Ray Rainbow - In Memory
All at Brooklands Radio were very saddened to learn that Ray Rainbow passed away in hospital
on 2nd December 2011 after a prolonged illness.
Ray loved doing radio and was a brilliant broadcaster. He was with us from the start of BrooklandsFM
with our annual 4-week stints on FM and put much preparation into his very entertaining and fun shows, first in an evening slot and later developing through our ongoing internet service a very successful Sunday Brunch show full of fun, amusing stories, competitions, guests and great music and jingles which proved ideal entertainment for a Sunday morning.
He was very generous helping many new recruits to Brooklands Radio passing on his skills with advice on preparing and presenting on radio and many went on to present their own shows with us.
Ray was successful in getting a show on Radio Jackie but had no hesitation in wanting to continue his support and involvement in Brooklands Radio. Sadly that success was to be short-lived when
he became seriously ill. Our thoughts are with his wife and daughter at this very sad time.
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Kate Corry
KATE CORRY joined Brooklands Radio because it reflected her interests in drama and broadcasting production. Our 2007 broadcast gave Kate her debut in radio, presenting the Saturday breakfast show.
In her day job she is a production manager for a company making corporate films and her other interests include reading, writing, travelling, keeping fit and nights out in London with pals.
Kate, the daughter of Brooklands Radio presenter Robin Corry, lives in Esher, where she was brought up. She went to Tormead School, in Guildford, and Manchester University, and appeared in stage productions at both.
Robin Corry
ROBIN CORRY fell in love with radio as a small boy in its heyday, listening to comedy shows such as ITMA, Much Binding In The Marsh and the adventure soap, Dick Barton, Special Agent. His dream of getting behind a microphone came true when he joined a hospital radio service.
In his day job he is a journalist and has written for and worked on most popular national titles including the Daily Mail, The Sun and Take a Break. He now helps people who want to sell their stories to the press through his agency, UK Features (www.sellmystoryuk.com).
Robin, who is our Communications Director, grew up in Middlesex and from Harrow County Grammar School joined the Army for National Service. He moved to north Surrey in 1967 and has lived in Esher with his wife since 1979. They have a daughter Kate, also a Brooklands Radio presenter.
John Cull
JOHN CULL began his radio career on one of the legendary pirate stations of the Sixties, Radio 390, housed on a fort in the Thames estuary. After the pirates were closed down he spent four years on Radio KZ in Melbourne, where the late Alan Freeman began his career.
Back here, he presented on local hospital radio but took a day job with Qantas Airways. He was propelled into celebrity as the airline’s Duty Airport Manager at Heathrow in the BBC’s fly-on-the-wall docu-soap Airport from 2000 to 2003, still repeated regularly on digital channels.
John was brought up in Addlestone and went to St Paul’s School. Now living in Sunbury, he has taken early retirement from Qantas and runs the TV and radio website www.waveguide.co.uk.
David Durant
DAVID DURANT’s love of radio surfaced in his teens when he began visiting a station in Bogota, Colombia, where he grew up, after school each day to answer the phones and bombard presenters and engineers with questions.
After moving to Surrey he gained experience in hospital radio and as a mobile DJ. His day jobs have included working with a motor-racing merchandise firm, reflecting his passion for Formula 1. He has also delivered TVs, and after installing two sets at Eric Clapton’s home he was thrilled to be made a cup of tea by Patti Boyd and even more delighted with a £20 tip. He is now with a firm providing training for local authorities and schools.
David is a regular weekend presenter on Brooklands Radio with Surrey Unsigned and organises our hugely successful Live Lounge events, show-casing local musicians.
He has a teenage daughter and lives in Walton-on-Thames.
Andy Edmeads
ANDY EDMEADS has been a professional actor since he was 13. After discovering a love of radio presenting while studying Drama at Exeter University he worked for the city’s Gemini Radio and joined a Devon hospital station. He is a regular weekday presenter on Brooklands Radio
Actors he was worked with include Hugh Laurie, Ade Edmondson and Rob Brydon and he has done voice work for many TV commercials including Pot Noodles and Clearasil, so if you have a taste for snack foods and a good complexion it could be thanks to Andy. He also helps to run the Surrey-based comedy promotions company Terry The Stand Up.
Andy was born in Staines in 1985, has lived in Woking for 20 years and went to St John the Baptist school. He enjoys gigs, festivals, holidays, socialising and pubs.
Lance England
LANCE ENGLAND, Brooklands Radio Technical Director, began his radio career when he was 11 – when his mum wrote in to a local hospital broadcasting service. He stayed for nearly 20 years, ending up as chairman.
After leaving St Paul’s School, Addlestone, he became a race car mechanic before joining BBC as an Assistant Sound Recordist, rising to Senior Audio Supervisor. He went on to set up his own business, Soho-based Gemini Audio, mixing TV and radio soundtracks for the BBC and most major broadcasters.
Lance lives with wife Liz and their two children in Woodham. He has retained his interest in motorsport and keeps a 1974 Ferrari 308 on the road. His other interests include electronics, music and, recently, growing his own vegetables.
Michael Grinter
MICHAEL GRINTER’S childhood memories of radio centre around Sunday lunchtimes at home in Aberdare in South Wales when he recorded the BBC’s Two-Way Family Favourites on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. He insisted his parents talked in whispers and he leapt up to press ‘pause’ during chat between records. When played back, the music was accompanied by low whispers and clinking cutlery.
When Michael came to Surrey in 1966 to teach at Sheen Grammar School, in Richmond, he became a fan of Radio Caroline and, as he grew older, Terry Wogan.
Now retired from a long career in education in the public and private sectors, he has trained as an actor, formed his own singing act, The Song Pedlars, and completed the circle back to his early interest in broadcasting by joining Brooklands Radio.
Mike Gurr
MIKE GURR, Brooklands Radio’s Sales & Marketing Director, came into radio by chance when his wife Gill was in hospital to have the first of their two sons 25 years ago and a hospital radio volunteer offered to play a request for him. Mike joined the station and became a star presenter.
After leaving school, Mike joined the Air Training Corps and rose to Corporal Lead Drummer. But the world of music lost its budding star because he entered the motor industry as an apprentice. He has worked with top marques including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Mercedes Benz and Jaguar and today is a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
Mike, who was was born and brought up in Worthing, West Sussex, has lived in Knaphill, Woking, for 26 years. His interests include radio-controlled model aircraft and motor-cycling.
Bev Harris
BEV HARRIS has loved radio since listening to Luxembourg as a teenager, and then the North Sea pirate stations. He finally got on the air himself after hearing about Brooklands Radio from presenter David Durant.
Born in Surbiton, he went to school in Wimbledon. From City University he went into education, as a teacher and later as a County Adviser in Surrey schools. A keen guitarist, Bev is part of a three-piece acoustic group called Some Time Later. He ran a folk music magazine in the 70s but likes ‘most kinds of music from Abba to ZZ Top’, so the broad-based Brooklands Radio playlist suits him fine.
He is married with two grown-up children and lives in Runnymede.
Suzanne Hunter
SUZANNE HUNTER’s determination to become an actress was fired as a schoolgirl when she appeared in a play at the Leatherhead Theatre. She went on to train at the prestigious Guildford School of Acting and has worked on the West End stage, in theatres across the UK, films, TV and professional radio.
She is a member of BAFTA in recognition of her passion for the film and broadcasting industry and is now writing a play. Suzanne is a qualified sword fighter and loves tennis, rollerblading and dance.
Born in Hertfordshire, Suzanne moved with her family to Thames Ditton at age 12 and went to Esher High School. She now lives in Weybridge and joined Brooklands Radio through the Elmbridge volunteering site www.vae.org.
Sally James
SALLY JAMES found fame as a presenter on the ITV children’s show Tiswas, with Chris Tarrant, after acting roles in top-rating TV series, including Crown Court and Dixon of Dock Green, and movies. Her acting ambitions first stirred into life when her father, a stills photographer, was working on the film To Sir, With Love, and got her a part.
Born in Chiswick, Sally moved to Hinchley Wood at age seven. She now lives at Effingham with her husband of more than 30 years, producer and Brooklands Radio colleague Mike Smith, and their three sons.
Today Sally combines running a school uniforms business in Cobham, Unismart (http://www.unismart.co.uk/), with being a mum, TV appearances and producing and presenting our very successful Business Affairs programme. There’s more about Sally at www.sally-james.com.
Celia Jones
CELIA JONES has loved radio since as a child she danced around her home to the Sixties pirate stations. She also enjoyed radio plays and talk programmes and recorded spoof interviews with a friend on a reel-to-reel tape deck for fun.
After growing up in Cheshire, Celia moved to London for her work and now lives with her two cats in Shepperton. She joined Brooklands Radio after being interviewed on air as an organiser of Shepperton Village Fair. She decided she wanted to be involved in community radio and is part of our sales and marketing team. She currently presents the station’s very popular Classical Collection on Sundays - and Fabulous Women on Tuesday lunchtimes.
Away from the studio she runs a marketing consultancy, Cameo Marketing Ltd (http:\\www.cameomarketing.com/)
Matt Joyes
MATT JOYES’ interest in radio surfaced in childhood when he recorded mock radio shows with his sister and cousin, interviewing each other as celebrities with funny names and voices and playing their favourite songs. Later he went into hospital radio and now presents on Radio Chelsea & Westminster.
A week night presenter for Brooklands Radio, Matt grew up in Stockwell and Clapham and lives in Woking with his wife, Ryn, and a small, violent, black cat, Evie. His relaxations include comic books, singing and Live Action Role Play, which he describes as running about in woodlands near Guildford killing monsters. So it’s thanks to Matt that monsters are so seldom seen in the town.
In his The Joyes’R’Us show Matt plays an eclectic musical mix including classics, covers, live tracks and random nonsense.
Graham Laycock
GRAHAM LAYCOCK made his radio debut in his early teens, recording programmes at home and inflicting them on his family on Sunday mornings. He progressed to his local hospital radio service, becoming Programme Controller and then Chairman.
When he heard from former hospital radio colleagues of their plans for Brooklands Radio he jumped at the chance to be involved and renew old friendships – so much so that he moved from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, to Great Bookham to be part of the team and become Programme Controller.
Graham grew up in Walton-on-Thames and on leaving Ambleside School joined British Rail as a junior clerk. He rose to senior management roles in the railway industry but in 2003 a bout of ill-health led to early retirement. He and his wife Anita have two grown-up sons and his interests include photography, railways, buses and helping others with the vasculitis condition he suffered.
Ian McGee
IAN McGEE comes from a musical Irish family. All his uncles and aunts played musical instruments and Ian learned the guitar when young and played at local venues in Surrey. It led on to running party discos and joining a hospital radio service. But Ian was destined for higher things and appeared in a TV commercial for Smarties with Valerie Singleton that was screened for many years.
Born in Kingston upon Thames, Ian grew up in Surbiton and now lives in Worcester Park. His career began with an apprenticeship with British Aerospace and he now has a technical role with the NHS. He enjoys cooking, meeting new people and walking, especially along the Thames and exploring rural Surrey and Sussex.
Terry Peters
TERRY PETERS’ enthusiasm for radio surfaced in his teens when he began recording shows on cassette to play to family and friends. After an early career as a baker he began broadcasting on London station Choice Radio where he stayed for 13 years. He went on to present TV shows, including Dancemania on QVC.
Terry is also busy with voice-over work, compering, and running his business, Terry Peters Discotheques.
Born in Hampton, Terry went to Kenyngton Manor School, in Sunbury, and now lives in Sunbury with his wife and two children. Away from the microphone he relaxes with angling, belonging to several local angling clubs, and representing tackle manufacturer Colmic in match angling competitions at local and national championship levels.
Barry Richards
BARRY RICHARDS has broadcasting in his blood – his father was Sound Director at ATV and he had uncles working at ITN and Thames TV. In his teens he joined a Surrey hospital radio service and moved on to host a chat show on London News Talk with Adrian Just. He has also done voice-over work on radio and cinema commercials.
In his day job Barry is HR Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa with international advertising agency McCann-Erickson, whose clients include such household names as Mastercard, Microsoft and Nestlé – making him ideally qualified as both Advertising & Promotions Director and HR Director with Brooklands Radio.
Barry grew up in Weybridge, went to Fulbrook School in New Haw, and now lives in Woodham with his wife and two children.
Andy Richens
ANDY RICHENS made his broadcasting debut as a presenter on the Kent University radio station and was hooked. After graduating, he joined a Weybridge-based hospital radio station where he ran a request show for 25 years.
On top of his day job as a taxation expert he was also also match day DJ at Chelsea FC for seven years and is still a supporter. He likes all kinds of music, but in his car it’s likely to be Snow Patrol, Keane or Coldplay.
Andy grew up in Staines and Wraysbury went to Ashford Grammar School. He is married with a son and is tax technical director with a West Country firm of chartered accountants. He commutes to Brooklands Radio from his home in Devon in his Lotus car – he has driven one (not the same one) for 30 years.
Gary Smith
GARY SMITH’s twin passions of music and sport are reflected in his varied roles at Brooklands Radio – as a weekday host of music-based programmes and a mainstay of our Saturday afternoon sports coverage.
His main career has always been in the leisure industry and Gary is now manager of Feltham Airparcs Leisure Centre, near Heathrow. On radio he has covered football and local events for Milton Keynes-based Horizon Radio and for Jack Radio in Oxfordshire. Musically, he plays drums in a local band, The Seen and ran a mobile disco for many years.
Gary’s main other interests are autobiographies and comedy and he has been known to perform as a stand-up comic. He lives in Bedfont with wife Vicky and their toddler daughter Ruby.
Mike Smith
MIKE SMITH has been a radio, record and TV producer and is now busy as an adviser and consultant to the broadcasting and music industries. Artistes he has managed include Bruce Foxton, Hazel O’Connor, Rick Wakeman, Linda Lusardi and Kathy Lloyd. He discovered Adam & The Ants and he also confesses to being the man who brought the Smurfs to Britain.
He and his wife, former Tiswas presenter Sally James, have three sons and their home in Effingham is a scene of football madness. He was a director of Kingstonian FC when they were in the Conference and won at Wembley.
Mike is the driving force behind Brooklands Radio’s Sunday afternoon programme Mike Smith’s Surrey Soccer, devoted to local grass roots football. It is a branch of the game he has been involved in locally for 30 years and he is chairman of Oxshott Royals FC.
Rupert Suren
RUPERT SUREN had wanted to work in radio for as long as he could remember and when he saw a story about Brooklands Radio in a Surrey local paper he knew his chance had arrived.
A motor sport enthusiast, he raced go-karts at age 14 and later raced single-seater cars for several years. His career is in marketing and he runs his own direct marketing agency, Blue Channel (http://www.bluechannel.co.uk/).
Rupert was born in Twickenham, spent the early part of his life in India and has lived and worked in Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland. He has two daughters, both with successful careers in film and television, and lives in St Margaret’s with his girlfriend of many years and their French Mastiff.
Alan Timbrell
ALAN TIMBRELL, Chairman of Brooklands Radio, had the idea for the station in 2004 and has worked towards making it a full-time community radio service since then.
His love of radio was fired by the off-shore pirates of the Sixties. At age 16 he and a friend founded a hospital radio service at Weybridge that survives today. From St James School, Weybridge, Alan joined GPO Telephones (now BT) as an apprentice engineer, later managed projects in the mobile phone industry and is now a consultant project manager with a private medical group.
Alan believes that radio today could be much more enjoyable, entertaining, and distinctive. He feels that presenters should have more say in content and encouraged to try out their own ideas so that their programmes reflect their personalities.
