Why/how did you become involved in radio?

Good question…..

What is your most memorable radio moment so far?

I suppose the highlights revolve around some of the big name interviews such as Cliff Richard and Neil Sedaka. One of my favourite moments was interviewing Norman Wisdom who had agreed to do the interview but the date clashed with a scheduled outside broadcast from a bowling alley in Macclesfield. I accepted that the interview wouldn’t go ahead and after doing the first hour of the show with just me, my producer, an engineer and 5 members of the bowling alley staff sitting looking at each other I noticed a car pull up outside. The door opened and Norman Wisdom got out, I couldn’t believe it. He came inside and we did the interview. I thanked him so much for coming and he said ‘I said I’d do the interview with you and I didn’t want to let you down’ what a star!

The most memorable moment, for me, was at the start of my very first professional radio show, I started the show after the news, read the weather and played Limmie and the Family Cookin’, You Can Do Magic. I turned in the direction of my old school gesticulated and said, ‘you were wrong Mr Robinson’. Mr Robinson was my old Form tutor and Career teacher and when I told him I wanted to work in radio he told me to ‘get serious’ as that was never going to happen!

  What is the song that ‘lifts your day?’

I tried and tried but can’t decide on one single song so I’m going to claim artistic license and chose five songs that always lift my day.

Hi-Fidelity – Kids From Fame

Whispering Your Name – Alison Moyet

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me – Mel Carter

Human Nature – Michael Jackson

And……

Mr Blue Sky – ELO (obviously)

How do you feel about joining the Blue Sky Team?

I delighted and excited to be joining the Blue Sky team, its a privilege to be involved in such a great radio station with so many radio icons and showcasing such brilliant music.

What is it you like about our local area (North Staffs and South Cheshire)?

I love the people of Stoke on Trent who are so warm and made me feel very welcome when I first started working there and I love the ‘ruralness’ of Cheshire. Jodrell Bank is amazing, I was doing on Outside Broadcast one Sunday morning and I was driving past Jodrell Bank to get to the venue. It was very early and as I came round a bend in the road I was met with the sight of the Jodrell Bank main dish shrouded in mist. I actually stopped the car and just got out to take in the scene, it was magical.

 

Fun fact!

I really can’t stay away from radio so as well as presenting radio shows I applied for a license to become a Full Licensed radio HAM, the exams were hard work but I passed them all and my unique callsign is M0NTE as in the ‘full’!!!!