Therapy For Me

Time disappears for me on a Saturday morning.

I like to be out for a run around the seven thirty mark, which means that the alarm is usually set for between six and six thirty, so I can start the process of recording the weeks TFM. In theory that should be enough time to record a c.20 minute podcast, make a brew, write the notes and get myself ready.

It's currently 07:38 and I have got this far. I have managed to lose fifteen minutes listening to Tenacious D and a further five minutes just faffing. I have also taken the top of a small scab on my left forearm, which is gently bleeding toward my elbow.

There is a good chance it will be gone eight before I am pounding the pavement, but I do now have a brew on my desk. There is still a good chance something else will throw me off task before I hit send.

Stay safe.

The Day Before You Came - Pulp

Wicked Game - Tenacious D

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 26th January 2026

OK so this is a very particular phenomena to mention, but there is something about that first blast of UK air when you get off a plane that is really quite reinvigorating.

It is probably down to nothing more than the welcome release from the stale air of the aircraft, but when I was met by what was comparatively fresh and chilly air as I stepped into the air bridge, it didn't half hit the spot. And I got a second chance to enjoy it as the lift doors opened onto the multi-storey car park.

Of course by the time I reached Sheffield, and it contained a fair dollop of driving rain, and I was feeling the temperature differential from SoCal quite acutely, it had lost some of it's initial appeal.

Stay safe.

Ride on Time - Black Box

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 19th January 2026

Friday Night.

I have just collected some take-out food and returned to my hotel room on the top floor of the Sheraton Park Resort, to eat Spaghetti and watch The West Wing. After three days of meet and greet I am spent, I just want be quiet for a while.

The Friday 'night-in' has become a regular feature of this trip over the last few years, and it is neccesitous if I am going to get through the last of the working days. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of people here that I have come to know well (and care about) over the years, but I need a few hours to regroup.

I will be fine by the morning. One more day of back-to-backs (starting with a breakfast meet at 07:45) and that will be it for another year. I do enjoy this show, but for now I am grateful for the space and the wise words of Jed Bartlett.

Stay safe.

Free Fallin' - Tom Petty

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 12th January 2026

As an addition to the bit about things that we just pass-by all the time without really noticing, I went to Milton Keynes this week (go with me on this) because I had been asked to speak as part of a panel discussion on Music Education.

Anyway, I stayed at the Hilton hotel which is incorporated into the Stadium MK complex, the homes of the MK Dons football team. Because of the nature of the development the entrance is a fairly small and basic, with just a Reception Desk, a sort of gathering space with a few chairs and the lifts. It starts to open out on Floor Two, when you get the first of the restaurants, a bar area, some meeting rooms and the gym (as well as the first of the bedrooms).All perfectly predictable then, until you get to floor three which just comprises of bedrooms.

What I wasn't expecting was the fact that it does a complete loop of the football pitch, so whichever way you turn as you leave the lift, and provided you don't turn back) you can keep walking until you have been around all four corner posts and arrived back at where you started. There are also a number of windows along the route so you get a great view of the playing surface and the stadium itself.

Now I have driven past this building on a number of occasions, and eaten in the restaurant, and yet I had no idea about that part of the design. And looking from the outside you equally probably couldn't have worked it out. Pretty cool, eh.

Stay safe.

Anxiety - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 5th January 2026

Two things to quickly mention before you listen to this week's TFM.

Firstly I managed to get myself confused by songs, so instead of The Who track that I mentioned you are getting the Robbie & Kylie track that was actually playing in my head. I think the confusion comes from the final line of the chorus which does actually say 'the kids are alright', even though the song title is more to the point.

It's not that I have a problem with The Who, but that track isn't one that would ever loop in my subconscious.

Secondly I have just found an enormous hair growing from the top of my ear, probably getting on for an inch in length. Now I have been in a few social situations this week and either nobody spotted it (unlikely) or nobody pointed it out. I was more than a little distressed at my need for an overdue aural manicure, so please...if you spot misplaced and (frankly) rampant follicles on a friend or colleague, gently let them know. They will thank you, I promise.

Stay safe.

Kids - Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 29th December 2025

I have got a little bit reflective and a little bit sentimental this week, but I guess that is only to be expected as the old year finally turned.

And even though I only finished recording a few minutes ago, I am already thinking of the things that I missed out of my 'off the cuff' countdown of the best, and most memorable bits of 2025. Now normally I would be kicking myself at the omission, but actually I am taking the positives from the positives that I missed, and choosing just to smile.

However you choose to do it, thinking back on the good times is well worth it.

Stay safe.

This is the Time - Billy Joel

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 22nd December 2025

I am going to split Christmas 2025 into three categories, the more, the less and the same.

In the more bucket we have family cultural experiences, with the triple whammy of the cinema, the theatre and the panto in a five day period bookending the big day. I would also throw into the more pot, jigsaw-time, food-prep and possibly running.

The consistent category is food and drink, no question. The annual appearance of the cheese board has been most welcome, and there has been very little in the way of intake discipline since Christmas Eve. Slightly more red than white, equal parts savoury to sweet.

And the less has been screen time, scheduled group TV moments and snoozing. I don’t think I have had one nap this time around.

Oh and matching Christmas Pyjamas, at no point has this even been considered, as an insta-moment or as going-out attire.

Stay safe.

The Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 15th December 2025

Technically speaking the actual song title for this is Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast, but I have taken a little artistic license for the episode naming just because it's my podcast, and I can.

I make no apology for banging on about this incredible songwriter, or indeed for reminding you that her winter album Strange Communion is the only thing you should be listening to for the next week or so. It remains an incredible collection of songs, and the fact that it can be revisited every year at this time, and still have the ability to knock me (or indeed anyone) right over is all you need to know.

So apropos of nothing, other than we are just about to hit the 21st, I present to you the studio version, and a lovely live take on this song.

Hopefully I will see a few of you before we get to the 25th, but if not I wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas x

Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast

Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast - Live at the Jazz Cafe

J Sheekey Restaurant

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 8th December 2025

I was somewhat taken aback this evening, just at the point when I was about to enjoy one of the traditional kick-offs to the festive season.

Our local Lidl has recently had a facelift, and as part of that process the magazine stand has been placed in the entrance. As such, and as we were walking out, I happened to notice a cardboard display freshly stacked with copies of the Christmas TV & Radio Times. Huzzah!

Obviously I scurried back inside with a virgin copy of the Festive RT, and headed to the new collection of self-checkouts tills, which were another feature of the recent works. Now this is pertinent because it meant I was about to make a purchase of a single unit, and in doing so I couldn't escape noticing the price of said item.

Clearly of late I must have procured my RT as part of a wider supermarket basket, because I am sure I would have passed comment on being asked for £6:50 for my piece of festive nostalgia.

When did that happen?

And before you say it, yes I realise I am starting to sound like somebody of a certain age, but even so, six and a half quid for the Christmas Radio Times...

Stay safe.

Train in the Distance - Paul Simon

Recipes that have taken Social Media by storm

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

W/C 1st December 2025

The eldest has asked for a first pair of running trainers for Christmas, and after taking him to Up & Running for some cheeky gait analysis, we settled on a pair of Hoka Clifton 10s in a light green finish (I think the decision has been based on the aesthetics of the shoe in question, but they do also provide the required support).

Unfortunately it's a range that Up & Running don't carry so we ended up getting them for Run North West, and when they arrived I noticed a nice postcard in the top of the shoe box. Anyway it has been sat on my desk for a couple of weeks, and as I was moving stuff about I happened to notice that it had been handwritten with a message from Tim, wishing me well with the shoes.

Now I like stuff like this, I think it is simple but very effective, and it prompted me to call the RNW number and let them know that everything had arrived safely, and that I really appreciated the time, care and attention they had taken with my order. And as you might expect the person who took the call was equally lovely and appreciative of the feedback.

It really isn't that hard.

Stay safe.

Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits

Jason Isbell Martin Acoustic

Therapy For Me (or TFM as I now refer to it) is a bit of an audio curiosity. It started out as a mechanism for me to clear my head, with the hope that by saying stuff out loud it would act as a little bit of self-help. It's remains loose in style, fluid in terms of content and raw - it's a one take, press record and see what happens, affair.

If you want to keep in touch with TFM and the other stuff I do then please follow me on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or Patreon. Thanks for getting this far.

Sra