How Grimmy can save Radio 1

Hola. Hope you are well.

I read an article recently, looking at how Grimmy (Nick Grimshaw) can attract young listeners to Radio 1.

This interested me because I have a foot, loosely in both camps. As I am sure you’re aware I prongcast (podcast to most people) under the name 3Prong Attack and for the last 4 years I’ve worked in a Secondary school, working with 14,15,16 year olds, an age group Radio 1 would covet.

Thanks to Google and me having my first and surname on my ID badge, some of the children were able to track down my prongcasts. This meant that despite having what could be described as a niche audience, a large percentage are teens. So if Grimmy really wants to boost the number of young listeners to his show, he should take a job working in schools. That or get a well paid job judging talent on X Factor.

Til next time, be nice to each other.

@anunknowncomic

 

The world is my Oyster

Hola. Hope you are well.

Not Friday gone but the previous Friday, my Oyster card stopped working. There was no build up to this, it hadn’t for example been malfunctioning, it just stopped working.

As I was at a train station, I sought the advice of a couple of officials. The man at the gate, tried my card by pressing it against the card reader, it didn’t work. I could have told him that, in fact I did tell him that. Then he looked at the card and said there was a little crack at the edge, he bent it a bit to prove the existence of the crack and then explained that this was why the card wasn’t working.

Both the official at the gate and the woman behind the counter said I needed to go to an underground station where they would be able to exchange the card and transfer the money I had on the broken card to the new one.

The nearest tube station was one stop away, but in the opposite direction to where I live. I go to buy a single ticket for this one stop and get told it would cost £2:20. That’s Two Pounds and Twenty Pence for one stop. I decided to use my contactless credit card as an Oyster card, which brought the price down to £1:90 (sticking it to the man).

At the underground station, I explained to a different woman behind the counter that my Oyster card had stopped working and that I’d been sent here to exchange the card and transfer what money was on the broken card. The woman behind the counter told me, “They don’t do that any more, I’d have to ring the Oyster people and they’d sort it out.”

I was now, still without a working Oyster card, further away from home and £1:90 down (advantage the man). Under these circumstances I thought the best thing to do was to buy a new Oyster at £5 and top it up by £10 so I could get home. On that journey home, I got to thinking this was the Northern Gods getting me back for mocking the Manchester summer in my previous blog post. You may think I’m paranoid but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

Til next time, be nice to each other.

@anunknowncomic

Should you have time to spare, have a listen to my comedy prongcasts (we’ve just done our 100th)

Grey skies and downpours

Hola. Hope you are well.

I went back to Manchester for a few days during half-term and maybe I’ve been living in London too long (I have) but it was noticeably colder up North. I wasn’t without blame, I travelled inappropriately, I took my summer jacket and only had one layer of clothing. What was I thinking, you can’t dress like that in Manchester when it’s only the end of May. I should have expected the grey skies and downpours. The rents cheaper though.

Whilst in Manchester I saved my books (How to Dump your Girlfriend) from being thrown out by the publishers. I now have about 40 of them in my possession. Whilst carrying the heavy bag of books and about to board a bus it did cross my mind as to whether JK Rowling has to do this kind of thing?

With my knowledge of Supply and Demand (A-Level Business) my concern is that with people knowing about the existence of these additional books, it will bring the price down. Although with them currently selling on Amazon for 1p that may prove difficult. Please Note: the postage & packing is £2:80, which makes me think I should have got into postage & package rather than writing a book.

Also on my week off I joined Facebook. Future historians will look back and find I was the last person ever to join Facebook. In the past I’d steadfastly refused to join but now you can add Facebook to the list of things I said I wouldn’t do but have, which currently includes moving to London. At this rate, this time next year I’ll be married and supporting Man Utd.

Til next time, be nice to each other.

@anunknowncomic

If you have time, have a listen to my comedy prongcasts. Cheers