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As well as presenting the Book and Culture Cafes, Clare English also presents Women On Top which returns for a third run beginning June 3. I sent Clare an email and asked if she could write us few lines outlining the new programmes and the guests she has lined up; this is what she mailed me back.

Clare English

We're back with another series of Women On Top and once again, there's no shortage of candidates for the slot. When I first began doing these half hour conversations, I had no idea how many clever, interesting and funny women were out there, holding down amazing jobs. Any of the ones I've met so far would be worthy of more than an hour of chat but we hope to bring you the edited highlights of their inspirational and personal stories...

We hear from the feisty and focused mother of two who runs . Amanda McMillan may have started out as an accountant but now, as MD, she's running the show, complete with all the anxieties of coping with the chaos caused by the volcanic ash clouds. Not one to panic in a crisis, Amanda's been tested before when she was head of operations in June 2007 - that was the summer when terrorists launched their attack on the terminal building.

Music lovers will be inspired by - the first female editor of that bible of musical knowledge . A mere babe, in her late twenties, this rock chick clearly adores her 24/7 job and has been writing about music since her mid teens. Proof positive that if you have a passion for something, getting involved early pays off.

If Science is often seen as a subject beloved of geeks and guys, then let put you right. She's carrying out inspirational research work at when she isn't based in in her capacity as . After being in her company for an hour or so, it wasn't hard to see that she had another string to her bow - she's a born communicator. Anne regularly puts that into practice when she visits schools, campaigning to get more young people especially women, into science as a career. Even if you never liked the subject at school, listening to her enthusiasm might just change your mind.

Finally, if I had to pick out the most unusual contributor in this series, I would urge you to listen to Anna Arrowsmith, aka Anna Span. She's a porn director with political aspirations. She stood in the recent general election as a candidate and although she didn't win the seat. Anna proved she's a doughty campaigner with lots of business acumen - not bad for a former student who shocked her tutors with a rather explicit film.

There you have it; four top women and each one of them left me with the same impression - the journey up the career ladder was worth every minute of effort.

Every Monday Clare English presents The Book Cafe and each Tuesday presents The Culture Cafe.

Saturday night is Eurovision 2010 which is coming live from . Presented by Graham Norton the UK is represented by Josh Dubovie, a 19 year-old from Basildon, .

I wouldn't wish to infer anything here, but if one was at a loose end and wondered where a scorecard could be found and printed out should one desire to, I've 'heard' it can be located here...

I first came across Irishman Ben Glover a couple of years ago when I heard a session on McLean's Country on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Ulster. I immediately got in touch with Ben and asked for a copy of his debut album "The Week The Clocks Changed". Recorded in and featuring, amongst others Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, it fast became one of my albums of 2008.

Ben has now released his follow-up CD and appears live on Another Country tonight with Ricky. I popped down during the sound-check to say hello and take a few pictures.

If you like what you hear tonight, Ben's doing a couple of Scottish gigs over the weekend in Edinburgh (supporting Boo Hewerdine) and Glasgow (supporting Baskery) - check local listings for details.

Here are a few of the things you might have missed on the Radio Scotland website this week.

If you fancy ditching your computer and picking up pen and paper, there are top letter-writing tips on Tuesday 25 May's episode of MacAulay and Co.

Tempted by the dishes prepared on Wives with Knives (and Spoons and Tunes)? You can find photographs and recipes on their web pages.

Vic Galloway had band in session on Monday evening, 24 May, (repeated tonight at 2205) - you can listen to two of the songs they performed.

In advance of a brand new series, the first four episodes of SWOTS are currently being repeated on Saturday afternoons. There'll be lots of content to accompany the new series, however, in the meantime check out the hilarious outtakes from the very first episode.

A few days ago visited Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland in to record a forthcoming Zone. I took a few photographs of him to promote his new series of Classic Scottish Albums. While taking the shots I asked Davie how they choose the albums, and as it's the 3rd series does it get harder to decide? Cheekily I also asked if he could write something for this blog and that's what we can see below - thanks Davie!

Sunshine Superfan

In PQ today putting the finishing touches to the first of the new series of Classic Scottish Albums. The albums are: , The Crossing, Psychocandy and, wait for it, and Glasvegas. I suspect this last selection might cause controversy, possibly even the odd rumpled nose. This is a good thing and at CSA Central we look forward to all reactions.

Today we had the political editor of the on Psychocandy (how about that for a concept?), Billy Sloan's pin-sharp recollections of the same album and further thoughts on The Crossing. I also recorded links for the Donovan programme, and listening back to the one-on-one interview we had recorded weeks earlier was reminded of being introduced to a genuinely new experience - wishing somebody would stop talking about The Beatles. You see, Donovan was there and can remember it all, which for some means he wasn't there at all. He recorded in alongside the as they carved out history in four-track. He was with them and the in where he taught the fingerpick that ended up as Julia and lord knows what else. Sunshine Superman (the album we were actually there to talk about) is seen spinning on a turntable in a famous film of the Day In The Life orchestra / orgasm session. I once heard a bootleg (I did not own this bootleg Your Honour, I was at someone else's house for tea, the location of which I've since forgotten) of Donovan and apparently writing a song together. Wow. But he did mention the Fabs quite a bit during our interview and I began to worry that we wouldn't get what we were there to get - the inside track on what remains a unique piece of 1960s art-pop. Forget the lame Bob Dylan comparisons - new Classic Scottish Albums producer Victoria McArthur said we should just tell folk to GET OVER IT - and the Beatlechatter; Sunshine Superman more than stands up on its own terms as do most of Don's other 1960s recordings; atmospheric, dark and glittery, delicate and swaggering by turn. It sounds utterly fabulous, jewelled in harpsichord, string quartet, sitar and jazzy upright bass. It's funny too, wise, wide, gallus in its way. You can take the flower child out of Maryhill etc.

I think Donovan is a born entertainer wrapped up in a free-spirited mystic's body. Tell 'em about crystal healing and while you're at it Razzle Dazzle 'em! He wants to give you the Technicolor movie, the titbit you never heard, the colour of the road to Rishikesh. He does all that brilliantly, generously and in doing so somehow undersells his own million-selling records. The natural Celtic warmth of the man is best embodied in the beautiful cadence of his speaking voice and the esteem in which he is clearly still held by the other players in the Sunshine Superman story.

When I was a kid my Mum and Dad bought me a book called The Rock Primer edited by John Collis and published I guess in the late 1970s. A nascent piece of academic rock criticism it is now the first thing I put on reading lists for our music students at UWS. Around the same time I learned to play Donovan's Catch The Wind so I could sneak into the Burns Bar to play a short floor spot (of Catch The Wind) at in return for a half pint of MacLay's 80 Shilling. Leafing through the book for the millionth time I notice a beautiful (and reasonably contemporaneous) paragraph on Sunshine Superman that places the album firmly and shiningly in the panoply of stars without reference to the Fabs, Rishikesh, finger pickin' Johnny Lennon or any of the rest of them. It does go on a wee bit about but hey ho, you can't have it all.

I remain yours, Sunshine Superfan, Davie Scott.

It's a busy time for our presenters with a whole load of new programmes and guests.

Women On Top presented by Clare English returns with a third series on June 3. Clare meets women at the top of their field and asks what it took to get there. If previous guests such as , , former editor Marie O'Riordan and Eileen Gallagher former CEO of , are anything to go by the new series looks equally captivating.

Janice Forsyth has a full-on week ahead of her. In The Movie Cafe she brings to Radio Scotland along with fan James Kleinmann to review the lives and loves of Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda, Charlotte and of course Samantha. On Saturday the Janice Forsyth show features actress and regular contributor .

Kaye Adams continues with her early morning show, asking the questions that get people talking and encouraging everyone to get involved and Call Kaye. If you miss it, you can always catch up with the latest gossip on Kaye's .

In Stark Talk Edi's current series might be drawing to a close but look out for Judith Doherty and in the last two episodes. In this series Edi's met , Sharleen Spiteri, and Ö÷²¥´óÐã SSO conductor .

Other highlights includes SWOTS with and , Funny Friends sees meeting comedians and comic actors who talk about their lives and careers. In Wives with Knives (and Spoons and Tunes) Liz Clark drops in to the homes of some of Scotland's best-loved sporting stars; guests include Marlene Smith wife of former chief executive and 's wife Janet.

A of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã iPlayer has launched today inviting users to share favourite programmes via social networks such as and .

There's much more information on the , and also the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Internet blog.

It's available at the if you'd like to give it a try.

A couple of weeks back I blogged about sending questions to the Radio Scotland boss, Jeff Zycinski. The deadline for this was Friday May 22 and since then Jeff has been working that keyboard hard in Inverness to answer all the probing Qs. Here are the questions posed, as well as Jeff's replies.

"Where is Frieda Morrison? Where is Reel Blend?" - woodsidewullie

Jeff Zycinski (JZ) - Frieda is alive and well! I had lunch with her a few months ago and she handed me a copy of her new CD. I think she may also be writing a book. I'm sure you'll hear her on our airwaves again, but she was keen to step away from the Beechgrove Potting Shed so she would have time for all these other things in her life.
Robbie Shepherd is still very much part of our weekend schedule. We extended Take the Floor to accommodate the kind of music that would have featured in The Reel Blend as well as the live sessions. Some listeners prefer the new show, others still miss the Reel Blend and haven't forgiven me for the change.
I don't set out to upset people, but I do have to find ways of evolving the schedule within the parameters of limited airtime and budgets. So, this change allows the programme makers to create new music shows like Barbara Dickson's Scotland on Song.

"Boss,
When will you be posting more threads? (Stay away from politics. Pure dis mah nut in, by the way).
Caption competitions particularly welcome. Pass the word to Bryan ower at Get it On.
Izzat your office?
Why is yon photie in monochrome?
When are you gonna start drinking alcohol again?
Why not? Go on, go on, go on, go on. Jist a wee yin!
Who do you want to win the Scottish Cup?
Why do you want the other team to lose? This you call impartiality? Izzat the time? Gotta go shower. Michael Marra the nicht!" - Scotch-git

JZ - Let me answer all of these in one go! I assume you're talking about my own blog? Well, I took a back seat while this new Radio Scotland blog was being launched and I'm afraid I've used it as an excuse to be very lazy about posting new entries. I'll pass on your thoughts about caption competitions.
No, sadly, that's not my office in the photographs. I only have a hot desk at Pacific Quay. That photograph was taken in a meeting area. I think it's monochrome because the photographer is going for the gothic gargoyle effect.
I'm still off the drink (almost eight months now) and I backed Ross County for the cup, but not with real money.

"I appreciate how busy a man in your position must be - business and family too of course - but I do hope you will give us more of your observations on life's quirks. It is always disappointing to check the blog and find nothing new." - robbiemac

JZ - Consider me told off. I used to mix the family stories with information about the programmes, but now this new blog does the programme stuff much better than I ever could. Could you really cope with me waffling on about my personal life all the time?

"Hey Jeff, Do you consider the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's greatest strategic threat is that the licence fee will be 'top sliced'?" - madmacfraeclydebank

JZ - No, but the economies of scale that come with a guaranteed licence fee do allow us to do things that others wouldn't. Think of the way we deploy staff across Scotland. It makes editorial sense, but it adds to our costs. The biggest threat will always come from the audience...if viewers and listeners no longer value the Ö÷²¥´óÐã then it will disappear.

"When's Get it On going to three hours a night seven nights a week?" - paolopablo

JZ - Glad you're a fan. No plans to increase the duration of Get It On at the moment. The programme was actually designed as a short-term format for the summer a few years ago, but audience demand has kept it in the schedule. I think its success has a lot to do with Bryan Burnett's enthusiasm and energy, but also the fact that you can request all sorts of music...there is no strict playlist.

JZ - So you're not a fan of the incumbent? True, he's not semi-intelligent...he's 100% brainy, but I guess he puts on an act sometimes.

"Noticing your proper title is 'Head of Radio at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland', I assume that means you are in charge of not only Radio Scotland but also Radio Nan Gaidheal and Scottish made programmes on Radio 4?" - MacSteaphain

JZ - Not Radio Nan Gaidheal. That's run by my colleagues in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Gaelic department and they have programmes coming from , and .
Yes, I liaise with the Controllers of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã UK networks on the programming we provide for them. The teams who make programmes for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland are the same as those who make the programmes for the likes of Radio 4, Radio 3 and Radio 1. We make a lot of drama and features for Radio 4 including regular strands such as Click On and Tracing Your Roots. Our comedy programmes often get another airing on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 7.

JZ - I think the scope for that is limited. We are looking to provide more news and sport opts around Scotland but there are difficulties. We can only opt-out where there is a local FM transmitter and we can't (at the moment) opt-out on DAB or Medium Wave. Online listening presents better opportunities for the future, but at this stage the number of people listening via the web is very small compared to the other platforms.

JZ - Not to any great extent and sometimes there are advantages. Being based outside Glasgow three days a week allows me to get a better sense of how our programmes are being received in different parts of Scotland. I don't mind the travel - you can get so much done on the train - but I do miss being at home in the evenings.

"Why the move towards 'celebrity' presenters?" - norriemaclean

JZ - At lot of the changes you'll hear this year and next are based on the massive audience analysis project we ran last year. Listeners wanted presenters with a profile, but only if they had something to offer over and above their celebrity status. We tend to recruit presenters who can bring something to the party - journalistic experience, musical knowledge, wit. Listeners want us to be smart as well as friendly.

JZ - I take the blame for that title. It was originally just Wives with Knives but we added the Spoons and Tunes just in case people thought it was a hard-hitting series about domestic violence. It's designed to be an entertaining and engaging listen for the summer Saturdays....Liz Clark is the ever-present wife of the tile, but the sporting partners will include men and women.

It's a 70 miles round trip to the Ö÷²¥´óÐã studios in from my house, and I do it by motorcycle, car or bus, depending on the weather, my mood, or whether or not it's Wednesday.

Wednesday is when the 'shopping' bus ( which leaves Hillswick at 10.00 am) doesn't go. The occasional 'doity' (senior citizens) bus is not quite within my remit, and catching the 7.30am charabanc for 'proper' workers is a bit, well, much. Considering the programme doesn't actually start until 2.05pm. I mean, what do you want? Preparation?

Bus is cheapest, by a long shot. A diesel car will use at least £36 worth of fuel a week, a petrol one (the four wheel drive Subaru, kept for winter use, mostly) almost double that. The motorbike can only be used when the weather's fine (I'm a wimp, and anyway, it's for sale) and costs somewhere about the same as running the diesel Citroen. The bus, thanks to my special season ticket swipe card thingy, lets me travel at £2.20 per single jouney. So that's, let's see, £22 a week, if I girded up my loins and got up for the 7.30 bus on a Wednesday. Which I won't. I need to do the shopping one day a week, anyway. You just can't get those sun dried tomatoes from the local community store.

But the bus has other pleasures. All kinds of curiosities. The man last night, coming home from Lerwick, three sheets to the wind, and clutching a fish tank, complete with what looked like a baby angler (monk) fish burbling in the bottom of it. 'This'll give the goldfish a shock' he hiccupped, strapping the tank into place with a seatbelt. The 70-year old fellow talking about his youth hostelling holiday last year in Sicily. The mysterious parcels, from (dead) fish for the hotel to urgent supplies of beer for the general public. Tourists, some with bicycles, others frankly disturbed by the oil-subsidised cheapness of the tickets. The interesting...aromas, particularly when people are bringing back curry or chow mein from Lerwick takeaways. The vastly variant styles of the drivers, from full-on Dakar Rally to gentle Vicar's tea-party meander.

And the things you pass by: sheep, seals, otters. Tourists on ill-advised recumbent tricycles. The seemingly endless bog of the Lang Kames, sea and more sea, salmon farms, fishing boats, beaches, wind generators, helicopters, tankers, ferries and of course, Shetland ponies. It's an hour and a quarter trip. A the end of it there's Lerwick's cafe culture (the best home-made scones in Europe, and some of the best cakes too) and plenty of time to do research for the programme. Preparation is so much easier when you're nicely rested. Did I mention that I frequently snooze all the way into Lerwick, and back home? Only on the bus. Never on the motorbike.

Oh, and it's better for the environment, too. Probably.

Listen to Tom Morton every weekday at 1400.

Helen Needham is the senior producer of Out of Doors and Beechgrove Potting Shed.

With the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's annual naturefest, Springwatch upon us, it's a chance for us on the Out of Doors team to shine. We spend our entire lives telling people how wonderful nature is and trying to encourage people to get out and about. Last week was a real highlight for us, with the programme coming live from in .

Read the rest of this entry

First an introduction: I produce the Scotland's Music website, and I also work on lots of other Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland music coverage on the web - events like Celtic Connections, T In The Park and Rockness, or the Young Jazz Musician of the year. You can follow our general goings on over at the Scotland's Music blog. A lot of the time we are archiving stuff via the the Scotland's Music website, but often we end up producing video footage of bands ourselves.

Last Friday was a busy day thanks to a trio of American female singer-songwriters: Tift Merritt, Gretchen Peters and Mary Gauthier. They were all at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Pacific Quay recording sessions for Another Country (the Ricky Ross presented alt-country and Americana show - Friday nights on Radio Scotland, people!). Often Radio Scotland music sessions happen live on air, but these were being pre-recorded in one go for doubtless complicated logistical reasons.

This seemed like too good an opportunity to miss so we decided to film the sessions. We really enjoy working on these gigs - challenging, but great fun. The big challenge is, it's not our production, it's radio. Unlike a TV recording, we don't have loads of time to rehearse and set up the studio or do retakes. We work out where best to set up a couple of cameras and some lights. The artist will do a quick run-through of a song for sound levels, which gives us time to work out exactly what shots we're going to get, and we're off!

Apart from the thrill of enjoying what is essentially your own private gig, the best part is when you get your footage into the computer and start to assemble it in the edit. You're always wondering if what you did really worked....and then when it comes together just as you hoped, and looks good...it's a real buzz.

The first of the sessions to be broadcast (this Friday 21 May at 2005) is from Mary Gauthier.

As an interviewer Ricky Ross has a deep knowledge of his subject and genuine warmth - he really makes his guests feel at ease. Mary was very open and frank about the difficult subject matter of her current album as you will hear when you tune in...here's a taster. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it. Look out for footage of Tift Merritt and Gretchen Peters in the coming weeks.

In the 11.30 slot on Monday 24 May we're broadcasting ER Afghanistan.

Jackie Bird travelled to in to follow the medical reservists of as they begin a four-month assignment treating casualties from across - both soldiers and afghans who are injured as a result of the conflict.

Jackie and her team recorded the programme in February 2010, and she wrote a detailing her thoughts and experiences from the frivolous such as arguing about the heating in the tent to the serious - watching the medical reservists fighting to save the life of an Afghan national who'd been caught in an IED (improvised explosive device) and had suffered multiple limb loss.

Now the Scottish football season has drawn to a close there are some changes to the Saturday Radio Scotland schedule.

One programme worth mentioning is Managing The Old Firm. This is going out during on Saturday afternoons from 1600-1700 for five weeks with episode one broadcasting on 22 May.

There are just 17 men still alive who have managed the . has talked to every one of them including , speaking for the first time about his departure from .

From - the oldest survivor - through and , and , they speak with astonishing frankness about the pressures of the toughest jobs in

A brand new 12 part series begins on Radio Scotland on Saturday 22 May entitled "Wives with Knives (and Spoons and Tunes)". We asked presenter Liz Clark to tell us more about it:

We all have our own impressions of how Scotland's sporting celebrities spend their lives. We imagine lives full of glamour and excitement!

In Wives with Knives and Spoons and Tunes we're invited into the family homes and kitchens of the top names in .

We're cooking, listening to music and chatting about what life is really like at home with the 'other halves' of the top names in , , and .

It's a real eye-opener and, for me, it's been difficult to pick a highlight from making the series because there have been so many. It's been a real pleasure to be welcomed into the homes of people who have to live their lives in the public eye but who now share the ups and downs of their real lives with the Radio Scotland listeners.

There are surprises, emotional moments and lots of laughs from the homes of Scotland's sporting stars in Wives with Knives and Spoons and Tunes with me, Liz Clark.

The first episode of Wives with Knives (and Spoons and Tunes) broadcasts on Saturday, 22 May at 1805 and features Marlene Smith, the wife of former Scottish SFA chief executive .

Why not have a look at the latest additions on the Radio Scotland playlist? There's tracks such as the new single 'Alive' from Goldfrapp's 'Head First' album, 'July Flame' by Laura Veirs as well as a new one from Tift Merritt who recently recorded a session for Another Country With Ricky Ross.

Dominic Jewel, producer of Classics Unwrapped tells us about his visit to the and his broadcast from the .

When Jamie told me Glenborrodale was at least an hour and a half from the , I should have realised two things:

1) that the roads really were as long and winding as everyone said and

2) Jamie doesn't drive as fast as I do.

No wonder Scotland produces rally drivers of almost Nordic skill: these single-track roads, twisting and plunging through intense forests, are enough to bring out the animal in any hire-car driver. Actually on more than one occasion it was the hire-car driver that brought out the animal in the forests: only respect for my hosts prevented me from speeding up, dinking a deer, and driving off with some fresh venison in the boot.

The goodly folk of the later repaid my road-kill restraint with a splendid barbeque; nothing tastes as good as a venison burger shot, butchered, made and cooked by one person: how's that for locally-sourced produce?

is one of those astonishing monuments of Victorian self-confidence - red Ayrshire stone shipped up and plonked in the middle of nowhere by a friend of who liked the peninsula so much he bought it.

Although it could seem out of place, somehow it fits and it's a fantastic location for a . Isn't the very act of performing music one which takes disparate elements and somehow makes them work? Certainly the philosophy behind these performances was that, almost unplanned, the audience should come around a corner and stumble upon something enchanting.

Which was what happened on the way back: I drove past a deer lying where someone else had dinked it. Now taking that one home wouldn't be wrong, would it?

Dominic Jewel is producer of Classics Unwrapped and Dress Circle. View the gallery and footage of Glenborrodale Gardens below:

There's so much great content hidden away on the Radio Scotland website, that we thought it might be a nice idea to write a blog each Friday highlighting what you can find on some of the week's pages just in case you missed it.

Good Morning Scotland: Gary Robertson spent much of the week camped outside Westminster following the twists and turns of the and speaking to politicians, pundits and other people in the know. The team took lots of photos which can be seen on their pages, beginning on Monday 10 May.

MacAulay and Co: Four months on from the Radio Scotland "A New Year, A New You" series, Fred caught up with presenters Shereen Nanjiani, Gary Robertson, Euan McIlwraith and Vic Galloway to see how their personal challenges are progressing. Shereen had a fear of moths - Andrew MacDonald from the in visited the studio with one of his moths to see how Shereen reacted!

Tom Morton: Tom's live guest on Monday was Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy. Watch the video of his acoustic performance.

My Life in 5 Songs: Phil Cunningham has some great guests on the current series including Pat Kane, Iain Anderson, Horse, Kris Drever and Findlay Napier. We have photographs of all of them in the gallery.

And finally... I've spent a large part of the afternoon watching as three sessions were recorded for future editions of Another Country with Ricky Ross. All sounded fantastic and will air over the next few weeks.

Here's a thought, each month on the Radio Scotland blog we thought it would be a good idea to ask for questions which we could take to key folk in the station; say a presenter, a producer or - how about kicking off this monthly happening with the Boss?

Ever wondered why things are the way they are on Radio Scotland, do you have any suggestions or thoughts you'd like to ask Jeff Zycinski, Head of Radio at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland?

If you'd like to email your questions to us here on the Radio Scotland website, we'll gather them together and take them to Jeff. We'll keep this open until 12 noon on Friday 21 May.

Now being a very busy fellow, if we're inundated with correspondence I can't guarantee Jeff can answer every single Q, but shall we give it a go? We'll post the responses to your questions here on the blog.

End of season's greetings! But what a finish we've got to the season with a that should be a genuinely competitive match. There do seem to be people who aren't interested unless there's an Old Firm team involved - but not us here at Sportsound! We've spent the week stalking the every move of and - and on Footloose we've even featured a cup final record from each side. Let's just say if it was the neither side would win...

On Cup Final days, as is traditional, Your Call will come from within itself - and I'll be out and about meeting fans round the stadium before the match. If you see me give me a wave! I used to work at Hampden before I came to the Ö÷²¥´óÐã so it is always nice to go back and see old friendly faces - and Cup Final day is a bit like Christmas for people in football. The staff of Hampden even used to get the chance to play on the hallowed Hampden turf after the Cup final (normally a crime punishable by death) because it wouldn't be used again for another few months.

As a match I think it will be really entertaining. Dundee United fans are always great value for money - and the amassed ranks of Staggies coming from all over the will bring something extra special this year. One of the most enjoyable finals for me of recent years was four years ago. The extra time and penalties really ate into Your Call's time, meaning we were only on air for about half an hour - but there was tension right up to the final second. Here's hoping for more of the same this year. Sportsound on Saturday 15 May, as ever, will bring you every kick of the ball.

"I don't think I've ever heard the phrase 'most extraordinary' used quite so often in quite so short a period a time. As the unfolded the political commentators, analysts and correspondents perhaps simply ran out of superlatives to describe the post-election political upheaval. '....most extraordinary events'; ....most extraordinary 24 hours'; '...the most extraordinary story.' In the realm of British politics this indeed was a momentous week.

When we came off air from our election special last Friday morning (was it really only five days ago?) we knew there would be a . We knew talks and discussions would be held but it was the twists and speed of the turns which caught many off guard.

In the Newsdrive studio at five to five on Monday afternoon, we saw the lecturn being placed slap-bang in the middle of Downing Street. All of a sudden there was to be a statement from the Prime Minister and I don't think I'm giving away too many trade secrets when I say his resignation plans came as something of a surprise. Yet the negotiations continued between Labour and the Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

Then Decision Day, as David Cameron himself had dubbed it. It became apparent the Lab-Lib talks were going nowhere but there was still no agreement between the unlikely bedfellows of Tories and Lib-Dems. It was Mr Brown it seemed who would make the move - the last political act from a thoroughly political man - to force the hand of his rivals and kickstart the final process to move New Labour out of Downing Street.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland stayed on air, again, to catch . It was, not surprisingly, a very .

This story is far from over though. Can the coalition last the planned five years? Will the survive the ideological differences which sets them apart? And how, perhaps most importantly, will the electorate react? This story could continue to be quite extraordinary."

Nick Rougvie is one of the presenters of Newsdrive on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland.

Helen Needham, senior producer of both the Beechgrove Potting Shed and Out of Doors, sent us this update on the Beechgrove Potting Shed allotment:

As we've previously blogged, the Beechgrove Potting Shed patio garden is fully under way. The ideally situated window sills here at the Ö÷²¥´óÐã in - southwest facing, lots of glass and the added bonus of a heater blasting away underneath - has meant that all our beloved seedlings have been enjoying a comfortable start to life. But with Spring supposedly upon us, it's time to toughen them up and introduce the plants to the vagaries of the outside world.

Growing up is never easy, especially when you've got unexpected sub zero temperatures in May to deal with, and the bizarre addition of pea sized hailstones over the past couple of days! So the courgettes and runner beans have been carried in and out of the building with great regularity as we try to keep up with the . But today, there's a welcome break in the clouds and some sunshine, so fingers crossed.

Just as the weather was starting to bring us amateur gardeners down, I was thrilled to discover that my carrot seeds are starting to come through. It's just amazing how a simple thing like growing vegetables can delight even the most cynical of hacks in this building. Our vexations over this most unpredictable of climates, however, will sharply be put into context on this week's edition of the Beechgrove Potting Shed when Mark Stephen visits a garden in Shetland where one lady experiments with various varieties of plants which are hardy enough to flourish in a salty, windy and cold environment. The reason he's in is because Out of Doors on Saturday morning is coming live from the cliff tops at , where at 6.30 in the morning, we'll be hoping to spot a puffin or two. But before we head off, I'm going to plant some more seeds - basil and french beans we received with our free Ö÷²¥´óÐã Dig In pack. This gardening lark is becoming an obsession!

Dawn Baxter, producer of The Tom Morton show sent us this blog about The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, who appeared on the show on Monday 10th May.

When the new single from The Divine Comedy "At the Indie Disco" arrived on Tom Morton and myself's desk we both agreed that it was a wonderful piece of story telling, recounting a typical night out for the author in his younger years. Personally the song reminded me of being 18 and attending various venues in and around , taking me right back to my own days of tiny clubs, beer soaked carpets and great music. Needless to say, we have played the single a lot on the Tom Morton show and were delighted when it became part of the Radio Scotland Playlist.

Fast forward a few weeks when I got a call from the Divine Comedy's radio plugger asking if we would be interested in having Neil Hannon from the band on the show on the 10th May. As we are such fans of course the answer was yes.

Here is where the wonder of Radio comes in: Tom is based in and broadcasts from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã studio in Lerwick, the production team are based in Aberdeen and Neil was in PQ in though you would never know any of this listening to the show. Neil was looked after by audio Niall Young in PQ - with myself producing Monday's Tom show from Aberdeen.

Anyway, onto Showtime - Neil Hannon had completed his soundcheck in Glasgow and ready to take part on the show. I had a brief chat with him just to check that he was happy and knew what was going to happen on the show. Much to my amusement Mr Hannon impressed me by playing along with 's "Take on Me" which we were playing on the show as I chatted to him, admitting that he'd been a fan in his youth! Tom picked up on this during the interview and Neil played a bit more of this 80s classic, revealing that he may have learned it in order to impress members of the opposite sex!

We've had Neil on the Show before and know that he is an entertaining guest. Of course he didn't disappoint - go to the iPlayer to hear the interview again if you missed it. We were given an extra special treat as Neil played a live song for us as a taster from his forthcoming album - a track called "The Complete Banker" which pulls no punches in revealing his feelings on the cause of the recent financial crisis. The song was excellent and if all the album is as good as this the Divine Comedy have another top seller on their hands which may well feature as a Tom Morton Album of the week in the future.

As an added bonus, our online team filmed Neil performing his live track "The Complete Banker":

Sportsound has won at the .

Tom Connor, Editor of at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland said:

"Sport is a very important part of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland's content and Sportsound provides the staple diet of daily sporting events for enthusiasts, fans and those who just like to listen to the banter! I am delighted that the superb effort of the production team into pulling together the daily coverage of Scotland's sport, has been justly rewarded."

happen once a year and the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards recognise the talents of journalists, writers, producers, performers and broadcasters, covering the range of genres.

Sportsound is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland 810 MW, online and on digital.

With the schedule changes on Friday 7 May which accommodated extended news programmes you might have tried to listen again to News Additional featuring Jonathan Watson - without luck. I'd like to let you know that it's there now for you to enjoy.

Newsdrive presenter Nick Rougvie writes about :

"Most pundits agreed beforehand that it was going to be a and so it transpires. Eight hours of radio with the great, the good and the tired of Scottish politics last night and yet it seems the real story is only just beginning to happen.

It became clear in the wee small hours that Labour had done well in ; Margaret Curran sweeping into Glasgow East, a seat they had lost to the SNP in a by-election; Jim Murphy increasing his majority in Renfrewshire East and the party staving off the threat to their MP's in Edinburgh. The SNP stood still as did the Tories, keeping just one MP north of the border, David Mundell in Dumfriesshire. The Liberal Democrats are probably rightly disappointed at their lack of progress across the country, despite all the talk of a Clegg-effect, it simply didn't materialise. Had you not known the UK-wide results and concentrated solely on Scotland you would assume it was a Labour landslide and yet they face being out of power at Holyrood and being the second placed party at Westminster.

So eight hours of live broadcasting, of following the twists and turns, the opinion formers ruminating, the spin doctors spinning. Yet we still don't know how the new government will look.

So back to the studio I go for another stint on Newsdrive - maybe it'll be a little clearer in a few hours time.

Or will we just arrange to do it all again in a few months time?"

We're regularly asked where the programme playlists have gone now the link on the top menu bar has been removed. Worry not, they still exist!

All Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio websites were redesigned and follow a similar format. Playlists can now be found on the same page as the episode of the programme to which they relate.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Tom Morton, 5 May 2010
• Iain Anderson, 4 May 2010

As you can see the majority of the show playlists have been enhanced (with the exception of some specialist programmes such as Pipeline) and now link songs directly to the artist page within the Ö÷²¥´óÐã music website where you can find out much more and see where else the artist's music is being played on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã.

These pages are never over-written or deleted, so even when the programme is no longer available to listen to, you can still see which songs were played.

So how do you find them? The easiest way is to click on "Programmes" from the Radio Scotland website menu bar, and navigate using A-Z to the programme in which you are interested. (At this point you could add as a favourite). Under the heading "Available Now on Ö÷²¥´óÐã iPlayer" you will see a list of currently available episodes. If these have a link to "music played" then a playlist is live on the page.

Just click the link to the programme episode and you should find what you are looking for.

You can normally expect to see playlists appear within one working day of broadcast.

I've spent the last few days trying to convince the technical powers-that-be to install all manner of software on various computers around the building. This is because, as we all know, it's the first election in a social-media dominated world and we need the tools to keep up. On Thursday night as Derek Bateman and I take to the wireless (to use the old fashioned terminology) for many millions more will be booting up laptops, pc's and handhelds and letting the world know their election thoughts via blogs, status updates and, of course, tweets.

was the demesne solely of American college students when secured an historic third term in 2005 and was just one year old when took up the reins as First Minister. But now no self respecting political operator is without either of these, or other, web behemoths. has posted a video on a Facebook site supporting his cause and is the home of WebCameron, the own personal channel.

So while Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland is on air and using the traditional resources of correspondents, reporters and producers to cover the results live across Scotland, in the studio we'll also be following the story on-line. The Twitterati (I hope that phrase was invented with tongue firmly in cheek) and the bloggers will help us to piece together the story of what will be the most unpredictable election night in a generation."

Nick Rougvie is one of the presenters of Newsdrive on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland.

By Friday afternoon we will know the make up of the next UK government...oh wait, maybe not.

In any other general election year that opening line would be pretty much on the money but not this time around. We've all seen the , heard the , even watched them and yet we still have no idea who the winners and losers might be. And that means it's quite exciting.

In the beating heart of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland (ok, the newsroom) it's usual, despite our enthusiasm for most things political, that some sort of election fatigue sets in after a month of following a campaign, but strangely, that doesn't appear to have happened quite yet. The is still, largely, the first topic of conversation of a morning. I get the feeling that it's the same in many other offices up and down the country.

Are voters simply engaged by issues facing the nation, eager to get involved with the political cut and thrust playing out across the airwaves? Possible, although it may also mean that the very same voters are just itching for the chance to vent their anger after the and bring in a new generation of MP's at Westminster.

Get ready to tune in and stay up late it's going to be an exciting night."

Nick Rougvie is one of the presenters of Newsdrive on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland.

The digital switchover in the STV North TV region begins on Monday 5th May in the .

If you live in the STV North region, and you want to find out more, then we recommend visiting the where you'll find detailed information on the transmitters and their switch dates.

If you are:

• are aged 75 or over; or


• get or could get Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or mobility supplement; or


• have lived in a care home for six months or more; or


• are registered blind or partially sighted.

then you may be eligible for the .