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Jason Harold Nearly On-Air

jason-harrold-wyvern-presenter

My Wyvern story began before I was officially working there. It was all thanks to – or maybe the fault of – Nick Wright. I used to really enjoy his evening show. I even won the odd competition, and in those days Radio had some odd competitions.

On one occasion we got chatting and I found out he lived in Stourbridge near to my hometown of Halesowen and I also may have mentioned I did Hospital Radio. Despite me having a perm I did get an invite to come in and do some PRS work for him.

However, it wasn’t for the evening show as Nick also did weekend breakfast. So a 4 am alarm one Sunday meant me meeting Nick in a hotel car park (Blimey it sounds very undercover doesn’t it?). Early starts weren’t a massive problem as I was a baker at the time and 4 am was a normal start time. We then made the 30-minute drive to Barbourne Terrace and I was given a pen and a crash course in filling in a PRS form. No such thing as a free lunch eh, or in this case breakfast.

I have to say the 4 hours whizzed by. Like all things you look forward to it went by in a flash but I am pleased to say I was asked back regularly afterwards. Much to the detriment of my Sunday footballing career. However, I was more Hoof it like Harrold than Bend it like Beckham.

It must have been my work on those forms, or maybe the Tipex, but I was grateful for every opportunity I had to just watch, absorb and observe how Radio works.

Nick being a top pro took it all in his stride talking to me, answering the phones, flicking through the papers and doing his bit on the mic operating something that looked like it was designed by NASA. A desk that was 5 times as big as the one I used on hospital radio.

He wasn’t always the model pro though. I remember on one occasion I had to wake him to get in on time. He had had fellow presenter Johnny Lewis visiting on the previous evening and they just may have had a late night. Once Nick started his show though you wouldn’t have known. Johnny, however, went off to sleep in an upstairs office Just doing those forms for Nick taught me an enormous amount. Bringing in visitors was frowned upon at the time so I will always be grateful to Nick for that as well as his time, his help, his advice a finer mentor you could’ve have wished for. ( Very true words SS )