Radio Stations.

Radio listening was once a very simple thing to do. You just turned the dial.

The choice in the 60’s was either the limited BBC or the pop pirate stations, mainly Radio Caroline or Radio London.

Both of these pirate radio stations transmitted from ships anchored just outside of the British territorial waters in the North Sea and were thus, outside of the law.

Listening to the radio just seemed to be more fun back in the sixties.

Now, as I drive around the counties, there is a plethora of radio stations to listen to from the BBC which seems to be in place by county and the independents which are in place in most of our towns.

The trouble is, as I drive from one county to the next, the radio just drifts out of tune as I get involved in either the tunes or the conversation of that station. But I’ve got used to that.

Listening can be frustrating in a white van.

As I get older I seem to like the BBC stations more with their intelligent style and lack of adverts. That’s not an insult for the independents, it’s just as I see it

On Thursdays as I drive home from Leicester I can’t wait to get near Oxford about 4.00pm so I can tune into BBC Radio Oxford. Bill Heine takes over the reins and his show is just talk, no music and is just so very interesting.

Just the opposite is when I’m in Somerset and can tune to BBC Somerset around 2.00pm and listen to Richard Lewis. His show is light-hearted with silly tunes and humour. Right up my street.

BBC Northampton is another favourite with Bernie Keith in the mid morning. He’s just plain silly but I just can’t help listening to his silly way of interviews and chat.

Original 106 is the station that I listen to as I drive away from our southern area. They seem to have a style for the thinking man and I can get listen to them as far as Dorchester and Worthing but beyond Newbury is where they drift into white noise.

With the vast variety of stations to listen to, I do like the local stations over the national ones.

Radio 1, Radio 2 and 3 and 4 all have their place. Virgin and Capital Radio too.
Ocean Fm, Power Fm, Wave Fm are all good at what they do and although I state that I like the BBC ones, my selection is only personal.

I prefer BBC Oxford over BBC Leicester, BBC Somerset over BBC Solent and BBC Northampton over BBC Coventry and Warwick

I also like Vale FM with its farming reports, Orchard FM reporting Somerset news and traffic information.

But it’s the BBC that I choose most of the time.

Even BBC Berkshire entertains when I remember to tune to them.

It’s just down to human interest and good old silly entertainment that the BBC seem to win at.

And good traffic reports.

Bill Heine wins that one .