Links

Links and Credits

This site is dedicated to Keith Floyd, John Hayes, Andy Radford and Fred Wedlock.

Many people have helped me in producing this site. Many thanks must go to Bristol Central Library. Their reference section provided back copies of the Evening Post, Venue and Out West, and their extremely helpful staff seemed genuinely interested in my project and, as well as showing me how to use a microfilm machine, produced gems such as the 1982 West newspaper.

Several West presenters and staff have got in touch over the years to let me know how they have been getting on, and giving me news of others. These include Mark Dyson, Richard Evans, John Ford, Andy Fox, Trevor Fry, Chris Napier, Bill Sims and Andy Westgate. I had a lovely chat with Chris Napier on the phone one morning and was sorry when some of his students at UWE brought a premature end to the anoraking! John Ford sent me the

Radio West Annual 1983  which was aimed at teenage listeners to ILR. There were a few pages specific to Radio West which provided some great pictures and interesting, if contradictory, information. Robin Carmody sent me a book for children, The Local Radio Station by Andrew Langley  which took Radio West as an example, and provided more great pictures and information. Julian Watson and Paul White provided much of the audio from their collections, as well as valuable information. If I have forgotten anybody else who has helped, please let me know, and I’ll credit you!

About Me

I’m a secondary school teacher. I work at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, which is a selective boys’ school in South Birmingham. I’ve been there since 1989, so I can remember the Test of Time on 1152 XTRA-AM and Simon and Deborah on BRMB’s breakfast show. I’m Deputy Head of Maths, run the school chess teams, and do the timetable. I grew up in Bristol and attended Colston’s School. I live in Worcester with my wife, Amanda, who works for RBS, but don’t blame her!

Thanks

Special thanks must go to Mark Seaman and Mike Temple. My earlier very simple Radio West site reflected my utter absence of web design knowledge. People in radio move on almost as fast as car salesman (since starting this rewrite, a casual check revealed that Nino Firetto had moved on from Exeter FM) and because of pressure of work, I was having trouble keeping up. Mark encouraged me to restart this site, and recommended Mike Temple’s services. Mike worked with Mark at Plymouth Sound and has done everything he can to make this site beautiful! He’ll also maintain it for me, so if any changes do happen, I can just send them to him, rather than struggle to remember the FTP password, or whatever it is!

Links to other similar sites

This is ILR – the great days of ILR in the South East

KPS  – an encyclopaedic look back at Mercia Sound in Coventry

MDS975 – Radio Stations and Memorabilia

DevonAir Radio – by Ian Waugh

Terms and conditions

I’m not very good at terms and conditions. I don’t mind if you use any of the audio from this site, because (unless otherwise stated) it was recorded off air onto precious cassettes (there’s a pile on my desk as I type this). The jingles, apart from the first package, are copyright TM Century and David Arnold Music. The pictures are taken mainly from books (see above), Out West magazine (defunct) Venue magazine and the Bristol Evening Post.
Unfortunately one former presenter suddenly asked me that all reference to him be removed from the site.  I have done so (as far as I can) but it obviously now cannot be a complete history, which is what I had tried to achieve.  After hearing from the gentleman, I took some legal advice which satisfied me that I could continue.  PLEASE take this site in the spirit in which it is intended:  a celebration of what was, for me and , as far as I know, those who worked for it, a very special radio station.