AngelRadio_Isle of Wight

If you long to listen to the stars of yesteryear without too many interruptions from a DJ yacking on about his everyday life, then join us on
Angel Radio.
You may be too far away to listen on your wireless but the online broadcasts have fans all over the world.

Musical notes from Animations by Sevenoaks Art.

We're live on the Internet --so hopefully Joyce and Brian are still listening out for us.

Angel Radio on the mainland has been streaming on the Internet for some time now and our original link was to these programmes.

Now Angel Radio on the Isle of Wight is streaming its own programmes over the Internet so hopefully they can hear us around San Francisco Bay.

Presenter Eddie McMahon has two brothers in Canada who can now listen to his Sunday programme weekly on computer.

If you can get Angel Radio IW on your computer, please leave a comment letting us know where in the world you are.

We have just received this guest book comment from Joyce and Brian in the USA:

Hi, we are in the San Francisco Bay Area and are friends of Ted Nunn who does a show on Thursday nights on Angel Radio. We are unable to hear his show on our computer. We have windows media player and have emailed the station twice already. Can you help? Sincerely, Joyce & Brian

Dear Joyce and Brian,
I am checking this one out for you. Will talk to our bofffins. Back soon.
Annie

It has been a weekend of celebrations for Angel Radio Isle of Wight starting on November 8.

As finalists in the Isle of Wight Community Action Awards 2007, co-managers Chris Gutteridge and Bev Webster, along with presenters Eddie McMahon and Linda Williams. attended the presentation ceremony last Thursday.

The Awards, sponsored by the IW Rural Community Council, the Isle of Wight Charitable Trust and the Isle of Wight County Press, attracted over 40 entries this year.

Eighteen enterprises which the panel believed had contributed most to the improvement in community life on the Isle of Wight were invited to the award ceremony held at the Roman Villa in Brading.

"We never expected to win," said Bev Webster. "We were amazed and delighted."

They won the top cash award. The money will go halfway towards paying the next annual licence fee.

The radio station has also received a small Lottery grant this year to help generate further support in the community.

The news was announced on air and listeners from both the Island and the mainland joined in the celebrations at the Angel Radio Dance held in Wootton on Saturday.

Scroll down to the Guest Book to read the announcement from Angel Radio Supremo Tony Smith who has signed up John Tree of the Zimmers to present a Friday morning swing programme which will also be repeated on Sunday evenings

You'll be able to hear it on Angel Radio Havant, online and soon on Angel Radio Isle of Wight.

Further articles on the Zimmers below.

Just can't wait. Remember Friday 17th August, 11am on 101.1FM in the Havant area or online.

Angel Radio presenters received a mention in the Wootton correspondent Bridget Lewis's column of the Isle of Wight County Press of July 27.

Angel Radio fund raising started in earnest this month with Party in the Park. Not content to rest on their laurels, Linda and Eddie are planning another fund raising visit --this time to their local car boot sale on Saturday July 28.

Their broadcasts have also prompted donations from listeners delighted to have found programmes that appeal to their musical tastes and interests.

Other ventures are the start of the Friendship Club. For a small donation, friends of Angel Radio receive lifetime membership, quarterly newsletters and other useful offers.

The first offer is a retouch service for old photographs which have deteriorated or even cracked with age.

Contact Eddie at the Friendship Club, c/o Angel Radio, Communications House. Love Lane, West Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31

Linda has very reasonably priced packs of themed notelets for sale in aid of Angel Radio.

The next social event takes place in August.

July 20 has been a good day for blog placings.

Angel Radio on Blogstream hit the number one spot for broadcasting blogs. It is mentioned here in Taylor's blogpost on Advanced Surfing. Made my day.

Checking it out, I found Blogstream has another Angel Radio blog --Steve on Angel.

So Steve, over to you --full steam ahead getting your internet connection and back to blogging.

We are now Number Two in the broadcastung rankings for Squidoo -- soon be famous. The aim is to make the top 100.

Linda Williams and Eddie McMahon have done it again. Not only are they ace presenters, they are Angel Radio's ace fundraisers too.

Aided and abetted by Ted Keemer and a raft of Angel Radio presenters they raised £228.00 this weekend for Angel Radio funds.

They collected 130 tombola prizes for the Party in the Park at Wootton on July 14. In addition, they collected so much to sell in aid of Angel Radio that they are threatening to have another car boot sale soon.

Dennis Hamilton took this great photo. Look out for news of Dennis's great fundraising Christmas special soon...may even take place earlier in the year.

OK so what are we doing suggesting you watch TV instead of listening to Angel Radio?

Well it's the Zimmers -- the singing pensioners whose fairytale success stemmed from gritty determination in face of loneliness and adversity.

Tim Samuels who made the original documentary film about the plight of the elderly in Britain unleashed a vocal sensation on the nation.

And now they've taken America by storm too. The Beckhams better watch out. They'll be a hard act to follow.

After travelling the length and breadth of the UK researching radio provision, Angel Radio's founder, Tony Smith, conceived the idea of a unique nostalgic radio station to appeal to the many listeners who believe the old songs are still the sweetest.

His vision was to lead to broadcasting music from the beginnings of recording at the turn of the twentieth century to a cut off point at the end of 1959. He added documentaries on the artistes and musical styles of this era.

However, realising the need of older people to know about the events and services in their community, he also broadcast community related programmes featuring local charities and community groups. This proved so helpful that he soon acquired a following of not only elderly people but also those who enjoy nostalgia for the good old days.

The cut off date of 1959 allows the Angel Radio stations to remain unique with an Isle of Wight library of currently 65,000 songs, most no longer heard anywhere else.

WightCable, the Island's cable TV & media company, stepped in to allow Angel Radio Isle Of Wight to set up a studio in WightCable's premises in Cowes, and so on 2nd June 2001, the broadcasts began to WightCable's customers that have continued ever since.

His initiative was so successful that the Radio Authority asked Tony Smith and the original Angel Radio team to run a special project to test the feasibilty and viability of long-term community Radio.

The station went on air in March 2002 to cover the Havant area north east of Portsmouth. Angel Radio Havant was a tremendous success, It won many awards and, when Ofcom finally introduced new, long term community radio licenses, it awarded one of its first two licenses to Angel Radio.

For a fuller history of Tony Smith and the founding of Angel Radio Isle of Wight, click on the history tab on the Angel Radio Isle of Wight home page.

Wishing a very happy birthday and another groundbreaking year to Angel Radio Isle of Wight's co-manager Chris Gutteridge.

An eternal 27-year-old to his radio listeners, will he be persuaded to break the habit of a presenting lifetime and admit to 28?

Keep listening and see.

Animation again by Sevenoaks Art

No, you're not hearing double --there are now two Angel Radio stations in the UK. The parent Angel Radio station based in Havant,Portsmouth on the southern coast of England is the original licensed community radio station and the one which broadcasts online.

Angel Radio Isle of Wight, also the brainchild of Tony Smith, is this year spreading its own wings and flying under its own community licence with Chris Gutteridge and Bev Webster as co-managers.

All members of both presenting teams are volunteers, most are pensioners but their passion for pre-60s music is inspiring a younger generation to "listen and learn" or should that be "dance and dream on."

Chris and Bev both have full time jobs as well as present their own shows, attend the round of meetings and tackle the endless paperwork that goes into running an FM radio show.

For inspiration and aspiration, have a look at some of the models below.

Ivan Prior took up rollerblading this year at the age of 69. The story was in the Exmouth Journal.

Bob Warburton at 68 is the country's oldest undergraduate. He is about to start a three-year degree course at Oxford Brookes University. This story was in the Oxford Mail.

Bill Gentleman now 67 is still breaking records for hammer throwing and competing in events around the world. The article originated in the Edinburgh Evening News of the Scotsman.

For fans of the grim reaper, I've added Death Can Be Funny on the lens roll. Let me know what you think.

No prizes for guessing where I found the illustration.