Time to start blogging for good!

Hey Guys,

Long time no blogging, well it has been quite some journey in the past year and I have been very naughty not blogging throughout this as it has been the biggest roller-coaster time of my life.

Firstly the main thing is that I have finally finished at the University of Sunderland (waaaaaay) although I haven't received my mark which should be coming on the 5th of July.... Scary times.

Third year was a time of ups and downs..(mainly downs for me in some occasions) but as mine and Adem's dissertations progressed we felt that it would be a great piece of Live Radio. In which we created a culture show where we reviewed, talked and explained many of the new aspects in culture we have today in the UK.

Some of the people I would like to thank for helping with it all are:

• Adem
• Hannah Tray
• Ethan
• The Sunshine Underground
• John
• Anthony Daniels
• David O'Doherty
• Sarah Louise Dunn
• Wild Beasts
• Matt Sessions
• Olivia Leahy

And if I have forgotten you sorry, there was so much that we put into it that sometimes its a blur....

Spark FM has been successful this year, I feel we are gradually adding more listeners to the station. Although promotion has been our downfall, but this is taking a U-turn at the moment so onwards and upwards for this great community station.

Now on to even more exciting news and the reason why I'll be blogging my butt off for the next 2-3months. Now you may of been intrigued at the 'BBC Introducing' image at the top right and this is for one big reason. A few months ago I applied to be 'BBC Blast Introducing Music Reporter' (fancy title I know) at BBC Humberside which covers North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and Grimsby. I was really hoping to get through to the interview stage again, as I got through at BBC York last year but unfortunately didn't get it and I DID! I had my interview around 2 weeks ago in Hull and the next 24 hours of constantly checking my phone... checking emails... tossing and turning and eventually having a drink to calm my nerves. I finally got a call back at 9am from BBC Humberside telling me I had successfully beat the competition and offered me the position!!!!

BBC Humberside is also known for been the flagship BBC Introducing for the North with Alan Raw presenting, who then decides the bands with Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq and Bethan Elfyn for the BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds/ Reading festivals.

It will be a great experience working for the Flagship show, and also having Alan Raw as a mentor/ colleague will be fantastic as he has once worked with one of my favourite radio DJ's John Peel.

This was the best news I have had in my entire life, and now a chance to prove myself to the BBC that I am capable of working with the best.... So now I am currently doing chores until the 9th where I go down to BBC Bristol for training and officially start the day after my Graduation(which is the day after my birthday blergh bad head on graduation day) on July 13th.

I'll be interviewing, writing articles, finding new talent to come to the station... arranging sessions and prep-ping for other big things later.

So as a way of documenting my time here I decided that I'll blog each day I am there which will be roughly four times a week including the BBC Introducing show on Sunday nights.

So get reading for a great deal of content, and I will maybe do a few vlogs from some of the sessions and gigs I go to through the course of the placement...

Now to have a shower, have some lunch and plan some of the articles I want to write online.

Ciao for now!

Ross Mitchell

Sunny Sunderland!

Hey People,

Well what a nice few days we've being having in Sunderland lately, not only is it hot but its the first time people have had the chance to truly lap up some of the first rays of the Summer. So what else better to do yesterday than go to Seaburn and have a laugh with some of your mates.

First although the night before I went to see The Hangover and what a film it isoh my god some of the quotes from Alan will truly stick with me forever loved it so much... But any way Seaburn was awesome! Me, Kat, Martin and Rob met up and went to Morrisons to get some booze for the beach and then had Fish and Chips at the best place ever , Queens Cafe.
My dear lord I love the Fish and Chips their, I could eat them till I die haha but that would mean I ould have a BMI of a whale and never leave my bedroom haha!

Then we went onto Seaburn Beach and it was lovely but my god people take the sun so seriously up here! It was only 17 degrees but girls were in bikinis and lads were in shorts crazy! lol!
But after a few cans we never thought that we would see what we were going to see, which was a huge dog fight between a Greyhound and a Rottweiler, It was savage the Greyhound though was the instigator all it was doing was running uo to random dogs and barking at people it was seriously a fucked up dog!

Then the Rottweiler stood up for himself/herself good times, but then after the owners went on at each other and stated having a massive fight with each other it was sooo random but they were probably gypsies or something!
But then a Police Community Service Woman came and then I am not kidding three police cars came and around 10 coppers were their you would think that someone was murdered!!!

God...

well this week im going to get my SRA Award entries in and then get BBC Leeds to arrange a meeting, so I will be back Blogging soon but keep following me on twitter (www.twitter.com/rtmitchell88)!

Stay Safe

Ross Mitchell

Orthodonist Appointments! Why So Shit!

Hey Blog,

Well yesterday I went to the Orthodontist to get my retainer tightened to push one of my teeth up but what a wasteful trip! This is because every time I have to go to the Orthodontist I have to go all the way to Leeds from Sunderland! This means a 30 minute metro ride to Newcastle then another hour and forty five minute journey to Leeds all of which costing 35quid!!!!

Times aren't good for me and after this I think all I have in my pocket is £15 quid BAD TIMES! This is what pissed me off the most though as I got off the train at 14:55pm I then got on the free bus to get to the Dental Hospital for 3:15pm.... got their had my appointment and took 15minutes! Then got on the train back home straight after so basically I had just waster £35 on going to Leeds for around 45minutes! Its an absolute joke! I've asked numerous times 'could I go to the Dental Hospital in Newcastle?' but all they answer is no because technically your still our patient!

But I know why they keep me on in Leeds and that's because the people patching my teeth together are trainee dentists! So as im an past surgical patient who had Jaw Renlignment surgery this would be good to see from a trainee point of view but is costing me shit loads of money for them to see my misfortune of having to go through a life threatening procedure!

ABSOLUTE JOKE!

But on a plus note when I got home Kat had made me Chilli con Carne and jacket potato mmmm! Loved it then watched TV and planned what to do for my Birthday!

But today Im going to go see Transformers can't wait! Going to be staring at the screen like a kid watching TV. Then im going to chill out for the rest of the night and enjoy my weekend.

On a radio note, I managed to get two weeks placement at Total Rock Radio (www.totalrock.com), in which i'l be helping them with producing and presenting throughout which should be good fun becasue they interview a lot of top notch bands and may see if I can tag along for a few!

But now although its 11:45am and I am going to finish watching Harpers Island! Love this show!! I wonder whos going to be killed this week oooooo!

Over and Out

Ross Mitchell

First Blog!

Hey Guys,

Well this is my first blog and I wanted in some way to have something to look back on for my year of University and to have a record of what I did whilst trying to get a career.

So firstly; My name is Ross Mitchell, im 20 years old (3 weeks until im 21) and I am doing a BA HONS in TV and Radio Production and I want to a career in the Radio after University.

I have a show on Utopia FM (Now recently called Spark), in which Me and mate Mark play the best in Pop Punk and Metal. Also we get interviews by bands and love to meet new people in the industry.

I like to listen to loads of different music, and I am a big fan of sport Leeds Rhinos all the way. I grew up with Rugby with my Granddad being a professional Rugby League and playing for Great Britain and playing on Wembley!

So after this I will be posting many random things from my moods, thoughts and also my diary of Spark FMs relaunch!

Ross