World Voice Day - April 16th, 2008

London, UK

April 16th is World Voice Day and a chance for all of us to consider our vocal health. For actors, presenters, broadcasters and communicators it's essential that they take care of their voices.
If you go to the BVA (British Voice Association) website, there's a PDF you can download. It's called "Taking Care of your Voice". There's also an interesting article on Voice Production and Voice Care.

I've referred to the BVA in the past at my sister site, here

Looking for a voice coach?

The try Simply Speaking. Run by Helen Sewell, who is a former BBC producer and presenter . Her top tips for vocal health are posted here.

She can be contacted through her website. Check out my "Linking" section on the left-hand side.

Goodbye 2006 and hello.................................

to 2007.

My last post on this forum for 2006.

See you all in a few hours time!

What are the seven [7] best things you did this past year?

From James Higham........and these are mine

1] Bought a new computer and started blogging.
2] Agreed to trek in Feb 2007 for Breast Cancer Campaign (see my other blog)
3] Got involved in Blogpower with many of you.
4] Moved up the "meedja" ladder.
5] Didn't get another 3 points on my licence.
6] Had a fantastic weekend in Bordeaux in October and survived the Pyrennes in June!
7] Glad I didn't go to the World Cup.

Tags:
Eastcliffe Richard
Frances Oapen
Dr Simon Moores
Lucy Mail/Ramsgate Tourettes
Julia Buckley

Sashinka
Stephen Pollard
Tim Worstall
JohnnyB
Ellee Seymour
Barrybeelzebub
Pillage Idiot
Peter Wells' Coffin End Blog
Men are better than women
Onyx Stone
Chase me
Michelle Malkin
Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe
Gates of Vienna
Bel is thinking
The Spine
Strumpette
Petite Anglaise

Broadcaster dies in car crash

(From the BBC News website)Talksport phone-in host Mike Dickin, known to listeners as "The King", has died in a car crash.

The presenter, who was in his 60s, was involved in a six car pile-up on the A30 on Monday. He was airlifted to hospital but was pronounced dead.

Dickin started his broadcasting career at BBC Radio Oxford in the 1970s, where he was the first presenter on the air.

He also broadcast on Radio 4 and LBC, and won an award for his coverage of the Lockerbie disaster in 1988.

The presenter, who broadcast from his home studio in Bodmin Moor, was known for his passionate, outspoken views.

Listeners dubbed him Britain's angriest man, but he was also known as "The King" because of his supposed resemblance to Henry VIII.

Last month, BBC's The World at One presenter Nick Clarke passed away from cancer.

Clarke presented The World at One, the BBC's flagship politics programme, for 12 years, taking the reins in February 1994. He resumed his work this summer after a nine-month absence to fight a soft tissue sarcoma, a cancer that cost him his left leg.

That's two great "radio voices" we've lost in recent weeks.

Top Tips for Sports Broadcasting on Radio (2)

Earlier I mentioned that having a great voice for radio is important. Well, there are many great radio voices out there. The best "voices" are those that talk with variety, enthusiasm and clarity.

More information can be found at the British Voice Association - BVA

(This article has been reproduced on my Masaai trek Blog)

Top Tips for Sports Broadcasting on Radio

Earlier today, I paid a visit to Sussex. No BBC TV haven't moved from London W12. Just my latest outing for BBC Radio Kent earlier today. Not Gillingham FC but Margate FC who were playing at Horsham.

Sports presenting on radio, as many of you know, is one of my great passions. It's fun and particuarly great when your broadcasting about your own team! It may sound easy but let me assure you that to be reasonably good at it, you'll need these qualities and characteristics:

The ability to write scripts under pressure.

Prepare in good time - and get there in good time!

Research the match you're covering.

Understand what's at stake.

Listen to and carry out instructions from your producer/anchor/editor.

Ensure all technical equipment is in good working order.

Understand the laws of libel, and how they relate to journalists.

Be tactful

Don't engage in polemical arguments.

Have a great "radio voice"


........and that's just for starters


BTW, for those of you who are wondering what the score was, then pay a visit here.

Devil's Kitchen

Well, did you see the Devil himself on 18Doughty Street last night?

Marvellous stuff.

Ellee a Blog Bore - Never

My new friend and colleague in cyberspace Ellee Seymour has left a comment on my November 1st post below. Her family accuse her, quite unfairly in my view, of being a Blog bore. Whilst I understand their point, they ought to realise the importance of "alternative news & discussion groups".

In a free society like Britain, (I mention that grittng my teeth) it's essential we promote and foster free speech and democracy. Both given scant regard by certain bad broadcasting organizations. I'm certain other "cyberspace peeps " like the Devil, Guido, SP, Eastcliffe Richard et al will all agree.

2am on Sunday morning

The bi-annual hiatus of clock changing will be happening over this weekend. "Don't forget to put your clocks back" the voice on the radio will say. Then they bang on about that extra hour in bed. As if that's going to make such a difference to our lives!

What a difference a week makes!

From beautiful Bordeaux to miserable Manchester.
The contrast couldn't have been greater. On the one hand, there's sophistication and on the other scruffiness, foul-language and anti-social behaviour. Most of it, of course, in the centre of town!
Luckily for me, I was staying with some friends near the relatively civilized suburb of Altrincham. Mind you, I was dead impressed with the new Hilton Hotel near the G-Mex centre. The lower half of this "thin" skyscraper is the hotel, then above it are private apartments. The tallest residential building in the UK.

Michael Palin and Monty Python's Flying Circus

A questionnaire recently winged it's way into my Inbox the other day. One of the questions was "What is/was your biggest influence". My response was virtually automatic - Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Some of you will no doubt be aware that Michael Palin is going to have his diaries serialised on Radio 4 starting this coming Monday. This evening on BBC TV, there's been programmes about Michael Palin and his fellow Pythons. Of course, we viewers were also given various glimpses of those wonderful sketches. Ministry of Silly Walks, The Argument, Norwegian Blue and my firm favourite the Poofy Commando sketch. Classic. Oops, are we allowed to post words like poofy, or will the Internet police close me down?

The FA Cup with the BBC following Margate.

The FA Cup with the BBC following Margate is exactly what it says on the tin. Yesterday's exciting local derby with the Kent League leaders, Whitstable, would have been a brilliant match to watch for the neutral.

Assisted by my BBC colleagues, Mike Green and Peter Guise, I was able to chuck in my "two-bobsworth" on every occasion I was prompted to do so. In six years of commentating and reporting on football matches, I'd never had to suffer such "highs and lows" over a 90-minute period. But that, as no doubt many of you would say, is the magic of the FA Cup. BBC Kent's radio and internet listeners must have chuckled as my blood pressure and general frustration increased as Margate failed to convert their goal scoring opportunities into goals. Ten clear cut chances in the first half but the only goal that came was from pluckly little Whistable.

The last time Margate played the Oystermen in a competitive game was nearly 50 years ago with Margate winning by a handsome margin. No chance of that yesterday. Eventually though, the 600 or so away fans smiled as two late goals gave the 'Gate a deserved 2-1 victory. The photo above shows James Pinnock thumping the winner home from 12 yards.

The match at the Belmont was a far cry from the Cup-ties I grew up with Margate when we were pitted against the likes of Aldershot, Peterborough United and Swansea as underdogs. On the other hand there were those matches against Deal Town, Eastbourne Town and others where Margate were the professionals and expected to slaughter the opposition. We did just that at Eastbourne Town in 1967. The 9-0 scoreline still remains Margate's biggest ever away winning margin in a cup competition.

Yesterday's game reminded my pal Geoff Pay of the Fulham match in 1997. On that occasion, we lost 2-1 to Mohammed El-Fayed's team at Hartsdown Park in front of millions of viewers on Sky and over 5000 at the match itself.

Margate fans hope to avoid a tie against Dover in the next round. We'll see.

Raymond Baxter - Broadcasting Legend

Quite unbelievable - one of British television's stalwart presenter from the 60's and 70's and a WW2 Spitfire pilot passes away on Battle of Britain Memorial Day (although he never fought in the skies over Southern England in 1940)

The BBC website carries the story in full.

How to make it as a public speaker

Flushed with success from last night's London Corinthians meeting, I was asked afterwards by a couple of new members as to how one becomes a professional public speaker.

1. Learn how to speak. Joining London Corinthians or other Toastmaster International clubs is a first great stepping stone. After a period of time, you can join the PSA

2. Get a website

3. Learn how to market yourself. My colleague at the PSA, Graham Jones , has some great advice.

4. Start blogging!

Professional Speakers Association Meeting

Last Saturday, I attended my local PSA chapter meeting in Central London.

There were two brilliant speakers in Paul Bridle and Graham Jones. Paul explained his background and gave the audience of 50 people some excellent tips on how to get on in the speaking business. He pointed out the importance of branding and marketing oneself, speaking styles and how to get into the international speaking circuit.

In the afternoon, Graham Jones pointed out the importance of blogging - and how professional speakers need this fairly new internet tool.