WCR FM DJ Stuart Hickman marks 10 years on the breakfast show , as he celebrates his birthday too.

Express & Star

WCR FM Radio DJ is stepping back from the Breakfast Show which he has hosted for 10 years, he also celebrates his 62nd birthday today too. We join him in the studio. They are based in Mander House above the Mander Centre.

Transcript

00:00Stuart, 10 years on the radio, how's it been today?

00:03It's been great, coming back to Wolverhampton after travelling all over the country working at various radio stations

00:11Coming back home, being a part of Wolverhampton, working at WCR which is just a great radio station

00:16Great organisation, really enjoyed every second of it

00:19Going to be like it was the past couple of days really, a bit nicer

00:22It should be sunny, dry and a little bit warmer too

00:27It's full on doing a morning show isn't it? Is that why you have a little break so you can have a few loins?

00:33Yeah, I've done my breakfast radio for about 16 years now

00:37So I think it's time to retire the alarm clock for a while

00:41Any particular stories you look back on and think that was a big one? I guess the Covid obviously

00:47Yeah, working on Covid, going through that time was crazy

00:50Because I came in and did the show live which was the cast's key work in those days for the information

00:56So yeah, just great times at WCR

00:58I remember the first show in particular because somebody had to take the radio station off air twice

01:02How did you manage that?

01:03In two different ways

01:05Actually that's what my boss said to me when I told him

01:08How did you manage to do that?

01:09And he let you come back again for the second show?

01:12Just to prove it was an accident

01:15Chris, it is six minutes past eight

01:18And Chris Howell is here, good morning Chris

01:20Good morning Stu, and first of all happy birthday to you

01:22Thank you very much

01:23You've been mentioning we've got a few changes coming and when are we going to pop in and see you

01:27And if you've been wondering why that wasn't very smooth

01:30It's because we've been interrupting you all morning, it's not very fair

01:34To come and say happy birthday to you

01:36It's also the 10th anniversary here at WCFM

01:38And also you're going to have a break from the breakfast show

01:41So we couldn't let this moment pass

01:42So it's all come together in one go, as Chris just said

01:46So I did my first show, which was the breakfast show at WCFM

01:49On 2015, on March 30th

01:53And doing my last breakfast show on March 28th, 10 years later

01:59It sounds like it was planned

02:01We don't plan much round here

02:03We're going to have a longer chat when you come into my show on Sunday

02:07But we just wanted to have a quick mark here

02:10And I know one of the things you've done here that people may not know about

02:12Is that you do a lot of the support and the training

02:14And the thing that's really in your heart is supporting people on their media journey

02:18Yeah, absolutely

02:19So there's a number of people who we've worked with, young people

02:22Who came in through WCFM and are now doing very well

02:25At the BBC for instance, Amber Sandin in particular

02:28I think many people have heard and have probably seen on Midlands today

02:31Also Ollie, who you won't have seen because he works behind the scenes, very technical

02:36But Ollie came through the system here and he's working at the BBC

02:39And now we're working on a new generation of people as well

02:42Indeed

02:43You know, great people like Josh, who's on 10 this morning

02:46Luke, who does the early bird show

02:48All joining us at WCFM and all kind of progressing on their radio journey

02:52And it's always great to, you know

02:54And we welcome people to join us

02:56Email us, getinvolved at wcfm.com

02:58And that's going to continue, and that's good

03:00And actually there's another anniversary

03:02Five years ago today, you and I were working together

03:04Because we were going into the pandemic

03:06We were, yes, absolutely

03:08I can't believe that's been five years

03:09It has, and for people who don't know

03:11You know, you do this voluntarily

03:12That's the way community radio in the city stays alive

03:16And I persuaded you

03:18In a moment of madness, you said yes

03:20And having done four hours on air live

03:22From six till ten, I said, oh stupid

03:24You stay on in the studio

03:25So I can stay at home nice and safe

03:27And comfortable, drinking coffee

03:29With my wife bringing me bacon sandwiches and whatever

03:31And I can then do a live show

03:33Yeah, I do remember that being very well

03:36So what are you going to be doing with your extra time in the mornings?

03:39Just having nice leisurely mornings for a change

03:42Yeah, absolutely

03:43Enjoying seeing everybody else getting up and going out to work, I think

03:46Well, thank you for serving the community well

03:48For ten years here

03:49And I know you'll still be involved

03:51But yeah, enjoy those lines

03:52Thank you very much

03:54Hey!

03:56It's the last minute, it's the last minute

03:58Well, come on, we've got to do it

03:59Happy birthday to you

04:02Happy birthday to you

04:06Happy birthday dear Stuart

04:10Happy birthday to you

Category

Transcript

Recommended