Channel Radio formed a very important basis of part of my life. I applied for membership of the organisation, which was based at Whiston Hospital in Whiston, Merseyside in around 1990. I went to a management team meeting. I was lucky to be "in the right place at the right time" as there was a vacancy on what was thought of as one of the worst slots in the schedule, 9.00 Sunday morning. I had no previous experience of radio work, but with my music and magic hobbies was easily able to cope with the "public" side of the show. Technically, I familiarised myself with the equipment, and produced a couple of demo tapes for myself to listen to on my way into John Moore’s University for the final year of my Honours degree course.

I presented my first show one quiet Sunday morning, and after met Gerard "Ged" Woods, who became a very good friend.

Progressing from a presenter and quiet member of the organisation, Gerard become the station's Chief Engineer & manager on a day-to-day basis.

Following the demise of our positions and the eventual demise of Channel Radio itself, Ged and I continued to work together, at Reflections Night Club, Dale St, Liverpool and The She Club, Victoria St, Liverpool. Gerard now works as an engineer and lighting jockey in the Cruz 101 Night-club, in the Gay Village, Manchester.

We are still good friends today, although we see each other VERY INFREQUENTLY.

We are still good friends today.

Dave was one of those unique people that you click with straight away. He sat in on a couple of Sunday shows with me and being a Multi-talented impressionist immediately felt at home on the show that we began to build, having always had an ambition to get into radio.

The quiet Sunday slot grew into the "Gareth and Dave Sunday Show", which sent reverberations out around the entire station! We brought new features, exciting competitions and unbounded energy to the show (even though Dave never arrived until 9.02 as the news was just finishing !)

I would drive the show, this would leave Dave to concentrate on his impressions, adlibs and the amazing skill he had at interviewing himself as noteworthy "Politicians" on the telephone as "John Cole, the on-the-spot reporter".

Another regular contributor to the Gareth and Dave Sunday show was Pete "The Squire of Cronton" Mulroy who was "Too old to play Buttons, but still liked a little bit of thigh slapping".

With the breakdown of the relationship I was in at the time of Channel Radio, Pete became very good friend of mine, helping me to setup my new flat. We also had regular Friday nights out to Flamingo's Night-club in Blackpool.

Although I still class Pete as a friend, he does not stay in contact at all, since Pheric has been around.

Pete's producer Trevor McCarthy, John Siveter, Warren "Killjoy" Kilshaw and Carl "FM FM" Roscoe were other regular contributors.

Ironically, Pheric knew Warren, but it was not until he heard a tape of the second pantomime that Pheric associated "his" friend Warren with Warren from Channel Radio!

Carl Roscoe and I both produced Jingles for Channel Radio and Radio Cracker. He was also an on-the-road DJ, also working at Smithdown Electrical as a day job.

Another Channel Radio project that I was involved in was the Channel Radio Challenge, a show that was a combination of parts of Anneka Rice's "Treasure Hunt" and "Challenge Anneka" shows.

Pete and Trevor would set Dave and I a challenge, and a series of cryptic tasks that had to be completed during a two hour radio show, Dave and I would make regular mobile telephone calls into Pete's show, and afterwards I would edit down Pete's show, and all the footage that we recorded out on the road into a stand-alone radio show that would be transmitted later in the week.

The highlight of the Challenge show was a July 4th American Independence special, that ended up with all four of us live on the radio from the Independence Day celebrations at The American Airforce base in Warrington.

This picture was taken by Simon Mayo, and features me on Camera (for digital sound) Geff Rushton (another Channel Radio presenter who was an on-the-road DJ), Ian Strom and Claire Anderson, who went on to work at Preston's 97.4 ROCK FM.