BBC TV and radio broadcaster, Sir Terry Wogan passed away on Sunday, 31st January 2016, aged 77 from cancer after a short illness.
Sir Terry was born in Limerick, Ireland, and worked for the BBC for most of his career. He was best known for his weekday breakfast programme, “Wake Up To Wogan” during which he was ably assisted by newsreader “Deadly” Alan Dedicoat, Fran Godfrey and John “Boggy” Marsh. One of the regular features of the show included the “Janet and John” stories. Sir Terry finally retired from his breakfast programme in 2009.
Sir Terry was also known for his work with “Children In Need”, “The Eurovision Song Contest” and for his TV chat show “What’s On With Wogan”.
SUSY presenter and Chairman, ALAN FRENCH spoke with the chairman of community radio station Uckfield FM, MIKE SKINNER. Like many of those who are involved in radio broadcasting now, both Alan and Mike started out on hospital radio, and Sir Terry was the Patron of the Hospital Broadcasting Association for many years.
Mike recalls with Alan an occasion when he “sat in” on one of Sir Terry’s breakfast programmes:
Pictured above: left-“Big Al” French | centre-Mike Skinner | right-Sir Terry Wogan
Sir Terry Wogan reads Janet & John – courtesy of BBC Radio 2
Presenter SI CLARKE hosted a breakfast show with a difference this morning (Friday, 29th January) when he was visited by ADRIAN HARMS of BBC Surrey as part of their #WinterWarmUp Tour.
Adrian Harms of BBC SurreySi spoke with Adrian live on air during the programme.
During the week, BBC Surrey had been visiting various locations within their broadcast area, and taking a look at various activities found within those communities. Today was the last day of the tour, and included Merstham. Following Adrian’s visit to the SUSY studios, he continued his tour and visited Merstham F.C.
Si Clarke chats with Adrian Harms
Previously, NEIL MUNDAY had chatted with Adrian on BBC Surrey during which they talked more about SUSY Radio, and its involvement within the local community. MARK CARTER and SUZANNE BAMBOROUGH at the BBC Surrey studios introduce Adrian and Neil Audio by kind permission of BBC Surrey
Adrian talks first with Neil Munday of SUSY Radio and Mark Carter back at BBC Surrey, and then joins Si Clarke live on air at SUSY.
Former BBC DJ & television presenter Ed “Stewpot” Stewart has died, aged 74, friends say.
Ed was an avid supporter of Susy Radio and has visited the SUSY radio studio on several occasions during our RSL days.
He commented off air “that it was great to be back in the broom cupboard”!
Ed started his radio career in July 1965 on the offshore pirate Radio London and became its chief DJ until the station closed on 14th August 1967. He then became one of the first DJs to join the new pop service BBC Radio 1 which was introduced to fill the gap left by the closing of the pirates. Ed also spent air time in the early years of Radio Mercury in Crawley (now Heart FM).
The pics show Ed in 2008 during an RSL (Restricted Service Licence) 28 day broadcast in the studios in Merstham along with past Chair of Susy Radio the late Ray Alan and Lord Charles. The other was from earlier in 1995 from another RSL broadcast from the Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill when Susy broadcast under the name “Trust FM” raising money for the “Childrens Trust” in Tadworth along side Susy Presenter the late Stephen Romaine.
Pictured above: Ed “Stewpot” Stewart alongside Ray Alan and Lord Charles during an RSL broadcast in 2008
Ed Stewart and presenter, the late Stephen Romaine in 1995
Listen to the late Stephen Romaine talking with Ed Stewart during which he talks about his career, and the forthcoming 2008 Variety Club Golf Classic which was to be held at the Kingswood Golf Club, Tadworth.
To read more about SUSY Radio’s association with the Variety Club in the past, please click HERE
Thanks to Ian Rennison and Dianne Romaine for permission to reproduce the photos and audio
Sunday the 20th December 2015 was the date of the Carol service recording at Reigate Baptist Church, Sycamore Walk, Reigate.
The equipment had been prior set up by Neil Munday of the Outdoor Sound Company and close discussion with the church technical team allowed feed to be taken from their own sound console.
All was ready – all systems tested, recorders all ready.
The big day – technical rehearsals started at 4pm with the final choir at 6.30pm. The doors opened at 7pm with the church filling to standing room only and it’s a big space! The concert began (now one thing you have to remember is digital recorders only save when you press stop!) all was well – a pause in proceedings gave opportunity to stop the recorder and start a new track about 1/3 in. The following hour went by the recording was sounding fantastic and we got to the playout music and ahhh Nooooo! a power interruption, a few seconds but the last 2/3 of the concert was lost. Very brisk discussions were had, and it entailed that the last 3rd was recorded on another circuit as the church wished to keep the recording of their retiring Pastor so we were missing the middle third.
What happened next was pure Christmas Spirit and a small miracle as the worship Band and church`s own Choir came together on the stage and a third of the audience returned to the church hall after mince pies and 6 pieces were rerecorded.
The responsibility then fell on Neil after discussions with Geoff Rogers Susy radio`s Programmes Director that we could not fill 1.5 hours but an hour only perhaps!
Neil went away and put all the audio on his home studio computer and reassembled the concert in the correct order of service, some pieces were cut as personal but remaining in context of the service, pauses were shortened by 10th`s of a second and audience responses of clapping were copied and reinserted with the smaller audience clapping used for the solo periods a gentle amount of reverberation added to small parts and 19hours later a programme was formed.
Scripts were then written and Mike Williams (Our Susy Presenter – Mike) stepped up to record the intros and outros with a lead in by Neil himself. Mike had fun and declared “This is not easy!” on his 7th take! But all got a mention even if we were not able to put in two choirs which the recordings were lost totally.
A huge thank you to the Reigate Baptist Church – Technical Team, Worship Band and Choir plus the congregation who were the best ever.
A Church First 1.5 Carol concerts in one night!
Below is the edited concert as broadcast, the promo and some independent tracks that were brilliant!
