This is it!

I have been overwhelmed by the beautiful cards emails and letter that you lovely listeners have sent to me on my last day here at Solent. Thankyou so much. You are as I always knew, the most generous and giving of people. The way you have shared your hopes and fears, your laughter and tears, have made me feel very privileged. I have had the most briliant time here at Solent and I know you will make Katie Martin equally welcome.
I am excited about going freelance and I am sure I will speak to some of you again!
Watch on your TV's for me, on your radios, you never know where I will pop up (hope my agent is reading this!!!)
Meanwhile, God Bless and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year
Bye bye from me, Mr M Min and India! xxx
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I am revealing Mr M!

And I have been overwhelmed by your kind letters and messages wishing me well in the future. One of the things I am always asked is who is Mr M? - so as I am heading into the last week here at Solent I thought I would show you a piccie of my gorgeous man who has supported me so much.

Min and Indie are coming to meet me after the show to do some last minute Christmas shopping which I am really looking forward to. The tree is up and decorated and I am starting to feel very Christmassy and looking forward to seeing what is in my stocking!

Have a great weekend

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I'm decking the boughs and all that

think we will go and get the Christmas tree this weekend. Feels cold enough and the lights have gone on in town so it feels the right time. Finding the Christmas decorations should be intresting - I know they are somewhere in the cupbaord under the stairs but not sure where! Bought India a little reindeer to hang on their tree and have decided to buy one new one for her each year, as we were talking today and saying how the different decorations often have memories attached to them.
Loved the piece today about 'shapewear'. It seems that most women are not all they seem at the Christmas party and the peeling off of shapewear at the end of the evening could result in a whole different person beng revealed! And as for the man who called and said he knew where you could buy padded pants... well is there something you need to tell us or is just a weekend thing....!

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My announcement!

I announced on air today that I intend to move on from BBC Radio SOlent at the end of the year. It has been a really difficult decision to make, and when I was on retreat earlier this year it gave me the space to think what is next. I would like very much to do some more theatre, and continue broadcasting in some form. When you are doing a five day a week show that is more difficult. I have had the most brilliant time at Solent because you listeners are very special people. The stories you have told me have moved me, but most of all made me feel incredibly privileged that you have shared them with me. The funny times, the sad times and the laugh out loud times are all down to you.
Thankyou so much!
Mr M has been driven mad I am sure whilst I have been making this decision so I would say to anyone waiting for Mr/Mrs Right they are out there and I just feel so blessed that he came and found me!
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Switching on the Christmas lights!

Some of you may be doing exactly that this weekend so I am going to be joining you by switching on the lights at Byron Road in Barton on Sea on Saturday at 6.30 - they have a fabulous display so I am very much looking forward to it and to meeting you there. Wrap up warm and come and join in!
My daughter has just sent a photo of India going to meet Father Christmas - she is 3 now and just at that age when she understands more about FC> But the look on her face is priceless!!! She is obviously not quite sure and there is a sense of 'I'm a toddler get me out of here'!!! I am sure she will warm to the jolly man in a red suit once she sees the presents under the tree!

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Children in Need Day

has been great fun and I started the day by going to Bournemouth University and joining them in their 24 hour Jugglathon. I am the most uncoordinated person but with a little practice managed what could be loosely described as a juggle. I then met the boys doing the rowathon and very unfairly interviewed one who had just done hundreds of miles on the rowing machine and expected him to talk! Hundred of people today are making sure that a lot of people raise as much money as possible for this very worthy cause.
Tomorrow morning I am opening the Shop til you Drop Christmas Fair at West Hill Park School at Titchfield, so if you are around come and say hi at 10 o'clock. Looking forward to it!
Mr M and I are then going to see Min and Indie in Brighton - India has promised we will get to ploay dolls houses again!
Have a great weekend
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We shall remember them

I stood in Watts Park opposite the studiotoday with many others to commemorate the eleventh hour of the eleventh month proudly wearing my poppy. I felt really sad that today my father would not be able to do the same, so I did it for him too. I am very proud of what he did in the war, and now he has dementia the time for him strangely has gone back to those days and he will occasionally come out with memories of Bomber Command. Isn't it odd how this disease means that the present is not available but the past comes flooding back. Many of the old soldiers standing there proudly today you could see in their eyes were doing the same. As two children from a local school placed the poppy wreath down, their memories will be of the more current war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The outcome sadly the same, and like you I am sure that you shed tears when we saw the news and six more brave soliders came home.
If you didn't get the chance at 11 o'clock today maybe just take two minutes after reading this
Lest we forget
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We are on a long weekend!

So lovely ALina Jenkins will be here tomorrow. We are going to London for a long weekend. I really want to see the Christmas windows and the lights. I always think that if you leave it any later than this you can hardly move on the streets. I also really want to see an exhibition at the National Photographic Gallery and as I haven't been since I was a child maybe get to to the Natural History Museum too.
Have a fab weekend and see you on Monday - I'll let you know if I got any bargains.
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So what do you think?

Dr Robin Pauc joined me in the studio today to talk about debunking the myth of dyslexia - he feels that it is something that if caught early on in a child's life can be changed and dramatically alter the child's difficulty with learning. He is endeavouring to ensure that each child is given the right eye test including looking for convergence insufficiency which means that looking at the written word is difficult. He reckons that parent power should do it but he is also lobbying government to have things changed. He is always a fascinating guest and perhaps you have thoughts on this?
We had a lovely weekend and visited a friend in Sussex and then saw Min and India. India is now at the age where she loves playing in her bedroom and each time I arrive she will drag me upstairs to play dolls, or bricks or to read. This weekend we cleared out the dolls house and gave it a spring clean and she rearranged the funiture which ended up flat against each wall of the house - well, left lots of room for dancing!!!
Sunday rained and rained so I did some more clearing out and put away the summer clothes whilst Mr M did some work. Ho hum - thermal vests soon!!!
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Clocks back

means less light in the evenings so we made the most ofthe beautiful day yesterday and walked along the canal in Romsey. Pat called the show today and told me that all Romsey roads have some form of water parallel to them! It was a lovvely walk but at one stage we did have to stop
to ask 'excuse me where are we?'!
We had been to Gunwharf on Saturday and my advice would be go early as we went at lunchtime and there were big queues jsut to get into the car park. The friend that met us went on the train which I think was a great idea.
Sunday evening we went to Evensong a the Abbey which was beautiful as it was the Patron Saint Ethelfraeda day and the choir was amazing. Mr M sang Hymn 150 particularly well all the way through which was great except everyone else was singing Hymn no 208!!!


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It's Friday!

and that means the weekend is nearly here hoorah! I am meeting Min and India to go early Christmas shopping at Gunwharf Quays tomorrow which I am really looking forward to. Strangely Mr M thinks he will be bored doing shopping, so has found important jobs to do! so I am also meeting with an old school friend and her daughter who is expecting her first baby shortly so I am sure we will all go and coo at some very small clothes and fluffy toys.
I rememebr the last time I went to Gunwharf was to do the whole show from there and it absolutely tipped down all day so I am hoping for better weather tis time!
Included Mr M on my Song for the School Run dedication today - it was Truly Madly Deeply and he heard it and text me to say 'that was lovely'. So the power of radio and all that! remember you can put your dedication forward for the song which we play at 3.10 every day - go on make someone's day!
Delightful to meet with the children of Halterworth School in Romsey this week and see what great fun they are having with their very own school radio - I was interviewed which was very strange being the other side of the microphone - a talented lot!
Have a great weekend!
Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

One man went to mow....

and all his mates joined him! I was talking about whether there should be a time when people are allowed to do DIY; strimming; chain sawing etc at the weekend - interesting results from listeners! Perhaps you have further thoughts!
We had a lovely day out in Salisbury on Saturday - Christmas shoppers are definitely out in force already! So we decided to look for somewhere to eat outside town and just did that 'let's just follow our nose' thing', which ended up with us travelling three miles down a dirt track before we both looked at each other and said ' do you think this IS a road ?'!!! I don't know where we were but if you live somewhere on the outskirts of Odstock and saw a car driving across your land we apologise!
India's hair has grown long enough for plaits! Min sent me a photo on my phone which is when modern technology really makes my heart leap. She was telling me about it and then there she was on my phone! Brilliant! Reminded me of when my older sister said that what she really wanted for her birthday when she was 6 was plaits! She had short hair at the time!
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Our show today

talked about changing a baby's nappy on a pub table - would you go up to that person and ask them to stop or would you go and tell the landlord? The calls ranged from 'how disgusting' to perhaps there weren't facilities in the pub and if we encourage children and families we have to provide the right changing room etc. This led on to should children be allowed in pubs still? Should this still be an adult place or should just one day be set aside for children to join their family in a pub/restaurant? Your thoughts please!
This weekend is looking like a bright one and we may even treat ourselves to a weekend away!
PS the dummy fairy has arrived for India's dummy (on her 3rd birthday) and I had a crying grand daughter saying 'the dummy fairy can take the chocolate and sweets and pennies she left and give me back my dummy please!'
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India's birthday party

went really well and she is a real little girl not a toddler any more! I am hoping to get some piccies on to Facebook of the day very soon. She was very confused as her actual birthday was on Monday so when I rang to sing Happy Birthday on Monday she said no it was on Saturday!. She got an enormous trampoline with a net around it for her main present and I am sure will get many happy hours out of it. She got so many pressies that in the end my daughter put some aside and opened them later in the day.
Mr M and I went walking along the Test Way on the Sunday, timed really well just before the rain came. It is such a beautiful walk, we are so lucky in this area to have so many lovely walks. We had a gorgeous pub lunch by a roaring woodburning stove and it made me realise that winter is nearly here. That cold start to the morning when you dash out of bed and grab a dressing gown has started, and the evenings a really drawing in and it is a case of making sure I get some daylight with a quick walk after work.
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Jelly and icecream!

We are really looking forward to India's 3rd birthday party tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed for weather that is good enough to go on the trampoline that is one of her presents. Must remember to wear a sports bra! She is book mad so as well as a smart new pair of wellies, and a swing we have bought her lots of books including a compendium of Bob the Builder stories as she is mad on him and Charlie and Lola. Reading out loud is such a joy especially when someone is so appreciative.
Have a great weekend - I'll have a slice of birthday for you!
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180! ( said in a sports reporter type voice)

Yes indeedy, last night saw the somewhat frightening return for me to a game of darts. Not put off by my fearsome 'I used to be in a darts team' comment, Mr M bravely took up the offer of a game of darts with me. The only thing was we had both forgotten our glasses and what happened next was alarming to say the least! Luckily there was a large tyre like thing around said dartboard which meant that anyone sitting nearby was at least safe. And yes, he beat me. By one shot I would add. Hilarious!
WOnderful to see my girls at the weekend after their lovely holiday in Tenerife. India and I went to the beach and played running the waves which eneded in us both getting absolutely soaked! It's her birthday party this weekend and she made me laugh when I said I think there is somebody's birthday soon who can it be and shouted 'Gran it's me it's me!!!!' Really looking forward to it. Can't believe it's three years since I was in that delivery room with my daughter - amazing!
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So what do you think?

On the show today we asked the question about whether women should be given more community based services instead of prison sentences because their families' lives are so affected by their stay in prison. This would only be for non-violent crime. I would welcome your thoughts on that. Or should it be a case of you've done the crime you pay the time regardless of your sex?
Looking forward to seeing my girls this weekend when they return from Tenerife.
I am also going to ask Mr M if he drives leaning towards the gear stick as I asked you on the show today - I keep seeing men driving like this! Or is it a female thing too? Or do all women drive very near to the windscreen?
Have a great weekend
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Good to be back!

Had a lovely week off and got lots of jobs done. Also had root canal work done on my poor tooth!The girls are still in Tenerife, and Mr M was working so I did things like laying reading in bed for longer than normal, meeting mates for supper and had a wonderful day in London on Wednesday. Difficult for Mr M who kept saying 'alright for some' as I sat in the sunshine! Travelling on the train up to town made me laugh though as I always seem to get the person who takes up the most room on the seats. I had a man who spread his legs as wide as he possibly could and I was pinned to the edge of the seat! Anyway does anybody's bottom really fit on those new seats (please lie and tell me no!).
At the weekend we decided to investigate some of the countryside near us and found a beautiful pub in Houghton and sat and enjoyed the sunshine. An evening with Johnnie Walker at the Salisbury Arts Centre on Saturday night, which was fab, and a lovely walk along Calshot Spit ended my weeks leave.
Hope you are all OK and enjoying the Indian summer.
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The weekend's here!

and I am now on leave for a week. Debbie Thrower back in the hot seat - make sure you make her very welcome again! I have got lots of jobs to do whilst I am off so am looking forward to getting a few things done around the house and generally relaxing. Might even do a bit more baking as I did some rather lovely fairy cakes last week which fed me, the neighbours and the ducks very nicely thankyou! Mr M is working so I will be trying to do something edible for him in the evenings too. Either that or like the advert that first came out for Bird's Eye buying something and saying 'of course I made it myself!'.
Here's to a week of Indian Summer sunshine!
See you Monday week - take care
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Hi there!

Back in the hot seat having satved off a nasty sinus infection and a tooth abcess - still think I have to have some dental work done - yuk! Good to be back and was pleased today to do something on the benefits shake-up. How do you get back into work if the job you are going for will pay you less than you get being on benefits? A hard decision for some people and in these times of recession with more people unemployed even harder to decide whether or not to take that lower paid job. I was heartened by John's call to the show which said that volunteering meant that he now has a new career as a teacher, as he went into a college to help out, they spotted his potential, he went for training and now he does something he loves. Sometimes we have to think laterally to get on in the job market. Mr M has been lovely with me whilst I have been ill and I fell in love with him even more when he was changing my bed linen and I couldn't find the matching pillowcases, such a silly thing but it made me cry and I went into the loo. When I came back all the bed was done, with pillowcases (matching) and the bed turned down ready for me to step into gorgeous clean linen sheets. Isn't it silly how the smallest of things can make your heart leap for someone all over again!
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