It’s Blog number 3 time!

I’ve got the gym bug, Pembrokeshire Air, Challenges, Questions, Rome countdown and giveaways...

Well I hope you’ve had a good week and thank you for having a look at the third edition of my blog which I’m enjoying writing. It’s been a nice week of mainly sunshine; albeit a little nippy first thing, the weather has been quite kind this week. So let’s get going with the things that have been going on this week – I’ve loved the radio shows first up – more on that a bit later!

GYM BUG
This time last week I had just done my gym induction, paid £10 for my gym key and had shattered myself doing 20 minutes on the running machine! I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the thought of doing the 55 minute long programme that my trainer had assigned me. I’m really pleased to report that I am coping with it and have been to the gym 4 times this week – Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I am enjoying it and definitely feel less sluggish in the evening which must be the result of doing more exercise. I’m not getting carried away yet though, I’ve been here before and slipped back into not doing much exercise, this time I want to keep it up so badger me to find out please! I want to have lost some weight by the time I go on holiday to Skiathos in the summer, fingers crossed it works.

WEEKLY REMINISING
Each of the blogs I’ve done so far have included a weekly reminisce so I’m not going to make this one any different! On the radio the other day I was talking about sales of old fashioned sweets have rocketed in the past year and how we are a nation of sweet lovers. When I used to stay at my Grandparent’s in Lampeter Velfrey I remember going with my Grandad to Landsker Shop in Narberth to buy my red liquorice strawberry bootlaces which were huge, cheap and tasted amazing. You could get 5 for 50p and there would be enough to sort out my need for sweets when I was about 11. I’m not sure I’ve mentioned one of the other houses my Grandparents lived in? In Templeton if you take the road that goes past the Boar’s Head Pub (not straight onto Begelly and not the right turn in the Oakwood direction) there are a row of houses and dorma-bungalows and they lived in one of these. Their house was the one directly next door to the Caravan Site – my memory of which is the little shop that is on site, where they sold Liquorice Torpedoes! Happy Days. That house in Templeton was a nice one featuring a pond and a “Granny flat” style annexe where my Great-Nan lived 6 months of the year. They only lived there for 2 years which was enough time for me to build a rope swing and fall off it on numerous occasions.

CHALLENGES
There is definitely something in me that makes me want to do some sort of big fundraising challenge. I liked doing the New Year’s Day Swim in Saundersfoot last month and would love the opportunity to do something really worthwhile for charity. I met a couple of guys this week that came into the studio in Narberth for a radio interview and it served to further wet my appetite. Peter Dow and Bruce Rogers are from North Pembrokeshire and later this year will embark on a 9000 mile road trip which will result in them joining the Mongol Rally and finishing up in Mongolia, a fair way from home. They are doing this to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance, The Alzheimer’s Society and The Christina Noble Foundation and you can find out more about their challenge by clicking http://www.daioniigobi.co.uk/. I would love to one day do something like this but in the meantime will look forward to following Peter and Bruce’s progress in regular updates on Radio Pembrokeshire.

Q AND A TIME
I did a little post on Twitter last night and asked for 3 tweets where by my followers asked me a question and I would answer it, here on the blog. So here we go...

First up from the lovely WelshLesley on twitter: “How can you be so chirpy in the mornings? don't you get an 'off' day?”
That is a very good one because I have to say I am not really a morning person, but I’ve trained myself to at least sound like one. I signed my first “full time” radio contract in 2004 and by early 2005 I was presenting the Breakfast Show on Star 107.9 in Stroud. Prior to that I had been at uni and throughout my 4 years there did lots of freelancing at various radio stations where quite often I would cover the Breakfast show. I did a stint on drivetime from July 2005 to April 2006 but apart from that it’s been Breakfast and I am coming up to 4 straight years of doing the morning show. So back to the question of “How can you sound so chirpy in the mornings” – well it is my job and I am paid to be professional at all times. Who would want to hear someone on the radio yawning and moaning about getting up early? I love doing the Breakfast Show and wouldn’t want it any other way. I get annoyed with colleagues in the industry who complain about early starts – I always remind them that we aren’t the only industry where people do early shifts. Across Pembrokeshire there are people at Chevron, Withybush Hospital, the Police all working a whole range of unsociable shifts, they are all far more important than me. Do I ever have an “off” day? Well I think everyone does WHATEVER the job. I always try and keep things in perspective and for the 6 hours I am on the radio do the job to the very best of my ability. If I do that, you can throw any figures at me you want – I will always be happy.

NEXT UP from Mr JinxTheCat “With the rise of 'internet radio', how do you see the future of stations like Radio Pembs, R Wales, etc etc?”
Just before I answer this I guess I should say – “All opinions expressed here are mine and don’t reflect the views of Radio Pembrokeshire or any other radio station I work for”.

It’s a nice question this and I will extend it beyond internet radio to DAB, IPODs and every other form of technology that means listeners now have more choice than ever before. I think it’s natural every radio station in the whole of the UK will be affected by the massive amount of choice that people have in how they consume music, information and entertainment. What I think is there is room for everything and the need to “Super Serve” your audience and the area you broadcast too has never been so great. I think localness is the key. If a radio listener in Trefin say wants to get information broadcast about her “lost cat” or a business in Wolf’s Castle needs an urgent advertisement made then this is where we can come in. As a listener, you’re in a good place because it’s our duty to up our game, be local and super serve you – so enjoy, it’s an exciting but challenging time.

AND FINALLY from CallumDG "Do you ever wake up in the mornings and think urrrgh... here we go again. ?"
The answer is YES! I am only human! The worst point of the day is without a doubt 5am and the second the alarm goes off. However by the time I’m in the shower and then in the car I am wide awake and raring to get going. The alarm going off is horrible and doesn’t get easier. I enjoy the drive to work and listen to Adrian Goldberg or Mike Graham presenting the overnight show on talkSPORT – it gets me up to speed with the news and a bit of sport. I love the walk across the car park – this morning the sky was starry, the air is amazing and I could hear some owls hooting. How many people experience the world at that time? I had a 10 month hiatus away from Radio Pembrokeshire from 2008-2009 and I was lucky enough to get the chance to come back but the station I was working at there was on an industrial estate whereas in Narberth we have amazing scenery. I’m lucky and will never take that for granted again.

I will answer another three questions next week so either email me on ben@radiopembrokeshire.com or if you follow me on Twitter, send me a message there.

TIME TO GO
Well those questions have taken longer to answer so I am going to be brief and say there must be something in the Pembrokeshire air, today Bessie Phillips of Clunderwen turned 106 and gave an interview to Jim Hughes. Amazing! I’ve also loved the competitions we’ve done this week and am delighted that Charlotte Davies from Milford Haven is going to the BRITS and today Jenny Hunkin, a lovely lady in Penally won a coach holiday to Torquay. She was almost in tears, what a job I have. Finally I go to Rome with Becci in the first week of March so any tips or places to go email me Ben@radiopembrokeshire.com.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: Without a doubt tea tasting with Pembrokeshire Tea Company. 2 nice guys and a great product, check them out they will be big.

NEXT WEEK: On the radio I’ve got County Assembly Members Paul Davies and Angela Burns on the show on Monday which should be good. In the blog next week...well expect more of the same...