Comment: Your
site brings back a lot of memories.
I used to stay in to listen to the Six of the Best competition when I
was at Leicester Poly.
Imagine my surprise to be reading the news on his Breakfast programme
on Beacon seven years later!!
I'm
still involved in radio,
and it was through listening
to stations like Mercia
(in its early days) which
made
me want to work in the business.
Regards
Andrew Hewkin
BBCi at http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Name: John
Barnes
Comment: Hi,
Just a note after coming across
your Mercia website.
What an excellent piece of work. I grew up in the Black Country listening
to BRMB, Beacon and Mercia - I
loved Mercia even though it was not easy to get in Dudley - Dave Jamieson
and John Warwick
were two of my all time hero's. Am I right that Dave Jamieson now runs
a bar in Spain? -
I got to know John Warwick when I was living in the north-east - a lovely
man.
Loved the Centre Stuff as well - I later employed Mark Williams when
I was Station Manager / Programme
Controller at Radio Maldwyn in mid-Wales Impressed that you have the
old Mercia Jingles -
I have a huge collection of stuff on CD and early BRMB and Mercia are
two of the few things I want that I don't have - even have the old Beacon
stuff now :0)
Comment: Ahh those
Mercia memories. I really had some
great time at Mercia, among the best
of my career so far, even though
I had to work with Colin Palmer,
Alan Turner, Paul Chapman, Fae southWell,
Bella Hedgecock, Rob Gurney and a
cast of thousands.
I know Paul Chapman is working at Reuters TV in London. And Fae Southwell
is working part-time at BBC Cambridge - and is a mum-of-two. Lost touch
with Bella though.
I even bumped into Leighton Crossley at ITN.
I'm working in Wales for the BBC (I'm sure we all swore we'd never take
the BBC buck!) I'm presenting and reporting on sport after 11 years in
news. aybe I'll catch up with some of you at the next reunion.
Cheers
Jeff
Comment: I cannot
believe all the old faces and memories,
it really has been so long. Whenever
the next Reunion is count me in.
Have been here in California now
16 years, an editor in TV.
Carole and I have 2 girls Kaitlin 9 and Kristal 13
will been in UK summer 2002, who knows maybe I'll see some of you!
Comment: great
reunion on Sunday (those who DID
turn up..) and nice to see so many
faces who DIDN'T make it last year....
Tony Harrison...WOW! Clive Skelhon...hans't aged at all even though he'd
got less hair...Mark Baggett wearing a toupee and pretending it's real.
But where were Karen Thompson, Ian McLaren, Simon Garrett, Jeff Collins,
Paul Chapman, Barbara Evans, Jane Rawson, Mark Foster, etc etc.....
PS...how DARE Colin Palmer push Saga's news...it's BORING!!!!
Comment: The newsroom
in the late 80s. Mark Foster, Simon
Garrett (carlton tv), Ian McLaren
(meridien tv), Ian Woods (sky), Rob
Gurney(bbc WM), Carole Peters (tv
freelance), Tina Gelder(yorkshire
tv), Judy Ward (bbc), Colin Palmer(saga
radio), Neil Curry (sky). me, bbc
midlands today. any updates??
Comment: Mark
Baggett, Andy Armitage, Gary Hynes
and Colin Palmer! Names to conjure
with indeed (or should that be conjure
up?)
What a fantastic website - and filled with people who are even older
than me (and in Colin's case with even less hair, on his head at least..
sorry Colin, but there aren't many of you these days)
Working for Central telly in Abingdon - Karen Gooch (nee Thompson) also
here. Louise Reed-Daunter from Cable days used to work here too but does
so no longer. Also
Comment: Had this
e-mail:
I stumbled across your fantastic Mercia site and just had to congratulate
you on preserving an important time in broadcasting. I thought the
information was very interesting and very well presented.I have fond
memories of trying to listen to Mercia in the early 80s when on
holiday in Worcester! The reception was variable on MW, but OK on sunny
days. It was really great to hear the Sue Manning jingles in stereo on
your site.
Michael Balkwill
Comment: I've
looked into the question of the MCR
pension scheme (see my earlier posting)
and PricewaterhouseCoopers tell me
that the 'increase in employer contributions
are expected to return the Scheme's
assets to cover it's [sic] liabilities
in full by 30 September 2006'. They
say that, as the assets 'are expected
to return to cover it's [sic] liabilities[,]
Scheme members are not informed until
such time as they would be effected
[sic]'. So now we know, if via appalling
grammar!
Comment: Following
the line of great Commercial Producers(Robbie
Mason, Ted Elliott) they got me in
1987!
Still thank's Nick Rushbrook and Ian Rufus for the chance. Hello to anyone
who was there with me until 89 - Especially sales, Sandra Chuff, Charlie,
Rick Walker, Jan Lynch... where are they now? - I wrote the spoof ad
that appears on the Dave Sims audio bit on this site by the way - Now
at Wave 105 Solent Regional and would love to hear from anyone who remembers
a (sometimes) blonde piss head who
Comment: Sorry
to be the bringer of perhaps not-so-welcome
news, but did you who were in the
pension scheme know that it's grossly
underfunded and is being administered
by PricewaterhouseCoopers? Not enough
space on here to comment further,
but it's worrying. Email Andy on
ajarmitage@aol.com if you want to
know more.
Comment: Ah...
Getting that new 'single' (that's
a 45 RPM recording) from the record
rep of the Thompson Twins at 2.30
and putting it on the air at 4.30.
And many more besides. Live Coventry
Bands in the Studio. Happy Days.
Thank you Kevin, for a wonderful
site, and to 'Update the Jingle'
into day's jargon. "All Day Long
You've Been Running Around, now it's
home-page with Mercia Sound!" Steve
W. xx PS. I wonder if stuart still
looks at his watch and says "it's
2.20 on 2.20?"
Comment: Great
site. any ex merciers are mega welcome
at Radio Academy events. It is great
to hear the nmaes and where they
are now. I am trying to construct
a 'friends reunited' section into
the Academy web site so that we can
track peoples movements through the
industry. did you know that two of
the five BBC National controllers
started in local commercial radio?
Have just had my first proper look around the website and just wanted
to congratulate Kevin on a great job!
It's great to be able to re-live the golden days at Mercia and as I'm
sure is true for others who, like myself, no longer live in the Midlands,
it's a little bit of home which is somehow quite comforting.
Name: Kevin Sykes
Country: Birmingham
Date: Thu
Feb 21 07:45:16 2002
Comment: ...Hmmm,
might have to review the Forum.
I will soon be moving the site too as it is sometimes unavailable (too
popular?), it will mean however NO AD's!, hopefully you won't feel a
thing!
Comment: ..I got
cut off too. I think I was going
to say that I also still do the odd
bit of local radio (very odd). I
also go into schools delivering study
skills courses for Year 11s as a
sideline. Prior to going freelance
(redundancy - best thing that ever
happened to me apart from Ian Rufus
plucking me from Hospital Radio)
in 1997 was with the Beeb for 8 years
at CWR and latterly at Pebble Mill
where I got involved in telly for
a while as well as producing Ed Doolan,
and surviving!
I think that's me up to date.
There's stuff on this site I'd completely forgotten about.. nice one
Kev
Comment: Well
done Kevin. I was a greeble from
before the station started and helped
Gordon Astley by compiling the travel
info. Went on to present sport bulletins
and work with the great news team
under the likes of Mike Henfield
and Pete Lowe. Now a senior producer
at the BBC (reporter & presenter
on Look North - Newcastle). Nothing
quite compares to those early days
which were just fantastic! Hello
to all that remember me.
Name:Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Mon
Feb 18 14:30:21 2002
Comment: From
Alan turner
My god....almost 22 years since The Mercia went on air. And some of us
STILL believe in radio.
This REALLY is sad-anorakism of the first degree but congrats!! Aah...the
memories....
Oh yeah...and Big Bad Bev called me at home out of the blue just last
week!! So she IS still alive...
Comment: As my
first message appears to have been
lost in the ether, rather fitting
for a broadcaster ... can i compliment
kevin again for the website .. it
brings back so many memories of sounds
and faces ... great people, great
music and great fun.
Andy Lloyd
PS: I didn't post the previous message, promise! thanks andrew brown.
Name: Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Mon
Feb 18 08:52:48 2002
Comment: From
Guestbook:
I lived in Hinckley and took the day off school just to listen to the
first days programming. I recorded the first hour and was so excited
to have an ILR in my area at last after a couple of years enjoying the
renegade broadcasts of Beacon 303. I always wondered what happened to
Andy Lloyd! He was by far the best presenter on the station - a touch
of class. I heard on BBC Radio Bedford in the late 1980's, but may be
he became a lawyer after all!
Andrew Brown
Comment: Thanks,
Kevin. Thanks to your tweaking, I
can forget that Java Script error
nonsense and post a message. I nearly
said 'shit' instead of 'nonsense',
but thought 'shit' might me censored.
I'm doing books now - writing and compiling some and editing a lot and
proofreading some and indexing some and have become like Jack: a rather
dull boy, wishing to get out and get pissed more often. But with only
sheep to drink with ... Mind you, you know what they say about Wales
and sheep. And cliff t
Name:Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Sat
Feb 16 18:54:21 2002
Comment: Had this
e-mail:
I lived in Coventry for 10 years
and remember those early days well,
even though I was living in Tamworth for the test era. Used to tune in
a lot.Mercia was one of the best ILR stations with some good Jingles...."Hello
Nuneaton"...."Mercia sound is Coventry, Mercia Sound is Warwickshire
etc" ..great stuff. None of the ILR stations are much good these days.
They all sound the sameCarry on with developing the site. It is appreciated
by us ex locals and anoraks !
Nigel Carr
Name: Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Sat
Feb 16 17:11:39 2002
Comment: Had this
e-mail:
I used to sometimes get a train down to Coventry and go to Mercia to
buy Goodies get DJ photo and stuff, I don't have any thing of Mercia
anymore. I once met John Warwick coming out (a big man) and got him to
sign the photo.
Mark
Comment: Well
done, Kevin! Great idea. The site
is very promising, and only serves
to remind me how old I am ... I live
in Spain now and would be delighted
to hear from anyone who remembers
the early days.
¡Hasta luego!
Name:Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Sat
Feb 16 17:00:45 2002
Comment: Had this
e-mail:
Hi Kevin
What a fantastic site you have I am very impressed.
Regards
Simon
Comment: Well
let me be the second then! Thanks
Kevin for this facility. In Liggo's
reply to my recent mail out he asked
for a "where are they now" facility
and this will do fine.
For the record I'm still based in Coventry but hardly ever there. Spend
most of my time in London at BBC BH doing continuity work for Radio 4,
Bush House doing similar for the World Service and just recently at TV
Centre where I've just started newsreading on R4. Still
Name:Kevin
Country: Birmingham
Date: Fri
Feb 15 15:37:39 2002
Comment: Let's
get the messages under way by saying
-
Welcome, keep it clean (so I don't have to muck around deleting stuff!)
and have fun!!!
Kevin.Sykes@kps.org.uk 
Page updated
Saturday, February 14, 2009
