Monday August 19 2013 Checked e-mail in case had reply from radio about interview; did not. Looked at Chdancer’s youtube, google+ and twitter accounts. Tweeted about being invited to be on radio. Wondered again whether I have any reason to go on the radio or any reason to not do so. Went to beach and had a hard time getting into the groove. Not keen when I can hear giggling as I pass people. There was a large gathering of adults outside one of the beach huts, many of them watched me pass-by. As I continued, noticed a sole woman, seated on the sand watching me. I gave her a wave as I danced and she blew me a kiss. I continued dancing and waved goodbye and she waved back. I felt thirsty so I headed toward one of the taps. Just as I came to the fence that separates the sand from the promenade I saw a face that I recognised. “Hello,” I called out.
“Hello, Gregory,” he replied.
“Did you get my email?” I asked
“what wonderful timing I was just saying that I must reply to Gregory’s email.”
It was Chris Mower, the DJ from Hot1028 radio. He confirmed where the studio was and then explained that he would like me to come in at 12 and stay until 1, that we would chat between records. At 11 he has a local model as a guest and then a phone interview with Alvin Stardust from Belgium and then me, but the phone calls don’t always work he said. “Would that be okay for you?” he asked and I said yes. So I committed to doing the interview even though I have no real idea why I should want to do this. He said it could be the start of a new career, and I said that I wasn’t sure I wanted a career. He suggested that I let him know things before hand so he is prepared on questions. He seemed to be suggesting that I can more or less answer the questions that I choose him to ask. I pointed out that I don’t have anything to promote, although I would like to encourage people to dance.
He asked me if I had finished dancing. I said no, I just want some water.
He pointed to the crowd that I danced past earlier and he said, “We (he and his wife) are going with them on a charoty walk, if you could dance past them that would be good for me because I can tell them I am interviewing you on Sunday.” I assured him that they had seen me already. It amuses me that he was asking me to do that so he could advertise his radio show by telling them he was going to interview me. Back at the Chine I do my encore and a couple of children ask if they can join in. I say yes and tell them that they don’t have to copy me, they can do what they like, but it after a few minutes I ask them if they want to learn the steps and they say yes, so I show them in detail and explain pointing the toes and which leg. As I develop the movement I explain that it is exactly the same foot steps but I am adding extra body and arm movement, but their legs are now moving wildly because they can’t keep up the routine while trying to copy other bits. They go to eat and then come back, go again and come back. A mother with two children passes by, I smile and she asks what the music is, I ask what she thinks it might be and she says…. guess… Did you guess: Michael Jackson? You win. I let her listen and she says, “Oh, but it’s good, now I understand why you do those slow movements. I think that you are an excellent dancer.” When she said that I heard an emphasis on “I” which made me assume that there had been some family disagreement over the subject. I asked if she was local, she said yes. I told her that I was going to be interviewed on hot radio 102.8 on Sunday. “What time?” she asked. I todl her and she looked at the children and seemed mildly excited by the prospect, “We’ll have to listen.”
I replied, “Well, I may talk rubbish.” I suppose it makes life a touch more interesting having just spoken to someone who is going to be ‘on the radio’. I continued dancing till about 7.30. As I walked towards the bench a woman stepped out of a car and asked me if I would “…be doing more of that?” I said that I had just finished to which she said, “I just had a phone call and I said that I was down at the beach to watch the sea, she said I’ve been here an hour and I said that all I can see is you.” “Oh, have I distracted you?” She got back in her car and as I sat down she reversed from the parking space and moved some 5 spaces over away from where I was sitting. I take it that she regarded me as a blot on the landscape. I have often wondered about that. All those persons who drive down to the sea and sit in their cars watching the world through a windscreen, were they all cursing this old bloke spinning and bouncing between them and the waves. I prefer the women who blow me kisses. So, now I have to think about what I want to chat about on radio, and sometime I have to plan how to get there. Spent a few hours typing what I would probably say, if I remember. Another night of not getting to sleep. Up until past 3, got up and danced a bit.