biggest problem I had trying to replicate my Chrissy Mix playlist on Spotify came literally at the start of the process. Since my very crack at that particular selection, the first track had always been Gabriels Message by Marillion.
No ifs, no buts, no negotiations.
Of course that particular version started out life as a fan club only release, and still to this day is not available on Spotify. So I had to find an alternative, atmospheric opener and whilst I love Sol Invictus by TG, it just isn't quite the same. I have become used to that as the start point.
Of course Midwinter Toast which is the second track on the seminal Strange Communion album isn't actually on my Chrissy Mix but as this weeks TFM goes live on the Midwinter solstice it felt like a good way to include this track as well.
Stay safe.
Stacey & Nat stare-off
Gwen's Omelette Recipe
W/C 9th December 2024
I am going to mention Love Actually in this week's TFM, and even though it is a bit of a passing reference, it prompted me to search out a video clip that I had seen a snippet of earlier in the week on instagram.
I have therefore just watched the full speech that Hugh Grant made, as he introduced Richard Curtis at a recent awards ceremony. I draw it to your attention because it reaffirms why Hugh is such a national treasure, he is grumpy and a little self-centred, and invariably raging about where we managed to find ourselves.
I wonder if he would ever consider recording a TFM.
Stay safe.
Born of Frustration - James
Hugh Grant introduces Richard Curtis
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd December 2024
Of course there are flip sides to everything. As you will hear I am going to make a plea for more impromptu conversation, and also talk about an epic gig in an epic venue.
In both cases near disaster was only just averted. Take note;
a) Whilst helping the Australian Lady with her bag as we all got off the train, I put down my rucksack because her case was quite heavy. I realised as I walked through the station that I had left it behind and only just made it back to retrieve it before the train was due to alight. It's the fastest I have scaled a flight of stairs in a good while, as I literally pushed people out of the way and left human debris in my wake.
b) I managed to park in the wrong car park at the Cathedral in Liverpool, and only just got back to my car before it would have been locked into the basement for the evening. I then had to walk back to my seat at the front, and disturb the entire proceeding. Its a good job they know me.
Stay safe.
Take Me To Church - Hozier
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th November 2024
I am currently sat in the McDonalds car park just off J35a of the M1, waiting for Josh to return with £8.08 of food.
I literally have no clue what he has ordered, I was merely required for payment. This is one of those times when you are most certainly a piece of flesh connected to a credit card.
After a fairly nail-biting game we are driving home with three points. Two sendings off (one for each side) a fine penalty save and lots of nervous noise, but we won out by a single goal. It feels good, though the Sunderland fan I just bumped into in the gents wasn't quite on the same page about it all.
Stay safe
Once in a While - Barry Bostock
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 18th November 2024
I am dedicating this week's TFM to the person I sat next to on the train travelling to Manchester on Wednesday. You are going to hear all about it (obvs) but just to be clear the naming of the episode is most definitely for you.
Which brings us to the album that particular track originates from, which is of course Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty. As it happens I had been listening to that long-player just the week before, and one particular moment that I had completely forgotten about had made me smile.
At the end of Runnin' Down A Dream there is a little interlude where Tom instructs the listener that because you are listening to the CD version of the album, there will now be a slight pause to allow those listening on cassette or record to get up and turn the album over.
Genius.
Stay safe.
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th November 2024
Where are we all at in terms of Christmas Lights?
Don't get me wrong I am a big fan, but I went for a run in London on Thursday morning (around 06:15 so still very much dark) and as I stepped from the hotel I was met with the full twinkly, majestic force of the display as I proceeded toward Russell Square.
I found myself wondering if the middle of November wasn't just a bit too early to be in full chrimbo-mode.
I feel grinch-like just suggesting it, but shouldn't we wait until at least the beginning of advent?
Stay safe.
Mr Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
9-42 John Wiles aka The Old Grey Guitarist
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th November 2024
The simple fact is that irrespective of whether the outcome is the one we wanted or not, we just have to keep going.
It's fine to feel the way we all feel at the moment, and it's fine to try and make some sense of what just happened. It's also fine to want to distract your self with other stuff, take comfort from something that might seem a little irrelevant, or unimportant and it is certainly fine to find a disproportionate amount of happiness in a piece of optometry.
So with all that in mind, I give you this week's TFM.
Stay safe
America - Razorlight
Kitty Cafe
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th October 2024
A bit of 80's pop you say? Go on then how about this banger from Erasure....
And it does talk to at least two things I have mentioned in today's TFM, albeit loosely, so I am on point in a roundabout kind of way.
Other than that not much to say in way of set-up for this week, partly because it will detract from the content, and partly because I am late for my morning run.
Stay safe.
Stop! - Erasure
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st October 2024
Here we are then, episode 250 of TFM...
Yes, you could say it has gone by in the blink of an eye. But then again, if you think about what we have lived through in the backdrop to those 250 episodes, it has been a crazy ride.
Whilst the COVID pandemic dominated the first couple of years, how could we also forget the transition of Presidents in the U.S, the nonsense around Brexit and the slow death of the car-crash that was the last Government.
I have ranted, I have pulled my hair out, I have laughed and I have cried. I have sat at my desk, in the garden, and at various locations around the globe.
I have tried to make sense of the noise, and often been left short, but I have coped, carried on and because of you I haven't felt on my own, So thank you.
Stay safe.
And So It Goes - Billy Joel
Accident Claim Management Firms
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th October 2024
Although I will mention Keir this week, the episode title is not meant as a comment on the whole Taylor Swift affair/gate/scandal.
Admittedly the idea that a politician meeting a famous pop star, and the police ensuring her safety doesn't take me to quite the same place as say illegally proroguing parliament, or breaking your own lockdown laws. But I will leave that one alone.
The choice of song is inspired by John, who I met this week, and how amazing things can be the result of doing something in all innocence of what the potential outcome could be. Doing something because you can, and with no expectation attached.
I like that, it kind of made my week.
Stay safe.
Innocent Man - Billy Joel
The Old Grey Guitarist (1)
The Old Grey Guitarist (2)
Ian Dunt Article
The Big Red Building
Furnivals Inn
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th October 2024
However I was also very wrong, though as it turned out probably not because of a well thought through plan.
The fact is that the Tories are now going to lurch to the right, in a desperate and misguided ploy to try and regain some of the votes they have lost to the Reform Party. One group of headbangers try to appeal to another group of headbangers, all with the zeal of the converted.
I find it hard to believe that we are going to have to listen to even wilder diatribes on why the UK isn't sovereign enough, or didn't Brexit hard enough, and that all the answers lie in a referendum on membership of the EHCR.
You may be right, but that isn't the place that you win from.
Stay safe.
You May Be Right - Billy Joel
War Game Documentary
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 30th September 2024
You will hear me talk about the Penshaw Monument in this weeks TFM, and pretty much everything I said about it was (on further investigation) wrong.
It is in fact a memorial rather than some sort of Victorian Folly, and was built to commemorate the death of John Langton, the first Earl of Durham and the Governor-General of British North America. It is indeed officially know as the Earl of Durham's Monument.
What is true is where it stands, on Penshaw Hill near the village of Penshaw, between the towns of Washington and Houghton-le-Sping in County Durham, and that for many locals it is the reassuring sign they are in the right place
So I got some of it right.
Stay safe.
The Tipping Point - Tears for Fears
James Blunt
Penshaw Monument
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd September 2024
I am writing this at 10:02 on the 27th September.
By my reckoning it is the 54th time I have witnessed this date, and would imagine that for forty-odd of those occurrences I should have some recollection. Except I am not sure I have.
I have probably done many interesting things on this day through the years, for example it's possible it is one of the first days I spent at University back in 1990. I may well have been to a gig, or stood at Bramall Lane watching the mighty Blades on this date over the years - but ask me for specifics and I have none to offer.
Wouldn't it be great if there were some way to retrieve that information, a sort of retrospective diary-on-demand, to remind you of the significance of this day, over the years.
Stay safe.
Memory of Water - Marillion
Bilberry Reservoir Disaster
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th September 2024
So I sat outside the British Library for a bit this week (as you will hear) with my face in the sunshine, and it was bloody lovely.
There was a place to get coffee, one of those horse-boxy, old caravan style ones, and so I ordered a flat white. The coffee they were serving was 'origin' and it took me right back because the first time I had origin coffee was in Padstow about 15-20 years ago.
It turns out that they are celebrating their 20 year anniversary, and the reason I stumbled across the brand in Padstow is that Cornwall (Porthleven, to be precise) is the origin of their story (see what I did there...).
Needless to say the coffee was smashing, particularly as it came with a thread to the past which allowed me to think back to early morning walks along the Camel Trail.
Stay safe.
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
Origin Coffee
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th September 2024
Jarvis is so cool.
And it doesn't matter what you think of Pulp as a musical force, he is just very, very, cool. As you will hear the choice of today's title came very much in the moment and as such I wasn't expecting to be listening to this song, or indeed watching the video.
And it is so Pulp, so Jarvis, so bloody cool.
Stay safe.
Help the Aged - Pulp
Cabin Pressure
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd August 2024
As a slight departure from the norm I have chosen the live version of this song, taken from the Secret World tour. The reason being that it is one of the best live DVDs I can remember having seen.
Back in the early noughties I was working for a music instrument retailer called Academy of Sound. I was working in the purchasing team, and every so often I would get little special assignments.
What that meant in this case was that I spent a week or so in the Preston Store helping with a departmental rejig, and this DVD was playing on repeat all the time I was there. it's actually about the only thing I can remember about the visit.
Stay safe.
Come Talk To Me - Peter Gabriel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th August 2024
I don't actually follow the crowd on this album, I loved it then and I love it now. Yes it is over-blown, and pompous and so, so, impressed with itself, but do you know what I really like that about it.
There was still other good stuff to come, but this was Oasis at their swaggering best, and this is why they still hold a fascination for some many people.
For once I am going to forget the cynical side of what has happened this week, and just wallow in the sheer joy of having the brothers back around and causing mayhem.
Stay safe.
Be Here Now - Oasis
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 19th August 2024
This has to be one of the nicest spots I have published a podcast from. I am sat overlooking the sea at the Cafe Iconic in Sant Antoni de Calonge, for no other reason than I need to immerse myself in there Wi-Fi gratis.
We are getting to the back-end of what has been a fantastic time in Catalonia, firstly in Girona and latterly at the coast around Palamos. This really is a very special place to spend some time, and a reminder of how life is shaped by the local climate. The promenade is currently dense with a mixture of runners and walkers - everybody seemingly in transit to somewhere else - in a way I would not expect back home at 8am on a Saturday.
For someone who likes to observe human behaviour, it's a joy to watch how the world spins and all the local interactions and peculiarities.
But enough of this whimsy, I have a croissant to finish, and a café amb llet to start, and if that wasn't enough there is a game of beach paddle (or is it padel) that is reaching a thrilling climax.
Stay safe.
Walking Down Your Street - The Bangles
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 12th August 2024
I can’t remember ever going over 30 minutes for a TFM before, though now I have said it out loud, it is probably not that unusual.
Of course it’s an achievement that cuts two ways.
For me, it means I have decluttered my brain and let go of some stuff that probably wasn't going to do me much good, especially if I continued to dwell on it. And it has also given me the chance to reflect and smile again at some of the quirks of the week.
For you, it means an extra 5-10 minutes of your life given over to a rambling fifty odd year old and his first world neuroses.
But them, as the saying goes, are the breaks.
Stay safe.
Closing Time - Semisonic
Girona Opera Fella
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th August 2024
It seems a little counter-intuitive to have selected this particular episode title, given some of the stuff that has been going on this week, but as you will hear I have had cause to smile at number of things through the week.
Also this is a song that 'I knew' for years before I actually tell you who it was, and even when it had been released.
And do you know what, it's a song that illicit the same response so all the more reason to share it this morning.
Stay safe.
Smile - The Supernaturals
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th July 2024
A tough week this week. Not because of anything going on in my immediate orbit, just the unrelenting clamour of everything that is going on in the wider universe.
I am not convinced we are making a particularly good job of it at the moment, but in reality that is just because of what has risen to the surface over the last few days. What was important last week, last month, last year is still the same and so we have to keep on going in the face of the forces that wish to divide and destruct.
I do think it is being called out, both loudly and for what it is - but we have a fair way still to go.
Stay safe.
Absolute Reality - The Alarm
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd July 2024
Why not start the weekend with a bit of old-school goth rock I hear you say, well even though you never actually asked for it out loud, I am going to bring it to you anyway.
The inspiration is St Leonards Tower in Newton Abbot, a hugely impressive building that I saw for the first time this week. Originally part of a gothic-style church (see what I did there) built in the thirteenth century it was also the site where William III declared he would be taking the English Throne in 1688.
The tower has been protected numerous times in the past by local petitions and is now owned by the town council and maintained by the local museum. And it really is rather tremendous, well worth a visit if you are down that way.
Stay safe.
The Mission - Tower of Strength
St Leonards Tower - Newton Abbot
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th July 2024
This song comes from an album called The Bridge which was released in 1986. By the time it came out I had become a bit of a devotee of Mr Joel, having borrowed most of his back catalogue from the Denman Library in Retford and recorded them onto TDK C90s.
The Bridge was the first album of new material I took any interest in, and the tour for the album was the first time I got to see him perform live at the Birmingham NEC the following year.
Even though he doesn't consider it to be one of his best, and actually that it was an unhappy album to make, I have a soft spot for it - we even covered Big Man on Mulberry Street in a band I played with at school.
Stay safe.
A Matter of Trust - Billy Joel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th July 2024
Of the random things I have done this week I put together a 'kind-of-britpop' mixtape on Spotify, mainly for Josh actually, and I have been enjoying some guitar-drenched nineties bangers as I have been sat behind my screen.
Totally independently of that I mentioned Thea Gilmore on this week's Corona Diaries podcast and when I realised I had put Cast on my playlist, I happened to say out loud that I thought Thea's version was my go-to.
So I have put links below for both, so you can have your say. And of course I hope JB gets to walkaway with the dignity that befits his service.
Stay safe.
Walkaway - Thea Gilmore
Walkaway - Cast
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st July 2024
Generally speaking it doesn't happen very often.
The transition of power in the UK, from one political party to another, has occurred four times in the last 45 years - 1979, 1997, 2010 and now 2024. So any way you look at this, whichever point of view, yesterday was an historic day.
And what better way to celebrate than with a lovely punchy, punky little number from The Alarm. The song is called Change, from an album called Change. And incidentally one of the first gigs I went to under my own steam, which I think was in 1990.
After weeks like this one, the future feels wide open again. I know it won't last long but I doing to take a moment to drink it in. We did it.
Stay safe.
Change - The Alarm
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th June 2024
I wonder if I should change the logo for TFM. I have looked at it a couple of times, and even had somebody mock me up some alternatives but never settled on anything I like.
The existing one is supposed to be a typewrite style font on some serious grade writing paper, and if you look at it closely it does look like that. It's simple and it's clean. it just doesn't really talk to the styler content of the podcast - but then does that matter?
I like the uncluttered nature of it, and the fact it isn't too busy. But then you could say that is exactly the opposite of what I am often discussing.
Of course now I have said this, I can probably move on and forget all about it for a year or so.
Stay safe.
Rock 'n' Roll Star - Oasis
Press Preview with Kevin Maguire
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th June 2024
So here we are, the longest day.
I always find this a bit of a strange one if I am being honest, because technically we are now on the downward slope as far as the light is concerned but I never feel at this point that 'summer' has even got out of first gear.
The same can be said of the 21st December, because although that is the point when we see the days start to pull out, we equally know that the hardest bit of the winter is still to come.
What I can't argue with is that we are only a week and a half from the midpoint of the year. How did that happen.
Stay safe.
P.S I managed to get my facts wrong and it isn't Binology, rather Binopolis. Obviously I am a doughnut, but it doesn't taken anything away from the fact it is a thing of beauty.
Against All Odds - Phil Collins
Lewis Goodall reports from Spalding
Binopolis
Jimmy Fallon and the Star Wars Theme
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th June 2024
So the best laid plans and all that.
I was up bright and early to record this, because I had to head off to a junior football tournament that we were organising, in fact I may have mentioned it. Anyway I left Mrs.S doing the QC listen and I was hoping to publish it from pitch side.
Well that was 8 hours ago, and as you will have worked out I am just getting around to it now. IN the intervening period I have lined a pitch, set up a PA. built some goals, stood in the middle of the road and directed traffic, ensured twenty games got played on schedule and presented a load of medals and two trophies. Oh and got absolutely pi$$ wet through.
So apologies TFM is a little late, plenty of reasons but no excuses.
Stay safe.
Place Your Hands - Reef
Hands in Puppies
Christian explains Mastodon
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 3rd June 2024
I got into Bryan Adams before the Reckless album came out. So before Summer of 69, and before Run To You.
I had a friend called Steve Nicholson way back in the day, and we used to hang out and listen to music, and one day he put on the cassette of Cuts Like A Knife. Mind blown.
Of course the only reason I have thought back to that moment at 06:43 on a Saturday morning, is because I was trying to come up with a title for an episode that would reference the D-Day celebrations that took place this week. And Bryan had the answer.
The song is from a much underrated album called Into The Fire, which I could also have used to describe the kind of week Rishi has had.
Stay safe.
Remembrance Day - Bryan Adams
Journey Home
Lewis Goodall Interview
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th May 2024
Whilst I am not a particular fan of Boris Johnson (I know, comes as a shock doesn't it...) I have considerably more time for his brother Jo. Not only did he see through the nonsense of Brexit, he also manages to perfectly articulate why tossing out nonsense like 'National Service' and 'Mickey Mouse degrees' is such a backwards step.
I caught this clip on twitter and it is one of the most balanced and intelligent things I have head in a while.
Stay safe.
Hello - Oasis
Paul Lesinksi Spotify
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th May 2023
Like it or not, some weeks the episode titles do pick themselves.
I am trying not to think about the parallels with 1997 too much, but it is getting hard not to at least to believe that if nothing else the outcome will be the same. And if that is going to be the case can we not get there as soon as possible.
If you aren't into the political side of TFM then this would definitely be the week to give it a swerve, and I apologise for the overly ramble nature of this week's slice. I guess I have been waiting so long for this that now it is here, I am a little overwhelmed.
Anyway let's start by enjoying watching the majestic Victoria Derbyshire in full flow.
Stay safe
Things Can Only Get Better - D:Ream
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th May 2024
It turns out that I have used Complicated before as an episode title, normally when I realise that I try and find something different - but bearing in mind there are two tie-ins this week, I decided to bend my self-imposed rules slightly.
If you are going to fully immerse yourself in my week, then you are going to need to start by navigating to the root cause of the problem which is a page on the JD Sports website after which you are going to have to have a look at a couple of pages on the Birkenstock website, this one and then this one.
Once you have done this, as well as listening to the explanatory notes you should be able to empathise a little with my week.
Stay safe.
Complicated - Avril Lavigne
Who replaced Avril Lavigne podcast
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th May 2024
I love this song, and it is worth the slightly disjointed crowbarring to be able to share it with you this week.
TBH I am becoming quite a Tears For Fears fan, they are seriously under-appreciated in the way that say Aha are. Maybe it is something to do with the early pop success that both had, but in both cases there is some serious creative stuff going on.
Anyway have a listen and see what you think, I think it's a belter.
Stay safe.
P.S After the BBC News Theme tune the second best thing at the moment is the return of Dead Ringers on Radio 4 - if only for the Liz Truss impersonation that Jan Ravens absolutely nails...
Break It Down Again - Tears for Fears
BBC News Theme
W/C 29th April 2024
If you are a regular listener to TFM you will be familiar with my Saturday morning routine, which invariably involves getting out for a run.
For the last six months or so my route on a Saturday takes me the six miles to Coffee Boy, a vibrant little spot just on the outskirts of Huddersfield, located in an old Mini showroom. The run takes me about an hour, in which time Mrs S hauls herself out of bed and heads down to meet me for a brew and to ferry me back home.
The problem with all this, is that as it is has become established as a weekly arrangement, I tend to like it to go in a predetermined way. So I like to be there for when Coffee Boy opens at 08:30, and I have a favourite spot to sit in. All of which makes it really difficult when you are running late and you are trying to work out what the hell to put in your podcast notes.
Stay safe.
One - U2
The News Agents with Neil Kinnock
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd April 2024
For what it is worth I think Labour are onto a winner with their policy to bring the trains back under Government control. I appreciate that they will never say it is 're-nationalisation' because somehow that word is considered too politically toxic, but the fact is that many people will look at this as a positive.
Whilst I have been a firm advocate of Labour not saying too much, too early, about what their vision for the country is, we are getting to the point where they need a few clean lines of difference. And this announcement, along with the commitment to repel the Rwanda bill is certainly something to be getting on with.
State-owned rail seems like an open goal, it has the potential to make a tangible improvement to many peoples lives, it is environmentally positive and we know it works across the continent.
I can't believe I didn't include it in this week's TFM tbh.
Stay safe.
Shame - Matchbox Twenty
Darren Jones on LBC
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th April 2024
This one of those songs that I can hear in my head, but no matter how much searching I do I can't find 'the' version that I remember from my youth.
I think I had it on a compilation album, actually now that I think about it, it could have been one of the Blues Brother, Soul Sister releases. In fact give me a moment and I will check.
(short interlude)
Ok so I have checked, and it was the Dobie Grey release - which is the one that is considered the archetypal version - and that I have listened to a couple of times and still isn't sounding like the tune in my head.
Strange thing memory.
Stay safe.
Drift Away - Dobie Grey
Carers hounded by the DWP
42 Balloons
Dormice and the Rope Bridges
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th April 2024
This is one of those songs where I don't actually know the original. I was introduced it by me by Jimmy Nail(not personally, obvs) as he covered it on his album Tadpoles in a Jar in 1999.
It turns out it was written in 1972 by a band called Family, and I am listening to it for the first time as I write this.
I have always loved the JN version, because it's a perfect little thing, a little gem of a song that doesn't demand your attention or sit proud in your subconscious, but is a thing of beauty none the less.
And it evokes my Friday night walk home, post weetabix procurement, perfectly.
Stay safe.
My Friend the Sun - Jimmy Nail
My Friend the Sun - Family
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st April 2024
The New Statesman email has started landing in my inbox and I am not sure why. I can only assume it is something to do with signing up for the Ian Dunt blog that I told you about, but whatever the reason I am quite enjoying it.
It seems to be a bit sporadic in terms of its cadence, and I would be lying if I didn't tell you that was triggering my OCD tendencies a little, but generally it has been a positive.
So far this week I have enjoyed pieces penned by David Gauke, and Lewis Goodall, both of whom I have a lot of time for, along with some interesting stuff from Freddie Haywood. I appreciate that I am just being baited and played, and after a couple of attempts with an 'exclusive subscriber offer' they will no doubt move on, but it is all good for the moment.
It really is the small things.
Stay safe.
Blink 182 - All the small things
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th March 2024
It is hard to believe that this song was released when I was 18, and that I first saw Mr Big at Rock City two years later in 1991. I was a bit of a devotee for the first few albums and I still have a huge soft spot for the song Green Tinted Sixties Mind, because it is a perfect slice of hair pop rock.
As it turns out they are currently on the road for their Big Finish tour, playing their second album Lean into It (which contains GTSM) and rounding off their 30+ year career. They were back at Rock City on the 19th March, and I really should have made the effort to go. Maybe I will catch them at Leeds in July.
Take care.
Take a Walk - Mr Big
Green Tinted Sixties Mind - Mr Big
Ian Dunt - Substack
Ian Dunt - How Westminster Works
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 18th March 2024
Why do I leave my podcast notes until Saturday morning, when I know it is going to cause me stress.
I like to be out for a run by 07:30, but it’s 07:08 and I still have to drink my tea, get a shower and get dressed.
For some reason, even when TFM is in the can in plenty of time, I still put the notes off. And it isn’t like they are ground breaking in terms of content, or indeed quality.
Bonkers. Stay safe.
Cecilia - Simon and Garfunkel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th March 2024
Actually I will be running, in about 24 minutes if all goes to plan, when I have finished these notes and got my sh*t together.
The reason for the title is that I am stumped for a content-relevant song this week and as I talked about Blair Dunlop last week, and as I talked to Blair Dunlop this week, I thought I would include take his most recent single as my inspiration for episode title.
Not a lot else to tell you, as you will hear, so I am going to finish my tea and toddle off.
Stay safe.
P.s I will share the link to the Blair podcast next week, he really is a smashing fella.
I Wanna be Running - Blair Dunlop
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th March 2024
We have three Spiderman masks in the house, compared with none this time last week.
And these are actual fabric, full head, pull-over kind of masks not the held-on-by-a-piece-of-elastic variety that you recall from your childhood. The reason for this of course is World Book Day and the fact that Jack had a yin to go as the Miles Morales version of Spiderman. And to be fair he looked great, the mask is pretty impressive and paired with a black hoodie worn hood-up, joggers and black nike trainers he did indeed look the part.
The hangover of course is now the ongoing negotiation with son number two about the unworn masks (we ordered three with the intention of picking one and returning the others...) and whether they form part of a new mask collection.
The joys of parenting.
Stay safe.
Downtown Train - Tom Waits
Blair Dunlop
Hit Me Baby One More Time (Kung Fu Panda Clip)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th February 2024
After all the kerfuffle involved in getting it actually finished, I think we may frame the London Underground jigsaw with the 200+ white pieces.
I appreciate that in the scheme of things we haven't actually shifted the dial in terms of human progress. The methodical placing of multiple pieces until you find one that fits snugly (btw if you could bottle that feeling you would be onto a winner, because it is delicious...) and then the process of rinse and repeat is not beyond the wit of many.
Literally all we have demonstrated is a little bit of patience, but we have decided to mark it and mark it we will. Which leads me to the ask.
Now I can't imagine I am the first person to want to frame a completed puzzle, but I am a little at a loss to know how to do it. So any advice on the topic would be much appreciated.
Stay safe.
Hit Me Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Hit Me Baby One More Time - Tenacious D
Hit Me Baby One More Time - Travis
Nick Ferrari cuts off Minister
Andrew Marr Monologue
Sayeeda Warsi on Islamaphobia
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 19th February 2024
You may have noticed that my episode titles normally only contain one capital letter, even though in pretty much all cases they are lifted from the title of a song.
The reason for this is that, in pretty much all cases, they allude to something I am going to discuss in the podcast proper. At times they are a bit oblique, but that is the intent unless otherwise specified.
I have changed it for this week because, I don't know, it just looked plain wrong and as such was a little bit triggering for me. The irony being that it is one of those weeks where the title actually refers to two topics of conversation, and as such would be perfectly acceptable uncapitalised.
Sometimes you just have to give in to the screaming in your head.
Stay safe.
Little Shop of Horrors (Intro) - Film Version
Ian Dunt Explains
W/C 12th February 2024
I am actually going to answer one of my own 'tossed-out' TFM questions, because I have just spent a rather enjoyable half hour in an underground-related-rabbit-hole.
Now before you say, where else would a rabbit hole be, I was actually referring to The Underground (capitals included and indeed implied) because I was looking at three-dimensional-cross-section drawings of various tube stations.
And they are quite striking, particularly as I hadn't considered the plethora of connecting walkways that are involved, have a look at this one to get the idea. Anyway that got me onto a physically accurate version of the tube map which is also rather spectacular
Fascinating, and all it took was the time to would have taken me to deploy one jigsaw piece.
Stay safe.
Jigsaw Puzzle - The Rolling Stones
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th February 2024
Another week, another casualty at Nestle.
Now don’t get me wrong the Breakaway was a solid biscuit choice, not up there with a Mint Viscount or a Trio (obvs) but definitely in the same bracket as a Club or a Penguin, and clear of a Blue Riband by some distance.
I haven't been floored in the same way that I was last year, I mean who can forget where they were when the news of the demise of the Caramac came through, but the fact is another part of my childhood has now gone.
The thing is, you bean counters at Nestle, you are still banking on me to buy your KitKats, aren't you...and one of these days you are going to push me too far.
Stay safe.
Science Fiction/Double Feature - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Laura Trott Interview
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th January 2024
All the things I want to watch at the moment appear to be on streaming platforms that I don't subscribe to. No sooner have I signed up to Apple TV to watch Ted Lasso (off the charts good) and Slow Horses (Gary Oldman is a legend) I am now being drawn to Paramount Plus.
I am quite good at resisting the lure of a new platform, provided you accept that my tipping point is three. As soon as I spot three things that I can't get anywhere else, then I am lost and it's only a question of time.
The new season of Frasier has been circling overhead for a few months, and about a month ago it was joined by Star Trek Strange New Worlds. Now I am not a trekkie, but I have read good things about this pre-Kirk origin story and it has piqued my interest.
So when I noticed Rabbit Hole (the latest incarnation of Kiefer Sunderland as Jack Bauer) on the flight, I just had to dip my toe. I got half way through episode 3 before I fell asleep, meaning I was about a third of the way through. Fast forward a couple of days, curiosity got the better of me and I asked goggle what streaming platform Rabbit Hole resided on.
I don't need to finish that sentence do I...
Stay safe.
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
Turn the Lights Back On - Billy Joel
Ghostbusters Frozen Empires
Jason Isbell Tour
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd January 2023
Just three things you need to know about TFM this week;
Firstly I am back in California at the NAMM show and that is the excuse as to why this is a little behind schedule, it has been full-on.
Secondly the noise outside (that is very, very loud) didn't pick-up as I had hoped on the recording due to the nature of the lapel microphone In was using but trust me it was real and it was considerable.
And thirdly it is a long-un....the longest so far in fact, just putting it out there so you know what to expect.
Stay safe.
Pride - U2
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th January 2024
I am off to LA next week for the NAMM show, which is back in its usual time slot for the first time since the onset of COVID .
And that can mean only one thing…I have completed another full year of recording TFM.
Today’s episode marks my first step into season five, and I don’t know about you but I need a moment to let that land. I have been capturing my thoughts on a weekly basis for four years - and by ‘eck what a four years it has been.
Anyway thanks for joining me for bits of it (or indeed all of it) I have been glad of the support. Let’s celebrate with a bit of prime 80s hair rock
Take care.
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Jess Philips - Rwanda Intervention
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th January 2023
I was thinking of a suitable title for this weeks slice of TFM and I haven't been able to get the first line of Vienna out of my head...
I have been a BJ fan for as long as I can remember, and I first saw him live on the Bridge Tour in July of 1987 at the NEC in Birmingham. Vienna is one of those songs that was never a single, seems modest in its ambition, but somehow worms its way into your psyche.
Whilst the song is a metaphor for getting old, it was inspired by a trip he made to find his estranged father when he toured Europe for the first time.
For the purposes of TFM, it is the first line that resonates, but for those of you unfamiliar with the song then you are in for a treat.
Stay safe.
Vienna - Billy Joel
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st January 2024
It appears that most of the people I know are either with cold, or trying to shake off the lingering remains of it. I also know a fair few who have Covid.
I started with it on New Years Eve, that distinctive back of the throat feeling that lets you know something is fast approaching and although it's not forced me off track it has slowed me down a little, and given me plenty of opportunity to feel a bit sorry for myself.
Without it of course I probably wouldn't have rewatched the final Star Wars trilogy, hunkering down on the first, second and third respectively and wallowing in a bit intergalactic escapism. And it has given me an excellent excuse to feed a cold - though I am not sure that Coffee & Walnut cake is what the old adage is really driving at.
As of this morning it's still standing firm, though that it's definitely on the move. Loosening is the phrase that seems to be favourite for this stage of the proceedings. Oh well, onward and upward and all that.
Stay safe.
Roll With It - Oasis
Beauty and the Beast - Sheffield Lyceum
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th December 2023
This weeks chunk of TFM does kinda have the feel of that week between Christmas & New Year about it, I have explained it away as being a bit of a hibernation moment but I guess you could say it is about being slightly disconnected from the grid.
Apart from the nonsense about weights and measures I have lost touch with the world a bit this week, not even bothering to get myself worked up about the absurdity of a 49-day-car-crash of a PM putting forward an Honours List.
Clearly it won't last but for now I am not in a rush to re-engage, not when there are box-sets to finish and nobody frowns on me for having. piece of coffee cake with my mid-morning brew. Bliss.
Stay safe.
Rest Stop - Matchbox 20
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 18th December 2023
I wonder if TFM is getting a little stale.
It is difficult because of the very nature of this podcast to know if it has become stuck in a bit of a rut, and although there is kind of natural progression inherent in it's DNA it was never a story that had a obvious and unfolding dramatic arc.
It still works for me, and I still enjoy sitting down for 20-25 minutes every week and capturing whatever I have collided with that week, so I guess I am thinking about where you are at with TFM and if it still piques your interest.
But, if I am being truly honest, am I just being a bit self-indulgent. If it works for you, you will listen and if it doesn't you won't and isn't that just exactly how it should be. And the answer is of course a resounding yes, so less stuck in a rut and more a needle dropped delicately into the groove.
Right moment over, nothing to see here - as you were...
Stay safe.
Wrapped up in Time - Marillion
A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart
Ted Lasso - Darts Scene
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th December 2023
I just love this song, and the fact I am employing it ironically to emphasise the point that we are going to regroup in January to revisit the parliamentary physcho-drama around the Rwanda Bill, shouldn't deter from it's awesome-ness-ness.
It's the Beach Boys sounding exactly like what you think of when you think of the Beach Boys.
Absolute classic.
Stay safe.
Do It Again - The Beach Boys
Chris Bryant Rwanda Bill Intervention
Apple Butter
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th December 2023
So many links to point you toward this week that there is hardly any space for the actual notes themselves, so I thought I would drop them in as little CTAs along the way.
Let's start with the majestic Doctor Who and the incredible episode from last Saturday which is called Wild Blue Yonder you can find here if you leave in the UK. On the subject of the 14th incarnation I am rather taken by the new Sonic but I am resisting it for the time being.
The Sophy & Sam clip around the possible date of the next election is here and if you don't follow either of them on x then maybe you should.
The Thea Gilmore song is Cutteslowe Walls and you can read a little about them here
You can watch the Stephen Timms intervention in the DWP debate here and the letter from Michael Rycroft to Pritti Patel can be read on the Government website
Stay safe.
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) - Robert Palmer
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th November 2023
I think I have sailed past my 200th episode of TFM without even noticing.
I found myself thinking last week that I must be getting close to that milestone so I did a quick search on Captivate and it suggested I have published xx episodes as of last Saturday.
Now I need to go back and check properly, just in case that total includes non-episode-proper content (trailers, updates, etc) and that I have in fact actually gone past the double century. But if I have, well ruddy hell...
In some respects it's a bit of a shame that I hadn't noticed, but at the same time it nicely reinforces the point that I am so content with my weekly fix of ramblings & rant, that I don't need to think about such frivolities.
Stay safe.
Coldplay - Christmas Lights
Alfie Boe settles the Die Hard question...
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th November 2023
I have been dipping into the Doctor Who content that is all over the BBC iPlayer at the moment, including some of the documentary content and odd episodes and curiosities. Firstly there is a ton of stuff and for even the most casual of Who-vians it's a mighty easy way to idle away a few hours.
What I still come back to is how good some of those re-boot episodes actually were. I watched The Girl in the Fireplace again and it is an utterly beguiling and thought-provoking piece of drama, way beyond the confines of it's supposed (and pigeon-holed) premise.
And don't get me started on Blink, or School Reunion, or The Family of Blood, or the Big Bang or the one where he is separated from Rose. And of course then there's the music....
Stay safe.
Hip to be Square - Huey Lewis and the News
W/C 13th November 2023
As an accompaniment to some of what I am about to talk about, I thought I would clarify the whole 'how can a person that hasn't been elected possibly be appointed to the cabinet' position. Well, as with most things concerning the governance of the UK it is down to convention.
Technically speaking that could have been me getting out of a car in Downing Street this week, traipsing off to be offered the job of Foreign Secretary, because you don't actually have to be a member of either chamber (which I am not).
Because however it is a core principle of the UK constitutional system that ministers should be accountable, then it is the accepted practice that either one should be an elected MP or a member of the Lords - hence why DC was ennobled in pretty short order to allow him to take up a cabinet level post.
The last time we had a Foreign Secretary that sat in the Lords was Lord Carrington (1979-82) though there are plenty of other examples across different departments in Whitehall since.
If you want to know more this article makes for a good introduction, unsurprisingly it was published on Monday.
Stay safe.
Blue Monday - New Order
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th November 2023
On a completely unrelated note to anything that is covered in this week's TFM, Jason & I launched the new season of 9-42 this week.
The reason I mention that little aside, is that I have been somewhat overwhelmed by the number of people who (after an eight month lay-off) have chosen to listen to the five and a half minute trailer we put out on Thursday.
Podcast listening is something that people do religiously, up until the point when that they don't and so when anything breaks the habit of consuming a particular series it can be very difficult to just pick an audience back-up if you have neglected them for a while.
Anyway first episode is out next week and its good to be back on the mic with that particular pod.
Stay safe.
Let's Make A Night to Remember - Bryan Adams
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 30th October 2023
Two things have come together to make the TFM production process a little less fraught this morning. The first is the fact that I decided to run yesterday, so instead of Thursday-Saturday-Sunday which is my normal routine, I have shaken it up a bit and gone with Thursday-Friday-Sunday.
The second is the extra hour that I have gotten from being in mainland Spain, and which I am putting to good use. I can't explain the joy of being able to type these notes in a leisurely fashion - even though the local time is 09:14.
On a normal Saturday, my particular brand of OCD would be doing backflips at this point, at the utter dereliction of duty on my part in being so unbelievably tardy.
But of course I still have 46 minutes in hand, so I can breathe easy, glance over at the tide and take another slurp of my tea.
Stay safe.
House - Marillion
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd October 2023
The notes. like this weeks episode, are going to have to be quick.
Normally, I would explain in writing but as will become clear I really don't have the time - such is the schedule I have to adhere to this morning.
Needless to say I will more than likely be updating you as the week goes on, and as is often the case I will stumble across stuff that intrigues, interests to just plain irritates me to the put that I have to tell you about it.
Gotta love me a bit of alliteration.
Stay safe.
Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th October 2023
I always loved this song. It's a bit like another lesser know Marillon song called How Can It Hurt that I also really like. No idea why it landed with me the way it did. It just did.
Of course I never thought I would be able to neccesarily use it as a TFM episode title, but I hope when you get to the relevant section of this week's episode it all falls into place.
Right I am late for a run, and this episode is already 4 minutes overdue so I am going to clear off.
Stay safe.
I will walk on water - Marillion
John Edmunds evidence to Covid Inquiry
Tory Candidate bolts for the door
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th October 2023
Well that all changed rather quick. As you listen to this weeks TFM you will find that I recorded a whole section in order to use 'oops, I did it again' as the title for the episode.
It turns I have already used that particular pop-banger it back in May 2022, so that left me scrabbling about looking for another title that would chime with one of this week's topics.
Anyway the revised title folds neatly into what I was talking about at the end, which was a bit of a bonus, so as a special treat you get a bit of the Barenaked Ladies (which as it happens also references the original thing I was referencing, to a certain extent).
But then that got me thinking, because bearing in mind what TFM actually is...I can't believe I have never used a track called 'one week' before?!
Anyway, what a choon.
Stay safe.
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Norwich City
Awareness Days
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd October 2023
Major Spoiler Alert
For this week's TFM I am going to bang on about the Conservative Party Conference
The Tories gathered this week in a disused railway terminus in Manchester for their annual get-together, and I was drawn like a moth to the flame. It was a shambles before they arrived, and it just got more shambolic as the week went on.
If you want some kind of gauge to the preposterous-ness of the whole affair, the hottest ticket in town was to listen to Liz Truss defend trussonomics and her 42 day tenure of chaos.
Everywhere you turned there was another one of them behaving like a fruit loop, making it impossible for Rishi to get any of the attention, even after he had implemented an epic train-crash of a marketing strategy to ensure he got the limelight.
Lord help us.
Stay safe.
Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli
Tory Member Ejected
Penny Mordaunt
Pritti Patel & Nigel Farage
Jon Ashworth on Question Time
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th September 2022
I think I may have a verruca. I have never (to my knowledge) been afflicted with one, but it appears that I have one now.
I can't actually see it, it is in a rather tricky spot to see on my left heel but Mrs S reckons that's what it is and that I probably picked it up on holiday - apparently they take a while to ripen or something.
Anyway it has started to hurt when I walk, so I am going to pop along to the pharmacist for a medical opinion and then some form of something to attend to it.
Stay safe.
She's Electric - Oasis
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
I hate waking up late.
As a rule I don't set an alarm in a morning, because I am fairly good at managing it with my own internal snooze function. Occasionally if the reason is one that is non-negotiable (those pesky planes or trains that don't seem to want to bend their schedules) I will set an alert, but invariably I wake up 45 minutes before it is due to go off, and bizarrely I end up getting less sleep.
All I wanted to do today was write these notes, publish this weeks TFM, have a brew and be out of the house by 07:30 for a run.
It's currently 07:46 and the kettle has only just boiled...
Stay safe.
True Colours - Cyndi Lauper
Luis - PowerPoint Tutorials
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th September 2023
This track is less than two minutes, but its an absolute belter.
It's from an album called All The Pain Money Can Buy, and I bought it in the US whilst on honeymoon in 1998 because the hit single from the album was being played everywhere. As it happened I also picked up Stunt by the Barenaked Ladies for the self-same reason that One Week was also being played wall-to-wall.
Both albums are interesting because they sound very little like the singles that made them famous, and whilst this was initially a little disappointing, I have since grown to love the diversity of material on both.
And because it's only two minutes long, it means you can listen to it twice.
Stay safe.
Warm Fuzzy Feeling - Fastball
Noises Off
A Christmas Carol
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th September 2023
There is something about the songs of Richard Hawley that make them perfect as an audio signature for a hotel like the Renaissance at St Pancras.
So I am going to take the opportunity to bang on about him again, because I think everybody deserves a bit of RH in there lives and if you haven’t discovered him yet then I commend him to you.
As it happens he has announced a career retrospective this week entitled Now Then, and though I haven’t seen the track listing it is sure to be of interest.
But before you investigate that, check out his two mercury nominated efforts Coles Corner & Trueloves Gutter and let me know what you think.
Stay safe.
Hotel Room - Ricard Hawley
Angry - The Rolling Stones
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th August 2023
I seem to to recall that back when it was released the Jack the Ripper mini-series was much anticipated because it purported to name the identity of the infamous killer.
Much was made of the research that had gone into the production, and the access that was granted to official records and documentation not previously disclosed.
Of course in the end it played out like the dramatisation that it clearly was, and any effort that has gone into trying to it give it an air of historical gravitas quickly dissipated.
Still it’s a strangely enjoyable piece of quirky schlock, worth it for every piece of scenery chewing one-upmanship on display.
Stay safe
Stella Braverman Police Officers Interview
Flip The Switch - The Rolling Stones
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st August 2023
As 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 a little melancholic, even though I am a big fan of September. I guess it harks back to the inevitable end of the summer for another year and with it all the possibility and freedom that used to come with the school holidays.
Stay safe.
No Surprises - Radiohead
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th August 2023
For 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 to publicly recognise Bryan Adam and the often overlooked album Into The Fire from 1987. I am a big fan, even though it appears the rest of the world isn't and this might explain why I couldn't find a video clip anyway to share with the notes.
So apologies but you are going to have to put up with the Spotify link instead...
Stay safe.
Home Again - Bryan Adams
The Woofits - Michael Parkinson
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th August 2023
Whilst 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 managed to raise money for a new building, Wilkinsons kindly donated all the paint required to decorate it from box office to auditorium.
I don't know why I remember that particularly, but I do and it folds into the magic and myth of Wilko for me.
Stay safe.
Closing Time - Semisonic
Rivers of London
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 31st July 2023
There'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 amount of garden and with a name sign at the side of the road.
The kind of place a stranger would be invited in for respite, something simple but wholesome to eat, and a glass of something honest and affirming to drink.
Of course all of this is a projection, but that works just fine for me so if it's OK with you then that's how I am going to remember it.
Stay safe.
Take Five - Dave Brubeck
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th July 2023
When 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 and chilled Kantebrau stubbies made it very memorable indeed.
Stay safe.
Rain in the Summertime - The Alarm
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th July 2023
I 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, with a set of old rockers and some electrifying blues. I wasn't a card carrying fan, but I knew most of the setlist that night and remember the gig fondly.
Less than a year later he would be dead, a heart attack whilst on holiday in Spain. Strange where a song title can take you.
Stay safe.
Walking by Myself - Gary Moore (Live at Montreux 2010)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th July 2023
I 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 observational humour that we seem to do so well, based purely on the way the line is delivered differently between singing and speaking. Beautiful.
Stay safe.
Fix You - Coldplay
W/C 3rd July 2023
There 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 Ball at the end of my first year at University. I seemed to remember enjoying the evening, but two days later over half of the attendees (myself included) succumbed to food poisoning as a result of dodgy prawn cocktail.
Stay safe.
We Are Young - Fun (featuring Janelle Monáe)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th June 2023
It 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.
Anyway enough of that and onto David and Michael, who have made me smile this morning. Give this a watch and see if it has a similar effect. And then have a quick look at this moment of local television genius from RTE.
You are welcome.
Stay safe.
Sometimes I just have to say your name - Del Amitri
Crybaby Wah Pedal
We 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 of my mind this week. I do miss you fella.
So I have made the decision to abandon that phrase, and try and stop and soak up the moments a bit more when they happen. It should give me a chance to include a smile as part of the memory.
Stay safe.
Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
Theresa May Statement 19.06.23
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 12th June 2023
That 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 broken, but it will be a while before we really know for sure. In the short term we need to regroup and let the institutions we rely on get about there business. Live and learn.
Stay safe.
The End - McFly
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th June 2023
Somethings 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 complicated, and add unfathomable dimension where it need not exist is truly astonishing. It would be impressive, if it were not so frustrating.
So I must apologise to #audiomo - I know its a cliched line but it wasn't you, it really was all me.
Stay safe.
Kiss This Thing Goodbye - Del Amitri
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 29th May 2023
It'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. Now that is how you do a shout-out.
Stay safe.
Late in the Evening - Paul Simon
W/C 22nd May 2023
All 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 new city (having also run in Birmingham this week already) and then plonk myself down with a decent flat white and watch the world go on around me for a spell.
Stay safe.
P.S I have included links to both the original and the Marillion cover of FPT in honour of both the Convention and also my fellow Purples.
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Fake Plastic Trees - Marillion
AudioMo
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 15th May 2022
This 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 Isbell
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th May 2023
The 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.
It matters not what the exact reason is, and I could care less that he is 80, if an opportunity exists to suspend belief for a few hours and climb aboard the Indy rollercoaster then just point me in the direction of the end of the line. Bliss.
Stay safe.
24 Frames - Jason Isbell
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Official Trailer)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st May 2023
I 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 that is softened and golden you are ready to add in the rice. After about a minute or so on a medium to high heat the rice will start to take on a translucent character, and that is the signal for a good slug of the ol' vino.
Three senses are now on overdrive as simultaneously you get the smell, the sizzle and the sight of the liquid mixing with the onion and rice. It's a magic moment and I think it's known as 'the sigh' in Italian. I can't promise that is 100% true (though I am sure I read it has a name in Italian) but I am going to go with it because I think it's perfect.
Stay safe.
King - Marillion
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th April 2023
The 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, The Brew Society offer 13 rotating micro brewed beer lines as well as a wide selection of wine, great whiskies, simple cocktails and local gins.
I thought it was bloody marvellous. Just the right spot to hang with an old friend.
Stay safe.
Hang - Matchbox Twenty
Christian Website
The Brew Society
The Beiderbecke Affair
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 17th April 2023
In 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 your team against all odds is what we do, and a standing ovation irrespective of the score is nailed on.
Stay safe.
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th April 2023
When 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 is clear, take it full in the face and don't look to closely and you will be fine.
When you walk along the sidewalk around the outside of the Disney park you see at first hand the attention to detail that is required in this part of the world. At no pointt do you see a delivery entrance or a staff car-park or a collection of waste bins. Everything is done meticulously to ensure the spell is never broken.
The problem is that every once in a while we need to see how the sausage is made.
Stay safe.
Ant
Californication - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Mary Spender Youtube
Mary Spender Website
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 3rd April 2023
With 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 better in the future.
Stay safe.
Two Steps Behind - Def Leppard
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th March 2022
Not 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 what is rattling through the synapses.
Stay safe.
When Two Worlds Drift Apart - Cliff Richard
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th March 2023
I 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 tomorrow I am not in a position to cut the grass.
The first trim of the year is an almost sacred experience for those of us in middle-aged-suburbia, and I am getting a bit twitchy about the lack of lawnmower activity.
I need a new coping mechanism.
Stay safe.
Home Again - Bryan Adams
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th March 2023
For 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 and cricket. It welcomed the Women's Euros in 2022, the evangelist Billy Graham in 1985 it became a backdrop to a Bruce Springsteen video when he played live in 1988.
It's the place I saw the Housemartins, met Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and got to see George Best play football.
And if there was ever a building I would wanted to see from a hospital window, to lift my spirits and speed my recovery, then Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane (#BDBL) would be the one
Stay safe.
Precious Sight - Richard Hawley
The Coming Storm Podcast
The News Agents Podcast
Bramall Lane
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th March 2023
I 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 the extraordinary recording with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Oh and check out these words...
Stay safe.
The Fix - Elbow & Richard Hawley
The Fix (live) - Elbow & Richard Hawley with the BBC Concert Orchestra
European Convention on Human Rights
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th February 2022
For 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 Song
Oh and if you missed the game itself you might want to give this a quick glance.
COYRAWW
Stay safe.
Annies Song - John Denver
Tent Boy
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 20th February 2022
I 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 sense after you have listened), ironed my shirts and pre-programmed the Sat Nav.
How is your Saturday morning going?
Stay safe.
Video Games - Lana Del Rey
The National Video Game Museum
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 13th February 2023
I 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.
P.S The live version from Secret World is just astonishing - so I have included both...
Washing of the Water - Peter Gabriel
Washing of the Water - Secret World Live Version
Yamaha Music London/Chappells of Bond Street
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th February 2023
I 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 sound anything or anybody else.
So I dedicate this one to you Liz T with the suggestion that an extended period of gardening might well be the answer.
Stay safe.
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
Five 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 replaced by He Loves and She Loves.
There you go then, a little bit of musical 'who-knew' for a Saturday morning, that only happens because I can't count my episode numbers properly.
Stay safe.
How Long Has This Been Going On - Van Morrison
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 23rd January 2023
By 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 demeanour of librarians, or the kind of people you would find curating a museum. Which I suppose is exactly what they were doing.
Stay safe.
It's All Coming Back to Me Now - Celine Dion
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 16th January 2022
There 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 and the preoccupation we have to sow division in the quest for power. And do you know what I fall for it every time, because as I rant away and scream into the void I am doing exactly what they want.
I need to look up, and be better. We all do.
'in a time of hate, throw down the counterweight
tear up that flag and say, you're worthy of more'
Stay safe.
The War - Thea Gilmore
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 9th January 2022
I 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 mark the completion of year three, as it is episode 52, and next week we will be into year four.
Also episode 1 came out on Wednesday, but after that all subsequent episodes have landed on Saturday. So if the first episode had followed that pattern it would have been on the 18th January.
If indeed we go with the 22nd January, then by the time that the TFM birthday comes around the first episode of year 4 will already be out there - stealing the thunder, so to speak.
Maybe the best thing we can do, is to agree that at some point over the next week we should all stop for a short while, put the kettle on, and have cake. Job done.
Stay safe.
P.S The title is a twitter reference and (by default) an opportunity to play some Cliff.
We Don't Talk Anymore - Cliff Richard
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd January 2023
Imagine 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...
Happy New Year!
Barbara Gaskin - It's My Party
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th December 2022
You 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 the year with my faves in terms of reading, watching, listening and experiencing.
Stay safe.
Spending My Time - Roxette
Listening - Spoken Word
Listening - Spoken Word
Listening - Music
Watching
Watching
Reading
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 19th December 2022
Aside 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 a small snippet of festive audio rather than the normal day-of-the-week structure. There is no creative reason, or deep philosophical meaning, nothing other than the fact it is Christmas Eve and I can.
Stay safe.
I Believe in Father Christmas
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
One 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 down a bit and the telly starts getting into the christmas spirit.
Fast forward 10 minutes, and a little bit of frantic googling and I managed to find a website with all of the Christmas Radio Times covers and lo and behold the last time the listing dates ran from Christmas Eve was back in 1982.
So I am not going mad after all.
Stay safe.
Baby It's Cold Outside - Idina Menzel (with Michael Buble)
Christmas Radio Times Covers
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th December 2022
I 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 winter frosts arrive.
- And I also, also, know that I really struggle with circulation in my fingers when it starts to get chilly (I think it is called Raynaurds)
- So why, oh why, do I wait until the temperature has plummeted before I get around to putting up the outdoor festive lights - they could have gone up in October, as I bathed in Autumnal sunshine. December should be all about switch on, not put up.
I never learn.
Stay safe.
Shameless - Billy Joel
The News Agents Podcast
Germany Coup Attempt
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th November 2022
I 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 could be my hormones, I am after all a man of a certain age.
Pick whichever of these takes your fancy, or come up with one of your own. It matters not what is the cause the fact is (as you will hear) I am getting a little excitable about something.
Stay safe.
Excitable - Def Leppard
Ray Winstone Instagram
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st November 2022
I 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 and personalise them a bit more in the future.
But I digress, enjoy a bit of Bryan (live'n'kicking) in honour of my new football boots, which I now know are both 'fresh' and 'drip'. Who knew.
Stay safe.
Bryan Adams - Fits Ya Good
Cadburys Secret Santa
Cheese Advent Calendar
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th November 2022
Funnily 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 a a bit of a newbie. A cheer went up from the crowd about half way through, when the song referenced the moment he finally became sober - a theme he talks openly about.
It was a simple, but powerful point of connection in what is a beautiful song.
Stay safe.
Cover Me Up -Jason Isbell (Live)
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th November 2022
Let'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 trinity of creepish-ness, we have the Donald himself. Reappearing to tell the good people of the US how everything that goes well for the GOP is down to him and everything that goes badly is their fault.
In 2022, we are truly blessed.
Stay safe.
Creep - Radiohead
Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.
If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 31st October 2022 By 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 series of unmixed live recordings called the Front Row Club. I remember being instantly taken in by it, because the chorus hook was soooo huge - and I am a sucker for a big chorus. It was released as a b-side on the CD Single version of Thankyou Whoever Your Are/Most Toys, but as far as I can see there is no publicly available link to listen to it. The other interesting snippet is that Mr.h played a bit of it at a Natural show in 2016 - maybe he could be persuaded to play it at the Christmas Show this year. Stay safe. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p090xwkd (Nigella and Microwavey) https://www.itv.com/news/2021-11-11/how-you-can-return-the-bounty-in-your-celebrations-tin-this-year (Bounty Bar return scheme) https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-does-cromulent-mean (A history of Cromulent) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th October 2022 Most 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 seasonal updates and the signs of culture shift, the changes in lifestyle and in attitudes, and the throwbacks and the curiosities hidden in plain sight. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHp5TVIIYic (Coming Round Again - Carly Simon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5CAsSzUxzU&t=30s (Doctor Who 14 Trailer) https://twitter.com/launderettes1/status/1524983294772842508 (Marchmont Street Launderette) https://smokymountainchristmascarol.com (A Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol) https://www.rsc.org.uk/a-christmas-carol/ (RSC Christmas Carol)
W/C 17th October 2022 If 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 If I hadn't been reading about Sir Alfred Frederick Bird, then I wouldn't have discovered that his Dad Alfred Bird invented egg-free custard in 1837. And if I hadn't started down this path, I wouldn't have reached the conclusion that had Alfred's wife not been allergic to eggs I probably wouldn't have spent my week in Birmingham in the first place. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE (Another One Bites The Dust - Queen) https://www.monopolylifesized.com (Monopoly Lifesized) https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/liz-truss-charles-walker-conservatives-b2206456.html (Charles Walker Interview) https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/21/bbc-newsnight-dubbed-iconic-for-dig-at-liz-truss-with-rihanna-track-17612067/ (Newsnight Introduction) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s_Custard (Birds Custard) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 10th October 2022 When 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 of tea typing these notes at 04:38. So as the legendary Mark Kermode has often been heard to say "it will all be, alright in the end" and do you know what he's right, because it will. Thats why he's legendary. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59NoqP02ZYM (In These Arms - Bon Jovi) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 3rd October 2022 How 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 Football, when all else fails you can rely on the sheer entertainment value of junior football. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE (Its My Life - Bon Jovi) https://open.spotify.com/album/0YS1MFtxUS6YuUeNNbhVOp?si=ExbF09mVRrGOEG7VelXzDA (The Wynntown Marshals - Big Ideas) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 26th September 2022 This 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 https://twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1575500470768242689?s=20&t=yZCworNR-LZSyg2cRmP9rg (highlights.) This is what we have been waiting for, proper questions about the things that matter, and then proper follow-ups when the normal methods of avoidance or misdirection are employed. And what have we got ourselves into with this prime minister. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y7NGqfZteg (Crash - The Primitives) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 19th September 2022 I 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 silliness it never strays too far in a way that other roles in the past have done. Think LA Story rather than The Three Amigos. And it got me thinking why we have never seen more of him in straight ahead dramatic roles, which is a pity. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Jfs9MY0hg (In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning - Frank Sinatra) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 12th September 2022 Strange 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 safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7GVPUl-r0 (Almost Unreal - Roxette) https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2022/sep/13/michael-sheen-gives-rousing-speech-for-wales-football-team-on-a-league-of-their-own-video (Michael Sheen Inspirational Team Talk) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 5th September 2022 The 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 a huge contribution, in such an understated and dignified way. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIpQ6S3bVk0 (Moments in Time - The Alarm )
W/C 29th August 2022 Tony 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 of Tony Christie at your peril - not only is he from gods city, but he is the real deal. Stay safe. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z-4IGSk9k0 (Avenues & Alleyways - Tony Christie) https://www.callcarlos.eu/blog/palamos-history-costa-brava?format=amp (A history of Palamos) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 22nd August 2022 Probably the shortest episode I think I have here 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 9am and we were in the pool by 5pm local. Boom. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeglgSWKSIY (Gimme Shelter (Live) - The Rolling Stones)
W/C 15th August 2022 There 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 the end this corker from Billie Myers snuck over the line. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq-r4ZUpels (Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 8th August 2022 It 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 that someone has transcribed the guitar part, so I might have a little play along later. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_bmdw3zPQ8 (Summer in the City - The Gutter Brothers) https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-gutter-brothers/summer-in-the-city-chords-3165644 (Summer in the City - Guitar Tab) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62456429 (Gordon Brown Emergency Budget Call) https://www.rachelkcollier.com (Rachel K Collier) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 1st August 2022 It'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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPHTKePwzUw (Now I'm Here - Queen) https://teignbean.co.uk (Teign Bean) https://www.teignmouthpier.com/history (Teignmouth Pier) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th July 2022 Okay, 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 generally trying to manipulate temporary dwellings into outer packaging that seemed the right size only a few days ago. It's one of the joys of being on a campsite on 'moving day'. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLJIm-T290 (25 Years -The Big Dish)
W/C 18th July 2022 The 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 think of it I also really enjoyed An Officer and a Spy about the Dreyfuss Affair. He's a talented fella is Robert. Stay safe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY (It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) - REM) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harris_(novelist) (Robert Harris)
W/C 11th July 2022 After 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 few rows in front as the Housemartins provided the pre-match entertainment. He very kindly signed my program and smiled whilst I said something gushing and inane about the Hysteria album. He then donned his footie kit on to be part of a team that included George Best, Paul Heaton, Dennis Waterman and Ian Botham. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHL2Fc0XD50 (Armageddon It - Def Leppard) https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories?fan_landing=true (Therapy For Me Patreon Page) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 4th July 2022 It's been quite the week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cFHZ3ODNA8 (Yorkshire Tea bid Tina farewell) https://mobile.twitter.com/Aiannucci/status/1544218249931493376 (Armando Tweet) https://twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1544240778179928067 (Lord McDonald interview on R4 Today) https://mobile.twitter.com/LBC/status/1544271153673428993 (Incredible Call on James O'Brien LBC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv9y8n9XsbQ (Andrew Marr reacts to Sunak Resignation LBC) https://twitter.com/milocomedy/status/1544728005578293249 (Troy Hawke at Waitrose) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nby3ijYeuk (Andrew Marr with a handy summary of Wednesday 6th July) https://twitter.com/bmstores/status/1545321898246127617 (B&M have got Jan's back) https://twitter.com/rachaelvenables/status/1544595278371725313 (Chris Loder & Steve Bray) https://insidecroydon.com/2022/07/07/mp-philp-finally-emerges-to-be-skewered-by-benny-hill-theme/ (MP Chris Philp skewered by Benny Hill theme) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wWi6OrgZe4 (All Cried Out) Stay safe. Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 27th June 2022 Of 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iemvnxDjrBY (No Small Thing - Tears for Tears) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo7FNv5eb50 (Troy Hawke - Welcome to Wetherspoons)
W/C 19th June 2022 There 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. By the time I was pushing the line marker along I was quite content with my lot, absorbed with the job at hand and at one with the world. It's hard to explain until you have tried it, just you and this very simple mechanical contraption moving from point to point. Bliss. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgoz3XkW1UM (Long Day - Matchbox Twenty)
W/C 13th June 2022 They 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 of then framed as un-British. Watch this space, this is the kind of positioning you get just before a snap election is called. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8o0ohBnPXg (Argue - Matchbox Twenty) https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/origin-story/id1624704966 (Origin Story Podcast) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 6th June 2022 Another 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, with a side helping of warm danish might hit the spot. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQwqSrPdwjQ (Confidence Man - The Jeff Healey Band)
W/C 30th May 2022 Five 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 safe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8DRI-D7-WQ (Be Here Now - Oasis)
W/C 23rd May 2022 I 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. Of course I am using it in an attempt to wring a little irony out of the title, it's the highest form of wit don't you know. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MHJPBPjPMI (Blue Turns to Grey - The Rolling Stones) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25×5:_the_Continuing_Adventures_of_the_Rolling_Stones (25x5 Documentary)
W/C 16th May 2022 I 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 fan This 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 released by the bad following the disappearance of band member Richey Edwards, and it has since become a part of their live set. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aafcO6mw3ks (Manic Street Preachers - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th February 2022 I 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 the dial. In fact they moshed together into a kind of B movie blur, and even though I was entertained in the moment, once it had passed I was content to move on. I am not even quite sure why I am telling you this, other than the on-demand phenomena is a strange one when it takes hold. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CduA0TULnow (Britney Spears - Oops!...I did it again) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 2nd May 2022 I 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 little bit of comfort. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrDu1Nn2rR8 (Trap the Spark - Marillion) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 25th April 2022 Seeing 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 up to being approached for a natter, I just want to doff my cap in recognition of this piece of work alone. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoUIiyLvRuA (Don't Let your Chance Go By - The Jeff Healey Band) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Wall (The London Wall) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 18th April 2022 I 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, Jason Re: Boris Johnson Hi 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. That is why we must now wait for the police investigation to conclude.” Whilst I appreciate the investigation is a long way from its conclusion, and we haven’t as yet heard in full the findings of the Sue Gray report, I am struggling to see how the situation will improve. If the speculation in the media is to be believed the Prime Minister may well be facing further penalty notices for breaches of the COVID regulations. You have previously stated that you will continue to hold the Prime Minister to account and I would ask you to elaborate on this point. I am sure I am not the only one of your constituents that will be asking you to vote in favour of the motion to refer him to the Privileges Committee. I would also like to understand at what point you would feel it appropriate to put into a letter to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee stating you have no confidence in the Prime Minister. Trust in politicians is being eroded at an alarming rate, and if those elected to high office refuse to respect the standards to which they should be held accountable then I fear for our democracy in the longer term. I have just been co-opted as a Governor to xxxxxx High School, and as student of History myself one of the things I am passionate about is encouraging young people to look at all sides of an issues, and discuss and debate in a positive and constructive manner. Young people should have trust in the democratic structures that are there to safeguard their futures, and want to engage with them as a way to improve the outcomes for the wider community. Unfortunately I would find it difficult to defend those structures at the present time, or explain to any student why they should put their faith in them. I feel this is very significant moment, and I think history will cast judgement on those who look the other way or excuse this as a partisan issue. I look forward to your response. Kind Regards, Anthony Short
As yet I haven't had a reply. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RVv2HHnRpU (The Party - Marillion) https://www.minky.com/30m-outdoor-retractable-reel-clothes-washing-line.html (Minky Dual Washing Line) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 11th April 2022 What 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 in 1905 that was the game-changer. It was an instant hit with the public, driving a huge increase in demand for Easter eggs from then on in. Cadburys sell roughly 25-30 million boxed eggs a year, making up a third of the overall total. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT62Gwv70kM (Chocolate - Snow Patrol)
W/C 4th April 2022 I 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 with my mate Steve Nicholson (who introduced me to it) whilst we hung out, talking about music and our shared love of Sheffield United. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbJ1zncZRKA (Take Me Back - Bryan Adams) https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nadine-dorries-clip-resurfaces_uk_624cb11ee4b007d3845c1c4e (Nadine Dorries - Channel 4 Funding) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th March 2022 The 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 about 30 minutes before I need to be heading out for Hade Edge. You see what I mean, late. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THI4U3OsDQY (We Haven't Turned Around - Gomez) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st March 2022 London 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 climbing steeply, and we could be back adopting measures to protect ourselves at any moment. But in the spring sunshine there was a sense of optimism and that too was infectious. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W0gO5FuM80 (The One and Only - Chesney Hawkes) https://www.tunnock.co.uk (Tunnocks) https://uk-podcasts.co.uk/podcast/the-rest-is-politics (The Rest is Politics Podcast) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 14th March 2022 The 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" At the point when the nozzle clicked I was at the princely sum of £111.99. I wandered into the kiosk to pay, and after asking for my nectar card the person behind the counter smiled empathetically and said she wasn't going to say the amount aloud because I already look traumatised enough, and was I paying by card. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70CH_T_-_Jw (Angry - Matchbox 20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n91lSO0wJQ (Hong Kong Phooey Intro) https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/11/ukraine-war-mum-mum-defiantly-plays-piano-in-ruins-of-her-home-after-russian-bombing-16259561/ (Ukranian Women Playing Piano One Last Time) https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-photo-toys-bridge-sighetu-marmatiei-ukrainian-refugees (Toys on the Bridge) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th March 2022 It'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 that TFM is in the bag, I can turn my attention to hosting a Webinar for a few hundred Marillion fans. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuuObGsB0No (Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqWCPTeJd6c (Kenobi Trailer) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 28th February 2022 This 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 has morphed into, 115 episodes in and I can't imagine what life would be like without it. Stay safe. P.S On watching the SW clip I realised that I got my Leg & Off stumps the wrong way round, apols to the ardent cricket fans, obvs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxcWPDOSyE4 (Out of this World - Marillion) https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/cricket/12557411/shane-warnes-ball-of-the-century (Ball of the Century - Shane Warne) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001324r (The Coming Storm Podcast) https://play.acast.com/s/remainiacs/ba43fbe4-9ad4-11ec-b177-231e9801a3af (Oh God What Now Podcast) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 21st February 2022 It'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 solo album by Singer Rob Thomas. I finally got to see them at Manchester Apollo in 2008 and they didn't disappoint. Unwell is a track from the third album 'More Than You Think You Are' which came out in 2002. Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WziA88-n02k (Unwell - Matchbox Twenty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zdBG-iGfes (The Kings Man - Trailer)
W/C 14th February 2022 Very 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 am not somebody that takes medication, so when I reach for the Lemsip box (blackcurrant flavour, obvs) it is a signal to those around all is not going well. But now even that seems to be fraught with complication. Anyway, enough about me - how are you? Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTP0v_fai7A (Stormy Weather - Magnum) https://nerdlegame.com (Nerdle) https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_gb/feature-phones (Nokia Feature Phones) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-60395669 (Downham Market Mass Council Walk-Out) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 7th February 2022 Back 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 clever, but they do in truth drag me away from that premise of me in front of a mic, mentally un-burdening. Like this episode. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_nAheMqPwY (Storm Front - Billy Joel) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001324r (The Coming Storm) https://www.buckinghamshirelive.com/news/buckinghamshire-news/starship-robots-milton-keynes-perfect-5995085 (Delivery Robots) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHjfg9K2CPI (Words - Doves) Therapy 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 hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair. If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Insta), https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) or https://www.patreon.com/ashortstories (Patreon). Thanks for getting this far.
W/C 24th January 2022 I 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 U2, and there are hints of INXS in there as well but it was the energy and the relentless build that did it for me. I still love it now. They seemed destined for greatness, indeed the video for the song was filmed when they supported the Stones on the Urban Jungle Tour in 1990. It never quite worked out that way, but the memories are positive and that first album remains a belter. Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M16KjYwtVs4 (Shame On You - Gun) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0caIWs0O9c (So Happy it Hurts - Bryan Adams) https://youtu.be/AQ7x8odi-OU (Munich: The Edge of War) https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/levelling-up-in-doubt-as-ps1bn-a-year-cut-from-post-brexit-regional-funding-mps-warn-rishi-sunak-3543409 (Yorkshire Post Article) https://twitter.com/eliistender10/status/1485523012539633668?s=24 (The Queens Guards Meat Loaf tribute) https://twitter.com/joelycett/status/1487076326196535308 (Joe Lycett Tweet) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 17th January 2022 I 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. But the reality of leaving so many wreckages along the road is that sooner or later you run out of gas. Stay Safe.
RIPMeatLoaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7WVi-7me4I (Objects in the Rear View Mirror - Meat Loaf) https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/best-monologue-yet/ (James O'Brien Epic Rant) https://player.fm/series/the-political-party/show-259-alastair-campbell-live (The Political Party Podcast - Alistair Campbell) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 10th January 2022 From: Anthony Short Subject: Boris Johnson Date: 12 January 2022 at 12:43:51 GMT To: xxxxx.xxxxxxxxxmp@parliament.uk Hi 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 empty apology and the damage his behaviour has done in undermining the trust between constituent and government. I am not quite sure how he thinks he can continue in office, or lead with any moral authority and I worry that should we need to implement any further measures to protect public health this will prove simply impossible. I am fortunate that we have suffered no personal loss due to the pandemic, and I can only begin to imagine how those who lost loved ones in the most difficult of circumstances must feel after hearing the Prime Minsters admission of guilt at the despatch box. Whilst I didn’t vote for you I have always been struck by your commitment to our constituency and your personal integrity. I am aware that you followed the Covid guidelines with the same vigour (and in the same spirit) as the rest of your constituents and as such I would like to ask what your position is with regard to the current situation, and what you will be doing to reflect the feelings of people like myself. Kind Regards, Anthony Short
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU (Toxic - Britney Spears) https://www.rowsehoney.co.uk (Rowse Honey) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 3rd January 2022 Chooooonnnnn.......! 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 random but now with added brevity. A new sensation indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azfG5H-pCVg (New Sensation - Inxs) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 27th December 2021 Here 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 from me for the year. Thanks for listening, I remain in equal part touched & astonished. Stay Safe. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XI0_BlBlexU (Old December - Thea Gilmore) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 20th December 2021 As 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. Maybe then, given the apparent power the mainstream media clearly has, they could perhaps put some effort into holding the real turkeys to account and give us all the prospect of kinder, fairer and altogether more grown-up Christmas to look forward to next year. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus (Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 13th December 2021 I see the bad moon a-rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightnin' I see bad times today Don't go around tonight Well it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise I hear hurricanes a-blowing I know the end is coming soon I fear rivers over flowing I hear the voice of rage and ruin Well don't go around tonight Well it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise, all right Hope you got your things together Hope you are quite prepared to die Looks like we're in for nasty weather One eye is taken for an eye Well don't go around tonight Well it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise Stay Safe. P.S Apologies this episode has appeared a little later than usual, would you believe it was actually finished early on Friday and I just forgot to press the publish button. What a clown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlSZGgGy0SU&t=0s (Bad Moon Rising - Thea Gilmore) https://open.spotify.com/album/77D36GPQOUhLNG2A8yMcsR?si=JqWYzyMdR52XQV4FCjqz1w (Strange Communion - Thea Gilmore) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 6th December 2021 Three 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 it is also one of the tracks that Billy Joel chose in the top five of his own compositions, and it mentions Christmas Lights. So now you know. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmHHTofimY (She's Right on Time - Billy Joel) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 29th November 2021 OMICROM /ə(ʊ)ˈmʌɪkrɒn/ noun noun: 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enZ3cLD-9kQ (Look Away - Big Country) https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KomZJS20vpBVwTUgi76sF?si=U8llW3UxQLaz9HjgvvkeTQ (Paul Lesinski - Spotify) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 22nd November 2021 You 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 car crash of a week he had been having. All good. But then I started to listen back. And all manner of imagery from the last few days began to collide. The harrowing scenes from the channel earlier in the week, the senseless stabbing of a 12 year old girl in Liverpool, 'rape culture' in schools and just today the closing of borders due to a new 'variant of concern'. Maybe the big man had it right all along. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOueNpu-OJI (Lost - Jimmy Nail) https://twitter.com/BBCRosAtkins/status/1463201698105774089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw (Ros Atkins on the PM & Peppa Pig) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 15th November 2021 I 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 pennines The 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 down. After many years shifting from side to side, slightly uncomfortably for a couple of hours ain’t for me I’m afraid. Feel free to bang on about my age if you like, because I am fine with it. Stay safe. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=480029009563834 (The Release - Marillion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHA_K0XZ2Hc (I Could Be So Good For You - Dennis Waterman) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 8th November 2021 Almost 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe93CLbHjxQ (Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr) https://www.ghostbusters.com/videos (Ghostbusters Afterlife Trailers) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0012110/house-of-commons-parliamentary-standards-debate?page=1 (Parliamentary Standards Emergency Debate - 8th November 2021) https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/a-christmas-carol-a-ghost-story-new-date/# (A Christmas Carol - Mark Gatiss Adaptation) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 1st November 2021 Sometimes 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 dark. So please enjoy the song, and please enjoy the video because it is very powerful. But there isn’t anything deeper in the imagery - the song title just chimed with one part of my week. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbLrYSvKdkI (All you good good people - Embrace) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 25th October 2021 1. 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 Remember 4. 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 in my world. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-krfThktp4 (Crocodile Rock - Elton John ) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 18th October 2021 There 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fCZUMcF_ZM (Take it to the Limit (Live)- The Eagles) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 11th October 2021 With 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 some special people in a special place. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw7AJkS-x5g (One Tonight (Live) - Marillion) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 4th October 2021 It 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-shows (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/08/covid-rates-rising-in-secondary-schools-in-england-ons-data-shows) Across 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 infection figure at 1 in 35 of those of secondary school age, so no argument about the direction of travel but there are signs we may be seeing the peak. Of course none of this bodes well if you have a son in Year 10 and are hoping to get away on holiday in two weeks... Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyGdROEPaY4 (Waiting to Happen (Live) - Marillion) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 27th September 2021 On 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 had grown up watching the mercurial Alchemy VHS over and over again. Years later, my faith was restored when I saw Mr K. playing a solo gig at the Newcastle City Hall. The band captured all that energy had made early Dire Straits so magical and gave me the memory I had longed for. Maybe I should have had a little more faith. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EExahMsBoWM (Heavy Fuel - Dire Straits) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltaire (Saltaire) http://www.saltsmill.org.uk (Salts Mill) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02z80kq/an-inspector-calls (An Inspector Call (2015)) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 20th September 2021 This week actually felt like work used to feel. The clock watching desperation of last minute prep for an event whilst simultaneously trying to pack a suitcase and embark on a journey to get to the place I need to be, even though I haven't quite finished what I told myself had to be finished before I could set off. The resumption of the self-invented hotel rooms routines, that don't make an enormous amount of sense but have to be followed if I am going to be able to settle and operate in transition. The late night before, and the early morning on the day. The buzz of the crowd who arrive a little earlier than I had planned on. The faulty HDMI cable. And the glorious point when everybody in that room was, just for a moment, transported back to a different time & place. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo (Come Together - The Beatles) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 13th September 2021 Friday Night. Just after nine o'clock and I am sat in a McDonalds car park talking about Nadine Dorries. Such is the podcasting experience. Glamour, pure glamour. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDmPcSWE0WU (World on Fire - Sarah McLachlan) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 6th September 2021 Something new this week. I have had a go at interpreting one event from the week in five different ways. Not necessarily from unique vantage points, more five takes on a single story. I am not sure if I pulled it off - but it was worth a try. And it was a big story... Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrXYiiigba4 (In Your Care - Tasmin Archer) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 30th August 2021 Bank Holiday weeks are always a bit odd, and I think the one in August is the oddest. I can't really explain why other than it just feels like a jumbled week, with every day feeling like a different one (you know what I mean, Tuesday feeling like the Monday and the fact that you seem to slam into the weekend without the reassuring phumph of an airbag). Add into that heady mix the sound of a Dylan song on repeat, the distinct lack of face coverings and Dominic Rabb and you pretty much have my week. Still at least I got to order myself a mould for my method feeder. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uf5gi3E_rQ (Blind Willie McTell - Bob Dylan) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Willie_McTell (Blind Willie McTell - Musician) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Willie_McTell_(song) (Blind Willie McTell - Song History) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 23rd August 2021 Back home, back at my desk and back to something like a routine. Don't get me wrong I have pushed back against it more than a little but over the course of the week things have started to slot back into place, back into order. The weird thing is that I think I need routine to make sense of the day-to-day, so I don't understand why the post holiday moment is such a thing for me. I could have picked plenty of tracks for Charlie, but I went with the obvious one because it is such a unique sounding track. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKVXSo9ROpg (Miss You - The Rolling Stones) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 16th August 2021 I have to admit that it's a somewhat dramatic episode title for what is a 'holiday special' of TFM. If I have done my job adequately it should all become clear by the end, and if not well just enjoy a cracking three and a half minutes of possibly the ultimate super-group. Lots of location recording this week, hopefully you can get some sense of the scenery from the soundscapes. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVjToYOjbM (End of the Line - The Travelling Wilburys) https://play.acast.com/s/the-political-party/show226--petermandelsonlive- (The Political Party Podcast - Peter Mandelson (Live)) https://freemapsofcornwall.co.uk/our-directory/business-place/camel-trail/ (The Camel Trail Map) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_Bar (The Doom Bar) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 9th August 2021 This isn't my first time in Cornwall, and it isn't my first time running on the Camel Trail. I have been a frequent visitor to Padstow, way before it became Padstein and long before the inevitable gentrification that followed Mr Stein's rise to culinary celebrity. Not that I have anything against Rick I must add, but I think I preferred Padstow before they had to make provision for coach loads of sightseers. Anyway, I digress, the fact is I have run/walked/rode along the Camel Trail between Padstow & Wadebridge a-plenty over the years. But this year I am determined to see every bit of this beautiful 17ish mile former railway that winds its way from from Wenfordbridge to Padstow (calling at Wadebridge along the way). I would have loved to have travelled along it by train, indeed in the early morning stillness you can almost year the sounds of yesteryear. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YUEziX25DQ (Train in the Distance) https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/outdoor/north-coast/padstow/camel-trail (The Camel Trail) https://www.bodminjail.org (Bodmin Jail) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 2nd August 2021 I rediscovered an album I listened to a lot in the early 90's by an artist called Jude Cole. It's fairly straight ahead AOR, with more than a nod toward Bryan Adams & Tom Petty - but it's very well put together and the songs stand the test of time. So as I was contemplating a bit of a road trip this week, I thought that this track would be a nice way of joining some dots. So you can imagine my bemusement when I found that Keifer Sutherland had recorded a version a couple of years back. Anyway it turns out that Jude & Keifer are old mates, and he in fact co-wrote the song in question. Who knew. Anyway I have included both versions so you can make your on mind up. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi_KJfACfbs&list=PLB9Br5ExBkVGjjHZ43rMyMBbw_sb_CGNp&index=2 (Open Road - Keifer Sutherland) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0UD2-3DRM (Open Road - Jude Cole) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 26th July 2021 BJ was one of those sounds of my childhood, starting with the 52nd Street album and then the Greatest Hits Volume I & II gatefold vinyl that must have been issued on the NHS as virtually everybody had a copy. I first saw him in Birmingham in the late 80s, and then again a couple of years later on the Stormfront Tour and he remains one of the greatest Arena (if not the greatest) performers I have ever seen. The lyric for Shades of Grey slots perfectly into my Monday moment for this week, and it's a corker of a track to boot. Boom. Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CopYqp0HZkY (Shades of Grey - Billy Joel) https://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/cricket/timeline (Yorkshire Tea & Cricket) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ (Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-viewed_YouTube_videos (The Billion Viewed List) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 19th July 2021 It's (nearly) all about Covid this week, and I can only apologise for that but in my defence I haven't had a proper good rant for a while. I think it all stems from recording in my office. I seem to have a different take on the world in my converted garage, with no natural light and the door shut making it a little too warm. Mmm. Not to self - get back to recording in the garden before you start to lose the room. Safe travels Danny Boy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Smn9rPTRqU (The Last Song - McFly (Live)) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 12th July 2021 TFM this week is a stroll around the neighbourhood, I would like to say it was a considered attempt at something new but tbh I was just trying to walk & talk. It's pretty much football & face masks this week. It should be more nuanced, it should be more original, but it is (as my friend Marco W used to say) what it is. Anyway I am off to investigate method feeders & bite alarms. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsR_-HaYg8A (There goes the Neighbourhood - Sheryl Crow) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 5th July 2021 OK, it's a bit ranty this week. Clearly there is something buzzing away in my bonnet, but honestly there are times when I just don't think we have the ability to take a step back from the edge and try and have a sensible conversation at at a sensible volume. I will be glad when we get back to 'normal' governance, I can't be doing with this constant campaigning, turmoil, prodding and division. Thank god for the England football team. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPBIwQyPWE (Complicated - Avril Lavigne) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/cdced4c5-d71e-43e4-8bdd-cfcf4b4a4946 (On Brand With Clare Taylor Podcast) https://streetbikes.org.uk (The Streetbikes Project) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 28th June 2021 No spoilers or notes this week, but if you get chance just listen to the Neil Diamond track and reflect on the lyrics before you listen I would appreciate it. Stay safe, Ant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_LOZGJGkxw (Hell Yeah - Neil Diamond) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx9qUR9P2ZQ (A Good Heart - Fearful Sharkey) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 21st June 2021 What a song, what a band. Dismiss McFly at your peril, a seriously talented bunch of musicians and the album Radio:Active is an absolute belter. Lies is the album opener and its a ever-present on my running mix. Of course its a theme that also runs through this instalment of TFM, as I reflect on JFK, five years of Brexit and the behaviour of our Health Secretary. The bonus for me this week was discovering the official video to this song, with its nod to the eighties and the likes of Mad Max & Wild Boys by Duran Duran...and the live version is just a blast. Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwIaqB1j1ow (Lies - McFly (Official Video)) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLpGgu5yozM (Lies - McFly (Live)) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/25/matt-hancock-sex-cop-busted-clinch-health-secretary-hookups (Matt Hancock Article) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 14th June 2021 As you will hear I recorded this weeks TFM sat in my car, watching a sheep graze away at the grass, near the boundary as a cricket match was in progress. The thing is, that having watched cricket at that pitch a number of times in the past, I wasn't in the least bit surprised by it - in fact it is one of the joys of travelling to Marsden Cricket Club The other joy is the scenery, perched upon the hillside, looking out toward the Peak District. It's easy to take this kind of view for granted living in the Holme Valley, so I constantly have to remind myself that this isn't the norm for the vast majority of cricket-watching parents. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE9FGK-J9jA (Left of the Middle - Natalie Imbruglia) https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-england-boss-sir-simon-stevens-fails-to-deny-matt-hancock-is-hopeless-after-cummings-whatsapp-messages-allegations-12335197 (Is Matt Hancock Hopeless?) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 6th June 2021 Something a bit different this week, as I embark on the closest thing I can call a 'work trip' since February of last year. Anyway I captured a few thoughts, from a few different places, and cobbled it together. I also lost my pop filter, which explains why some of the audio is a bit, kind of 'poppy'. I was clearly having problems with my plosives - sorry about that... Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c (London Calling - the Clash) http://ecclestonsquaregardens.com/page/about-the-garden (Eccleston Square Garden) https://www.artistresidence.co.uk/our-hotels/london/ (Artist Residence London) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 31st May 2021 The number of times you will have walked past them, and paid them no heed will be in the hundreds, maybe the thousands. To be fair I could probably point them out to you and you could claim never to have seen them. I first encountered them in a Sainburys Savacentre store in Washington, Tyne & Wear the best part of thirty years ago. And this week was the first time I fully appreciated their value. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A (Free Fallin' - Tom Petty) http://documentally.com/2018/06/06/audio-workflows-and-audiomo/ (Documentally explains #audiomo) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 24th May 2021 I organised myself a new running mix this week, for the record I now have three such mixes on my watch. I decided I wanted some straight ahead rock'n'roll to run along to and so I trawled the iTunes library for 35 slices of four on the floor heaven. Fast forward to 6:47 this morning and just as I was approaching the 6 mile point, this little gem of a B-Side from the Leps kicked in. And that was the moment when Dom & Def collided. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCfqNs6wiRo (Tear It Down - Def Leppard) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 17th May 2021 OK, so the song choice this week is very relevant to the topic of foreign travel, and to ongoing confusion around that particular topic and what you can & (more importantly) can't do. So far so good you might be thinking, but the fact is it literally leads us to a Cliff edge... The fact is there are 5 Cliff albums from the late 70s/early 80s that I grew up with, and that I really like. Starting with I'm Nearly Famous (that included Miss You Nights & Devil Woman), through Every Face Tells A Story, Green Light, Rock'n'Roll Juvenile (Carrie & We Don't Talk Anymore) & finishing with the roller-skating, walkman-wearing triumph of Wired For Sound There I have said it. And you know what I feel better for saying it, so feel free to judge because I ain't for changing my mind. Stay safe. P.S good spot last week Linda, normal service should have been resumed this week! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iU_FaYE6AI (Green Light - Cliff Richard) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 10th May 2021 Is it just me, or do we all have those places, those buildings that are reassuring whenever we see them. They seem to anchor us in the places we call home, the places we feel comfortable, the places we feel safe. So this week I am taking comfort in one of those places, because I am struggling to take comfort in a lot of the other nonsense that is swirling around. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHI2nWdRdXw (Homeward Bound - Paul Simon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill,_Huddersfield (Castle Hill) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 3rd May 2021 Well I tried, I really did. I embraced Star Wars day, and managed to do it with a tenuous link to the legendary Bill Nighy. I introduced you all to the Fish Game. I brought you a touch of pre-COVID normality by taking you out for lunch. And I provided my own take on levelling up... But in spite of all of this, by the end of the week the depressing election results were the only game in town Stay Safe. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DMcUMqK49lo (Fall Together - Thea Gilmore) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 26th April 2021 There is still a great big musical gap left behind by Kirsty MacColl, we lost her far too young. I had always been aware of her, but it was only when the album Tropical Brainstorm was released in 2000 that I really began to 'get it'. Blessed with a gift for songwriting and a take on the world that seemed quirky at first glance, but on closer inspection resonated with openness and candour. Bizarrely it's a story about Crocs that brought me here, I was looking for a song that referenced feet or shoes or walking and I remembered 'in these shoes'. Of course that set me off, and forty minutes later I am still listening to clips of Kirstys songs on Youtube. Which means I need to include another one of my favourites, penned by KM and delivered exquisitely by Eddi Reader at a celebration for Kirsty from 2010 Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIWErJshs9M (Dear John - Eddi Reader) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DbjPkVf82M (In These Shoes - Kirsty MacColl) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-56918624 (Marsden Moor Fire) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56901386 (Crocs Comeback) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 19th April 2021 It all happens for a reason. If I hadn't been been trying to think of a suitable song to reference this weeks episode, then I wouldn't have riffed around the idea of breakaway - in reference to this weeks football story. Of course as the idea of the European Super League has been put on ice (at least for the moment) meant that I found myself thinking of the word breakdown - and that led me to this amazing clip of the equally amazing Tom Petty. We miss you Tom. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNxfPAF1frM (Breakdown) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000v94s/watergate (Watergate Documentary) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_Monster_Puffs (Sugar Puffs) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 12th April 2021 Manic Monday seemed a little bit of a cop-out title for this week, but it fairly accurately describes that particular day this week - so what the hell... Other than that its the dawning realisation of a couple of bits of behaviour that I need to do better with, an involuntary smirk at the BBC News app and a bit of fanboy-fanzine moment. Stay safe. P.S Just attached the Manic Monday and realised it has been watched over 50 million times. Who knew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w (Manic Monday - The Bangles) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56757956 (BBC Croissant Headline) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 5th April 2021 From the sublime to the ridiculous this week, and I will leave it to you to determine which you think is which. The inspiration for the title comes from the things that have caught my eye whilst out on my covid-constitutionals, and its a great excuse to include a track from an album I have always really enjoyed. Life really does carry on when we are not looking, so I guess that falling tree does make a sound after all. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnW9bw9kU8o (I Walk the Earth - Voice of the Beehive) https://stapleheadquarters.com/why-do-staplers-have-two-settings (The two sides of a Stapler) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
The title doesn't directly refer to anything in the episode this week, but it gives me the chance to share one of my favourite songs. I remember being very taken with the video at the time, and it prompted a pilgrimage years later to the Giants Causeway on the Antrim coast. The place is as breathtaking as you would expect and I was blessed with a beautiful evening to sit back and take in the surroundings. A special song & a special place. Happy Easter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pQ2Cr-UEF4 (Easter - Marillion) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway (The Giants Causeway) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 22nd March 2021 I always liked this video. I first saw it as part of a Stones documentary, as the single hadn’t really registered when it was originally released. I started thinking about it again today in the context of my Covid jab. Partly because it was my first shot of the vaccine, and partly because over the course of the first evening it does feel like you have taken a bit of hit. Stay safe. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dx2WRQLSIew (One Hit to the Body - Rolling Stones) https://pilkey.com/ (Dav Pilkey) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veep (Veep) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 15th March 2021 For whatever reason when we recorded The Corona Diaries podcast this week we ended up talking about the City Hall in Sheffield. As such (and at various points through the week) I have been reflecting on some of the gigs I have seen there over the years. One of the ones that always comes to mind is The Alarm, in fact I have just been looking at the ticket stub from that night - the 21st of January 1990. Man, they were good, and it was one of those ear-ringing-for-days kind of gigs that don't seem to happen much anymore. Anyway the first song they played was 'sold me down the river' and it just about sums up how I feel about a couple of things that have happened this week. So there you have it. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5QSBdHUgA (Sold Me Down The River - The Alarm) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
For quite a lot of people this song is inextricably linked with the the video game FIFA 17. For me it's all about the inextricable link between Sheffield United & Manager Chris Wilder. The song blasting out from the PA, moments before Chris and his team would take to the pitch. In over forty years watching, this is the best I have known. Bold. Confident. Proud. And yet, as it stands, I am expecting his departure from Bramall Lane to be confirmed by the morning. Will we never learn... Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5eErxgXKMA (Comeback Kid - Kasabian) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04cpx6w (Jonathan Creek) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 1st March 2021 It starts with me mowing the lawn and it ends with me ranting. (at which point I guess I should apologise for the rather truncated nature of the notes for this weeks episode, but I think that one sentence about nails it - at least you get a great MB20 track....) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br6-UdCf4xM (Matchbox Twenty - Angry) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 22nd February 2021 Maybe, just maybe we are getting closer. Certainly I must be thinking that way, because I am starting to plan, and schedule and look forward to the kind of things that has been off the table for quite a while. So this week we talk about booking flights, planning trips to BDBL (beautiful downtown Bramall Lane) and one other return that I am not so keen on. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrljIcXcxJk (One Step Closer to Home - The Alarm) https://www.facebook.com/theguitarshowuk (Not The Guitar Show) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 15th February 2021 I am starting to wonder whether weeks like this one are in some way a product of the pandemic. And that maybe when life is less, well lockdown-y I suppose, that these bits of quirk will stop. I am hoping not, and that all that has happened over the eleven months is that we have become notice some of the wonderful stuff that we oft to for granted. Like walking (though not necessarily whilst talking), public footpaths, role-playing over Zoom & Whiskeytown Stay Safe. https://americana-uk.com/video-whiskeytown-houses-on-the-hill (House on the Hill - Whiskeytown) https://www.thewynntownmarshals.com (The Wynntown Marshalls) https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-deal (The Deal) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 8th February 2021 You know how sometimes you watch a film, or finish a book and you just can't escape its grasp. You keep coming back to it, days after it should have faded from the forefront of your conscious. Tenet is one of those films. It's got that thing going on that The Usual Suspects had, whereupon every time you reflect on what you have seen, your understanding of the story changes, as another piece of what you perceived to be true is unpicked.
breathtaking
Oh, and the title this week refers to a pet frustration I have with regard to PMQs, but it's also a great excuse to listen back to a bit of Mostly Autumn. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgq46MftR_8 (Answer the Question - Mostly Autumn) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3pk_TBkihU (Tenet) https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-prime-ministers/iain-dale/9781529312140 (The Prime Minsters - Iain Dale) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01083zj/episodes/player (The Prime Ministers - Nick Robinson)https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 1st February 2021 Who knew the O/S website would be such fun, certainly not me, in fact I was a little surprised to even find myself there. Alison has long since had a fascination with Maps, and to be honest I used to like a road atlas as much as the next person, but I was never taken with O/S - until now. But we will get to that in due course. In the meantime I will have a stab (see what I did there) at the whole vaccine situation, be-moan the weather from the perspective of the streaking runner and get to grips with negative feedback. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_6myDZYkFE (Map of the world - Marillion) https://youtu.be/MrDgQkVGKRc (Parish Council Meeting) https://ordnancesurvey.co.uk (O/S Website) https://twitter.com/jil_slander/status/1356435100012056576 (Zoom Meeting Ending) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 25th January 2021 What links Tea with no sugar, Buck Rogers & Danny Dyer advising on midwifery. Clearly you know the answer to that, but it does worry me at times what I scrawl in my notebook over the course of the week. But then TFM is what helps me process the endless bombardment of the senses, and put it into some kind of order. So in addition to the topics listed above I try and make sense of why being labelled as 'Woke' isn't something you should be concerned over, re-live a famous night at Old Trafford and report back on two different (but equally) magical Zoom calls. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vine7R87kgo (Woke Up - Marillion) https://www.slashfilm.com/buck-rogers-tv-reboot-george-clooney/ (Buck Rogers) https://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2021/jan/20/a-roll-about-and-a-curry-danny-dyers-guide-to-bringing-on-labour (Danny Dyer) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 18th January 2021 The sentiment behind the title song this week, captured perfectly what I was watching, and how I was feeling on Wednesday. After the chaos of the images that has emanated from Washington DC just two weeks earlier, it really did feel like a page had been turned as I watched the footage of the Inauguration ceremony. Clearly it would be beyond naive to think a change in leadership could heal the divide in US society that has become so evident over the last few years. But it's a first step and as the song says 'on a day like today, the whole world could change'. Amen to that. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgsurPg9Ckw (Tik Tok Sea Shanty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xamP2igH9Kk (On a Day Like Today - Bryan Adams) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1126618/ (Morning Glory) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 11th January 2020 All change then. Well no, not really. But I do like circles, and it feels like TFM has just completed it's first one. It's a year since the first episode proper and so I decided (mid-take actually) to mark the end of that volume and start on the next. Technically last week was the 'seasons end', but the fact I have been walking through the snow covered fields today is pertinent to the song in question so it all seemed to work out rather well. And as I have been messing with ideas for a change of icon, I thought I might as well use that as well and get some feedback on the whole package. Oh, and I banged on about a load of stuff for about 25 minutes or so, including football, the NAMM Show, hair clippers & hair gel. Not quite all change then. Stay safe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ypkV1XRwAM (Season End - Marillion) https://commscreatives.com/ (Hel Reynolds Website) https://www.instagram.com/helreynolds/ (Hel Reynolds Instagram) https://feverup.com/m/91611 (Rocky Horror Immersive Cinema) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 4th January 2021 A lot of week happened this week, sometimes that's just the way it shakes down. The thing is, it seems to be happening more & more. So buried amongst the Cripto, the Cottage Pie and the Cobra Kai there is, what I am hoping, is the beginning of the end of something dangerous & unpleasant. I talked a little about the lessons we can (and should) learn from history, and whilst I was listening back I started to hear the lyrics of the Buffalo Springfield classic bounce around my head. Whilst looking for a link to the original, I found this simple & powerful cover by Dave Matthews that was recorded during the fallout of the US Election in November. And we all go round again. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW9f6whVDq4 (For What Its Worth - Buffalo Springfield) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG6ffQ_pw_c (For What Its Worth (Cover) - Dave Matthews) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 28th December 2020 You might as well end the year with one of Frank's finest. I am not trying to be clever or provocative, rather trying to apply a little perspective. But I am hoping that will become a little clearer as you work your way through the last TFM of 2020. Thanks for being there. By getting this far you have made a real commitment, and it makes a difference knowing I am not just shouting into the void. Stay safe & I wish you well... https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 21st December 2020 Welcome to the Christmas Special of Therapy For Me. And I think we have made real progress, and that's because I would say this is one of the most upbeat episodes of the year and it falls on a red week?! So maybe, just maybe, I have worked through that little pattern and this is the last time it will ever me mentioned. Then again. This week I find myself reflecting on a very special evening in Oxford, my inability to juggle multi-platform conversations and why Panto is the one thing we really need right now (oh, no it isn't...) And the title? Well did I ever tell you what my favourite day of the year is... Stay safe. https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/news/watch-damians-pop-up-panto-on-demand (Damians On-Demand Panto) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001kwg (Simon Callow - A Christmas Carol) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 14th December 2020 The hardest thing about this weeks TFM has been deciding on the title. As you know I try and pick a song reference that is relevant to the episode, or at least one of the things I bang on about. And this week I've got zip. It's not down to the content. I would say this week is quite a varied mix, with a running-based-first (which I don't think you will guess), a sprinkle of festiveness and an eclectic #fiveforfriday So whatever I decide on, I can't guarantee it will best describe the contents of the tin. Stay safe. P.S Inspiration has struck, I just recalled a Frank Sinatra tune that will work.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXggztdT2XE (Baubles, Bangles & Beads) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wyIevAfcjJ07KVOojHn1T?si=tMWsldzIS5iBaUfX_13eSA (Christmas Mix 2020) https://twitter.com/IainRowan/status/1338123434241486852 (Matt Hancock Tweet) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 6th December 2020 I hadn't even twigged it was the 50th episode of TFM whilst I was recording it...how the hell did that happen. Fate must have been pulling a few strings in the background, because this weeks slice has an upbeat and festive kind of a vibe - perfect in fact for a bit of a milestone episode. So if you made it this far, thank you. That is some kind of commitment and I really, really appreciate you sticking around. Stay safe. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wyIevAfcjJ07KVOojHn1T?si=SE1W85jsS2qQEWn7xufUpA (Spotify Christmas Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvmZqyuQCLE (Sleigh Me) https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55212416 (Home Alone Cake) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=426733705151801&mc_cid=c16b70e68d&mc_eid=2377e8b46a (Manchester Christmas Message) https://commscreatives.com (Hel Reynolds) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 30th November 2020 This is the 51st time I have written the show notes for TFM (if you include the Introduction & the Coronavirus special) and it got me wondering whether anybody actually reds them. Each week I try and be insightful, or intriguing or pithy - and for all I know I could have been pasting a random page from Wikipedia or a recipe for Chocolate Brownies. In fact... Needle Nose Pliers Needle-nose pliers (also known as pointy-nose pliers, long-nose pliers, pinch-nose pliers or snipe-nose pliers) are both cutting and holding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliers (pliers) used by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artisans (artisans), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewellery_designer (jewellery designers), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrician (electricians), network engineers and other https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradesmen (tradesmen) to bend, re-position and snip https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire (wire). Their namesake long nose gives excellent control while the cutting edge near the pliers' joint provides "one-tool" convenience. Because of their long shape they are useful for reaching into small areas where cables or other materials have become stuck or unreachable with fingers or other means From Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia Stay safe. https://cathedralmusictrust.org.uk (Cathedral Music Trust) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 23rd November 2020 7:23am, Saturday 28th November Just having a mug of tea as I write these show notes, which is quite unusual as I would normally be out running at this point and I certainly wouldn't have squeezed a break in beforehand. I don't have an excuse, just a reason. Baby, it's cold outside. For the first time in a long time, there is an early morning frost and tbh I am just putting off my run for a few more precious minutes. (consequently these may be the longest set of TFM notes ever) There has been rather a lot going on this week. I have started to come to terms with a syndrome, uncovered a knitwear-based conspiracy, and realised that lockdown may mark the end of a little foodie tradition. And if that lot wasn't enough, I have a new speed-fire round for a Friday and a spooky little turn of events that re-united me with an old friend. Stay safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzilYDj2b9k&list=PLrtczDJtW7ghPAhkyivc_aFDiBadCubLF&index=209 (Bryan Adams - Fits Ya Good) https://www.facebook.com/Holme-Coffee-House-Holmfirth-2271824606211157/ (Holme Coffee House) https://www.whatacarveup.com (What a Carve Up) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 16th November 2020 This week TFM is brought to you in association with the letter R. "What do you mean?" I hear you cry, well first up it's a Red week - so that particular 'R' has already had an influence. But over the course of the week I find myself offering a recommendation, discussing a realisation, telling you about a restoration and on a couple of occasions ranting a bit (one of which is due to a referendum). Stay safe. https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week (Anti-Bullying Week) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI (The Queens Gambit Trailer) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 9th November 2020 The week that COVID-19 got a little closer. The call that we were all expecting came about 16:00 on Monday afternoon, and after much head-scratching we settled on a plan. Of course the fact we had expected the call had already set of a chain of events that culminated in an underground car-park assignation, so I could score an office chair. And in other news, I have taken another step toward being able to call myself a content-creator. Stay safe, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54871424 (What a Carve Up) https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f5917fTGmiN8b41vGqpAk?si=DKH_FQLqQiKtudYlI2hNSA (Pods Like Us) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acIH_cG9XUs (Splendid Isolation - Little Angels) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 2nd November 2020 The week for me, has been dominated by events unfolding on the other side of the Atlantic. As a student of politics it’s been a quite extraordinary piece of drama, that that has unfolded slowly but with emotion running high. Whatever ends up happening, election 2020 has been very important for me, because it has got me hooked on the amazing coverage provided by CNN. But before you dip your toe, it’s not all politics this week. Twinkly lights will also play a part. Take care. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nsPN41VSOVQ (Thunder - Low Life in High Places) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 26th October 2020 You can spin this weeks titles any number of ways... I wanted a song title that contained the word 'run' (or running) as that was one of the topics that I mused on this week I erred over 'Born To Run' but in my case that couldn't be further from the truth, 'Runnin' Down A Dream' could have worked but it somehow felt a bit negative and I probably should have gone with 'Running Up That Hill' - as it works both metaphorically and literally But in the end, and because of the unique reason why it found it's way into this weeks episode I went with the Van Halen classic... Stay Safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5txwFv-zYM (Runnin' With The Devil) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 19th October 2020 Week 3 for October and it is a Red Week. If you haven't heard me talk about this, then I will explain. When I edit TFM I use one session to arrange all the episodes in a month. Each track is an individual week and I colour code the tracks, so week 1 is lime, week 2 is blue, week 3 is red and week 4 is pink. And for the last couple of months life has been imitating art, as I have been finding the podcasts on week 2 a little down & blue, and the ones in week 3 a little red & ranty. All can say is that I really tried this week, knowing it was a red week. And it was all going really well, what with an overdue debate about Halloween in a time of COVID, the pleasant surprise of a long lost pocket and Educating Yorkshire I thought I was over the hump. And then Thursday came a knocking... Stay safe. P.S #showusyourcuppa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdhhChNzAX4 (Educating Yorkshire) https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford (Marcus Rashford Twitter) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 12th October 2020 Another week, another Del Amitri song title that seems to sum up a couple of the things that have been floating around my head as the week has progressed. But before we get to the frustrations and the mis-truths, and the smoke and the mirrors, why don't we focus on the beavers and the cabbage and the tomatoes and the chutney. I whilst I never thought I would those words, in that order, in the notes for a TFM episode...I am already feeling better that I did. Stay safe. P.S #showusyourcuppa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5k4F9JQFd4 (Beaver eating cabbage) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 5th October 2020 If you asked me for one word to describe this weeks Therapy For Me then I would probably say that it’s a little flat. And I suppose the title is a little misleading because stuff has definitely happened this week, just nothing that has really hit home (well perhaps until Friday) in a way as to feel significant. Anyway, I will leave you to make your mind up...in the meantime stay safe and have a good weekend. Out. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 28th September 2020 For the first few episodes of TFM I worked on pithy titles, so we had stuff like 'finding my inner shelf' , 'two out of three ain't good', and 'shaken and stirred' etc, etc. When it became obvious I wasn't much kop at pithy I moved on and started to use names of songs - and pretty much since then that is where I have been. The problem is that it often takes as long to match a song title to an episode, as it does to record & edit the pod. This week turned out to be easy, I just glanced at the shelf of CDs in my office and saw the essence in what I had been trying to articulate in the title track of the first Jeff Healey Band album. It's nice when that happens. Take care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCKSz1N6fpQ (See the Light - The Jeff Healey Band) https://play.acast.com/s/the-bunker/whydoesgermanydoeverythingbetter-johnkampfnerknows (The Bunker Podcast) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 21st September 2020 It could so easily have gone in a different direction. Over the weekend it became evident that I had picked up a cold from one (or both) of the kids and by Sunday afternoon all I had the energy or inclination to do, was to deposit myself on the sofa. So, I have to say I was somewhat surprised to wake up with a sense of optimism that transcended my health or the performance of my football team. And do you know what, that positivity has only gone and lasted all week. And as if to prove the point - by the end of the week I had been rewarded with two moments of unadulterated joy... Take care, Ant https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2020/09/21/red-army-choir-singing-tom-jones-sex-bomb-doesnt-disappoint/ (Red Army Choir) http://www.chocolateslam.com (Chocolate Slam) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 14th September 2020 Is it life imitating art, or the other way around. Ever since I realised that second week of the month is a Blue week as far as TFM is concerned, then it seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy that I gravitate toward stuff that annoys, irritates or upsets me. So apologies in advance, but at least it's not that long... Take care. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 7th September 2020 Back home, back behind my desk & back moaning about Boris. It's good to see that somethings are a constant. After last weeks 'on-location' special and the kind of spiritual-seaside vibe I was feeling, this week I have found myself thinking about the realities of life in 2020. So prepare yourself for Back to School, Back to Brexit, Back to Galactica and the strange phenomena of my 15 minutes of fame. Take care, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 31st August 2020 I promised you a week of on-location recordings and here I am delivering on my promise, with not a u-turn in sight, no calls for me to resign or any need to try and push the blame onto somebody else... I will apologise in advance for the random bits of wind noise, the odd pops & clanks, and the fact the levels are a bit all over the place - but that's recording outdoors on the East Coast folks. What I didn't expect was some of the things I stumbled across, and you will find the pics to complement this episode on my insta feed - the link is below. I have also picked out some reading... Stay safe. https://www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/Scarborough-A-Giant-Sculpture-Freddie-Gilroy/details/?dms=3&feature=7&venue=1711270# (Freddie Gilroy Statue) http://www.wilfredowen.org.uk/wilfred-owen/wilfreds-places/scarborough (Wilfred Owen in Scarborough) http://www.annebronte.org/2017/04/09/taking-the-waters-anne-bronte-in-scarborough/ (Anne Bronte & Scarborough) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 24th August 2020 I could be opening up a while can of worms with the throwback moment that happened this week. It’s not that the logic isn’t valid, I think the experience stands up perfectly well, it’s more the foodstuff in question. By the end of the week I was thinking about soundscapes and preparing to collect the motor home for next weeks east coast adventure. Oh and kudos to Ivor, what a top fella... Take care. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 17th August 2020 It's nice when something lives up to the expectation, because so often you are left a little underwhelmed when you have built something up and it fails to deliver. Fleabag lived up to all the hype, when I finally got around to it, as did The Force Awakens and so I am pleased to say did Test Match Cricket which arrived this week. The rest of the week was a mix of despair at the employment of face masks, the delight of Nesquick and the surprise of my first patron. Oh, and a bit of a milestone... Stay safe, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
I have mentioned Christian & his work a few times over the course of the TFM episodes. We met about 5 years ago and bonded over a love of audio that bordered on (but just managed to stay the right side) of the geeky. Through the course of many easy conversations we became friends, and Christian has offered me a lot of sage & practical advice over the last year or so. Needless to say his content is top drawer, and I was over the moon when he said I could use a recent piece of audio that he had produced as a special edition of TFM. So enjoy this bonus insight into the world of Documentally and once you have finished click https://documentally.substack.com/welcome (here) and subscribe to his newsletter...and if you can spare the cost of a hand-crafted coffee I would whole-heartedly recommend you sign-up for his audio content as well. Stay safe.
W/C 10th August 2020 I promised myself that I would try for an upbeat episode this week, and even as the week progressed - and my reasons to be cheerful were being challenged - I managed to stay positive. So if there is such a thing as a wistful & frothy Therapy For Me, then this Is that episode. Oh, and it also contains news of an exciting special episode of TFM coming your way early next week... Stay safe. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 3rd August 2020 After a lot to-ing & fro-ing the Short family holiday was resolved this week, and the solution was very much a 'back to the future' type of affair. That left me with... a) one recommendation b) one question c) one quandary d) and one appeal for help And that folks is TFM in a nutshell. Take care, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 27th July 2020 I am not sure if re-locking is a thing, but if it is then this was the week when it started to happen. As with a lot of things over the last few months the decision to re-lock loosely made sense, but brought with it more questions than answers...but I’ll get onto that. Oh, and listen out for my new favourite thing - the entire bibliography of ‘the book of dreams’ Stay safe, Ant http://dev.argosbookofdreams.co.uk (Argos Catalogue) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 20th July 2020 An outdoor retail outlet. A one-way pedestrian system to help maintain social distancing. Clear signage and arrow-style markers on the floor. I mean, how hard can it actually be... Stay safe. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 13th July 2020 It's been one of those kind of weeks. It's not that I disagree with the whole face mask thing, quite the opposite, but yet again it was another change to daily life that was muddled in both it's delivery and it's timing. The middle of the week was a bit tough, as you will hear, but it got better toward the end - in no small part down to a chance hour and thirty five minutes in front of the television. Stay safe. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 6th July 2020 Where to start... Well I guess the whole week was centred around the appointment to get my hair cut. For so many people, this has been the biggest single most anticipated 'return to normality' moment of the last few weeks...and so it proved for me. And yet it wasn't the moment I remembered most about Wednesday, that belonged to a certain Sheffield United Centre Half who headed in an injury-time winner for the Blades. Elsewhere my devices have been spying on me, and one of the Supermarkets has had a Doughnut 'faux-pas', but we will get to that in good time. Take care... https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 29th June 2020 I make little notes through the week as I contemplate the content of the podcast. It's normally just a word or two, enough to be a prompt, just memory joggers, obvs. I realised on Wednesday that the first three topics I had settled on, all began with the letter ‘T’. So being both a fan of symmetry, and also just a teeny bit OCD, I had the idea that this week TFM could be brought to you in association with the letter 'T' (very Sesame Street). Fast forward to the end of the week and it as it transpired I fell at the very next hurdle, but on reflection for all the right reasons. Take care. https://www.ukmusic.org/policy/let-the-music-play/ (#letthemusicplay) http://musicvenuetrust.com (musicvenuetrust) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 22nd June 2020 It turns out that Harry Enfield got it just about spot-on. We officially welcomed Kevin (and/or Perry) into the house this week, though he's been popping in and out for quite a while...if truth be told. I spent a good deal of time considering what you can do in an hour and fifty minutes, mainly because I had an hour and fifty minutes to consider it. Oh, and Rachel came through (as I always knew she would) with the most eagerly anticipated message since lockdown began. Stay safe, x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 15th June 2020 Not only is it coming home, but it came home. And of course, as is its want, it brought with it the heady mix of inspiration and frustration that make it such a unique sport. And of course, if you are a long-suffering Blade, it was probably the first thing in a long time that felt like normal. Stay safe. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 8th June 2020 Once we got used to the changes that CoVid had brought to day-to-day living, and we found our lockdown rhythm quite a few weeks passed as he nation held it's collective breath and quietly waited for updates. Over the last couple of weeks, the updates have come thick and fast as we try and figure out the best way forward. This week has been a blur of possibility and instruction, some carrot and some stick, broadly aligned but not quite, absolute whilst subject to change. I had started to feel comfortable with a life that had slowed a little, but we seem to be heading back to noise and contradiction. Oh well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-After-Flash-Sam-Jones/dp/B087YKLYNF (Life After Flash) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 1st June 2020 It's been a difficult week to watch unfold. At the time of writing we passed the sad milestone of 40,000 deaths related to the CoVid-19 pandemic. And even as we try and regroup, and unlock, it is hard not to dwell on the human cost - more lives lost than during the Blitz. But then to look elsewhere for some relief, and be faced with the images streaming from the U.S, has just compounded the sense of sadness. It's bad enough that a virus can cause so much disruption and suffering, it should be inexcusable that we should do the same to each other. Stay Safe. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 25th May 2020 On the surface it's been a fairly productive but also fairly relaxing week. I have managed to get ahead of schedule in terms of podcast recording & editing, with some good ol'fashioned sitting in the sunshine sandwiched in between. But bubbling under the surface I have been raging... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CYFKbizAas (Deserve - Marillion) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 18th May 2020 'How's your week been Ant?' I hear you say. 'Actually, pretty good' I reply in an upbeat tone 'I have had a good week work-wise, and everybody at home are coping just fine' (slight pause) '...so why is this weeks TFM just a little bit grumpier than usual?!" Mmm, good point. And one (tbh) to which I don't have much of a response. So I guess I am going to ask you just to roll with it for this week, accept the fact that I have a problem with the Daily Mail, the attack on Teachers, the constant undermining of the BBC and my watch trying to control my life....and move on. Stay safe, x https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdj8wty (Danny Dyer Clip) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 11th May 2020 I am a bit concerned my podcasts are starting to fall into a pattern... Monday - rant on about something. Tuesday - get distracted by something else. Wednesday - make amends for rant, by talking about something heartwarming and innocent. Thursday - bang on about a podcast Friday - #lockdownfriday. (Mmm...I hear you say.) But not this week, because this week I.. Monday - had a rant about politics. Tuesday - got distracted with a haircut. Wednesday - took solace in a deli-sandwich. Thursday - told you all about a podcast edit. Friday - #lockdownfriday Stay safe x https://9-42.captivate.fm/listen (9-42 Podcast) https://www.taylorsfood.co.uk (Taylors Foodstore) https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook)
W/C 4th May 2020 This week I have mostly been having mixed feelings about VE Day, and it's a tough one to talk about because I am not 100% sure what it is was that was bothering me, all I knew is but something definitely was. They say that cutting hair is very much like making love to a beautiful woman, and that may well be true. In my case it involved a short YouTube instructional video to get my confidence up and then some tentative fumbling, before a less than professional conclusion. On a lighter note I re-connected with a much loved foodstuff, which was nice. Any way I hope you enjoy this episode, and remember...you ain't seen me, right! Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQKKnQo8IA (Start Me Up - Musicless)
W/C 27th April 2020 As the days and weeks start to blur a little in the lockdown haze I have found myself noticing very random things this week. I am starting to get concerned about my early-morning hair says about my personal standards, why it is that multi-tasking when it comes to standing & removing socks is so tricky and how it feels to top the charts. Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook) https://the-corona-diaries.captivate.fm/listen (The Corona Diaries) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=571567750136063 (The Mash Report)
W/C 20th April 2020 I will probably never name-drop as much again as I have done this week. It just ended up being one of those weeks that felt entirely normal, and yet was somewhat surreal. We are all being changed by the way we are living & adapting at the moment, I am really starting to cherish some of those changes. I don't think I am the only one questioning whether I want to rush back to every part of my pre-pandemic lifestyle. Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/ashortstoriespodcast/ (Facebook) https://the-corona-diaries.captivate.fm/listen (The Corona Diaries) https://9-42.captivate.fm/listen (9-42) https://twitter.com/realbobmortimer/status/1242857343517327360?lang=en (Train Guy)
W/C 13th April 2020 I went shopping for Pearls of Wisdom for you this week, and as luck would have it they were on offer - buy one get two free. Flip-flop weather is fine, but when you get sick of looking at your own toenails then you need to shake it up a bit As lockdown meanders on, a steady stream of heroes (past & present) are standing up to be counted - the genius that is Pete the Sparky, the long-time listener gingergleds and the legend that is Ron Swanson. And for those crumble purists amongst you, don't knock Pear & Rhubarb until you've tried it.
Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 6th April 2020 I felt bad starting the week with a rant, but it had been gnawing away at me for a while, and after all this is therapy for me. However, the rest of the week was a cornucopia of small chunks of the good stuff (like the caramel pieces in a tub of Ben & Jerrys Caramel Chew Chew) so I guess it all worked out in the end. Have a great easter weekend and check out the title track... Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 30th March 2020 Well here we are, week two of the Coronavirus lockdown and life is slowly starting to morph into a pattern of sorts. My week began with some DIY SOS for our feathered friends that didn't go quite to plan, a bit of a lowly Tuesday but then a proper bounce-back for the end of the week. That just leaves shoutout Friday, where I try to steer you toward the weekend with a few positives - but as you would expect from me, that doesn't go quite to script either. Stay safe x https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter) P.S Check out http://documentally.com/about/ (Documentally)
W/C 23rd March 2020 The first week of the Coronavirus lockdown and we spent the week trying to carve out some kind of 'new normal'. I ruminate on the challenges of home-tutoring, my 'difficult' relationship with Joe Wickes and the power of a remote handclap. Stay safe, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 16th March 2020 As the world twists and morphs into something we barely recognise, I contemplate ways to deal with the overload. But not before I try a spot of device match-making & recall a moment that still makes my eyes water. Be safe, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
18th March 2020 I have has an idea. But I need your help. Have a listen to this CV special and let me know if you can & want to get involved. Hugs, Ant https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 9th March 2020 A week that began with a guest appearance on the 'Behind The Noise' podcast with Marc Farquhar, and then meandered through Traffic Lights, Teapots and a realisation that we are all starting to withdraw a bit. Instagram instagram.com/ashortstories/ Twitter https://twitter.com/ashortstories (twitter.com/ashortstories) Facebook facebook.com/anthony.short.144 Behind The Noise Podcast Spotify http://bit.ly/SpotifyBTN (http://bit.ly/SpotifyBTN) Apple Podcasts http://bit.ly/BTNiTunes (http://bit.ly/BTNiTunes) Watch on YouTube http://bit.ly/BTNYouTube (http://bit.ly/BTNYouTube) Marc Farquhar Instagram instagram.com/marcfarquhar Facebook facebook.com/themarcfarquhar Twitter twitter.com/marcfarquhar
W/C 2nd March 2020 A week that saw me right at the front of the queue as far as Corona Virus panic buying was concerned, living the dream at The Guitar Show and trying to navigate the wardrobe-based challenges presented by World Book Day. Instagram instagram.com/ashortstories/ Twitter twitter.com/ashortstories Facebook facebook.com/anthony.short.144 Hel Reynolds Instagram instagram.com/helreynolds/ Twitter https://twitter.com/helreynolds (twitter.com/helreynolds) LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/helenreynolds (linkedin.com/in/helenreynolds)
W/C 24th February 2020 It's an interesting (and enlightening) experience when you view what's going on around you through the eyes of a neutral. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 17th February 2020 We really should take the the time to look out for one another and be kind, because you really don't know when the banks may burst... https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 10th February 2020 You know it is going to be an interesting week when it throws you a nasal-grooming challenge to begin with, and then climaxes in an expectation of unbridled emotion. February, eh. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 3rd February 2020 Sometimes you find comfort in things you don’t expect. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 27th January 2020 The week when it dawned on me that another one of those aspirational hopes was about to pass me by. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 20th January 2020 The last thing you need to kick off your week is a tricky sock situation. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
W/C 13th January 2020 This was always going to be a week I was going to struggle with, so not a bad time to get a few things off my chest. https://www.instagram.com/ashortstories (Instagram) https://www.twitter.com/ashortstories (Twitter)
Loads of stuff happened in 2019 that I just didn't see coming, but on reflection was it really that difficult to predict. Mmm.