Columnist Dave Swanton goes from moving house to getting a new post at Radio Leyland

Three builder’s skips have been resident on the drive at Swanny Towers as we get rid of all sorts of things that I keep asking myself, “Why did I buy this?”

Downsizing is the 2019 word for our move as our house has become too big.

The house we are buying is smaller and we are going to have the house just as we want it.

With the heart problems of last year now mainly behind me I decided to get stuck in, rolled up my sleeves and get stuck in.

Problem is though, when I found something that took my attention away, the job slowed down (actually stopped).

Old school reports, picture albums and my sporting collection.

I had also accumulated a huge number of CDs which are not really a lot of use in these digital days.

Many were shrink wrapped and were sent to the British Heart Foundation Shop in Chorley as a small way of saying thank you and hoping they could invest any monies into the great work they do.

The business I run from home is growing slowly and, whilst I no longer work at the intensity I used to, I am involved in some really interesting projects. Cricket World Cup, Rugby League, Rugby Union, football and various other jobs keeps me engaged and no two days are ever the same.

I recently left BBC Radio Lancashire after 21 years’ service as the Beeb give new talent a chance.

Good luck to them, as I was once new talent and was grateful to the opportunity it afforded me.

I built up a big audience at the BBC and the loyalty they have shown me is amazing. I am now working for Radio Leyland, which is based in the town where I grew up.

I had several offers but wanted a station that could be accessed by as many as possible. Radio Leyland ticks all the boxes and can even be accessed on Alexa. How cool is that?

I am also working with my good friend Ted Robbins as we take his life story ‘on the road’.

I do the intros and ask some questions and then Ted goes through the gears and it’s a two-hour show with a break in the middle.

Ted holds nothing back and talks openly about collapsing at the Manchester Arena as well as sharing his amazing life story and his involvement in entertainment down the years.

Many of the big guns in the world of entertainment have been spreading the word about the show and the diary is getting busy.

Back to skip filling and it’s a fine line on a ‘level load’. The drivers of the lorry that drops the skips are all different and some are more flexible than others.

I remember a time when you would put timber around the inside of the skip to give it more capacity.

Not anymore and there is a full list of what you can load in the skip.

Making the list of who to contact is difficult, too, as there is bound to be someone I forget. If it’s you, please forgive me.

I have had several debates with suppliers and I will admit I have gone into Victor Meldrew mode at times.

My internet supplier doesn’t cover the new address but want me to pay a fee to cut the current service off.

I told them ‘no’ as they couldn’t supply demand. I went through the pyramid and finally found someone who could make a decision and they agreed.

More difficult is the garden waste bin. It costs £30 a year and its renewal is May 1, however if I renew I can’t transfer it to the new property. How bad is that?

Worsened, I might say by being on hold and hearing nonstop Girls Aloud music. I asked them if they were paying royalties and had damaged my ears. They failed to grasp the humour on both counts.