AS a proud recipient of a Plain English Campaign Award for arts journalism I must send out my heart felt condolences to former Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers, who was runner up in their Foot In Mouth award for his post-match comments.

Many, of which, need a translator to make any sense.

Glorious gobbledygook.

There was however one saving grace – he was beaten to the top spot by US Republican and presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Past nominees for this dubious honour have included Boris Johnson.

The Plain English Campaign created by Liverpool born Chrissie Maher keeps a watchful eye and ear on the English language.

We are all guilty of putting our foot in it so to speak.

I am no exception.

Back in 2003 I was being interviewed by BBC Radio Merseyside when I was told live on air that The Bee Gee Maurice Gibb was seriously ill.

As a music columnist at the time I was asked for a comment and I said with real sincerity that I hoped the affable musician would make a speedy recovery.

And I requested a get well message in the form of one of their hits, notably... Staying Alive.

The switchboard nearly exploded with irate listeners saying it was tasteless.

Even my own mum texted me about my gaffe.

I had to apologise even though I had intended the complete opposite since I had once interviewed Maurice and he was one of my favourites.

Maurice died later that day and yet even now that unintentional foot in mouth moment lives on every time I hear the song.

There is a lesson in that that we should all think before we speak.

Our politicians should take heed.

The Plain English Campaign is listening.

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AND talking of mouthy politicians.

Many of them excel at the despatch box, such as Wallasey MP Angela Eagle, and deliver speeches with just the right amount of sound levels – others have to be told to turn it down by Mr Speaker.

There is definitely an art to communicating in politics which I discovered when studying "Public Speaking" at Oxford.

One man who knows how to get his comedy routines across is Tom O'Connor, the one-time host of soon-to-be returning game show Name That Tune.

While playing at Ricky Tomlinson's Green Room cabaret venue recently Tom had just the right way of grabbing the audience's attention over the clinking of glasses and loud chatter from the tables.

He simply spoke quietly.

The audience had to stay quiet to listen.

You could hear a pin drop. A lesson from the former teacher that politicians should heed.

Who wants to be drowned out in the Commons by politicians who sound like schoolchildren shouting at each other in the playground?

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YOUR Wirral Globe has its name in lights.

We knew it would happen one day.

Your paper is proud to bring you reviews from across Merseyside theatres.

This week a quote from our review of Pharaoh Cross the Mersey is used on their new gigantic state of the art information board outside the revamped Roe Street building.

The theatre's marketing manager Iain Christie says the moving poster is an attraction in itself and it will be copied by other theatres no doubt.

The show, starring Michael Starke and Andrew Schofield, sees the two actors on silly Bernie Clifton-styled camels.

And the cast also do the eccentric Egyptian sand dance.

The original Music Hall creation from Wilson, Keppel and Betty had Merseyside connections.

Merseyside-born Wilson and the gang played Birkenhead.

I feel that writer Fred Lawless has missed a trick though.

This is an ideal production to make a reference to Birkenhead's popular Pyramids Shopping Centre.

Instead there is a tongue-in-cheek (I hope it is ) remark from one of the characters surveying the Egyptian surroundings: "There’s some ancient ruins surrounded by sands – just like New Brighton."

Maybe Fred should hop on a camel and visit the revitalised town. Sphinx ain’t what they used to be, Fred.

Peter Grant