A radio station for builders? I tuned in - and this is what it is like
The upside is I've discovered radio stations I've never heard of before. Taking my daughter to work this morning I landed on Fix Radio, 'The Builder's Station'.
Yes, that is a thing. It's a radio station for tradespeople, launched back in 2017. I tuned into The Bald Builders Breakfast, presented by Brad and Sam, which offered up the familiar Zoo format morning format which has been part of the radio landscape since the 1970s in the United States and the 1980s in the UK (thanks to the late Steve Wright). The difference here is that Brad and Sam, when they weren't discussing the strangest thing to wrap up a T-shirt in to send through the post (a melon, bizarrely), were talking about getting stuck into the plastering.
Brad and Sam are brothers in law and they are actual builders, so they're speaking from a place of knowledge. Which must mark them out amongst their fellow radio broadcasters, you'd imagine. (And any passing radio reviewers for that matter.)
The music played is all old school; mostly 1980s and 1990s with the odd noughties banger thrown in. It was a little curious hearing Franz Ferdinand's libidinous, polymorphous single Do You Want To blaring out in the middle of all this, but maybe building sites are more liberal places than when I spent my summers on them in the late 1970s.
In truth, a radio station for the building trade - complete with appropriate advertising - seems a bit of a no-brainer. A radio is as essential a bit of kit onsite as a cement mixer and a spirit level. My last summer working with my dad - on a roof in County Londonderry back in 1980 - was soundtracked by Radio 1: Dexys, Grace Jones, Simon Bates's Golden Hour and Paul Burnett.
(You never hear much about Paul Burnett these days, do you? I've just looked him up. Now in his eighties, he's still with us, hurrah, and even turns up occasionally on Boom Radio.)
Funnily enough, I've been thinking back to my days as a labourer of late. Charlie Orr, my dad's workmate and friend, passed away the other week. He was a good man, kind to the fundamentally useless, dreamy teenage boy I was back then. He tolerated me playing Radio 1 all the time for a start. I'm ashamed to say I never asked him what music he liked.
To be honest, I wasn't really expecting Charlie to turn up in this column, but he deserves to be remembered and so here we are.
Anyway, it's not all banter and Boo Radley tunes on Fix Radio. Clive Holland - formerly of BBC One, GMTV and Channel 4 - presents a discussion show every weekday lunchtime. On Monday the topic was the impact of migration on the building trade. The impact of legal migration, Holland was at pains to point out.
Mostly, the discussion amounted to Holland reading out messages from his listeners. The messages were actually rather more nuanced than you might have expected, with much talk of skill shortages post-Brexit. Further proof that we shouldn't stereotype anyone. That said, the Prime Minister probably shouldn't tune in if he's wanting an ego boost.
From immigration to Eurovision. I was out on Saturday night so only joined Radio 2's coverage of the contest after all the performances had been completed. Rylan and Scott Mills were on duty. I tuned it just as they were talking over the Swiss performers who were filling the interval slot like a pair of over-caffeinated schoolboys. Ugh.
Admittedly, I've never really warmed to Mills as a broadcaster (my failing, not his), but he was definitely invested in the proceedings. And it was clear (and quite amusing) that both men were 'fuming' when the UK entry Remember Monday received 'nul points' in the public vote.
'That's ridiculous …Ridiculous … I can't …' Rylan gasped, lost for words for once.
'That's made me quite upset,' Mills raged.
He was all the more so when 258 points were then awarded to Estonia.
How long before Reform calls for a referendum on leaving Eurovision?
Listen Out For: Radio 2 in Concert, Thursday, May 29, 7pm
If your tastes are more Britpop than Europop, you might enjoy this. A world exclusive session from Sheffield's finest, Pulp, recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre. They've got a new album coming out, you might have heard. So have Suede, come to think of it. And it won't be long before those Oasis gigs. It's 1995 all over again.
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Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The two very different lives of Brangelina 20 years on and why marrying the world's sexiest man put Angelina off men
Find out why Angelina says she hasn't felt like herself for a decade OPPOSITE LIVES The two very different lives of Brangelina 20 years on and why marrying the world's sexiest man put Angelina off men Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHE was the Hollywood hellraiser with a string of red-hot lovers – including Val Kilmer, Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. From wearing a vial of Billy's blood to tattooing Jonny's name on her left arm, Angelina Jolie was the type of wildchild that fell hard and fast regularly — and cared not what the world thought about her. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Angelina got close to Brad on screen and off while filming 2005 movie Mr & Mrs Smith Credit: Alamy 6 Angelina at film festival in Santa Barbara, California earlier this year Credit: Getty 6 Brad's long-awaited Oscar came in 2020 for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Credit: Getty But 20 years ago she met Brad Pitt as they co-starred in comedy-thriller movie Mr & Mrs Smith — and something changed. The couple instantly formed a relationship which looked from the outside like it was increasingly stable and full of love. Brad took on Angelina's adopted baby son from Cambodia, Maddox, now 23, and together they added to their 'rainbow family' by adopting Zahara, now 20, from Ethiopia in 2006, and Pax, now 21, from Vietnam in 2007. They later added biological kids Shiloh, now 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, now 16, to their brood. And they spent 12 happy years together as the world swooned over two of the best-looking people in the world falling for each other like the love stories Hollywood is famous for. But as with so many blockbusters, young love turned to bitter hatred and Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016 — citing 'irreconcilable differences'. Now, all these years since the 2005 movie that birthed 'Brangelina', there is little sign of that attention-loving anarchy which defined Angelina's early showbiz life. And certainly no sign of the wild love life she once enjoyed — in fact, the beautiful A-Lister seems so resolutely single that pals are wondering, has marrying the sexiest man in showbiz ultimately turned her off men altogether? Priority is the kids While Brad has bounced back bigger than ever — living with girlfriend Inés de Ramón and garnering a slew of acting awards — Angelina seems to have become something of a recluse. Except from a few dinner dates with The Weeknd — where neither party confirmed a romance — she has remained resolutely single. Angelina Jolie is in 'goddess mode' with new beau – while Brad Pitt is 'putting on for the cameras' with his, says pro Even rumours she was dating Brit rapper Akala were quickly quashed. Despite allegations of abuse by Angelina, Brad has emerged relatively unscathed from the ugly eight-year divorce battle that ensued between them, before they finally finalised their divorce late last year. Meanwhile Angelina, who turned 50 last week, is still recovering from the turmoil, and the general consensus is that she would be hard-pressed to ever date again. Ange still has difficulty trusting, I don't know if she'll ever fully get over the trauma of her divorce. Source close to Angelina She may have been 'lucky' enough to marry the world's sexiest man but, in the wreckage of their acrimonious split and legal battles, she is now off men for good. Speaking exclusively to the Sun, sources tell us Angelina's scars still remain, and are unlikely to ever heal. 'Ange still has difficulty trusting,' says an insider close to the mum of six. 'I don't know if she'll ever fully get over the trauma of her divorce.' Despite being together for years, it was not until 2014 that Brangelina married, at their French vineyard-estate Château Miraval. She wore a veil emblazoned with doodles by their six children. 'It does feel different,' she told Vanity Fair shortly after. 'It feels nice to be husband and wife.' Yet two years later, the dream was over — its collapse sparked by a now-infamous bust-up on a private jet. Within a week of that, Angelina had filed for divorce, alleging in court papers that Brad, in a series of drunken rages, had attacked her and 'choked one of the children and struck another in the face'. Her lawyers later doubled down on the allegations, stating: 'While Pitt's history of abuse of Jolie started well before the family's 2016 plane trip from France to LA, this marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well.' Brad's actions on the jet were later investigated but he was not charged. Nevertheless, he has since said that his heavy use of booze — which he later gave up — had a negative effect on his family life. As for the years that followed, it was, until recently, just never-ending mud-slinging and legal attacks. The former couple were locked in a bitter dispute for years surrounding the sale of their Miraval estate, as well as the matter of custody. Even today, despite signing off their divorce, details over Miraval are still murky, though it is believed Brad still owns half of it, while Angelina sold her share. As for the kids, four of the six are now legally adults so no longer qualify for custody — but have evidently distanced themselves from Brad entirely. It is believed Maddox has not spoken to him for years — while last year an old Instagram post by Pax resurfaced, in which he called his dad a 'world-class asshole'. Zahara and Shiloh are also said to have ceased contact with Brad, as they both now go by the surname Jolie — Shiloh even filed legal documents to make it official. At this point, only Vivienne and Knox are believed to have any contact with their father. But while Brad has seemingly lost the most from the Brangelina divorce, he looks to have had the biggest bounce-back. Just look at where he stands today — at the age of 61, with the world still at his feet. Despite all the drama and acrimony around his collapsed marriage, his reputation seems untarnished. I guess I'm in transition as a person. I feel a bit down these days. I don't feel like I've been myself for a decade, in a way. Angelina in 2023 Undoubtedly, there must be pain behind the scenes when it comes to his estrangement from the children, but he has played down any notion of enduring trauma. Brad said as much in his recent interview with GQ magazine, claiming the divorce, after all the drawn-out wrangling, was not 'that major of a thing'. He added it was 'just something coming to fruition, legally'. Angelina has remained silent since signing on the dotted line, but she has previously hinted at the chokehold that their fractured relationship has continued to have on her. In 2023, she told Vogue magazine: 'I guess I'm in transition as a person. I feel a bit down these days. I don't feel like I've been myself for a decade, in a way.' Her life has been solely focused around her kids, and they are — by all accounts — her greatest joy. That has been clear enough whenever she has walked the red carpet in recent years, always flanked by at least one of her children. Still, it's her priority as a mother that has also kept her undercover - and stuck in a city she hates. Last year, she complained that she was forced to stay in LA, where Brad is based, while her twins were still underage. 6 Brad with girlfriend Inés de Ramón Credit: Rex 6 Angelina was snubbed by the Oscars for her role in Maria, as opera singer Maria Callas 'I am here because I have to be here from a divorce,' she told The Hollywood Reporter. 'But as soon as they're 18, I'll be able to leave. When you have a big family, you want them to have privacy, peace, safety.' Snubbed by Oscars The subtext is that she neither feels privacy, nor peace, nor safety in her current surroundings. As for her acting career, she's tentatively dipped her toes back in - but the actress has failed to match the blockbuster success she had in the nineties and noughties. There's a reason Angelina is still single, and it's not for a lack of men lining up to date her A source We're told her performance as opera singer Maria Callas in last year's Maria was supposed to be her big comeback, but while she earned a Golden Globe nomination, she was snubbed by the Oscars. And rubbing salt into wounds, Brad's career continues to go from strength to strength. In 2020, he won his long-awaited Oscar for his role in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - proving that Hollywood held no grudges towards him amid his and Angelina's war of words. He's since seen box office success with Bullet Train, while early critics who have seen his new movie F1 say it's the 'perfect summer blockbuster' - adding that Brad is back on top. The optics are that - while Angelina is stuck, Brad is soaring. And the same rules apply when it comes to romance. For his part, Brad is now happily shacked up with jewellery designer Ines de Ramon, 34, and the pair live together in his Los Angeles mansion. Meanwhile, Angelina hasn't dated anyone publicly since splitting from Brad. Ange is not in the same place as Brad since the divorce, even though she is over him. She's focused on her children, finding peace and keeping her life private. Source close to Angelina As our source explains, she's prioritised her kids and career over romance. That doesn't mean she's not over Brad - it just means that, having been burned before, she's unwilling to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. 'Ange is not in the same place as Brad since the divorce, even though she is over him,' they said. 'She's focused on her children, finding peace and keeping her life private.' Another insider recently weighed in, 'There's a reason Angelina is still single, and it's not for a lack of men lining up to date her. "Fact is, she keeps them all at a distance because she's so terrified of getting hurt again the way she did with Brad.' Needless to say, this year is a pivotal one for Brangelina. It's now been 20 years since they went head to head as lovers-slash-enemies in Mr & Mrs Smith - before reality dramatically imitated art. Now, the divorce is final, the Brangelina era is over, and it's time for both to move on. Brad may be several steps ahead of his ex, but - with another movie, Couture, in the pipeline, as well as a successful clothing brand, Atelier Jolie - there's every hope that Angelina will reclaim her place in the limelight. For the moment, it seems she's biding her time and counting down the days until her twins turn 18, and she can make some big changes in life - including leaving LA. In the meantime, we're told she's happy surrounding herself with a 'very small circle of trusted friends' and keeping any dating options on the back burner. That former wild child may have baulked at the lack of her headline-grabbing antics, but the bottom line is Ange will always choose peace. Once a hellraiser, she then went through hell. And as the trauma subsides, she's licking her wounds and biding her time. And rubbishing any idea that she needs a man to make things better.
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Wales Online
Fundraiser in memory of Race Across The World's Sam Gardiner hits £10k to help others with syndrome
Fundraiser in memory of Race Across The World's Sam Gardiner hits £10k to help others with syndrome Sam Gardiner, who competed in the BBC One series alongside his mother Jo, died after a car crash last month Sam, 24, died last month in a tragic car accident (Image: PA Media ) The family of Sam Gardiner, a contestant on the BBC One series Race Across The World, has expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love and support, following his tragic death in a car accident last month. They have also thanked those who have donated to a fundraising campaign set up in his memory. Sam, 24, competed on the show alongside his mother, Jo. In his honour, the family launched a JustGiving page benefiting National FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), which has already raised over £10,000. In a heartfelt message, his mother said: "We have been overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of messages of love and support on social media and in comments to press reporting. "We would like to thank the BBC, Studio Lambert and everyone at Race Across The World production, fellow contestants and fans of the show for all their support at this terrible time. It has been very comforting to know that Sam touched so many people. "I have been particularly moved by all the messages that Sam was an inspiration to many who have been impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder." Sam famously appeared on the BBC hit show alongside his mother, Jo Article continues below As Sam's adoptive parents, they had faced the challenges of his FASD diagnosis together, and his mother added: "National FASD helped us on that journey. If some good comes of this tragedy, it will be that FASD is better understood." The accident occurred when Mr Gardiner's white Volkswagen Golf R estate veered off the road, rolled, and landed on its side. The tragic incident occurred on the A34 in Gatley, near Cheadle, on Monday, May 26. He succumbed to his injuries three days later, as confirmed by his family last week. In March 2020, Sam and Jo embarked on a journey across Mexico and Argentina for the second series of the BBC show. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter Andrew Gardiner, Sam's father, shared: "When the news broke last week, friends asked how they could help. "After some thought, I decided to set up a JustGiving page to raise money for National FASD in memory of Sam. The page is called Sam Gardiner; Super Human. "I set the target at £500 thinking a few friends might be generous enough to make a donation. So far it's raised 20 times that. It's very humbling to see the RATW family rally to this worthy cause." The National Organisation for FASD, according to its official website, "provides support to people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, their families and communities, campaigns to raise public awareness, and promotes relevant policies and practices". FASD, as described on the website, results "when prenatal alcohol exposure affects the developing brain and body. It further explains: "FASD is a spectrum. Each person with FASD is affected differently. ""While more than 400 conditions can co-occur, FASD is at its core a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. All people with FASD have many strengths. Early diagnosis and appropriate support are essential, especially for executive functioning. " A post on the official National FASD Instagram account read: "Sam lived his life full of love, exuberance and adventure as seen on BBC's Race Across the World. Article continues below ""National FASD is both humbled and honoured to help carry on his legacy via donations coming from hundreds. ". A private funeral service is scheduled for later this month. Find out more about the fundraiser here
ITV News
10 hours ago
- ITV News
More than £10,000 raised in memory of Race Across the World star Sam Gardiner
The family of Race Across The World contestant Sam Gardiner have thanked people for donations to a fundraising campaign set up in his memory. The 24-year-old from Manchester, who competed in the BBC One series alongside his mother Jo, died following a car crash in May. A JustGiving page launched in his memory by his family, in aid of National FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), has so far raised more than £10,000. His mother said: 'We have been overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of messages of love and support on social media and in comments to press reporting. 'We would like to thank the BBC, Studio Lambert and everyone at Race Across The World production, fellow contestants and fans of the show for all their support at this terrible time. It has been very comforting to know that Sam touched so many people. 'I have been particularly moved by all the messages that Sam was an inspiration to many who have been impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. 'We adopted Sam and he was diagnosed with FASD. As viewers of season two will recall, this was a big challenge both for Sam and for us as his parents. 'National FASD helped us on that journey. If some good comes of this tragedy, it will be that FASD is better understood.' Sam was driving a white Volkswagen Golf R estate when it came off the road and rolled before landing on its side. The accident happened on the A34 in Gatley, near Cheadle, on Monday 26 May and he died three days later from his injuries. Broadcast in March 2020, Sam and Jo ventured across Mexico and Argentina as part of the second series of the BBC show. Mr Gardiner's father Andrew said: 'When the news broke last week, friends asked how they could help. 'After some thought, I decided to set up a JustGiving page to raise money for National FASD in memory of Sam. The page is called Sam Gardiner; Super Human. 'I set the target at £500 thinking a few friends might be generous enough to make a donation. So far it's raised 20 times that. It's very humbling to see the RATW family rally to this worthy cause.' The National Organisation for FASD says on its official website that it 'provides support to people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, their families and communities, campaigns to raise public awareness, and promotes relevant policies and practices'. The website also describes FASD as resulting 'when prenatal alcohol exposure affects the developing brain and body.. It says: 'FASD is a spectrum. Each person with FASD is affected differently. 'While more than 400 conditions can co-occur, FASD is at its core a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. All people with FASD have many strengths. Early diagnosis and appropriate support are essential, especially for executive functioning.' A message on the official National FASD Instagram account said: 'Sam lived his life full of love, exuberance and adventure as seen on BBC's Race Across the World. 'National FASD is both humbled and honoured to help carry on his legacy via donations coming from hundreds.' A private funeral will be held later this month.
