Recently in Eurovision Fans Category

Saturday saw Norway, the home team, select its entry for Eurovision 2010. Boom Bang a Blog is indebted to reader Phil Tipton, from Chester, who kindly (and swiftly) sent us this report on his visit to this year's host city in its first real warm-up for Contest duty.

The things we do for Eurovision, eh?

I wondered whether it was all worth it when I stood freezing to death on Platform One of Chester Station at 7am waiting for the train to London. I quietly contemplated how much money this 34-hour trip to Oslo was going to cost, but I decided it was all too distressing and turned my mind to happier thoughts (Charlotte Perrelli's famous co-ordinated three point choreographed arm movements in 'Hero' to be precise).

Over the past few years I've become a bit of a Scandi-fan, attending some element of Sweden's Melodifestivalen each year. I finally managed to get a ticket to the final in Stockholm's Globen last year and had a fantastic time watching Malena et al. give it all they had in the pursuit of schlager greatness.

I sort of assumed that I would go again this year, but the rush for tickets passed me by and I found myself strangely unconcerned that I hadn't managed to secure a ticket to either the final or, indeed, my preferred Gothenburg semi-final. To cut a long story short, I decided to have a change this year and see what Norway's Melodi Grand Prix had to offer.

Down girls, they're spoken for...

A gaggle of us gathered in Liverpool yesterday afternoon for another of our regular meet-ups to discuss Life, the Universe and Eurovision. Thanks to some pre-publicity we had some newcomers (hello Jeff and Scott) and the conversation soon turned to talking about which songs we liked best from those chosen at this weekend's national finals. I can only apologise for the quality of the photo, I had the camera on the wrong setting and it looks like everyone has just returned from eight months in Lanzarote to have a nice chat in a sauna.

Anyway, the upshot of the day was that whatever song somebody loathed with a passion, someone else rather liked. We've always been good at agreeing. There was beer and giggles too.

There'll be other meet-ups before the big night in May. We'll keep you posted on dates if you care to join in.

The view outside my window at about 8.20 this morning

It wasn't a pretty sight in our spare room at two minutes to eight this morning. There I was in my dressing gown nervously clicking the 'book now' link on the webpage of the Norwegian agency looking after the tickets for this year's Eurovision Song Contest final.

I was advised by fellow fans in the pub yesterday to take the first tickets you're offered as there's no guarantee you'll be offered any others in the 10-minute-ish window they're available. It took a fair few clicks and a lot of patience to get to the booking page, but by jove, I made it. A few credit card details later, and our four-strong expedition to Oslo will all be sat in the same block (which has a fantastic view of the stage!), but not quite all together.

So, that's flights, accommodation and tickets to the actual shebang sorted.

For the first time in seven years, I have a Contest to go to.

A new age dawns for Boom Bang a Blog this very day. It's not quite the age of Aquarius, or even the given age for Joan Collins, but the launch of Boom Bang a Blog's brand new page on social networking site Facebook.

As national final season slowly grinds into life, there must be loads of stuff you want to get off your chest, Boom Bang a Blog's Little Brother style, so feel free to open any new discussions on the page, as well as joining in with the ones already there.

Please treat the page as Liberty Hall for those who pop in and out of here regularly - you really are very welcome - and there's always the chance that the best stuff can 'cross fertilise' onto the Little Brother's Big Brother right here.

To join the group, click right here. Ta.

We know what you're thinking. There's been a few contenders for 2010 revealed to our unwitting eyes and ears by now. There's that bloke from Switzerland whose song sounds a bit dirty, the demo from the Netherlands which defies description, Albania's Happy Shopper version of Womanizer and then there's the singers without portfolio: Tom Dice for Belgium, Harel Skaat for Israel and that gentleman with the very long name for Ukraine.

You must be itching to talk about it with someone, somebody who truly empathises with you in your plight as a Eurovision fan. Well, we're here to help.

On Sunday, February 7, a gaggle of fans will assemble at Dr Duncan's in Liverpool (good pub, they do real ale and Nobby's Nuts) and talk about what's coming up Contest-wise. These meet-ups have been going on for about five years now - but that doesn't mean we don't welcome newcomers.

If you can get to Liverpool in the afternoon that day - there are no footie fixtures, unless the snowed off matches are squeezed in at short notice, so it should be easy enough to find a seat - and have never been before, trust me, you'll be made very welcome. And if you're not sure about turning up on your own, please feel free to bring a chum for moral support!

If you know Liverpool, but don't know where Dr Duncan's is, the link to it on Google maps is here.

All we ask is that anyone who plans to turn up gets in touch with us beforehand as there may be a meal in town to follow the drinks, etc. To register your interest, please email me at jamiemcloughlin@hotmail.com or jamie.mcloughlin@liverpool.com and I can send you more information about what's planned.

Hope to see you there!

As the New Year approaches, time for another daft interlude with your questions to Boom Bang a Blog.

Regular clicker-onnerers of this extremely practical use of webspace have been invited to put questions to yours truly, whether the subject be the Eurovision Song Contest or something completely different.

The latest selection of questions and answers follows - and don't forget to ask something yourself if the mood takes you.

What are you doing on here on Christmas Eve? Haven't you got presents to wrap and X-Boxes to queue for? However, Boom Bang a Blog is delighted to welcome you all on the day that somehow manages to feel more Christmassy than December 25 itself and to thank you all for your votes in the poll to find the Greatest UK Eurovision Winner of all time.

I know you have giblets to remove, turkeys to pluck and excitable children to pacify, so let's get cracking with the result. They're in the 'Continue Reading' bit.

There is but a few weeks left of 2009 - and to make sure Boom Bang a Blog does something worthwhile in the time, we're asking you, the reader, to do something monumentous.

We're asking you to rank the champs, to place gold over gold - and to decide once and for all which is the greatest UK winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. Ever.

Thank you for all your questions so far at Boom Bang a Blog's new formspring page.

Some of your questions were a bit daft (we approve) and others were about the Contest (we approve).

All the questions have been answered and over the page you'll find some examples.

Do keep asking. It's smashing larks.

Have you heard about this new web thingy (I hate the word 'app') called formspring. It's marvellous fun.

Basically, visitors can pose anonymous (or non-anonymous) questions to the user which can then be answered - or ignored if they're too saucy/offensive/personal/illegal.

Boom Bang a Blog is joining in the fun and if you've ever wanted to ask BBaB anything you can do so right here.

Your question should (preferably) be Eurovision-based - but I won't ignore anything which is too good to be passed over.

Just imagine if somebody asked, "Jamie, did someone who lived near your primary school marry a former Eurovision entrant?" and that I could somehow answer it.

That was a hint, by the way. Don't be shy. Get asking.