Philip
Wilcock
Philip was one of the news team from 1983 until just before the creation of GWR. He got in touch with his reminiscences about the station.
“I remember a great deal of fun and laughs, but also a lot of dismal early starts, shuffling into the newsroom at 5.30 a.m. to make the police and fire calls and try to put together the first bulletin of the morning with whatever stories and audio “carts” had been left by whoever was on the late shift.
“I joined as a trainee and subsequently became a full member of the team, presenting West at One and West Tonight, though I was always terrified of actually driving the desk! In the early months I was the junior reporter to the more senior David or Richard, so would get sent out in the radio car, a Land Rover with a precarious hydraulic transmission mast, to the scene of the action. Later it would be me staying in the warm cosy newsroom and sending young Steve Scott out to do the dirty work! I also shared the role of film critic with Marka. I was quite proud of being described by the others as “the one with the lovely speaking voice”. I left radio to go into PR, but have recently returned to voice work as a freelance voiceover under the name Philip Rose - visit my website. It's going well, with recent work including a TV documentary on William and Kate's wedding, amongst other stuff.
“Happy moments? I remember Bristol arctic explorer David Templeman-Adams arriving late for an interview because he couldn't find the studio and then remarking “It's a bit cold in here, isn't it?”. Also Richard Evans being mercilessly teased after making it into Private Eye’s Coleman balls column with his court report: “Graham Backhouse looked calm but tense as the charges were read out...””
Thanks to Philip for sharing your memories!