DJs

Andy Marriott

I think I qualify as a veteran broadcaster, having been on the radio and TV since the age of 20 in 1981.

My career began as a dog’s body at BBC Radio Lincolnshire, joining Radio Trent and Leicester Sound in 1984, moving to the oldies station GEM AM.

I also had a parallel career in TV as one of the main announcers on Central TV in the Midlands on weekdays and for London Weekend Television.

I retired from TV in 2002 and popped up at Saga Radio. Once again corporate nonsense got in the way of great radio and I left. Quality radio with mature professional presenters and the greatest music ever recorded was a thing of the past, until now!

Andy is on air every Saturday evening from 6pm with an hour of nostalgic TV tunes and The Andy Marriott Television Show.

Andy Siddell

Andy’s love of radio started back in the summer of 1975 when commercial radio first launched in his home town of Nottingham, England. He soon made friends with announcers that worked at the radio station and his heart was set on becoming a radio announcer. With only a small number of radio stations around at that time Andy found it almost impossible to break into this line of work

So for the next decade he worked in a few different fields. From the textile industry to management, moving around the UK and ending up in London in the mid-eighties.
He never gave up his ambition of working in radio and totally by accident he one day met a man who would help him realize his dream.

Chris Carey owned an electronics company and he was also a huge fan of radio…so much so that Chris set up his own radio station, Radio Nova. But this was no ordinary radio station, Radio Nova broadcast via satellite to radio stations all over Europe providing overnight programming to stations that would normally close down from midnight to 6am. Chris took a chance and allowed Andy to work the weekend overnight shifts in the summer of 1988.

In 1990 Radio Aire split their AM & FM frequencies and Magic 828 was born on July 17th. Andy worked for Magic 828 as a presenter and head of music until 2006 when he was moved to Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metro Radio building, the home of the Magic Network, where Andy presented the networked afternoon show and 80’s Magic at the weekend. Andy was also head of music for the network and was responsible for many aspects of the station including the websites. After working for the same radio group for 21 years Andy decided to hang up his headphones and move to Canada in 2009.

As well as radio Andy also worked for one of the TV networks in the UK doing voice-overs between programmes. The radio and TV stations were next door to one another and one day whilst he was talking to one of the announcers he said “I’d love to introduce Coronation Street on the TV”
After a couple of phone calls to the controller of the TV station Andy was invited in for a chat which led to him working as a TV announcer for almost 7 years. The TV Company was Granada TV; the one that produces Coronation Street, which meant that Andy not only got to introduce his favourite TV show he also got to visit the actual street and film set and met a number of the characters.

By 2009, when Andy decided to emigrate to Canada, his afternoon radio programme was being broadcast by no less than eight radio stations covering the north of England from Sheffield in South Yorkshire to Leeds in West Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool, Stockton-on-Tees and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
After arriving in Canada he decided to take a year out but his love for being on the radio didn’t fade and after exploring the various radio stations in the area he joined 95.5 Hits FM in Belleville, Ontario.

Because there aren’t any good oldies stations in the area where he lives, he jumped at the chance of being part of Solid Gold Gem AM when it first launched. He’s been with the station since the start and these days Andy is now the radio station manager who takes care of the day to day running, presenting his own shows and of course trying to keep all of the other DJs in line.

Barry Jay

My love for radio started back in 1964 when my parents gave me a 6-watt transistor radio for Christmas! It ran on an Ever Ready battery, remember those? Before this I listened to the BBC Light Programme, with Jack Jackson. Suddenly, with my Transistor Radio, I struck gold! The “Big L Fab 40 chart”, and the number one was the Beatles! I was totally hooked, and that little radio never left my side for many years.

In the 70s and 80s, I ran a mobile disco, and had lots of fun for many years, but had to stop as I was beginning to look a bit old compared to the young kid’s. I was a Television Engineer for most of my working life, but my mind was firmly set on becoming a radio DJ.

‘I should have done something about it many years ago but I hadn’t the time. Now at the grand old age of 67, I’ve been given a wonderful opportunity to play some of your great musical memories in 1960’s Café. It’s a show, and radio station that I’m passionate about. It’s as good as “Big L” that I listened to all those years ago. I hope we’ll enjoy our time together.’ I play the music, and we have a Waitress to called Mave the Rave. So come and meet us, and Join in the fun, 12 through till one weekdays.

Dave Nightingale

He may be the baby faced one, but it’s always a shock when Dave tells you he’s been in radio almost 30 years.

Let him take up the story…

“Well…what a journey I’ve had so far! My radio career kicked off working for the BBC in my hometown of Sheffield aged 17, then after going off to study, I joined a very successful Media Training Organisation in 1993 that undertook short term radio RSL’s (Restricted Service Licences) in my home city under the name of Forge FM and Festival FM. Overall I ended working on 6 such licence applications, and the project won a national award for its involvement with the community.

Then things went left field when I became a member of the entertainment team at a themed 50’s diner in the Meadowhall Centre in 1996, which had at its heart, a DJ booth which doubled up as the diner’s “Radio Station”. A non-stop diet of playing 50’s and 60’s music gave me a real knowledge of the hits of that era, which over 25 years later, has proved invaluable when on air at Solid Gold GEM.

After taking time out to start a career as a HR advisor in 1999 (yep, I have a full time “proper” job as well as being on the wireless!), the radio bug bit again in 2001, when I joined the radio station at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Chrystal Radio – it was one of the most rewarding gigs I’ve had working along some very talented young presenters who’ve gone on to work for some major networks. After 10 years, I was then poached to join Chorley FM (yes, it was a real station – not just a figment of Peter Kay’s imagination) in 2011, plus also working for another station at the other end of the motorway – in Hull! There or thereabouts I’d do around 1200 miles a month for my shows, and then if that wasn’t enough, I also spent time working for Real Radio in Leeds! I practically lived on the M62!

However, in 2015, I took the opportunity to help launch a brand new community station in Hull called Hull Kingston Radio, to which I’m still involved with today. After being the first voice on air, it’s allowed me to work on 3 major Rugby League finals, and achieve a personal ambition of broadcasting live from Wembley Stadium on a momentous day for the village football team of North Ferriby, when against all odds, they beat the giants of Wrexham in the FA Trophy.

And then of course…there’s Solid Gold GEM. Who wouldn’t want to work for a Station like Solid Gold GEM?

I absolutely adore being able to present at a great time of the day, being able to pick some of my favourite music of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s plus the best of “New Gold”, and involve you as part of the fun.

What’s more, the presenters I work alongside on GEM, are in my opinion, the very best of the bunch. They have a massive wealth of experience, they have amazing musical knowledge, they connect with their audience in such a fantastic way, and what’s more – it comes across on air and our listeners love them for doing so. I remain justly proud to be part of the GEM story and I can’t wait for where our next chapter will take us…”

Gary Birch

I began my interest in radio at Devizes Hospital Radio in 1989 when I was 14 and studied Audio Visual at college after school. As a work placement I spent some time doing traffic and travel reports for AA Roadwatch on all the local stations around Bristol and the South West of England, which developed into a job after college too. This was alongside voluntary production work at BBC Radio Bristol, Hospital Radio and a bit of bedroom DJ-ing!

When I was 19 I moved to London to work at Premier Radio, producing, presenting, selling advertising and doing pretty much everything to learn as much as I could. I’ve presented sports shows, chart shows and done plenty of continuity announcing.

After 6 years at Premier I then re-trained for Church ministry, but even through the past 19 years I’ve kept my interest going and have presented for BFBS Radio until recently. I’ve a passion for 80’s and 90’s in particular and my radio DJ heroes are Steve Wright, Gary Davies and of course, Smashie & Nicey!

Other passions in my life are my family, motorsport and NFL, and enjoy a good sea kayak too.

Let me wake you up with the Early Breakfast Show on Saturday and Sunday from 6-8am with the perfect mix of gems to get your weekend started right.

Geoff Dorsett

Geoff started his career at the age of 13 and within five years was one of the Mecca Group’s top DJs, being used as their opening act for their new venues nationwide.

During the 60s when package tours were at the height of their popularity, Geoff could be found compeering shows with Animals, Kinks, Spencer Davis, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, and MC’d for the second-ever Led Zeppelin show.

Come the late 60s, Geoff was on the radio with BBC Radio and in 1974 became one of Radio Hallam’s first voices when the station launched, being the new commercial station for Sheffield. In the 70s, Geoff also worked on Q102 in Florida, USA and KZUN in Dallas. In the ’80s, you’d have heard him on the legendary pirate radio station, Sunshine Radio.

Geoff is now working on a number of specialist radio shows and can currently be heard on a number of stations in the UK, with special mention of his work with Express FM who carry the twice-award-winning Soft Rock Show. This live show has reached a cult status and Geoff has interviewed over 1425 artists over the last few years, including Sir Cliff Richard, Genesis, Status Quo, Blondie, The Searchers, Slade, Toto, Rick Astley, Foreigner and Jethro Tull… and that’s just the start of the list! The show has carried a unique live link with Mix 94.1 in Las Vegas in the past, and now each month features a live link to The Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas for all the hottest entertainment news from Sin City! The show continues to draw huge names to be interviewed both live on the telephone and in the studio.

Geoff also works for Forest FM, presenting a Soul and R&B show on Saturday in addition to All Our Yesterplays each weekday morning. He has also completed the Route to Radio broadcasting course, with credits. He now also records three unique shows – Solid Gold 60s, Supersonic 70s and Kick Up the 80s… all three of which are currently syndicated to eighty-eight radio stations in seventeen countries across the world. Of note, in 2013 and 2014 Geoff received the prestigious GEO Award in Chicago for ‘Outstanding Contributing Programme’ for his Solid Gold 60s show.

As of January 2014, Geoff’s collection of shows became WBUS in Arizona’s top ranked shows, bringing Geoff to their Number 1 position with the highest listener base. With his shows being aired every single day on the station, they had one thing to add when they told him… “YOU ROCK!”.

Graham Collins

Since I was 12, I have never been very far from a microphone, either pointing it at people and things or talking into it. My interest in pressing buttons and listening to music eventually got the better of me and I was persuaded to have a go at radio – and I have been getting away with it, on occasion, ever since.

My broadcasting heroes are Roger Scott & John Dunn, both sadly missed and responsible for getting me hooked on the magic of good radio.

They both made me feel as if I was their only listener and proved that you didn’t need to shout or be ‘Showbiz’ when the microphone was opened.

I really do listen to anything and everything and can see merit in all performance. I think because I am not ‘musical’ I am always impressed with the people who are. If pushed I will say that my favourite band is Steely Dan, so forgive me a little indulgence now and then.

Join Graham in The Goldmine, weekdays at 3 and Saturday afternoons at 4pm for Album Gold.

Jenni Costello

Radio has always been a big part of my life and from the age of 13 I knew that being a radio presenter was the only career I ever wanted.

So I’ve been very fortunate to have had so many radio dreams come true. The first was when I worked at BBC Radio 1 in the early 1990s presenting the weekend early show, working with my radio DJ heroes of the old school Radio 1. This also gave me the chance to meet many of my pop music heroes too!

After this I had the pleasure of working at one of the best and largest local radio stations, Trent FM in Nottingham, plus the original GEM-AM.I have so many happy memories of presenting various shows including co-presenting the Breakfast show.

My radio career then brought me back to London and the South-East and amongst other radio stations I’ve been back to the BBC to present some shows for BBC World Service. I’ve also presented shows on Smooth FM, 2-Ten FM, Thames Radio and Radio Jackie.

I’m now presenting the Breakfast show on ‘More Radio Retro’ in Sussex as well as doing voice over-work and podcasting.

My other joys in life are walking the hills near where we live, always listening to music, going out with the girls and being on stage in Amateur Dramatics, when I can.

Join me every Saturday night from 7-9pm for ‘The 80s Zone and Sunday from 6-8pm for ‘Yacht Rock’.

John Hellings

John always had an interest in radio even in school days with a make-shift cable system wired into a few mate’s houses via bell wire installed along the garden wall.

An interest in tape recording came next and later a home studio with a home built mixer took him to hospital radio with a move a few years later into commercial radio in the new Radio Wyvern in Worcester. First job there was reading the racing results on the sports show which was questionable because he had not a clue about racing!

Still with Wyvern John progressed to specialist music programmes together with filling in for others while carrying on with the day job outside radio.

Then came a move to the new station BBC Hereford & Worcester where he presented some weekend programmes until the chance came to get into radio full time.

The day job was shelved and John was offered a job at the new AM split station of Severn Sound/Three Counties Radio in Gloucester which became SuperGold and later a GWR Classic Gold station.

He left after nine years, invited by BBC Hereford & Worcester to present a big band show. After that it was the world of freelance with work at BBC stations in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Stoke plus some voice-over work and writing for magazines. Mainstay of all this was a big band show that ran for ten years and then a jazz show which has run for eleven years, both for BBC Local Radio. Now the realisation has come that John has been earning his living from radio for around thirty years. Where has that time gone?

John Palin

My life-long interest in radio started with the offshore pirate stations in the 1960s when I was in my early teens.

I was fascinated by their innovative station formats not heard in the UK before and the sung jingles that went with them. I soon began my own amateur station, unofficial of course!

In the 1970s I recorded shows and made jingles for other radio enthusiasts and some of my shows and jingles were broadcast on a couple of land-based pirate stations. For a while I also presented shows on a local hospital radio station.

Ever since then I have been an avid radio listener and have continued, as a hobby, to maintain an interest in radio production – and jingles, of course! So for me it’s a privilege to be invited to be a part of the team at Solid Gold GEM AM!

Much of the music I play reminds me of the hey-day of UK radio – beginning with the offshore pirate stations, followed by some of the great heritage stations that today are sadly no longer with us. That is why I’m delighted that this station majors on music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. That’s also why you will hear quite a few classic radio jingles sprinkled liberally through my shows!

Join John, The Golden One, weekdays from 1-3.

Krissi Carpenter

I have been in Radio for over 30 years (crikey, is it REALLY)?? Started on short wave around the world (broadcasting from my garage with egg boxes on the walls to dull the sound). From there I was so happy to be able to join the team at WABC broadcasting from Co Donegal in Ireland.

Returning to England I found GEM AM on my radio dial. I listened to the Station every single day with my two favourite Presenters, Andy Marriott and the late Brian Tansley. I made my demo tape for GEM from the same garage and sent it to the Programme Controller, Len Groat, who liked what he heard and he started my true radio career.

From GEM AM I moved to Signal Radio in Stoke on Trent and from there to BBC Radio Shropshire where I presented the weekday lunchtime Programme. I was at the BEEB for 13 years.

Today, I live in Northern Ireland and run my own bed & breakfast near the Giants Causeway and many Game of Thrones filming locations. Check us out here: www.longviewhouse.co.uk

I love what I do. Music is in my blood and always has been since Radio Caroline and of course Radio Luxembourg and now I am back where it all started at GEM and I’m LOVING IT!

My Programme (Late Night Love) is Monday-Friday from 10pm and features great Motown Tracks, my ‘Connections’ competition (just for fun) plus Lovers At Eleven, Well Wadda Ya Know and of course, lots of great love songs too. Friday night I have a real treat for you, and me, as I play you some of my favourite soul songs from the likes of Luther Vandross, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight etc. You get the picture.

Mark Phillips

I have loved radio and music all my life. I set up one of the first school radio stations in Beckenham, Kent, and helped set up Bromley Hospital radio.

As a reporter for Invicta Radio in Kent, Essex Radio, Mercury, Fox and GWR I covered news and events all around the south and south east. I’ve presented the Breakfast Show on BFBS in Belize and have broadcast from inside the Arctic circle.

During my time as a reporter and producer at LBC I specialised in the unusual including eating fire, flying on the trapeze, wresting in jelly and broadcasting from a sewer flowing under Fleet Street. I’ve interviewed everyone from Morecambe and Wise and Cliff Richard to Margaret Thatcher.

A keen gadget fiend, I co-presented BFBS Multimedia – a show about computers and technology for 10 years on the Forces Radio network.

I’ve been collecting vinyl since age 13 and I have a massive music library with around 10,000 titles encompassing everything from Sinatra to the Sex Pistols.

My radio heroes include the genius Kenny Everett, the late Roger Scott and the sensational Tony Blackburn.

Join me for the Weekend Night Shift on Saturday and Sunday from 1am to 6am, with a great mix of classic oldies and hidden gems taking you through the small hours.

Mike Temple

Mike trained as an actor Southeast London. Over the years he has appeared in many shows, plays and pantomimes with both professional and amateur companies around the country. He has also had the pleasure of appearing in many well-known TV programmes.

In the 80’s Mike branched out into broadcasting and was heard on radio stations around the world and here in the UK. He was the senior Producer for the popular 60’s singer Paul Jones on his Gospel and Blues show for London’s Premier Radio as well as their community unit producer.

Mike is so pleased to have joined Solid Gold Gem Radio as their Saturday morning Breakfast host.
Join him every Saturday from 8-10am and Sunday from 10pm – Midnight.

Mike Wyer

Like many people, he started his proper radio career in hospital radio in 1976, with the award-winning Kidderminster Hospital Radio – unpaid of course. He went on to work at AA Roadwatch in the late 80s, with a spell at Metro Travel and Trafficlink, in their “flying eye” traffic plane. Mike was born in Sutton Park Road, Kidderminster, and went to Franche County Primary School and King Charles 1st Grammar School, Kidderminster.

His first job was as a Saturday salesman at Curry’s in Vicar Street Kidderminster, and after that he worked in The Midland Bank in Stourbridge, and then back to the well-known electrical retailer, to become manager of the Leominster store – he lived in Moreton on Lugg at this time. He made an early start in radio. At the age of six, he was using his brother Paul’s reel-to-reel tape recorder to put on “shows” from the bedroom, with an extension speaker cable down to Mum and Dad in the kitchen below.

A spell of “pirate” radio in South Shropshire (Sunshine Radio) took him on to radio stations in the Black Country area. Beacon Shropshire (where he was the first sales controller) and then to Nice n ‘ Easy Radio WABC doing afternoons and then to breakfast.

After this, it was on to the afternoon show on Saga 106.6fm in the East Midlands, (when David Hamilton moved to Primetime) and then onto presenting a breakfast show on Saga 105.7fm West Midlands. He continued there for a few months when the station rebranded and then moved to BBC Local Radio in 2007.

These days Mike is at home hosting Solid Gold Sunday Afternoon from 3-5pm and also being one of THE biggest Beatles fans ever, you can hear him every weekday at 6 hosting The Beatles Cafe.

Simon Shaw

If any one asked me to pick my favourite birthday present of all time I’d have to choose my first radio, bought for me on my 5th birthday. My Mum & Dad gifted me my “Perdio Pops Transistor” in an effort to stop me re-tuning all the other radios in the house in to new music stations.

I fell in love with listening to the pirates when they first started and enjoyed not just the songs they played, but the DJ’s who effortlessly enthusing about their favourites. And I guess that’s when I fell under the spell of radio. With people like Johnny Walker and Tony Blackburn shaping my early taste in music, it’s no surprise I delighted in collecting Motown songs. I still have my original copies and my first, “It’s The Same Old Song” by the Four Tops, is still on my vintage jukebox which houses many of my most cherished vinyl today.

As I entered my teens I hungered for the kind of music I was reading about in my bible, the fortnightly magazine “Blues & Soul” magazine. Every weekend I’d have saved my pocket money to take the train into Birmingham where specialist shops sold the songs recommended by music guru’s like the great Dave Godin, the man who wrote the hottest column on the coolest new releases around.

Like many R&B fans in the 60’s and 70’s though, our music simply wasn’t being played on main stream radio. Until one morning I heard a fantastic selection coming in loud and clear on my newly opened local radio station. And what’s more, they said “If you’re enjoying what we’re playing come and join us in the studio.” So imagine my delight when, aged 13, I found myself in a radio station surrounded by fellow soul music fans. I quickly learned to make myself useful, answering phones, running for coffee, etc. And amazingly my dream of working in radio came true when that same station offered me a job as a technical assistant when I left school.

Fast forward over four decades and after a busy career in radio & TV production, I’m in the joyous position of hosting my own show on Solid Gold Gem. “The Night Train” is a selection of my favourite music. Yes, lots of smooth soul, but I also enjoy mixing many of my other favourites including the kind of stuff that’s popularly known as “yacht rock”, along with the work of singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Al Stewart, Clifford T Ward & James Taylor, plus I have an ear for great production from genius producers like Thom Bell, Quincy Jones and Britain’s Joe Meek. It’s a pretty catholic but enjoyable mix. Give it a try.

Stephen Wells

Inoculated by a nurse with a gramophone needle when I was six months old back in the fifty’s and so it was then that my decision to play records on the wireless began.

In 1965 getting my first transistor radio and listening to Radio Caroline (The home of the good guys) and to Manx Radio and noticing how much fun they were having I was hooked and decided that I must somehow have a go. The start of Independent Local Radio in the 1970’s and it was a done deal.

Piccadilly Radio, Radio Hallam, Radio City and Radio Tees were all in range of my transistor and all broadcast on VHF all of them got sent a C60 with a demo from my bedroom.

Managed to do some helping out at Marcher Sound but that was never regular work, so had to get a job that paid the mortgage. So for a few years gave up this radio lark, for what my mother called a proper job.

I love music radio, and so now have the chance to play songs from artists from the 50’s 60’ and the 70’s I am delighted to be part of a team of broadcasters at Solid Gold Gem the way radio used to be.

Join Stephen weekdays from 7-9 for his Seven to Nine Thing.

Tim Morsley

I’m what you might call a ‘pop radio obsessive’. My earliest memories was listening to Tony Blackburn presenting the Top 40 on Radio 1 back in 1979 at the age of 7 and being absolutely fascinated, and thinking ‘that’s what I want to do’… I set about setting up my own bedroom radio station complete with microphone (made from a loo roll holder and a empty bottle of linco beer) and quickly adapted to the technology of the day – a tape recorder and small record player!
In my teenage years during the 80s, I followed the pop scene religiously and spent every bit of spare money I had on records. When I reached 16, I joined my local hospital radio station in Halifax – Radio Calderdale, and have been presenting shows there ever since. My main passion has always been for the UK charts from the late 50s right through to today, and I’ve attempted to collect pretty much every song that has made the Top 30. My collection of old vinyls and CDS still fills a couple of rooms at home!

In 1996, together with some other fellow radio enthusiasts, I set up Spark FM in Halifax, one of the handful of ‘community stations’ that was emerging at the time. I went on to spend nearly a decade as Programme Controller organising playlists, arranging schedules and of course, presenting my own shows which gave me such joy to be presenting on FM. These were the days before computer playout systems too, so many a long hour spent inside a studio with piles of carts and CDs.
In 2009, I joined Pennine FM to present The Saturday Dance party and the Retro Chart show, and got to work alongside some great radio talent like Danny Mylo and Richie Pearson.

During the recent lockdown, I had the privilege of presenting the ‘Dance Anthems’ show on West Yorkshire Radio on a Saturday night, and recreating those magic clubbing moments from the 80s & 90s for people to enjoy whilst stuck at home with a glass of wine.

Since I was 18, I have also worked every week as a live DJ, and have worked in many bars, clubs and venues across the North of England as well as a good few weddings etc. Watching hundreds of people go crazy to a song you are playing never fails to thrill and was much missed during lockdown.

Radio is my ultimate passion though, and delighted to be joining Solid Gold Gem to share some wonderful hit memories with you on the Time Tunnel.

Join Tim Saturday from 7-10pm for The 80s Zone and every Sunday afternoon from 1-3pm with The Time Tunnel.

Tony Lloyd

I have had a passionate interest in broadcast radio since I was a young teenager.

A successful club and event DJ, I trained at industrial radio station UBN and entered broadcast radio in the late 70’s as a radio presenter for several radio stations including Ward Radio in London where I was appointed Chairman in 1979. I was responsible managerially and editorially for all on-air programming together with overseeing sound engineering, fundraising & training. I proudly remain an Honorary Chairman today.

I then went on to become a presenter at Chiltern Radio, serving Herts, Beds, Bucks, Northants and others with my ‘Tony Lloyd Late Show’, featuring the popular ‘Midnight Magic’ romantic half hour.

I was promoted to Drive Show presenter in 1990, at the same time presenting the ‘Top 20 Countdown’, and going on to work at the station for ten years. In addition I also broadcast on Invicta SuperGold & Severn Sound & launched SuperGold, Horizon Radio in Milton Keynes and The Hot FM.

I currently present several shows on different stations including Love From Tony, right here on Solid Gold Gem 10pm – Midnight every Saturday.

Trevor Thomas

Being on the radio was always a boyhood dream for me. Growing up in North West England, I have fond memories of listening to Piccadilly, Radio City and Red Rose through the 70s and 80s. After leaving school and settling for a ‘proper job’, I decided to fill my spare time at my local hospital station, FAB (Friends At your Bedside- see what they did there!). Luckily enough it led to me landing my first full time professional DJ gig on Radio Top Shop, playing records from a perspex bubble suspended from the ceiling of Manchester’s Arndale Centre.

Never quite getting over the vertigo, by late 1990 I’d taken up a new role as Broadcast Assistant with Signal Radio followed by a move to Shropshire to join Sunshine 855 a couple of years later. I then spent some time in Northern Ireland hosting the Breakfast Show on Q102 before traveling back over the Irish Sea for the launch of Silk FM in my native Cheshire, and then to Warwickshire for Rugby FM in 2002.

If that wasn’t enough moving around, I eventually settled for some years at Magic AM in Yorkshire and then more recently High Peak Radio in stunning Derbyshire which I am proud to call home. It’s an absolute privilege and honour to continue doing what I love for a living after 30 years, and to share some of the finest music.

Join Trevor Sundays from 5-6pm.