Nigel Planer, with whom I’d worked at EMMA Theatre Company, called me to say he’d got a slot singing on BBC Radio 4’s Wednesday morning chat show, Midweek, and asked if I’d like to partner him as a singer/songwriter. Of course, I said yes. After our first broadcast, memorable for the disdain on Kingsley Amis’ face as we played our little ditty about a unisex hairdressing salon, Nigel decided it would be a one-off for him. The producer, Ian Gardhouse, was willing to keep me on, so I ended up writing a song a week for the next few months. To ring the changes, I wrote a song for Nichola McAuliffe to perform. It was called Tell Us Another, Miguel. And there was duet for myself and Fiona Mathieson, about a middle-class couple on a camping holiday.
The usual host of Midweek was Russell Harty. When he wasn’t there, Ned Sherrin was. Then there was a period when they had guest presenters, the jolliest of whom was the actress Sylvia Syms.
Midweek and its Friday equivalent, Stop the Week, eventually disappeared from the schedule. Start the Week is, at the time of writing this, is still hanging on in there.
