The Wyvern Stories – My Wyvern Story

Here are the Wyvern Stories

By The Ones Who Were There & Created It.

So here they are, your Wyvern Stories. These are what this site is all about if you haven’t sent your story yet we would love to add it here. If you were at Wyvern for any length of time and in any capacity at all, we would like to feature your story as well as see any pictures you have from the time or hear any on-air audio. You will see the latest posts featured first. If you can add any extra information or facts about any of the stories or have any amusing anecdotes or additions to the stories already posted please do drop me a line.

Andy Newman

Andy Newman, Wyvern News, Kidderminster

Why anyone would give me a job in radio in October 1982 is beyond me. I was the archetypal socially inadequate radio anorak. OK so I wasn't actually wearing an anorak but I was still wearing my mother's knitted sweaters - honestly. The one…

A Fine Bit of Rare Howard Hughes On-Air

I remember this was on air after I returned in 1988....Nick wright got flu and I filled in at short notice... I sound very different now but this is very much of its era - and shows what a great station Wyvern was ....commercial but…

Andy Johnson, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Promotions At Wyvern, Wyvern Snowball

Andy Johnson of Andy & Bobby Fame !!

Oh, my God, I wanted to be a DJ so much! Trouble was, I wasn't particularly good at it. I'd spent several of my teenage years being rejected by just about every radio station in the little IBA handbook when a very generous Sammy Southall took…

Engineering Dept Wyvern, Rob Yarnold, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

The Amazing MBI On-Air Studio Desks

So I asked Rob Yarnold " how did we come to have those amazing MBI desks ?" - Rob Says I was busy visiting every ILR station on air to plan Wyvern. As part of this journey, I was also working free-lance at Beacon 303 from 1976 - 1981,…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern AM, Wyvern stories

Simon Doe Wyvern AM Split TX

I had the pleasure of broadcasting at Barbourne Terrace for two years between 1996 and 1998. I was brought in as part of the presentation team of Wyvern AM, when the frequencies split. I remember my interview for the job, with the…

Listeners Story, Wyvern stories

Mel & Tony Peters Get Married

I married the DJ who played me a song for Valentine’s Day. 1988 It had been an ordinary February the 13th. I’d spent the day doing not very much, lazing about the house in the cold. To ease the boredom, I flicked the radio on. …

Name These People

Another Name Game

We were at Maylord Orchard Shopping centre - we were presenting a lucky winner with a Car !!! the heatwave This was a small part of our team out that day - can anyone name all 6 - I am guessing Mike Morgan might have a stab. Do…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern stories

Gill (Manley) Edmonds Wyvern News

Gill Manley (Edmonds) Jan 1991-March 1992 I was going nowhere, writing advertorials as a freelance for the Kidderminster Shuttle, when my dad suggested in the strongest terms that I should "get a proper job". My mum had died a…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Promotions At Wyvern, Wyvern Cheltenham, Wyvern stories

Phill Bird Wyvern Cheltenham

Wyvern Memories from Phill Bird - Presenter/Promotions Executive June 1991 – July 1995 Growing up on a diet of Radio 1, the exciting launches of Severn Sound, and then Wyvern, I felt a real pull to radio – particularly ILR. I joined…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Promotions At Wyvern, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

Craig Beck Radio Wyvern

I was seventeen years old and had received approximately 50 or so rejection letters from radio stations around the country. The theme to the replies was similar; not enough experience, not quite ready, you have potential - come back in a few…

Management at Wyvern, Norman Bilton, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern In Hereford, Wyvern stories

Norman Bilton Radio Wyvern

Before setting off on the making of this site I spoke to Stephanie Bilton who was by Normans side during his considerable time at the station. Firstly I wanted to enlist her support and to see if she had any material she may be able to…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

Gareth Roberts Radio Wyvern

Two things I can say about my time at Wyvern from 1990 – 1994 I had extraordinary hair Without Wyvern, my dream of working in radio would probably still be just a dream. Instead, 27 years later I’m here doing the job I love,…

News Room Wyvern, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

Eleanor Oldroyd Radio Wyvern

Eleanor Oldroyd - 1984- 1986 “Who’s doing the sport at 1.20, David?” “Well, don’t tell her, but it’s Eleanor.” It was September 1984, and I’d been at Radio Wyvern for a week. Ten minutes after that conversation took place,…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Radio Wyvern Charity Snowball, Wyvern stories

Dean Roberts Radio Wyvern

Dean Roberts – Radio Wyvern/Wyvern FM (Barbourne) 1996-2002 Where do I start with my Wyvern Story? Well, I was always told that the ‘beginning’ is rather a good place to begin so let’s crack on. I can remember listening to…

Name These People

More Names If You Can Please

We are coming across a number of group shots and there are sometimes a couple of people I just can't recall names of - My apologies if you are one of those whose names I can not recall - please do drop me a line and let me know if you can…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Promotions At Wyvern

Ian Davies Radio Wyvern Night Beat

Ian Davies Night Beat 1am – 6am Sunday to Thursday 1991 – 1994 My first encounter of Radio Wyvern was as a listener in 1985, I was 15 years old and I won Sammy’s Secret Sound calling Hereford 272727 60 times a day on an old rotary…

Hereford United, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern stories

Chris Farrell Radio Wyvern

Where do I begin — I have so many great memories of the hallowed Wyvern Towers. Everybody ‘looking busy’ when we saw the boss’s yellow Capri pull up outside. Creeping up ‘The Bilton’s staircase’ as opposed to the ‘staff’…

Listeners Story, Wyvern stories

James Robinson Listeners Story

Several listeners have been in touch having read about our little site on the Radio Today page offering their story of listening to Radio Wyvern - As they were the main reason we were there in the first place I will be adding some of the…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern At Perdiswell, Wyvern FM Perdiswell, Wyvern stories

Matt Healey Wyvern Perdiswell

I grew up listening to Radio Wyvern but didn't really take much interest in it until 1996. I tuned into the Chris Blumer evening show one night and I was hooked. It made me so interested in radio and I applied to join my local hospital…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern At Perdiswell, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

Ben Foster on Wyvern FM

I was on the station in 2004-06. I came from Sunshine 855 in Ludlow, Shropshire and had worked for BRMB, too. At the time, my on-air name was Ben Foster although I am known as Zac Damon. I came on to initially cover weekend breakfast…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern FM Perdiswell, Wyvern stories

Andy Holmes Wyvern Perdiswell

I have MANY memories of Wyvern, having moved to the Two Counties aged 7, it was probably the station (along with BRMB) that inspired me to get into the industry in the first place. So to work for the station was a massive thrill. I'm now…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Promotions At Wyvern, Wyvern stories

Paul Masters Radio Wyvern

I joined Wyvern after doing well in two of the DJ discovery competitions. I hosted Sunday Best with Rich Edwards, my own Sunday afternoon show for many years. Sunday Breakfast and the Soul Show. Plus some weekday cover. One thing I…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern Pre On Air, Wyvern stories

Allan Clarke Radio Wyvern

My interest in Radio started when, as a young teenager, I won a school competition, the prize, a visit to BBC Radio Birmingham (now WM) to watch the Ross & Henry Show one Saturday morning. Ross, perhaps better known as Les Ross &…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern Pre On Air, Wyvern stories

Mark Hellings Wyvern News

When you’re a teenage radio anorak and somebody offers you the keys to an as-yet un-opened but brand new radio station so you can help play out test tapes, you’re probably not going to think about it for too long. So there we were…

Commercial Production, Wyvern At Perdiswell, Wyvern FM Perdiswell, Wyvern stories

Andy Kench Wyvern FM Perdiswell

Andy has sent in some great audio of his time at Wyvern FM - please more pictures and recollections from these days too. I share these as strange stories now with a good-natured sense of humour, not to poke fun at the station or its parent…

Management at Wyvern, Wyvern At Perdiswell, Wyvern FM Perdiswell

Rick Simmonds Wyvern FM Perdiswell

Here are Ricks thoughts and memories of the changeover from Barbourne Terrace to Perdiswell. My memories of the old building had much the same feeling that late nights at my first professional radio gig (2CR in Bournemouth)…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern stories

Sybil Ruscoe Wyvern Newsroom

Getting a job in the newsroom at Radio Wyvern back in 1982 was like getting the keys to the sweetshop. The newsroom was packed with talent (!) and youthful enthusiasm. David Holsworth at the helm, now head of English regions for the…

Uncategorized

Stuart Ellis Radio Wyvern

July 1987 I'd met Nick Wright about a year earlier when I was working in a record shop in Redditch, and Nick came in searching for compilation albums on a certain label because they were "non needle time". He was presenting the overnight…

Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Radio Wyvern Charity Snowball

Ed Douglas on Radio Wyvern

I used to live actually on Barbourne Terrace and was well aware of Wyvern starting up and I remember clearly going into the reception area and watching the DJs presenting through the glass. To me, they were like Gods! I remember buying…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern News, Wyvern stories

Frazer Shepard Wyvern News

In 1982, I was a year out of university and it had dawned that my anticipated career as an international rock star was not going to happen any time soon. I had spent a few months as a cartoonist in an ad agency until they “let me go”, and…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern News, Wyvern stories

Naomi Bishop Wyvern News

I was hired from newspapers by David Holdsworth. I had just passed my journalism exams and decided to write off to a few radio stations. I remember there was a job going at Piccadilly in Manchester and on spec I also wrote to my local station,…

Graham Hughes, Mike George, Sammy Southall, Wyvern stories

Special Mention for Wyvern Mo

Wyvern did make a difference to a lot of listeners for a whole variety of reasons, for some, it was a lifeline of sorts. One such special listener, was Maureen Preece best known to many listeners as Wyvern Mo, sadly no longer with us. She…

jason-harrold-wyvern-presenter-news-advert

Jason Harold, News Room Wyvern

Last Jason Harrold Story… for Now

It's lovely when radio shows are slick and smooth and sound effortless. As any presenter knows there are times it is anything but. It's like how a swan glides, quite serenely, but you know underneath that the feet are paddling away. Sometimes…

Jason Harold, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Radio Wyvern Charity Snowball

Jason Harrold Wyvern Snowball

The Snowball was everything that was good about local radio of the time. Throwing its weight behind people that needed help. The goodwill and camaraderie running through the building over those weekends of on-air fundraising left everyone…

Hereford United, Jason Harold, Presenter At Radio Wyvern

Jason Harrold Wyvern Presenter

What Simon Cowell does is nothing new. New Faces and Opportunity Knocks were to name just two. Radio Wyvern also dabbled in the new talent stakes and I am living proof. I was the winner of the second Search For a D J contest. A kind of "Decks…

Jason Harold, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Wyvern stories

Jason Harold Nearly On-Air

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…

Hereford United, Presenter At Radio Wyvern, Trevor Owens, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern In Hereford, Wyvern Sport, Wyvern stories

Trevor Owens Wyvern Presenter

I joined Wyvern in February 1991 - and ended up doing my first-ever show by accident. I was working behind the scenes with 'Big' Rich Edwards on the sports show when he took the call that Simon Forster was ill and unable to do the late show.…

Rob Yarnold, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern Pre On Air

The Wyvern Launch Party

Engineering Dept Wyvern, Rob Yarnold, Sammy Southall, Wyvern Pre On Air

The Birth of Radio Wyvern

Technical Director and Presenter Rob Yarnold, and Breakfast Presenter Sammy Southall have been talking with Producer/Presenter Graham Hughes, about what led to an amazing day - the birth of Radio Wyvern. The radio station’s large reception…

News Room Wyvern, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

Wyvern News This Is Howard Hughes

Like many of the best things in life I came to Wyvern by accident and chance. I'd returned from pirate Radio Nova in Ireland and had tried to push for a community station for Southport - which it eventually got in the 1990s. The government…

Promotions At Wyvern, Rob Yarnold, Sammy Southall, Wyvern Barbourne Terrace, Wyvern stories

The Pre On Air Promotional Leaflet

I have no idea how many of these Radio Wyvern pre-on-air promotional leaflets were printed or how many the 4 new presenters gave out at countless visits to all the main towns in the area who also had their own individual town named car…

Engineering Dept Wyvern, Rob Yarnold, Wyvern Pre On Air, Wyvern stories

The Radio Wyvern QSL Card !

Not every station had a QSL card but at Wyvern we were not going to miss ou. After all, it was real radio enthusiasts who drove the inception of the station. According to Wiki, A QSL card is a written confirmation of either a two-way radiocommunication…

Hereford United, Name These People, Wyvern In Hereford

Here are the Wyvern Stories

Were You At Wyvern?

It was 40 Years Ago On 4-10-22

Wyvern Takes to the Air Again