Blog 45! Selfie with Sir Michael Parkinson! A huge day for Fly FM news!

Hi guys,

Yesterday was massive for both myself and my colleagues in the Fly FM (Nottingham Trent's student radio station) news team. It was the official opening of our brand new student union building which holds a new sports hall, 100 station gym, a dance studio and a 30ft climbing wall. Along with this it holds a 2,400 capacity nightclub venue, a radio station, meeting rooms and over 900 flats for students to live in. Obviously it was a major upgrade to the university and it was great to have Lord Sebastian Coe and Sir Michael Parkinson come to the brand new building to officially open it.

As part of the news team I was blessed with the opportunity to interview the legendary, Sir Michael Parkinson a massive figure head in the world of Journalism. Obviously this was a great honour for me and I could not help but be slightly star struck when meeting him. He was a lovely, welcoming guy who is very genuine and funny. It was an absolute privilege to meet him and interview him along side Capital FM East Midlands and East Midlands today.

As a team we also got an interview with Sebastian Coe who was also extremely friendly and interesting.

The interviews/ Tv package will be up shortly and I will post the links on my blog sometime this week/early next week so keep your eyes peeled. I will be playing the audio from my interview with Parkinson on my Fly through lunch show 1-3pm (Friday 21st March 2014) so tune in at: www.flyfm.co.uk/player to hear it.

It was by far the highlight of my journalistic career so far and a day I will never forget.

Until the interview here's a few pictures from the day including a selfie with the inspiring Sir Michael Parkinson.

Enjoy!

Cya Soon,

Alex :) x

Blog 44! Week in the field! Capital FM East Midlands

CAPITAL FM EAST MIDLANDS

Last week (Week beginning: 24th Feb 2014) I made my way to Capital FM East Midlands to work as their second reporter for the week. I have to say it was one of the most incredible weeks and I learnt so much! 

Of course I was nervous on the Monday. Upon arrival at the studio I was greeted by the news team. Everyone was extremely friendly and I was chucked straight into the deep end, being sent out to Nottingham's Old Market Square to record Vox Pop's relating to the government debating the price of holidays during school holiday's. It was a great feeling to be holding a Capital FM Microphone and be associated  to the brand. I got back to the studio to be taught how to use Burli (The editing software used by the news team). I then met the presenters of the drive time show, Tom and Claire, which was amazing, as I listen to them regularly so to meet them was very exciting. 

 During the 5 o'clock bulletin my edited vox pops were played which was extremely cool!

The rest of the week was amazing and I was given some great interviews to do. Some highlights were: 

• My interview with Team GB's short track performance director, Stuart Horsepool about his reaction to the winter olympics and his teams performance. 
• My interview with Geoff Huckstep - Chief Exec of Nottingham Arena and the National Ice Centre. 
• Interview with a local councillor about apprenticeships. 
• My interview with Doug Skehan, a Consultant Cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
• My interview with a Police commissioner regarding relationships between the police and young people in Derbyshire. 

All of these interviews were a huge privilege for me and gave me some real experience of writing questions and conducting a good interview. I learnt a lot whilst in the field and it has made me even more hungry for a career in Journalism. 

On the Friday I recorded a demo in the Capital Studio of a news read, having guidance and tips on my technique which was invaluable. I think I have improved considerably because of this help. 

Overall the week was incredible and one I will always remember. I have learnt so much and feel a much more confident and capable reporter because of the support, guidance and responsibility I was given whilst at Capital East Midlands. I would like to thank the news team for taking the time to show me the ropes and giving me the opportunities during the week. 

If you would like to hear my interviews or demo's from my week at capital they can be found on my Mixcloud by following this link : http://www.mixcloud.com/alexanderblakemore/

My interview with the councillor and the police commissioner will be going up very shortly as for legal reasons I had to wait for them to be aired on Capital before I put them up. 

I hope you enjoy listening to the work I did at Capital East Midlands and as ever feedback is more than welcome. 

I'll be back soon. 

Leaving you with some pictures of my time at Capital, mostly selfies :P 

Cya Alex :)

Blog 43! BRAND NEW lunchtime radio show!

Hi guys,

Just a quick one today to let you all know about my brand new slot on Fly FM, Nottingham Trent's student radio station, starting this week on Friday 1-3pm.

Yes you are extremely lucky! You will be getting 2 whole hours of me every single Friday afternoon on Fly FM. What could be better.......???

Unfortunately the ever so popular Midweek Pick Up has been hit by the change in schedule and someone else will be taking that slot on every wednesday afternoon.  But never fear you gain an extra hour of me, with the latest tunes, chat, games and of course a sprinkle of special shows such as my successful acoustic session.

New additions include: Cupid's arrow, Dad's tip of the week, Approach Friday, Album reviews and lots more.......

So get excited, I sure am! Friday afternoon's are about to blow your mind! Tune in this Friday 1-3pm and every Friday from now on same time, same place for Fly through Lunch with Alex Blakemore.

CLICK THIS LINK TO LISTEN IN: www.flyfm.co.uk/player


Thanks guys, cya

Alex

Blog 42! Wolf Of Wall Street - Film Review

The Wolf Of Wall Street - MOVIE REVIEW

If you love a bit of sex, drugs and rock and roll, this film is for you! Grab your coat and wallet because this film is brilliant!

The plot although graphic (Hence the 18 age certificate) progresses fast which is surprising for a film that lasts 180 minutes. It is full of outrageous characters who all have the same motive money; doing anything they can to get their hands on cash. The plot has a lot of characters but in a film where you could easily get lost, Leonardo Dicaprio shines like never before in a role he was made for. If he doesn't win an oscar for this, I am afraid to say the poor guy will never win one. You feel every step of  his mental obsession with money and greed, along with the moments of madness later in the film. It is clear this movie was focused around his role and he is what makes this film one step above the rest. 

With that said, the moments of humour are well positioned and will make you crease with laughter on regular occasions. Unlike many films, The Wolf Of Wall Street doesn't force itself to be funny, creating a good balance throughout. The narrative is clear through monologues explaining thoughts and feelings of Jordan Belford (Played by Dicaprio), connecting the audience directly to the film and the character. 

There are moments in the film where you want to hate Jordan for his greed and attitude towards women, but for some reason I could not help but feel sorry for him on many occasions as his reliance on sex, money and drugs took over his personality causing his personal life to collapse in front of his eyes. In most films the good copper is usually likeable and you want him to win out in the end; but with this film I didn't want Jordan to be caught. 

It's difficult to say anything negative about this film because it is truly one of the best films i've seen on the big screen for a very long time. But to be picky, Margot Robbie (Plays Jordan's wife in the film) struggles to be believable and is outshone by Dicaprio's brilliance. Her forced accent can be irritating at times and I found it difficult to connect to her character during the film. 

I can't say much more without spoiling the film for those of you who are yet to feast your eyes on it.  It does not have long left at the cinema so I urge, almost beg, you if you haven't seen it at the cinema to go and see it. The big screen is a major factor in a film like this and it is not one to be missed! 

This film scores a solid 9.5/10 from me and is a must watch for anyone who loves a film that gives you humour, passion and a great story. Value for money and a real experience is what The Wolf Of Wall Street gives anyone! SEE IT NOW!

I'll be back soon

Alex :D

Blog 41! Acoustic session live in the studio with Josh Battram!

Hi guys,

Today was the day! I presented my Midweek Pick Up show on Fly FM, Nottingham Trent University's student radio station.

I had a live acoustic session with Josh Battram in the studio and it was incredible. If you missed out then don't worry, I have edited the best bits from the show on my mixcloud and I will put the link at the bottom of this blog!

The show was a real success and I had a large audience, so thank you for listening and giving both myself and Josh your support, it made it a great show.

There was real excitement in the lead up to and during the show, it gave me a real buzz, something which I always love and one of the main reasons why I am so passionate about radio and my possible future career.

Below are some pictures of Josh performing in the Fly FM studio, it all looked very professional!

 

It was brilliant to have some live music on my show and the feedback I received was very positive. I enjoyed offering you guys something a little bit different and I had a lot of fun during the show today.

Make sure you tune in next wednesday 3-4pm for your midweek pick up: www.flyfm.co.uk/player


In the mean time I leave you with Josh's performances in the studio today and the link to the mixcloud from today's show, which includes Josh's session and the usual fun and games.

Thanks guys :)

http://www.mixcloud.com/alexanderblakemore/fly-highlights-5th-feb-2014-live-acoustic-session/


Josh Battram performing live in the studio!

 

Blog 40! Exciting radio show on Wednesday!

Hi everyone,

This is my first blog in a while but I will be back soon when I start producing news stories again with written versions of my stories. Watch this space :p.

Just a quick one today to let you all know about my Fly FM radio show on wednesday 3-4pm UK time. This week (5th Feb) I have a live acoustic session during my show. Now this is completely different to what I usually do during my show and it's going to be brilliant. Josh Battram will be coming into the studio to perform 2 songs live for you guys so make sure you tune in.

I will also be taking pictures and recording it, so it will all be up on my blog in the coming week. He is an amazing guitarist and plays in a band in Boston, Lincolnshire called Scapa Flow. It's an exciting time to be doing something a bit different on my show and it would be great if you could all tune in and listen to some amazing live music.

On tuesday (4th Feb), a video of world record week will be going up on the Fly FM website, showing me taking part in the baked beans challenge. I had to eat a can of baked beans as quick as possible and I have to say I aced it. Something to make you laugh on a tuesday evening.

The link for my show on wednesday is as follows: www.flyfm.co.uk/player 

The link for the video is: www.flyfm.co.uk

I hope you enjoy my show on wednesday and you are able to tune in, it's going to be brilliant.

Once again thanks for you support as always

cya soon,

Alex :)

BLOG 39! Fly FM!

Hi everyone,


Just a quick one this morning to let you know about my new Mixcloud page, which I will be using to upload podcasts and the latests highlights from my Fly Fm radio shows.

I will be back with another blog from 6th December, once I have met my first uni deadline. Sorry for the lack of blogs recently.

So for now follow the link below and listen to my latest Fly Fm highlights, certainly worth a listen.

 http://www.mixcloud.com/alexanderblakemore/

cya

Alex :)