Neil Gits A Pair Of Lodgers

My house is a small one, just two bedrooms – well one and a half really, the smaller one having quickly become a store room for all the clutter that I am “thinking about” chucking away or maybe selling online. If my son should suddenly decide he wanted to move back into his old room, he would of course be welcome, but it might take him a couple of days to find his old bed underneath the bags & boxes of stuff !!

The garden is however a different story. For years it was a disgracefully neglected mess as I neither had the time or the know-how to look after it, but after I used some of my mum’s inheritance to have it cleared and install fake grass, I have surprised myself how neat and tidy I’ve kept it out there. I’ve mentioned in passing before about the bird population in my home town, which I’ve discovered more & more of on my walks on quiet days, and it is clear that the area around my house is “Pigeon Central”. This possibly started around 10 years ago when a previous neighbour moved in with a loft at the bottom of their garden which didn’t stay long – and I think the birds are all distant relatives trying to trace their long gone family home !

Now two of our feathered friends seem to have taken up residence in the trees at the rear of my house and I am sure they have built a nest in the middle, one of the birds constantly flapping around hunting for bits of food and “construction materials” whilst the other one permanently sits at home keeping things warm & tidy. I am no ornithologist but I reckon I have a mummy & a daddy pigeon getting set to produce little baby pigeons soon !

I might not know much about birds, but I do pride myself in having a good knowledge of music, especially the soul, jazz-funk & disco era, which I like to share with you live on Gateway every Monday evening. It might be a timeless favourite old track from your younger days, maybe a lesser known song by one of the scene’s much loved artists or possibly a nice tune by someone you were previously unaware of that sounds just as good as the old classics. Take a look at the latest playlist and see if anything catches your eye, then visit our ‘Listen Again’ page to hear how it sounds …

The Tunes – Monday 17th February 2025

Equals – Funky Like A Train
O’Jays – Sing A Happy Song
Windy Karigianes – Falling For You
Whispers – In The Raw
Whispers – Rock Steady
Luther Vandross – Speak Your Love
Anita Baker – Body & Soul
Debarge – All This Love
Jean Terrell – No Limit
Detroit Spinners – Rubber Band Man
Circle City Band – Magic
Tapestry – Life Is What You Make It
Sunny – Doctors Orders
First Choice – I’ll Stay Right Here
Blackbyrds – Rock Creek Park
Imagination – Changes
Down To Earth – They Wanna Be With You
Four Tops – Seclusion
Atlantic Starr – You
Al Jarreau – All Or Nothing At All
Steve Shelto – Don’t You Give Your Love Away
Kool & The Gang – Big Fun
Extra T’s – ET Boogie

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” !