My book, Silly Beggar: The World’s Stupidest Begging Letters, was featured on Monday’s edition of magazine show The Hour on Scottish Television. The item was the first in a series about blagging freebies. Throughout the week different approaches to acquiring items for free will be reviewed, with my light-hearted comedy approach up first. Other methods they will look at include the Freecycle project and a group called the Freegans who live on things that the every day folks leave behind (wait - isn’t that the Wombles?).
The item was introduced by two very well-known Scottish presenters: Stephen Jardine and Dorothy Paul. My interview is with presenter Vicky Lee, who visited my home to see some of the goodies I received. We discussed the book and I read a brief excerpt (although all the jokes were mostly cut out!). Even the blog you are reading right now was featured.
One viewer very kindly put my interview on YouTube, so please enjoy the link below:
As a Scotsman, I can’t help but get a thrill whenever I have the opportunity to promote the book to a Scottish audience. Therefore it gave me enormous pleasure to be interviewed on Clyde 2 this morning by the popular DJ Mike Riddoch.
This interview was quite different to many I have given recently because Mike, who had clearly read and enjoyed the book, picked his favourite emails to discuss rather than the usual companies I find myself frequently asked about. So, unusually, we discussed Angel the cat, my wife Tiffany, Felix cat treats, BT Yahoo and I found myself reading the Tetley poem to the listeners. It was a really good fun interview.
It was also great to be able to promote the book on a Glasgow radio station one week before the signing at Borders, Glasgow Fort (27 June 12 noon). I was able to plug the signing during the interview and Mike even asked me to repeat the details at the end. It was a thoroughly enjoyable discussion of the book and I look forward to meeting the good people of Glasgow on the 27th at Borders, Glasgow Fort.
FM 104, Dublin’s Hit Music Station, arranged a phone-in interview with me this morning to discuss the book. I spoke with presenters Jim and Niamh about the book, some of the wackiest blagging techniques within its pages, and the freebies I got my hands on.
Niamh revealed that she had once written to a chocolate company in her youth and received lots of free chocolate. I like her style! They asked me about the impact of the book since its release and we discussed whether it could start a blagging trend!
This was a great fun interview. From what I heard of the rest of the show it sounds like a lot of fun.
For the second time, I found myself at the impressive BBC Glasgow office. This time I had been invited to talk to Becky Want for Radio Manchester.
We discussed blagging and the book and I gave another reading of the Hovis poem. I wonder how many loafs of bread have been sold thanks to my book promotion campaign?
The interview was good fun although I was described as a Silly Billy and accused of being mean! I was even asked if I ever paid for my round at the pub. I explained that I did indeed buy a round, although I conceded that it only happened at gunpoint!
It was all in good fun, and I enjoyed talking to the good people of Manchester.
Silly Beggar made it’s first television appearance this evening on the Richard and Judy Show.
Last week, after the Daily Mirror article came out, I was contacted by the producers of the show asking if they could fly me down to London to be interviewed. Of course, I jumped at the chance.
The format of the show is such that it has a main studio where Richard and Judy interview the big name guests, and a second studio known as the ‘Star Bar’ where a guest comedian interviews the other guests. In tonight’s show, legendary comic Rowland Rivron interviews yours truly.
It was great fun to record the show and an experience I will remember for a long time. Richard and Judy even gave me some expensive toiletries by way of thanks for appearing on the show. I do love a freebie.
The good news is, a reader who follows me on Twitter had the technical know-how to put the interview up on YouTube, so I will provide the link below. Enjoy!
The people of Ireland clearly have great taste, as I was invited to appear on another two Irish radio shows!
The first was the Red Rooster Show on Cork’s Red FM. This was a really fun interview with two very amusing hosts: KC & “Lenny from Blarney”! My part was phoned in using my mobile phone, so I hope the sound quality was good enough. I was asked what the ultimate blag would be, and I said that I would love to blag a holiday, somehow. I hate to think how much buttering up would be required to score a holiday, but I do love a challenge!
The second interview was for Dublin’s Phantom FM. This was a very relaxed interview with Roisin O’Dea about the Silly Beggar concept. I discussed the book’s penguin theme (obsession?). It amused me that when I looked up the station’s website to provide a link, I saw that I was billed thus: “Plus - we’ll be chatting to James Spence, author of “Silly Beggar”, who spent a year getting by on handouts.” I did? My memory must be getting worse! I love this ‘Chinese whispers’ description of the project!
Never let it be said that I’m not a man of my word (see previous post). This morning I was invited on to the Jamie and Louise Show on BBC Radio Wales. As with last week’s Irish radio interviews, I recorded my part in a BBC recording studio in Edinburgh. This was one of the longest interviews I have done - it even took a break half way through to play some music! This gave me time to break out some dance moves, although sadly the listeners were unable to see them.
Probably for the best.
As this was a BBC interview, I was asked to avoid mentioning company names as much as possible. Listening back, you might spot how tricky I found this, given that the book is all about writing to companies! I pretty much managed to avoid mentioning too many brand names, although I had no choice about mentioning Hovis and Starbucks as I was asked directly about them.
This was a fun interview and I’m thrilled that I can add Wales to list of countries I have broadcast to! Listen to the interview on the BBC iPlayer (my interview is about 38 minutes in).
Word of the Silly Beggar project has spread overseas to Ireland. I was interviewed on not just one, but two Irish radio stations! The first was on the national broadcasting corporation, RTE for the Dave Fanning Radio 1 show. Dave and I discussed the book in a light-hearted way, and I offered some blagging tips to his listeners. Listen again to Dave Fanning, RTE Radio 1
The second Interview was for Today FM, one of Ireland’s most popular commercial stations. This time I spoke to the Ray D’Arcy Show. I recorded my part in a BBC studio in Edinburgh this very morning. Unbeknownst to Ray who was recording his part in Ireland, Tiffany, my missus, joined me in the recording studio although she remained silent throughout, so you’d never know she was there. It can be our little secret.
So Scotland, England and Ireland have covered the story. Wales, I’m coming for you next!
As a direct result of the Daily Mirror article, I received a call from the Chris Evans Show on Radio 2, asking me to go on and talk about the whole Silly Beggar project.
My contribution to the show was a live phone-in, in which I spoke to none other than Rebecca Pike (aka The Fox)! She asked me what made me start this project and about the type of funny messages I had sent to companies. It feels weird knowing that I used the phrase “A deranged giraffe ate my t-shirt” on national radio.
I had been asked to read an email out, which I duly did, but in retrospect I possibly could have edited it down a bit. Oh well. They did ask!
I made a guest appearance on the Macaulay and Co show on BBC Radio Scotland this morning. The good people at the Beeb were excited about the concept of Silly Beggar and invited me in for a chat with legendary funny man Fred Macaulay. Never having been on radio before, this was a slightly nervewracking experience for me, but I had a lot of fun once my initial inner-terror had died down. I must confess I did ‘um’ and ‘erm’ throughout the interview. In fairness though, I do speak like that normally.
…after a few beers.
In addition to my own interview, throughout the show, there was a call-in feature where listeners were asked to get in touch to share the best items that they had received as freebies. There were many incredible examples and it was reassuring to note how many people out there love to get their hands on a good give-away!
The highlights of the interview were when Fred threw me a Macaulay and Co tee shirt (sweet - another freebie successfully blagged), which I thanked them for and then cheekily asked what the eBay value of it was. I was also thrilled when Fred read a brief extract from the book, selecting one my own favourites.
Missed out on the fun? Fear not! The BBC iPlayer allows you to ‘listen again’ (for seven days), Go on - treat your ears to the Macaulay and Co show. The Silly Beggar bit takes place in the last ten minutes of the show. Enjoy!
