To celebrate my 20 years at Radio 2 (visit the website at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2) a month off seemed like a good idea – and was agreed by the management rather too easily I thought; without a murmer of protest, in fact. Call me indispensable! But where to go and what to do? In the end I thought of our cousins across the water in the USA. They’ve had a bit of a raw deal lately and to prove that we love them deep down, I thought I would go over and press the flesh and contribute to their economy. Now, it’s a big country –so where to start? Why not go for the real US, the bit where no one really goes?So that is the plan: to live the American dream with a long road trip just like the films (but not "Deliverance"). I’ll be in LA for two nights, pick up a convertible and then head for New York by any route. I want small town USA with its diners, dive bars, and cheap motels with buzzy neon signs. For added excitement I am going by myself, so there is less chance of falling out with a mate and being found months later in a shallow grave near Woonsocket! I also hope to be the first person to visit America and lose weight in the process.
Alex presents his weekday programme on BBC Radio 2 between 02:00 and 05:00.
"It’s the best time of the day" says the Dark Lord. And it is for a growing army of night time people and 'halflings' - those whose wakeful periods coincide with some, if not all of the show.
Described variously as "surreal, bizarre, hilarious and unfathomable" the programme sets out to do what no other programme does - entertain with an eclectic mix of music including selections from Alex's personal collection, his spare bedroom , and a unique take on the world at large.
Where else would you get music from The Tubes, Muddy Waters, Sonny Rollins, and Loretta Lynn mixed in with all the usual Radio 2 favourites?
For more information about Alex's programme, visit the Radio 2 website at bbc.co.uk/radio2