Jim Lawson

Born back in the mists of time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth…well, the year that Sir Edmund Hilary climbed Mt Everest, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and when Watson and Crick unravelled the structure of DNA, The Ancient One truly lives up to his name. After spending 33 years in teaching, the last 25 as Head of Biology, I successfully applied for early retirement (2008) and moved lock and stock (I didn’t possess any barrels at the time) to the beautiful Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland, to join my partner, The Landlady. (now known as Mrs Ancient One) As a retired person, I looked around the various voluntary openings that existed and one led me to the local radio station, Cuillin FM. I thought I might be able to help out sorting cds or something. Within a couple of weeks I was asked if I wanted to present a program and trained up as soon as I said “Yes”. Launched onto the airwaves was the show “Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal” and I was able to foist some of my shedload of music onto an unsuspecting public. From mainstream rock/folkrock the contents slowly evolved to full blown progressive rock with leanings towards the symphonic melodic areas. The title of the show also changed to “Strangely Strange and The Ancient One”, which initially confused listeners as they expected 2 presenters, and thus the show title was shortened to simply “The Ancient One”. The show has appeared onCuillin FM,North Highland Radio, Pipeline Radio International and. More Music Radio The Ancient One show on Progzilla Radio is a 3hr show going out fortnightly, (every Tuesday night at 21:00 UK) highlighting the best in progressive music, so expect lots of modern progressive music, but with the odd excursion back in time to the classic works of the late 60’s/early 70’s, all showing a more symphonic nature. Every 2nd Saturday at midday UK, there is the chance to hear an Ancient One Archive Show from 7 years ago, and every 5th Sunday between the hours of midnight and 02:00 UK, The Ancient One presents 101 Dimensions a show featuring ambient, electronica, krautrock and more with no mic work.

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“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 72”

December 26, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 72, “A Bit Of A Mixed Bag Vol 1”, is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (Excerpt used as the Intro) 2 Genesis – Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (Selling England By The Pound) 3 Gandalf’s Fist – Winter’s Mourning […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 71”

December 26, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 71 “An Eclectic Mix” is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (excerpt used as Intro) 2 Looking Glass Lantern – An Evening Soiree (Candlelight and Empire) 3 Zenit – Matrimandir (The Chandrasekhar Limit) 4 PFM – The Lesson (Emotional Tattoo) […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 70”

November 29, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 70, “The Prog Before Xmas III” is now available as a podcast. The show is a mixture of music and chat from members of the bands appearing at PBX III, namely Abel Ganz, Comedy Of Errors, Long Earth and Tiger Moth Tales. (16th Dec Drygate […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Show No 69 (A Glimpse Back In Time)”

November 12, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 69 (A Glimpse Back In Time) is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (Excerpt as Intro) 2 Barclay James Harvest – Child Of The Universe (Everyone Is Everybody Else) 3 Genesis – One For The Vine (Wind and Wuthering) 4 […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 65”

October 16, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 65 is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (exerpt as Intro) 2 Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord Sequence. 3 Patchwork Cacophony – Fairy-tale Pt 1-4 (Five of Cups) 4 Roine Stolt – Magic Circus Of Zeb […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 64

September 4, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 64 is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (Intro) (The Immediate Collection) 2 Unreal City – Horror Vacui (La Crudelta di Aprile) 3 Magic Pie – Watching The Waters (Circus Of Life) 4 Encircled – Chasing The Ghost (The Monkey […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 63”

September 4, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that The Ancient One Show No 63 is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Beatles – When I’m 64 (Intro) (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) 2 Beggars Opera – Time Machine (Waters of Change) 3 Clepsydra – New day Pt 1-3 (Hologram) 4 Fruupp – Gormenghast (Modern Masquerades) […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 62”

August 13, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that Show No 62 from The Ancient One is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (Intro) (The Immediate Collection) 2 Times Up – When Kings Fall (Sea Of Schemes) 3 Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (part 1) (Wish You Were Here) 4 Art […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 61”

August 13, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that Show No 61 by The Ancient one is now available as a podcast. Playlist 1 The Nice – Brandenburger (Intro) (The Immediate Collection) 2 Kinetic Element – War Song (Travelog) 3 IQ – Road of Bones (Road of Bones) 4 Keith Emerson/Greg Lake – Moog Solo/Lucky Man (Live From Manticore […]

“Podcast: The Ancient One – Edition 60”

July 11, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that the podcast for The Ancient One Show No 60 is now available. Playlist 1 Comedy Of Errors Tachyon (House Of The Mind) 2 Kaprekar’s Constant Hallsands (Fate Outsmarts Desire) 3 Cosmograf Hay-Man (The Hay-Man Dreams) 4 RPWL The Fisherman (Beyond Man And Time) 5 Monarch Trail Sand (Sand) 6 Comedy […]