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194 Memories
I was working in a nightclub in Blackpool called Jenks' in the 70's, when I was approached by someone who told me that Radio Luxembourg were inviting dj's to submit demos. I duly sent my tape and, to my astonishment, was invited to Hertford Street, their London studio, to record a programme which was aired in the early hours of July 30th 1978, which ended a year and five minutes before the start of my first show on City!! In between those I presented a series of shows for Radio Victory in Portsmouth. It was demos of the Luxembourg and Victory Shows which secured my position at City.
The first thing I recall after getting the gig at City was receiving a call from the boss, David Maker, who told me that I was holding up the printing of the new programme schedules, 'cos they didn't know what to call me; I was given ten minutes to come up with a suitable surname….my driving licence was lying on the table and I noticed my driver no.began "TATTE", so I just removed one of the "T's" and phoned him back to tell him my "new" name
(just an abbreviation of my original surname).
I always remember having to come in to the station 5 hours before I was due on air, because that was how long it took to open and "edit" all the mail we received for "Downtown's" legendary "Peaceful Hour". I took that show over from Johnny Jason around August '79 (I think?) and by the time I left in May '83, I was sharing the seven nights with Paul Jordan, and between us we were receiving around 700 letters a week. Can you imagine any station generating that amount of post nowadays?!!
I always remember taking the studio over from Phil Easton was always quite an experience 'coz the place would be awash with beer bottles following his legendary "Great Easton Express". I'd be walking into the studio as the likes of Ian Gillan or Mike Batt were disappearing next door to The Gingerbread Man with Phil to continue the party. I'm pretty sure the mighty Ozzy Osbourne once emerged from that studio at 10pm one night!!
One of the saddest days during my time at City was most certainly the day that we heard the grim news that John
Lennon had been shot. I remember hastily re-arranging the programme that night. All day the station had been playing Beatles and Lennon classics, so I decided, as a tribute from "Downtown" to play Lennon songs as performed by other artists, and managed to fill a whole programme with them.
Continued here
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