At the beginning of the 60s the BBC mounted what I believe was first experiment of local radio in Reading. It was a three week caper, recorded but not broadcast. The station manager was Bill Coysh, Senior Talks Producer, Bristol and founder of “Any Questions.” The news editor was the dour Jack Johnson from Birmingham. I was a journalist working on the weekly Reading Standard. I’d always dreamt of working for the BBC. I did earn a few extra bob by filing copy to the South East news desk. I went to do a story about the experiment and made such a nuisance of myself that Jack gave me a small job doing a review of a local AmDram performance just to shut me up. A few days later Bill rang me to say that they’d under estimated the staffing level for the experiment and could I join them. The newspaper’s Chairman, a kindly man call John Pole, sent me on my way with his blessing. In due time, having failed to get any of the contacts I’d made interested in giving me a break in, Bill Coysh invited me to Bristol for an audition. David Dimbleby had left to go back to London and – heaven knows how – got his slot on contract. My book “A Series of little BBC Adventures” tells quite a bit of the tale. You can read the first chapter FREE on Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-BBC-Adventures-David-Shute-ebook/dp/B007C4SWY8