Many people who work in radio are there because
of someone else. Kenny Everett, perhaps, or Tony
Blackburn. I got into radio because of James
Whale, who died this week. Yes, James Whale.
When I was stuck at boarding school, James Whale
did The Late Show on Radio Air in Leeds, which
I could just about pick up. His first hour between
10 and 11 was music with do -it -yourself dedications,
where you would ring up, say hello to people
and introduce a song, and I longed to do that.
I don't think I ever did, but I did learn how
to pronounce Basher's full name in case I ever
got to do a do -it -yourself dedication for her
1980s hit Primetime TV. Basia Czechilewska, in
case you're wondering, a backing singer for Matt
Bianco. I don't think I ever once managed to
use that knowledge on the radio. Wales' phone
-in after 11 was hyped to be edgy, adult -themed
and not for the faint -hearted. His first 10
minutes was very sternly informing everyone that
you could not listen if you were under 16. had
listener -produced jingles which he'd play out
of ad breaks, lyrics like Too Much Lip or A Naughty
Word, then the plugs pulled out. In reality,
it wasn't anywhere near as edgy. Whale would
occasionally get mock -angry with some callers,
but what struck me was how at ease he was behind
a microphone. Among the phone -ops he ate through
were Adrian Green, later known as Sandy Beach,
and a certain young Chris Moyles. He read out
a letter of mine as Janet rather than James,
and from then on I would regularly call him,
as an utterly unforgettable regular caller, as
Janet. The ads, faster hire, car hire at unbelievable
prices, are still etched onto my brain. One memorable
night was November 1987, and the news of the
King's Cross underground fire. The fire started
at 7 .30, but it was only by 10 or 11 that it
had made it onto the news. News was slower in
those days. What had that got to do with Leeds?
Well, everything, as Whale explained on air.
If you'd ever been to London, you'd have been
in the King's Cross tube station. 31 people died
that night, but Whale was a reassuring voice
to explain what had happened. It turned out that
while he was playing the cantankerous, self -indulgent
phone -in on Radio Air, he was also doing some
presenter duties on BBC Radio 4. I think he was
depping for Ned Sherin for Loose Ends at one
point. Noting his success on air, Radio Air moved
him to Breakfast, which was a bizarre decision.
He was quickly moved back to Late Nights, and
then, in a cost -cutting move by owners Transworld,
his phone -in was also taken by Red Rose Radio
in Preston, replacing Alan Bezic on the station.
I visited the studio a few times, once just to
watch. He couldn't have been nicer. And then
he moved to cheap television for a while, initially
live simulcasting on Radio Air, then just from
Radio Air Studios while someone else did a music
show, which was a bit weird, and then down to
Talk Radio UK, where his act changed a bit, and
I just lost touch. Until on the day that I left
the BBC, I sent him an email. to say thank you.
And to my surprise, he wrote back. Meet for lunch,
he said. And we did. Quite a boozy lunch, which
he insisted on paying for in one of his favourite
restaurants in the West End. I don't think he
remembered me much, and why should he? But we
chatted a lot about the people we both knew,
and he pressed me on how to get a job at Radio
2. I'm a good music jock, he'd tell me. I'm not
sure I was much help. And then, after a bottle
of wine... He walked down to Leicester Square
to broadcast to all of London. They say don't
meet your heroes, but I'm glad I did, and I'm
glad I got to say thank you to him.