Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
This photograph was taken after a recording of a show with Rosie (Mary Kendall) from the Barmaid’s Arms on Radio WM. She did a pre-recorded show without Malcolm on this occasion. Nik was a member of a country band who had been on the Barmaid’s Arms show previously and so were invited in on one of her shows. This was early 80s.
Thanks to Nik Andrews for sharing the photograph.
Tribute to Ed Doolan, who died this week, from the Birmingham Mail (Jan 16th 2018).
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/bbc-wm-legend-ed-doolan-14161903
Ed Doolan in his library at home in 2010
The following comment was posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Sue Welch: ‘Lovely tribute. When I passed the news on to my daughter, she replied that she had Ed to thank for tickets to see Fame. She had “destroyed Doolan” (still got the badge to,prove it) one Sunday with her her riddle “Why was Columbus’ crossing of the Atlantic so economical?” – because he got 2000 miles to the galleon.
I’ll get my coat……’
Photo by Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission
Co-presenters, Gyn Freeman and Nicky Steele in Area 2 of the Radio WM studio at Pebble Mill.
Thanks to Rod Fawcett for sharing the photo.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Gyn Freeman: Stuart Roper left, they brought Nicky to enable the station to still have a “double-header” – so I was the co-presenter of the show, as I was with Roper. Actually Nicky and I got on well together and the programme was popular but no way would either of these chaps let me drive the programme unless they took a break or I was doing the phone-in. Just to say that I am feeling just fine, but of course both Stuart and Nicky died so young. I did a double header on Radio 4 for a couple of series, the other presenter was Peter Purves, looking good and even older than me and the producer Peter Everett.’
Tim Manning: ‘If you look through the window, you’ll see that I was the producer, although not for the whole time that they worked together on air.’
Tim Beech: ‘Area 2. John Taynton always used that one for the shared evening show across the Midlands. Ed was always in 5, “driven” from Area 4. As was Tony Butler.’
Anthony Worrall: ‘I remember Nicky’s discos at Honiley Boot before his radio days!’
Gary Hudson: ‘I remember Nicky presenting gigs at Birmingham Town Hall in the 70s. He was already a star of BRMB, and – a day after the sad death of Ed Doolan – that’s a reminder that the commercial lot created all the major local radio personalities in those days – certainly in the West Midlands. Tony Butler was another contemporary, and of course Les Ross, who’d left Radio Birmingham for the glamour of the former Aston Hippodrome.’
Steve Jarvis: ‘I remember Nick when he was Nick Aire at Bishop Vesey School. He had the mot remarkable ten pin bowling style!’
Tim Beech: ‘Nicky of course sadly passed away many years ago – I just checked the date and it was 2001. Hard to believe it was that long ago.’
Chris Rolinson: ‘He was due to start at Saga in 2001, but he was already very ill and sadly died before we went on air.
He was slated to present the Saturday Afternoon show “The Saturday Alternative” from 2 till 6 and I had to sit in for him from launch.
It was very strange especially doing the first show that I knew a Midlands legend was due to present.
I hope I didn’t let him down…’
Ed Doolan receiving a lifetime achievement award in 2015
Australian born, Radio WM presenter, Ed Doolan, has died today (Jan 16th 2018) aged 76. Ed revealed that he was suffering from vascular dementia in 2015.
Radio WM paid tribute to him in the following announcement:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05v1x7y
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Tim Manning: ‘I was Ed’s first producer at Radio WM when he moved to the BBC from BRMB in 1982. There was a bit of nervousness behind the scenes, as this was really the first time the BBC had poached a big name from a commercial rival for a local radio station. Bosses in London were reportedly a bit uncomfortable about the cost, and some staff at WM weren’t too happy, worrying that they were being pushed aside. Ed was also nervous, as he feared that his listeners might desert him and that Radio WM’s audience wouldn’t take to him. John Pickles, then the manager of the station, was convinced that the publicity coup of Ed’s arrival would lift the station’s profile, and that Ed would fit in; he was proved right.
In fact, Ed settled in really quickly, and Radio WM gave him space to grow. Ed was a great showman, with a style more akin to the big TV chat show hosts of the era than conventional radio presenters of the time, and he loved doing celebrity interviews. Nonetheless, underneath the larger-than-life on-air persona, he was a sharp current affairs journalist with a real sense of what mattered to his audience and he really knew and understood Birmingham and the West Midlands. I’m glad he was never spirited away to Network Radio (there was talk of it), as he was at his best skewering local and national politicians on behalf of his listeners. Few broadcasters have had such a lasting impact on their local community.’
Linda Flavell: ‘Ed did quite a lot on Regional TV too, although I thibhe was at his best on radio. Sad loss.’
Katie Cooper: ‘I’m so glad to have seen him at the last Pebble Mill coffee morning I got to. Lovely man.’
Copyright Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission
This photograph shows Gina Campbell being interviewed by John Taynton, for Radio WM, during the Birmingham Superprix, circa 1987. Gina comes has a long racing pedigree, her father was Donald Campbell CBE, and her grandfather, Sir Malcolm Campbell. Gina won the UK Off-shore Boating Champion in 1984, as well as holding the Women’s World Water Speed Record, in 1984 and again in 1990. She was obviously affiliated to the Renault team at the Birmingham Superprix.
Thanks to Radio WM engineer, Rod Fawcett, for sharing his photograph.
The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Pete Simpkin: ‘John Taynton was a great interviewer and human being and is greatly missed.’