Living The Dream..

Greetings & Welcome to my latest blog post...Its certainly been a while since i last put a blog post together & dear oh dear has there been a lot of water under my bridge...To tell you the truth i wouldn't know where to start...Best i just press on with this and leave what's happened in recent months firmly in the past as i move forward at break neck speed in my life.

Do you believe dreams can come true??? NO seriously do you??? I'm not talking about dreams of winning the Lotto & having thousands of pounds in the bank to waste on material things like flash cars and life in the fast lane...I'm thinking more on the lines of your innermost desires connected to your passions in life..Things you think are a million miles from reaching THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN the dream becomes a reality....ANYWAY as you've likely read in my previous blog posts i'm one lucky lucky bloke...One of my dreams became reality back in november last year in Tottenham.

Since that awesome night down in London Town as i've said above there's been a lot going on in my life...Zooooooming back a little to last friday night and i was sat up in the small hours putting my playlist together for the 10th time at least.....That's the crazy thing about music...You get the opportunity to share with the listeners some of your favourite choons but when you've got so many it's a nightmare trying to pick around a dozen plus a few in reserve to squeez into a one hour slot on a live radio show....Zooming forward to saturday morning and i'm all sorted and ready to make the trip down to London to the RHYTHM 365 RADIO studio to do my slot on DJ Mz Diverse's afternoon mix & blend show.

Although feeling very confident i could do a good job on my way down to London on the train, Once i got my feet on London soil i started to feel the butterflies as well as the excitement building...Once i'd met up with DJ Mz Diverse i felt more at ease as we travelled, chatted & laughed our way over to the studio in Balham in south west London....Upon arrival we were greeted by top DJ JB (Joseph Barzey) who was winding up his show before we were let loose to broadcast all over the world....DAUNTING THOUGHT INNIT when you think about it...

3pm arrived and DJ Mz Diverse introduced me to Radio legend Mr Tony Williams (a true honour) before getting the broadcast underway in her own unique style...I was introduced to the listeners and we discussed my love of music and in particular Reggae Music and how i became so passionate about it and everything associated with it from an early age...Time went so fast as we laughed, danced and had a truly awesome time  in the studio...SUDDENLY it was my time to shine...MY DREAM WAS NOW REALITY and i grabbed the bull by the horns and gave it my all with a few introductory words of welcome before letting my first selection go for the world to hear......

A great choon to start with i think you'll agree and it set the mood for some amazing choons from my vast collection of reggae, lovers rock, soul & modern soul...As time flew by i became more confident despite a few minor hitches and with the amazing DJ Mz Diverse close at hand i was flying high on the adrenaline buzz and kindness and appreciation shown to me from the listeners in the chat room who were interacting with each other as well as us in the studio.

Above is the short video my wife recorded back home in Great Yarmouth of me in full flow as i'd dedicated a song to our daughter Victoria who is a huge Michael Jackson fan...Time once again flew by so quickly & as one of the listeners in the chat room was the one and only AUDREY SCOTT i'd decided earlier to choose this choon especially for her after exchanging messages on Facebook as she'd not been too well lately and wished her a speedy recovery DJ Reggae Richie Styleeeeeeee...she loved the selection and if you give it a listen below i think you'll agree its a lovely lovely choon.

After a few more choons my segment was coming to an end very quickly so i simply had to play my favourite choon of all time and yes you've guessed it as so many people know including Audrey Scott, This choon means so much to me and has so much significance in my life and how i've loved hearing it in the good times and as much as i love it, simply couldn't listen to it in the bad times...To me this is the best choon in the world and i make sure everyone knows that and that Audrey Scott is not only an amazing singer but also an amazing lady who truly cares about the music industry and her fans she readily accepts as her family.

My segment complete, i hand back over to DJ Mz Diverse to let loose with her fine selections and crazy funny personality...She kindly offers me the final ten minutes of the show and i grab it with both hands without  any hesitation....The show now complete at 6pm i'm buzzing like a bumble bee...Wow i mean WOW what an awesome experience for a novice DJ and the feedback just kept me flying higher and higher...I'd like to thank Mr Tony Williams & DJ Mz Diverse from the bottom of my heart for making MY DREAM COME TRUE and massive thanks to all who listened and interacted with us during one of my finest hours...I'm still flying high right now and have been asked to return to the studio to do my own show.

Lots to think about and arrange before i return.....BUT and its a big BUT i will return to RHYTHM 365 RADIO very soon as well as take up an offer from another radio station to do a regular show...Nothing more to say really..i'll keep you all posted via my facebook and twitter accounts when i'm next on air doing my own show...See DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE AND I HOPE THROUGH THE MUSIC I CHOOSE TO PLAY  I CAN INSPIRE SOMEONE SOMEWHERE TO DREAM AND TO HAVE THAT DREAM COME TRUE.

DJ Reggae Richie 

Positivity Shining Bright On The East Coast..

January 16th 2013 and the sun is shining...No not in this picture, in my life...This picture was taken on 1st of January and although i was happy and content on that day, there were dark shadows very close...Little did i know those shadows would come to me from that day to yesterday and the early hours and come so quickly...All history now and all buried where it rightly belongs, in the PAST.

So i'm sat here typing another blog post from the heart...Positivity is shining through and i'd like to share my thoughts about how positivity and taking negatives in life and turning them into positives isn't as hard as you THINK.

For as long as i've lived in Great Yarmouth i've been surrounded by negativity...outsiders will confirm this to be true as will the more positive minded people in this town...just take a look at what has come to my blogs over the past couple of years...YES there are numerous factors why there is so much negativity in one area...i'm not going to bring all that to the fore because if you Google Great Yarmouth you'll discover the negativity and decline of local peoples morale right before your eyes...Being a native of the north east i know what true hardship is, i know poverty and living on the bread line...i know if i hadn't moved away from the north east when i did i'd have ended up in prison or dead...TRUTH.

A place where i find and see positivity is Lowestoft..a proud town and people who draw their strengths from the sea and the knowledge they see the sun before anyone else in the uk...it may only be seconds but its there and its fact...Look around the town and its pretty much the same as any other coastal town, look at the people and you'll see a mix...walk or gather alongside the people and you find unity,pride and positivity...Its something quite special to see and if you open your eyes fully along with your ears you'll detect it in an instant.....SIMPLY OBSERVE.

I  think that's my point covered today in this blog post...READ IT THEN READ AGAIN - LOOK DEEPLY INTO WHAT THE PHOTOGRAPHS SAY AND LISTEN TO THE LYRICS OF THE SONG ABOVE...Take it all in how you feel you should and if there's anything there you can relate to or anything you feel you'd like to question or comment about, please do it below and i'll happily respond to anything you ask...Remember its all about positivity and living a positive LIFE.

A Positively Awesome 1st Day Of 2013

Happy New Year One & All - Here we are well into 2013 so i thought i'd share my memories of a truly awesome day with you....As you can see from the video i was over the border in Lowestoft - Many thanks go out to Lowestoft Town chairman Gary Keyzor for his kindness picking me up along with a couple of diehard LTFC fans from Great Yarmouth - Not only did his kindness stretch to that, he also arranged to have a photograph published onto the cover of the matchday programme of myself and my soul brother Mr Suvy...Then at the end of the game he made sure we had something to eat in the LTFC social club before giving us a lift back to Great Yarmouth...Gary you are a saint, a kind man and a true gent...THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH...I OWE YOU ONE OR TWO, NO MAKE IT THREE...Anything i can ever do for you or Lowestoft Town Football Club i'll happily do without question.

                              I'll let some of the photographs i took tell the story of an awesome day

So there you have it - Not a huge blog of words this time, just pictures and a few lines....I think you'll agree a pretty awesome day...I sincerely hope your day was equally as awesome - Being with God, alone next to the sea with thoughts of loved ones past and present was a truly uplifting experience...I walked tall, smiled huge smiles and enjoyed every moment..Meeting friendly people shortly after up at the football & getting the surprise of my life when buying a programme was  a nice shock to the system....Lowestoft is a truly awesome town with so much positivity in the air and very friendly people...I think i'll just call it a day on this blog post now and quote a very famous seaside postcard quote "WISH YOU WERE HERE" to those who read this blog and shared the joy of the beautiful day with me in Lowestoft, i give you thanks......GOD BLESS & POSITIVE VIBES TO YOU ALL

2013 A YEAR OF QUIET OPTIMISM & POSITIVITY

Greetings all & welcome to my first blog post of 2013 - i must confess i started writing this post in the small hours of new years eve...Anyway its now 2013 as you read and i'm guessing most of you will be nursing hangovers from hell...You'll get no sympathy from me, been there, drunk the barrel dry and suffered the self same thing on many a new years day...However i do hope you had a great night seeing in the new year and like myself your heart and mind is filled with aspirations for the coming months.

As you can see above i've chosen a photograph i took some months ago to head this post...i just feel its a perfect way to look towards new horizons while keeping the lessons learned in 2012 and looking out to the new year and horizons only God truly knows are in store for us...I also know many of you reading have no connection with God and i won't be bible bashing or preaching what you should or shouldn't think..All i know is i truly believe in God and i know God is in my heart and mind for the rest of my days and i give thanks and prayers for all that God is to me.

So as we ease into our new year i'd like to express my sincerest thanks to all those i've met and made friends with during 2012 as well as thanking those who've been on this journey with me since the day i was born..I hope and pray you'll all stick with me as i continue my journey though life in 2013 as i'll try my very best to do the same for you...Yes there will be crossed words fallings out and differences..Thats life and sometimes in life these things cannot be repaired...its very rare for adults to fall out for life but it does happen and it happens over the silliest of things that in the big scale of things in life are pointless and petty...Lets hope there's as little as possible of this in the coming months...Best just step back, forgive, forget and move on together as one.....HE SAYS LOL - No seriously i do try my best when issues like this land on my plate...Its never easy to submit when you're as stubborn and outspoken as me, but given time i buckle and unless its something that has hurt me deeply or one of my loved ones you can safely say you're on an even keel with me and forgiveness will come with a smile and a kind word.

Now onto family matters & firstly i'd like to dedicate the above song to my wife Jayne who has been a constant source of strength to me and our daughter...She truly is an amazing woman and someone i wouldn't swap for anything or anybody on this earth and i honestly and truly mean that...We've had our ups and downs like most couples have...i confess she's driven me up the wall at times and i've thought our days together were coming to an end...However we've battled on and with the help of others and a little give and take we've become stronger..I'd say the key to our marriage and the happiness it brings is we allow each other space...We both have our own interests and we both allow each other to pursue those supporting each other along the way..Might not work for everyone but it works a treat for us...Yes we have common interests and yes we enjoy those as a couple and as a family...Nowt better in our minds than a day out up to north norfolk for fish & chips, a paddle in the sea and the joy of spending a family day together....Many challenges lie ahead for us we know, but we will face those as and when and on a personal note with my venture into the music industry i know it's going to be tough for us all at times...On the flip side of that i also know that if at any time my family are not 100% happy with what i'm doing, i'll readily put a halt to it all and pursue a different venture.....Same applies to the music business i'm taking baby steps into...If it all vanishes in front of my eyes and for instance the band i'm currently working alongside split up, its no big deal to me, i'm ready for whatever and although it may hit me hard should it come i've learned that these things do happen and there is always a fair reason behind them happening.

Time to wish each and every person who reads this blog post a truly awesome 2013 filled with much positivity love health and happiness, Coupled with the minimum amount of stress heartache distress and pain any human being deserves...Good luck to you all on your journeys through 2013 and please spare the odd pound, dollar or euro to those less fortunate in this world...every little bit does count and even if its just an hour or two doing something positive to help a charity or someone in need, please please find it in your heart to do it and do it well....That's all folks, i've nothing else to add so ill leave you with lots of POSITIVE VIBES AND HOPE THAT 2013 IS A SPECIAL YEAR FOR YOU....GOOD LUCK.

Positives & Negatives - What A Year In The Life Of A Monkeyhanger In Norfolk

Oki doki here i go again with another blog...This time its just me summing up my feelings and experiences on this rollercoaster through 2012.

This time last year as most will know, a call came out from the chairman of Great Yarmouth Town FC to help the club he'd naively taken on in the summer of 2011 - Now i could slaughter him with vicious words along with manager Mike Derbyshire but i won't...I've done all that and more and to be honest it was a waste of energy, just as GYTFC is...Yes we as a family did our bit to save the club and without our appeal through twitter and social networks, i'm sure the club would have gone to the wall...However the club survived and progress was being made slowly but surely.

One year on and after numerous headaches and heartaches i've now stepped away from the club i've loved with a deep deep passion all the time i've been here in Great Yarmouth...i've made it known to all i won't be back and it really is the end...However you never know what the future holds and i'll say this...If i'm to return i'll return as chairman of the football club and i'll take the club as far as is humanly possible because the potential is there and with the right people in place GYTFC can move onwards and upwards...under the current regime its going nowhere...NUFF SAID.

Moving on to family life...Its been a tough old year for us here at monkeyhanger mansions...money has been very tight as it has for most...we've had to sacrifice a hell of a lot this past year and thankfully we've scraped through...Jayne has had to take on full time work or face losing her job, awful position for her but she's adapted well and now thoroughly loves her work and working in a very good team that were awarded for their hard work and dedication to customer service..Quite an honour and something i know Jayne was very proud to receive...its also great that Victoria has progressed well at school and too received awards for her work and a special award from the bishop of thetford for her work in religious studies...one very happy child & 2 very proud parents...As for me in catering, its been a bit of a naff year..all was looking great in the summer working up at Caldecott Hall & plans were in place to progress the business through the winter months...Sadly due to what i can only call naive management and the failure to fully dedicate to the business and not money money money and greed it all went tits up, the bomb went off and yours truly decided after 27 years in kitchens that enough was enough and the boots went in the bin signalling an end to my time in catering...Yes it hurt to walk away from something i was truly passionate about and something thats been part of my life for so long.

Now for a few plusses...Anyone who really knows me knows i'm plain crazy about my music..Reggae, Soul, Jazz....all kinds of stuff but mainly REGGAE...The music has always been there for me, good times, bad times, sad times and when i've felt at my lowest points its done something to me, its lifted me, kept me positive and brought me back up with a smile on my face.

You all know from my previous blog how through music there was the most amazing night in London in november...Thankfully i've calmed down since then after all the highs and i've learned so much..I now know it was my destiny to be in London on that weekend, i know GOD had plans for me and through the music and the gathering of truly beautiful people i met it was then that GOD came through and through his messenger he passed the energy and fire to me to go out and do my best for the music, my family, my community & beyond...I made my promise and i intend to stick to it no matter what.....Getting back home after our trip i was what can only be described as an emotional wreck...i have never ever been so overcome by emotion in my life..it scared me because i seriously thought i was losing my mind...All the love coming our way as a family from those in and around the music business was overwhelming and very humbling...Anyway here i am with the world once again at my fingertips - i have an awesome support network of friends, a band waiting to burst onto the music scene in a big way in 2013 and its one scary scary thing to think what might happen...BUT IT WILL AND ITS GONNA BE BIG BIG FUN.

Not long now till 2013 & better times i'm sure...i won't make any wishes or set any goals..i'm just gonna plod  on and see what comes...Besides i got my biggest wish and i'll treasure that moment and the friendship built from that with those i don't need to mention because they and you know who i'm talking about...One thing you'll always get from me is honesty & loyalty and as long as you don't cross or try to hurt me or my nearest and dearest i'll do anything for anyone & i'll do it efficiently and selflessly.

Only remains for me to wish each and every person who reads this blog post a very merry christmas & an awesome 2013 filled with more positives than negatives....Last word goes to Audrey Scott as it did last year on new years eve when i said goodbye to 2011 & hello to 2012 on Facebook.....THIS IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST LOVERS ROCK/REGGAE SONG IN THE WORLD EVER & TO HAVE THE GREAT SONGSTRESS SING IT ON THAT SPECIAL NIGHT AND SING IT FOR ME IS TRULY HUMBLING AND I GIVE THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE THAT SPECIAL MEMORY POSSIBLE........GOD BLESS X

Tribute To The Queens Of Lovers Rock Reggae..

Oh my gosh where do i start here?

Ok here goes..As you can see from the flyer above and title this is going to be a blog about one of the BIG BIG passions in my life...You all know i'm simply nuts about Reggae music & have been from my early teen years listening to The Ranking Miss P on her radio 1 show and hunting the record shops of Middlesbrough for records or tapes of the top artists of the time like Maxi Priest, Aswad, UB40, Bob Marley, Freddie McGregor, Musical Youth.....The list was endless but getting hold of the records & tapes was so hard...The 1st album i bought was the one above at Alan Fearnleys record store in Middlesbrough...I'd heard this soft Reggae, LOVERS ROCK on the radio and recognised a few of the artists on the cover.......I was hooked and played the choons over and over, i wanted more, i'd been hit by something that truly blew me away.

Years passed and my tastes in music we're becoming varied and i'd dip into soul, jazz, funky stuff and chicago house music which was big in the late 80's..i still enjoyed listening to the reggae choons but there wasn't much coming through and of course there wasn't the online radio stations or the internet to hear newer stuff...Having moved south to Norfolk i would hit the many record stores hunting for reggae cd's and buying maybe a dozen at a time each week on my day off to check out and then torture my workmates with, playing them constantly at work...i needed to hear that LOVERS ROCK again i was driven to find that perfect choon i'd heard so many years before...300+ cd's later and i found it & many others i'd enjoyed & yearned to hear again.....This is that choon below.

Moving on and the internet is becoming a big part of our lives i discover Kofi is coming to England & is doing an Intimate show in London in november...I discuss it with my wife Jayne and tell her it would be the perfect birthday present if  we could get tickets and a nice trip to London to see the sights ect..We talked some more and as it was our 13th wedding anniversary a few days after the show we were set to try to get tickets...The magic started when Kofi's manager Christopher Hills informed me on Facebook he'd reserved 2 tickets for us...SHOCKED STUNNED SHAKING i thanked him and agreed to contact him to sort payment.

Ok tickets booked, excitement at an all time high, we set off for London to see the show...all spruced up in our garms we arrive in Tottenham at the caribbean edge bang on 8pm to be greeted by the manager of the venue and invited to take a seat and relax out of the cold evening chill...Time passed and various people arrived, we met Christopher Hills and sorted our tickets...Excitement by now was surreal..we moved into the function room to be met by beautifully set tables you'd normally see at a big special wedding, candles and a dj playing reggae music...Relaxing and chatting over a few drinks i noticed Audrey Scott had arrived..My nerves were shot to bits, i was shaking, totally starstruck...After a good gulp of beer i went to say hello being the friendly northern bloke i am...I approached Audrey & said "Good Evening Audrey" trembling inside..Her eyes lit up and we hugged like long lost friends A TRULY MAGICAL MOMENT i could have only dreamed of a lifetime before...Another BIG surprise was meeting the lovely Wendy Walker another Queen of the Reggae scene...I was blown away, my mind was gone...such a great honour to meet both ladies...Then i was introduced to my facebook friend via scotties music hall, Lady Roots...Wow!!! we hugged again like long lost friends...A moment i'll never ever forget..

On with the show & what a truly magnificent show from the amazing Kofi backed by Klearview Harmonix and a little later the truly awesome Alan Weekes playing jazz guitar...Check out the videos of parts of the show below..

I think you'll agree when i say truly BRILLIANT & the comedy thrown in for good measure from Felicity Ethnic was hilarious and had everyones sides splitting with laughter...Then there was yet more MAGIC and DREAMS COME TRUE as Audrey Scott was invited up to sing by Kofi...i was gobsmacked...blown away as i'd said to her i'd come to London one day to see her perform a few months earlier via facebook...To my utter amazement Audrey called out my name & dedicated her song "Goodbye My Love" to me...yes me..well that was me in 7th heaven..A DREAM COME TRUE & MORE...

After that awesome surprise and chatting with Audrey the show went on & on until the finale & boy what a finale as Kofi sang Black Pride with some wicked lines from the truly awesome Lorna G as you'll see below....We all went crazy and the atmosphere was electric.

Yet more was to come in the way of surprises as i met Kofi and yet more hugs & a chat i was left breathless, speechless and an emotional wreck in the best possible way.

So there you have it in a nutshell., DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE it may only happen once in a lifetime but if you wish hard enough you just never know...MASSIVE THANKS to Sister Kofi, Sister Audrey Scott, Christopher Hills, Lady Roots Winfield, Wendy Walker, All the truly amazing staff at The Caribbean Edge...The Warmth The Love & True Friendship shown to us from all on that night will stay in our minds forever...Kofi said yesterday "JAH" was in the room & i believe "JAH" was there with us bringing all the wonderful people together in unity to support and pay tribute to Kofi & Reggae Music.

                                                        ETERNALLY GRATEFUL

                                                          Richard & Jayne Davison

                                                                      XXX

The Great Chicken Kiev Saga...

Oooooooooo kkkkkkkkkkkk here we go again with a wee story about the humble chicken kiev and how it bacame one of my favourite things to prepare, cook and eat, with a few culinary twists and turns thrown in & some ferocious argument...Just cast your eyes on that beauty above for a few moments...delicious, mouth watering and oh so tasty (not my work sadly but i'd happily eat that plateful and ask for more)

First time i ever tasted a chicken kiev was at a great old italian restaurant mamma vittoria's in middlesbrough back in the late 70's early 80's - My mam took me and my sisters out for a special meal, must have been one of our birthdays, can't quite remember, but i do remember the warmth of the greeting as we arrived, the smells in the air you sadly don't get these days in restaurants due to air con and powerful extraction systems in kitchens...Once seated the magic started, no no listen up, its a magical experience visiting a good restaurant and when the service is spot on its an experience you'll never forget and the restaurant gets upgraded in your mind from good to great...Within seconds there was bread on the table, menus were presented to us and wine glasses placed carefully on the table...Mam ordered us minestrone soup then to follow 3 chicken kievs and her favourite steak pizziola cooked medium well and she insisted they added a little extra olive oil (their best olive oil) drizzled over the sauce smothered steak...Few moments passed and a  waiter was serving us all wine from a most unusual looking bottle (chianti) i'm sure you all know what i mean by unusual, our wine was topped up with lemonade while mam obviously had it as it came...few more minutes and the most amazing minestrone soup topped with fresh parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper was being gulped down by 3 young uns who you'd think had been starved for a week, my mam on the other hand was savouring every spoonful..Soup all gone and bread scoffed, we awaited the treat mam said we'd love....Minutes ticked by and we sat obediently as mam told us stories of her times working in sunderland in nottrianis, meeting the beatles & playing leap frog with them on roker beach and meeting other pop stars and theatrical icons from the 60's there and at a  posh hotel she worked in, in or near a park in the city centre (mowbray park i think) i say city centre but back then it was a town, massive town but still a town..The CHICKEN KIEVS appeared, the waiter had three plates on one hand, one in the other..we were amazed..it was magic, it truly was.
Food in front of us we just sat there waiting, admiring the chicken in breadcrumbs on a bed of rice surrounded by fresh carrots, courgettes, mange tout and cauliflower cheese and two spectacular walnut whip looking things i now know as duchess potatoes...mam gave us the nod and we got stuck in, my youngest sister Anthea was first to cut into the chicken.............it ooooooozed garlic butter like a volcano throwing out molten lava..more magic..Me & Paula tucked into ours and mam sat and quietly savoured her every mouthful..the whole plateful was and to my mind still is one of the best meals i've ever eaten & being a chef or should i say ex-chef i've tasted cooked sampled and eaten some amazing things over the years....Anyway meal complete we had the most amazing cassata with slices of orange in grand marnier...we left with full bellies, smiles like cheshire cats & a memory to last a lifetime.

ZOOM FORWARD a good few years and i'm working in cobbles wine bar with my old mate Funky Nige (Nigel Dring) and the manager happens to be the waiter who served us that fantastic meal at mamma vittoria's all those years ago...A true gentleman is Gianni Addis (the manager) and he taught myself and nigel so much along with the head chef colin..Anyway, his family had sold mamma vittoria's and the family had spread its wings into catering establishments all over the north east - One day Gianni asked me to go up to jesmond, newcastle with him as his brothers were opening a new restaurant Da Vinci's in what can only be described as a posh area of the city..A bit nervous but excited i agreed...best decision i'd made so far on my catering journey..My eyes had never seen pure class before, marble walls, pillars, marble tables and marble floor...i was gobsmacked...First thing was to eat, we all sat together eating a huge plate of pasta and washed down with a couple of glasses of red wine...i felt as if i'd been adopted by the family and the warmth and dare i say it love they showed to me was a nice feeling...So nicely fed and relaxed we set to prepping and putting together the most amazing feast for the v.i.p guests due that evening under the guidance of head chef Paulo, one of gianni's elder brothers..i saw food i'd never seen before but was keen to learn, see and get stuck in......First orders hit the kitchen and my job was to call out the orders and make sure every plateful served was correctly presented and garnished..quite a responsibility for a young chef...everything went so smoothly, everyone was happy and each member of the family shook my hand and thanked me....i think i became a proppa chef that night & my confidence soared thanks to the approval of some very strict but fair masters, i was paid the handsome sum of £15 for around 10 hours work and given a panettone for my mam...I was asked back to help from time to time and loved every minute serving top class food to top class people - sadly a few family disputes - no sorry all out war Sardinian style and it all became a nice memory as i moved onwards and upwards to my next kitchen with  Paulo's  the secret of best chicken kiev in my head.

ZOOMING ALONG and i'm in great yarmouth working with an awesome italian chef Pietro on king street at the restaurant formerly known as piggies (serving traditional italian food).don't ask why it was called that, it baffled me Pietro and all who worked there...Some of the best times on my catering journey were spent there, i think all in all i spent the best part of two years working there helping to build a great reputation for the restaurant with good honest food and graft all served up with passion, We had  a very fair boss who when he was there appreciated our efforts & long with Pietro i still consider them both as friends to this day & would do anything for them at the drop of a hat..

Anyway back to the chicken kiev saga, one night at the above restaurant a local gobshite chef came for a meal and tried to tell me and Pietro we knew nothing because we couldn't cook a propper chicken kiev (it wasn't on the menu) and we refused to cook it for him as he was drunk and making a propper tit of himself..that silly man don't know how close he came to two chefs battering him to a pulp & i'm pretty sure had the boss been there that night he'd have been very badly hurt...lucky man this time but lady fate was waiting to hang him.

ZOOMING ALONG AGAIN i'm sat in othello's restaurant on yarmouth seafront having just had a delicious meal and i'm chatting away to Jumbo (THE BOSS) (may god bless his soul - rest in peace jumbo you'll never be forgotten  - maximum respect)...Anyway out comes the said gobshite chef, looks at me and Pietro and asks if we want a drink and if we enjoyed our meal..being true gentlemen we thanked him and accepted...started chatting food and stuff as chefs do...........Then the BOMBSHELL came.............Silly man only decided to bring up the chicken kiev incident.....we tried to play it down but gobshite kept niggling and it was getting silly....anyway i asked him straight out how he'd prepare and serve a chicken bastard kiev..he said chicken breast, wing bone removed, bashed out and filled with garlic and parsley butter, breadcrumbed and deep fried....Quick as a flash Jumbo said that way was wrong and not the correct way, i butted in and said how i was taught by Paulo in Newcastle, the self same way served up to me in mamma vittoria's all those years befor...jumbo agreed with what i said and said along with Pietro i was spot on and they had both done it the same way in restaurants in london..THE SECRET is foie gras puree in the butter garlic olive oil and parsley filling with a very small amount of fresh oregano crumbed and fried (so now you know what thousands don't) So at that gobshite chef got angry, slammed down his drink and cleared off muttering and not happy he'd been out smarted..years have since passed and i've seen him many times in yarmouth but he wont talk to me...always looks the other way and i'm sure his heart must sink cos he truly thought he was the king of chefs in yarmouth...Give it a go sometime, do it like i say above or you could use a little brussels pate in the mix...please dont serve the shite pictured below...cos if thats chicken kiev i'm a monkeys uncle.

                                                   LONG LIVE THE CHICKEN KIEV

Well What A Season That Was...

                                                                                     

Where do i start reflecting on what has been a season like no other? Most people who know me know most of the story as i pretty much never shut up about it from saturday to saturday in the street, on facebook - twitter, on the club website despite having my accounts deleted by admin at least 6 times & blogs i've written through the season..

I think its best just to sum this past season up as the worst ever season i've experienced since watching football in the early 70's..i've seen some tough times at clubs..diabolical performances and relegations by the bucket load..yes i moan, yes i get pissed off and yes like most passionate football fans i vow to never set foot in the ground again..

One positive to come out of this season is my daughter victoria has now got her confidence back after cracking her forehead open a couple of seasons ago at the wellesley at a pre-season friendly with Lowestoft Town and being too scared to go back ..Its been a great buzz to see her enjoy herself at games and embrace the club as her own..yes she's given them hell from the east stand but today she stood as the players left the field applauding them off and smiling from ear to ear cos her bloaters had won the final game of the season against Newmarket 3-1..Getting relegated although painful and sad for this famous old club was always likely once the current chairman took over in the hot-seat..i'm through trying to tell him, he thinks he knows best so i'll just let him hang himself....NUFF SAID.

Just Like this time last year, a lot of us GYTFC supporters were looking forward to a good positive season with old favourite Paul Tong as manager & Stephen Brierley in the hot-seat...Sadly that plan all went west once Brierley was asked to step down at the clubs AGM..The scene was set from that day and as sure as eggs are eggs it all started going tits up..Tong left, the club was in turmoil after just a few weeks into this season..New manager comes in Mike Derbyshire and a new chapter started..within weeks the playing budget was axed..festering bad blood was all around the club and the atmosphere was pretty shite to say the least..

Weeks paased and christmas approached..The mouthwatering local derby boxing day with gorleston  loomed and after a good battle with them in the norfolk senior cup expectation was high..a 2-2 draw in front of the leagues biggest crowd of the season 342 should have been a win as we were the better side on our own patch..alas it wasn't to be and then THE BOMBSHELL from the chairman that unsavoury proposals and the possibility of the club folding is early january had me having one of those crazy moments i'm sure only football fans have and so SAVE THE BLOATERS was put into action..

Anyway funds were raised, the club got vital sponsorship off the back of THE HELP SAVE THE BLOATERS online campaign..word spread right round the world and to be honest i think at times i was like a zombie on auto pilot trying to take in and maintain interest in our small club on the norfolk coast..Anyway that soon passed as time does and the bloaters although safe were struggling on the field and without a win since september..Its now april 29th the club is relegated, nobody really know what the future is for the club until the AGM, various initiatives have been put in place by the club to bring in money..they are trying to maintain what is a very expensive hobby and if they pull it off it all bodes well for the future..i have my doubts  and have voiced them as is my right to do so, like it or lump it, in most things in life there are only one or two possible outcomes..live or die..We did our best to save the club, had certain idiots not stuck their noses in the club would have gained so much more from myself and my family..they rocked my boat and i dont take no crap from nobody so they lost out..

"WE SAVED THE BLOATERS YES THE DAVISON FAMILY..WE DID WHAT OTHERS WERE TOO PROUD TO CONTEMPLATE OR TOO LAZY TO GET UP AND GO FOR IT..WE TOOK ABUSE AND LIES AND CAME OUT WITH SMILES ON OUR FACES AND PRIDE INTACT & YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WE WENT THAT EXTRA MILE FOR SOMETHING WE TRULY CARED ABOUT WHEN OTHERS JUST WALKED BY AND TURNED THEIR HEADS"..

#HelpSaveTheBloaters

HELP SAVE THE BLOATERS...

I've been called football crazy many times in my lifetime and to be honest i must be, having moved to great yarmouth around 20 years ago moving from my native north east..my love of football goes way way back to the days my dad used to take me along to the victoria ground in hartlepool as a toddler, although very faint memories linger i remember my dad once telling me to tell my mam on the way home we'd beaten stockport county.

Obviously my dad has like other dads & sons had a massive influence on me loving football so much, week in week out we'd get to games at hartlepool united, sunderland, murton fc, then when we moved to belgium we'd go along to watch royal antwerp and my dads mates team (mike kear, ex forest, middlesbrough & barnsley) kv berchem sport which was our local team on the outskirts of antwerp.

Few years later we returned to the north east and often went to see middlesbrough at ayresome park..as i got a bit older i'd go along to watch dorman long fc and acklam steeworks fc..then hop over the river tees to hartlepool to see my first love hartlepool united, the home and breeding ground of true passionate support..

So i'm in great yarmouth and my local team i've supported for donkeys years is in dire straights, what can i do ? after a bit of hammer on the clubs online forum the penny dropped, no seriously it did..i got a bucket and wrote help save the bloaters on it, then cut out a badge from a match programme and stuck it on..this was now around 3am, so off i went to bed, soon to be woken by my wife jayne wondering what the hell i had planned..As i explained , she went nuts and called me crazy..i shouted back if it takes a monkeyhanger from hartlepool to save the bloaters then i'll do it..

11am myself and my daughter victoria (named after hartlepool uniteds home stadium, victoria park) and my father in law set to to raise money with the bucket a scarf and determination outside to old co-op in yarmouth market square...after mixed response and a bit of abuse 3 days passed and our campaign had caught the local media's attention.

We're now into the 2nd week of the campaign and armed with twitter , facebook and a website a team has been built to #HelpSaveTheBloaters money has been raised in a few ways, and mobile phones are set to be recycled to earn cash..By now we've been featured on the radio, in the press and with the twitter account as the main engine we've attracted world wide attention, a sponsor has now been attracted to the club, and the bloaters are safe for the short term. work must be done by the club to ensure this never happens again, its up to them now to grasp all i have done to pave the way and inspire..

Great Yarmouth Town FC the ball is now in your court..embrace me, embrace loyal fans and we will help you to prosper and rise from a very close call..my belly is full of fire again after a minor setback and upset, no thanks to those who forgot their manners (I HATE BAD MANNERS) but i'm ready to rumble because i'm football crazy.. ARE YOU ?