POTTED HISTORY OF RICHARD
Born in 1939, in Carlton, Notts. he was, for thirty five years, a
railwayman, arriving in Cambridge in 1963, when appointed Relief Station
Master- one of the youngest men to be so appointed.
He retired (or escaped) from British Rail on his fiftieth birthday - that
being the earliest date at which his pension was available - and became a
regular Regional Radio Presenter, hosting extremely successful 'phone-in'
chat shows, syndicated simultaneously to stations in Northamptonshire,
Norfolk, Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Via the Medium Wave they
regularly attract callers from as far away as Lincoln, Birmingham, Swindon,
London, Aylesbury, Nottingham, Coventry Leicester, Skegness and Northern
France. Three 'country' songs have been written about the shows, which are
now believed to be the longest continually running 'chat shows' in the
history of British broadcasting.
His radio 'documentary' on the Abdication of King Edward the Eighth earned
him an Acknowledgement from Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen
Mother.
His other broadcasting work has brought him three National Newspaper Awards
and two further Royal Commendations.
In a National Magazine poll, he was voted, 'The Nation's most Popular
Regional and Local Radio Presenter'.
He received - late in December 1999 - the Cambridge Evening News 'Medal for
Outstanding Work in the Community' - also in connection with this work. This
was followed in June 2000, by the award - In the Queen's Birthday Honours -
of the MBE, "For Services to Regional and Local Broadcasting".
Since then, he has received The Daily Mail Golden Jubilee Award Of Merit
Certificate.
He began freelance writing in 1969 and freelance broadcasting in 1983. His
radio and television work includes contributions in both media to news,
documentary, feature work and comedy, as well as straightforward presenting
- also in both.
His first regular radio assignment, which began as a six-week trial and
lasted over three years,was "Reflections", a 'one-to-one' profile/interview
programme with celebrities. The guests included such luminaries as Sir
Michael Hordern, Sir Donald Sinden, Bryan Forbes, Constance Shacklock, OBE.,
Leonard Parkin, Jimmy Perry, OBE., survivors of the sinking of the 'RMS
Titanic', the 'R101' Disaster, Bill Pertwee, Jack Hargreaves. And they
constitute only a very few.
In October 1996, he assumed the position of Afternoon Presenter on a BBC
Radio Cambridgeshire. Within the first two years, he had increased the
audience - in some half-hourly segments - by as a much as seven hundred
percent, and, in the following year, effected a further increase of
approximately fifty four percent. He relinquished those duties in March 2000
on the expiration of his contract and at his own behest.
He created and co-wrote - with David Croft, OBE., - for BBC Television, the
comedy series, "Oh Doctor Beeching". On transmission, the 'pilot' turned out
to be the 'Highest rated comedy pilot of the decade'. It ran for two series
and nineteen episodes, is still being seen all over the world, and has now
been released on DVD and Video. He can also be seen in it as an actor,
playing the role of District Inspector Ernest Orkindale.
He writes monologues and poetry, some of which has been put to music,
recorded and performed by local Folk Singer, Jancis Harvey. In addition to
this, thousands of cassettes and C/D's of his works have been sold
throughout the country.
He 'tours' a 'One-Man-Show', giving a full evening's entertainment and plays
the piano.
He is a regular speaker, both for 'After-Dinner Engagements' and for various
groups and organisations.
He writes a regular column in 'Anglian Evergreen' magazine, published by
Robwood Publications,Peterborough.
