Neil Gits In A Big Loop

If like me you spend a fair bit of time on the roads of Essex you will have noticed some huge roadworks taking place over the last year or so at the junction of the A12 and M25 near Brentwood. I am quite often in that area on my travels during the day but it had been hard to figure out exactly what they were hoping to achieve there … until last week !

A few months ago I did find myself going down a dip and through a short tunnel, where I used to drive up a slope to head north towards the M11. That was a bit odd, but my experience more recently was quite disorientating. I’d picked up the motorway at Thurrock to avoid some nasty rush hour congestion on the A13 on my way to to Chelmsford, but instead of dropping down on the slip road to the roundabout as usual, new blue & white signs were telling me to stay on the M25 a bit longer and travel over the junction. Before I knew it I was driving round and round in a big spiral and I hadn’t a clue whether I was heading North, South, East or West !! It didn’t help that it was dark either, but suddenly I realized I was on the A12 and back on familiar territory, no traffic lights, no queue, just a super smooth transition …

I am now looking forward to going back and doing it again – but this time in daylight. I don’t get too many thrills & spills at my age so you have to get your kicks where you can ! In the more immediate future I am looking forward to bringing you two hours of soul, jazz-funk & disco tunes from the 70s 80s & beyond on my weekly Gateway show – last week’s playlist is posted below to give you an idea of the sort of artists and music you can expect to hear if you tune in at 7pm on a Monday evening …

The Tunes Monday 24th November 2025

Gregg Diamond’s Bionic Boogie – Hot Butterfly
Andrea True Connection – More More More
Tracey Hamlin – Just Talk To Me
Kool & The Gang – Steppin’ Out
Coffee – I Wanna Be With You
Ronnie McNeir – Simply Ridiculous
Bobby Womack – Caught Up In the Middle
Keith Eatmon – I Thought About Love
September – The Lover In Me
Sister Sledge – Thinking Of You
Candi Staton -Young Hearts Run Free (Groovefunkel Remix)
Norma Jean Wright – Sorcerer
Four Tops – Reach Out (I’ll Be There)
Ohio Players – Jive Turkey
Rufus Thomas – Do The Funky Penguin
Jackie Lee – The Duck
Lance Vantile Whitfield – All Night
Michigan Avenue – All That Matters
Regina Belle & Peabo Bryson – A Whole New World
Honore – Ain’t No Substitute
Lamont Dozier – You Oughta Be In Pictures
Shalamar – A Night To Remember
MS1 Project – Positive Joy

Feel free to get in touch with your soulful request or just for a mention on the show – put a post on “The Old Gits Soul Show” page on Facebook, text (01268)833978 or message me via e-mail : [email protected].

The Old Gits Soul Show is broadcast LIVE from 7pm–9pm every Monday, repeated on Saturday evening from 5pm–7pm, on Gateway 97.8FM in Basildon & East Thurrock, across South Essex on DAB and available nationally via the Radio Player on your TV as well as online via www.gateway978.com You can listen on your smart speaker or your phone too … plus you can hear it again anytime you like via the “Listen Again” button on the Gateway website – just search “Cool Soul” !