A night with the relatives and some photo's from earlier

...passed off peacibly enough, I was able to take a couple of shots in black and white, and like the one of everyone playing 'deal or no deal'.

I'm always amazed at the beautiful photo's I see on the web. I need to do some research I think!

Jack, as ever playing silly beggars

A very rare moment of Jack, sitting still

I have no idea what Harry's doing here!

Dad, concentrating

Deal or no Deal?

I've been podcasting two years today!

My mate; Geoff, who has been listening almost since show no. 1 sent me a lovely message:

Hello Paul It's Geoff, long time listener and friend.

I just want to wish you well on your anniversary.

What a year mate. ... You don't exactly lead a boring life do you:You co-founded podcast user magazine at the start of the year - A magazine that is doing brilliantly and will get even better next year.

You've co-founded the UK podcasting association with Dean Whitbread.and organised and MC'd a podcasting conference.

And even with all that going on you still make the time to produce a great podcast and even start another one, the broadcasting lawyer, which I also wish you well with. Paul, You have given so much to the podcasting community - thanks alot fella

See you soon.

Geoff

I'm actually not really planning to do a show tonight, I've loads of relatives around for a do we're putting on here. Sue has been frantic in the kitchen and we'll be tidying around like dervishes in a short while.

I may get the MP3 recorder out if there's anything decent to record but guess I'll be making small talk most of the evening - you know relative things... "ooh hasn't he grown?" etc. etc

On another note, I've been issued with a great new phone from work - A Vodafone V1240 / Smartphone.

I'm knocked out by the amazing portability of the device. There's a great MP4 recorder / MP3 player along with Wifi / MS Outlook and all the other great stuff you get with a Windows mobile machine.

I may well be using the video capability - now I know how to use it. Keep your eyes peeled!

podcast144 - the famous Whisky tasting bonanza with Adam

Download Podcast Paul Podcast 144 right here

Last night, Adam and I held our annual whisky tasting evening - something we've been doing for years now, we even broke tradition and let the girls join in.

listen to the evening right here.

Incidental music from Curandero, courtesy of Magnatunes.

PODCAST 143 28th December 2006.

Download the MP3 podcastpaul (28th December 2006) 143 here

podcastpaul podcast 143 early hours of 28th December 2006.
intro music - Adam Woodall Band - Runaway
Altarmotive - Blame (PMN)
Ages since I did a Podcast Paul show - look out for the Broadcasting lawyer - will have it's own feed, should be great - thanks to Steve Lacey for his comments. There definitely will be more Steve, it's a promise.
Really needed this break - wonderful to recharge the batteries. Back on 2nd - straight in - court at 10.15am. Jan already mental.
Carribean in Feb - married 20 years. That's a murder and an armed robbery here.
Paul Rose: My Life - direct from Paul Rose, thanks mate!
May have heard my comments on Adam Curry's show about some idiot who did the "Jesus Interview" - a great thread on either www.teaandpodcasts.com or www.nationalgrid.net
World Records -
Cockroaches eaten and bra's unhooked - I kid you not!
Rubbish world records... where do they get them from?!
Adam Woodall Band - Runaway
Shopping today - busy! Some folks got up at 5am - why? I lounged in bed 'til 10!
Great film - saw tonight: A night at the Museum; Ben Stiller, Ricky Gervais, some gorgeous brunette with an Italian name and perfect teeth and some other folks. I didn't even fall asleep!
German pregnancy crisis...
I've been podcasting 2 years on 30th December 2006!
A very peaceful Christmas and prosperous New Year to you all.
God Bless.
Al Stravinsky - Looking for my voice (PMN)
Send an email eh? It would be lovely to hear from you all. paul@podcastpaul.com







.

A day at the Sales in Birmingham

Today was apparenty the busiest day of the year for retail shopping.

I did rather well with a lovely new suit, a couple of pairs of trousers, a bos CD set and a new camera..

Here's a couple of shots of Birmingham at its busiest.

There's something about crowds of people that fascinate me - I've no idea why.

As busy as Birmingham is, I love the place. I've no idea why. I've lived here all my life and can't think I'd ever want to live anywhere else... apart from Swaziland...

Now that's what I call percussion...

This is great, a cross between Kraftwerk and Changing rooms...

Christmas morning with the Nicholls clan

At the time I am posting this, this needs to be processed on You Tube.

Here's some footage of early christmas morning at our house... that's VERY early morning..

A Lawyer's Seasonal Greeting.

Please accept the following seasons greetings ,wishing you all :
1. an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all; and
2. a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.
3. By accepting this greeting you are bound by the following contractual terms:-
3.1 This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal;
3.2 This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration will be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged;
3.3 This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to actually implement any of the wishes;
3.4 This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishor;
3.5 This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first;
3.6 The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor;
3.7 Any references in this greeting to "the Lord", "Father Christmas", "Our Saviour", "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer" or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged;
3.9 This greeting shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Sue treads the boards

I do hope this works!

Sue said she always wanted to work in theatre. Wonder why she ended up in education?

Broadcasting Lawyer, show no1.

Download the first Broadcasting Lawyer Broadcast (MP3) right here





Welcome to the very first Broadcasting Lawyer - absolutely no stuffiness here - just informatve light hearted chat and some informative banter.


Today I speak to Peter Jones, managing partner; Smith Jones about some of the funnier sides of law.

Another day.... another show!

One of my favourite podcasts is Betty in the sky with a suitcase. I love that show. I have no idea why people don't tak about Bet's show more. Basically, Bet (not her real name) is an airline stewardess who takes her mp3 recorder to work and gets stories from within the industry. I'm hooked, I really am.

Bet's format is so good, it's real everday folks from within the industry talking about weird, funny, and interesting stories from within the airline industry.

I've thought about this for an age. I'm definitely going to do a show about law - a behind the scenes show. It'll develop and morph as time goes on, I'm sure.


I went into work, mp3 recorder in hand to get some law stories and happened upon Managing Partner extraordinaire; Peter Jones. Pete and I work together at the smll Warwickshire branch of SmithJones, Solicitors.


Have a listen to 'Jonesy boy' wax lyrical on a couple of stories. Something tells me he may feature quite often on "The Broadcasting Lawyer".

I've a number of great folks I plan to speak to, including a couple of Judges, a silk (that's a Queens Counsel to us peasants) and a number of other great and interesting people.

I'll be looking topically at current affairs from time to time and how the law plays it part, explaining and unravelling law in plain English - and doing the lot in a pretty tongue in cheek, informative way.

Law is a fascinating, brilliant subject and isn't beyond the reaches of ordinary folk, because ordinary everyday folk figure more and more in this wonderful profession.

If you have some questions or problems you'd like me to address, mail / comment me anonymously or by ordinary course of mail / comment.

Watch out for the first webcast (note the shift from 'podcast') shortly....

my mum would be proud....

Good old Radio Times! My mum and dad bought this when I was a kid and there were only three channels on the black and white television we owned.

Thanks to Adrian for pointing me in the direction of this - Radio Times apparently does a 'good podcast guide' and I figured alongside Sowerby & Luff and Wiggly Wigglers - both great podcasts in their own right.

The review reads:

Podcast Paul (aka Paul Nicholls) is the perfect modern British podcaster. By day he's a lawyer, but by night he's a silky voiced chat lothario and music maestro.

Every week since 2004 he's haunted the airwaves with an entertaining combo of swishy talk and easy listening unsigned rock, pop and folk. It's like Jeremy Vine left BBC Radio 2 and went solo. This week, for example, Paul unravels the life and death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, alongside an interview with and live performance by a band called Slashed Seat Affair. Where else but on the internet can you hear such contrasts?

Jeremy Vine eh? Bless 'em.

Actually, well done RT - not one of the usual daft big commercial podcasts figures there.

what part of "No Entry" don't you understand?!

I love this!

Having driven around manchester recently, it is a VERY good idea to obey the road signs....

Podcast 142 My birhday, The exporation of Britcaster, and a whistle stop tour of 1967

Download the MP3 file here Podcast 142

- Show notes for podcastpaul podcast no. 142
- podcastpaul podcast 142
- My birthday today!
- PMN: Happy Birthday; Catalonia (PMN)
- I was born on 15th December 1967 at 8pm GMT.
- I'm 39 but I feel like I'm 18. 18 with 21 years of experience...
- Brian Jones (Stones) Guitarist escapes jail (Jagger and Richards were in court in May earlier)
- De Gaulle blocks Britain's introduction into the common market
- The Six day war in Israel
- Brian Epstein found dead, aged 32.
- Very low key affair, yet Sue had a great big bonanza.
- My wonderful present from Adrian. I wish Texan bars would come back - and the liqouirice twigs. I love space dust and lemon sherbets.
- You just have to listen to the Britcaster send off, everything that John Buckley touches is brilliant. It's great to hear such a cocophony of people I know and respect in one bumper sitting.
- Robin McKelle: Somethings Gotta Give (PMN)
- The forums continue. Check them both out. Check out particularly the ADD thread which is incredibly insightful on Tea and Podcasts. What is ADD and how does it affect folks? Is it just a trendy label, or something that really can cause problems?
- Music: I feel fine by Chew my tongue. (PMN)

Happy Birthday to me...

I'm 39 today.

It's funny, but at this age I just can't get excited at all about birthdays, they're milestones that come and go. I know Sue wants me to ceebrate my 40th in style, and I'm sure I will, but I really can't muster up any enthusiasm at the moment as I'm so tired.

I broke up from my part time post grad uni course last night and have to say that it was not before time. Virtually everyone was flagging and desperate for the short break. Next year is packed with al manner of assignments, mocks, exams, electives and so on.

My thoughts constantly wander back to Swaziland and I'm beginning to understand why now. These folks have so little and because they have so little, life isn't that stressed in the main. Obviously for the poor and unfortunate kids who are poverty stricken and living under the shadow of AIDS, that is a sentence hanging over them - however, the joy, smiles and simple living seem such an attraction and what life is all about. I yearn to get back to Swaziland and feel a real pull in my heart to get out there and do...something.

The daily stresses of life over here regarding trivial matters are beginning to gnaw at me - even the salacious newspaper headlines and trash tv that want to draw us all in over tit bits of pointless gossip over c-list celebrities. Life is about so much more and the fog we find ourselves in hides the real joy of simple things.

As another year has crept on so insidiously, I feel I must do something about how tired I'm feeling. I have real problems with my sleep and tests conducted in the last year revealed some alarming things about my sleep apnoea. I apparently died three times in the night I was monitored! This isn't so rare, but I never get the sleep I need and am constantly restless and hence constantly tired. I used a CPAP machine to help me sleep for a week or so a few months back and the results were amazing. I'm waiting for a machine now through the local hospital, but it looks as though I may well paying for it. That needs sortig quickly.

Another thing that needs sorting is my weight. I looked at some photos from podcastcon and couldn't believe it was me staring back. Listen out for a podcast about this over the weekend (or even tonight) about this.

And... Adrian Pegg. Bless him. What a darling. Adrian sent me a parcel through the post of the most amazing stuff. A company by the name of " A quarter of..." send out sweets (candy) from our past. I opened a parcel to reveal a big box of masses of old fshioned sweets. Lemon sherbets, balck jacks, Gob-stoppers, milk teeth - you name it, they're all in there.

Thanks Adrian for really making me smile, and for being so thoughtful.

A miserable bloke called Les?

I seem to be a regular theatre buff at the minute. I went to see Les Miserables in London yesterday.

I have to say that I was huffing and panting about going as I didn't want to see the production. I really thought this was going to me a prentetious load of twaddle that was a bit up it's own bum.

How wrong was I? I was spellbound. The story and plot was intelligent and moving, the music amazing and the sonogs ( a couple of which I knew enough to hum along too) were exceptional.

Vive La Les Miserable! I could really become accustomed to this Theatre lark... now wouldn't it be great to hear a podcast behind the scenes at something like this? Is there such a podcast available I wonder?

podcastpaul podcast 141 Paul and Sue's Big weekend way in London

Listen to the MP3 direct from here


PodcastPaul 141 5th December 2006

Grown up music and chat from grown up independent producer; Paul Nicholls in South West Brmingham,
England.

music from pmn

Paul and Sue's big adventure in London... some podcast chat and finally putting things into perspective.
So Easy - Laurence Elder
Firefly - Kevin Burdick
Going Home - Laurence Elder
My little boy is 6 tomorrow. Thinking of Swaziland..... The politics in British podcasting is boring and needs putting into perspective. The various podcast groups are good - but we can allow them to be divisive if we're not careful. I'm probably the worst offender
Thanks to you listeners... you're the ones that REALLY matter. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to have a voice - and to listen as much as you do.
Please send mail and audio feedback to paul@podcastpaul.com
.

Community spirit and an open letter

I have been away for the weekend in London and just twenty minutes ago switched on my laptop to a staggering array of emails, messages and suchlike.

I'm priviliged to say that I was one of the very first podcasters in the UK, right back in the heady days when the code had just been formulated, there were no real aggregators, no Itunes and just lots of excitement at a new medium that was set to dominate.

Then there was the idea to set up a community - I'd been talking about that for ages, I purchased www.podpub.org but was plased to hear that a new forum was being set up - Britcaster was born and what a great place that was / still is. Still is for the next two weeks that is. I learnt less than half an hour ago that this is to evaporate on...my birthday. I feel really sad - it's a place I've visted near daily for the last two years. I've met some great people on there and made some great friends.

Why? I'm grateful for the hard work of Jen and Neil Dixon, but have to ask why the forum is going? What possible purpose other than lack of time to moderate is the reason? If this is the reason - we can find moderators. I think I'm perhaps well placed to ask the quesion as I've invested so much time and effort there over the last two years. I think I've earnt the dubious mantle of having the most posts.

Rather than allow a wonderful community to die - I ask in an open letter here for Jen and Neil to allow the forums to remain open, I'm happy to pay the continuing subs for the domain name. I don't care who 'owns' it - Neil and Jen, why not retain ownership? Problem solved.

It's often been said that Britcaster was never a commercial venture and I'm pleased about that, it would be a tragedy to see something that was and is such a great community benefit to be anything else than that, and we've had the reassurance it's not anyway.

It's great that there are a couple of other forums already, but, I'd ask folks just to sit tight and wait so that we can see if we can keep the original name that most of us know and love in situ. There's no hidden agenda, no side-swipe. I'm just saddened at the fact that a whole community could fragment in two weeks. The celebration of the community was Podcastcon 2006 - and yes, I'm definitely going to continue this. I think it's important that the conference should be organised independently at grass roots level.

Back in the day when this whole thing started, there were no networks, names, clubs or badges. Things evolve and as well as I understand this, I would urge people to stay in community and not to run in disparate groups. UKPA was an idea to forge community and some have embraced it, some not, I can't understand those who haven't embraced it, but I respect their point of view. Similarly, Podshow have some folks, some not. If you're not a UKPA member, no worry, respect those who are. If you're not a podshow artist, again, respect those who aren't, and if you aren't, respect those who are. The truth is that both UKPA and Podshow have some great podcasts - and some naff ones too. There are no kite marks of quality: your meat may be my poison and vice versa.

Whatever network, group, or club you're in, if you are involved in this wonderful media, please, continue to talk to each other and remember we're still all in this together.